ALL NZ cities girdlocked

[minux]

your post is pretty accurate, based on my simple understanding of the science. but i've also been told that arguably the bigger issue is overloading. although a 40 tonne truck does much more damage to the road than a car, it's the cowboy running at 50 tonnes who's really tearing it up (due to the 4th power law you mentioned). and when he drives over a bridge, in effect the entire population gets their wallets out to pay.

Would love to see real current day examples of this happening. I am real sure people will risk losing NHVAS accred to run a whopping 10 tonne over limit. It really does not happen anymore. Under the scheme changes in november, it will be impossible to get away with( minor breaches 0-1.5 tonne over) without a bloody good explanation. Overloading is of no issue to 99% of the trucks out there, with the chain of responsibility in action, it is simply not worth it.

 

[jules]

For a semi, average weight is 42.5 tonne (6 on steers/11 for twin steer, 16.5 on bogie's and 20 on tri's, but depends on wheels and axle spacings and without accreditted extra mass which allows more on bogie/tri setups)

from what i'm told, some imported trucks run over 6 on the steers. removing payload isn't going to fix that.

If you overloaded somewhere here by 10 tonne, if picked up, truck would have to unload before moving, good bye license and risks jail.

i don't doubt that. but it's that one brain-dead person in 100, or 1000, that will give it a go who i was referring to.

Would love to see real current day examples of this happening. I am real sure people will risk losing NHVAS accred to run a whopping 10 tonne over limit. It really does not happen anymore. Under the scheme changes in november, it will be impossible to get away with( minor breaches 0-1.5 tonne over) without a bloody good explanation. Overloading is of no issue to 99% of the trucks out there, with the chain of responsibility in action, it is simply not worth it.

i think you're 100% correct. it's unlikely someone is going to go to the trouble of getting accredited, then break the rules. again, it's that 1% that i was referring to - the guys who operate outside the rules. they're out there. they're in every industry, even doctors.

even if you're at regulation mass, if you go over a wooden bridge (with a signpost instructing you not to) that can't take it, it may not fall over, but the damage bill to taxpayers can be $100,000s. you can go over a weighbridge later on down the road and smile and take your ticket.

 

[minux]

from what i'm told, some imported trucks run over 6 on the steers. removing payload isn't going to fix that.

Correct, in fact almost every truck used as a semi will be over 6 tonne on the steer, this is why they are changing the laws so that steer is set at higher rates.

 

[FusionX]

from what i'm told, some imported trucks run over 6 on the steers. removing payload isn't going to fix that.

You have been told wrong. I learnt all this when I worked on weighbridges (2 years). Bonneted/long nose trucks can very easily stay under 6 tonne on the front axles. Most average about 5.85 fully loaded, thats with extra mass accreditation (allowing 44.5 on a semi).

Cab-overs were another story. Turntable placement becomes critical on these. Volvo's had to be placed a fair way back, Iveco's were pretty easy to get right. Older macks were almost impossible. Newer ones seem to be a bit better, turntable still ends up a fair way back. Then it all comes down to loading them.

Where almost all of my guys that have been done when overloaded were with the drives or trailer. From memory it's only 1 (a cab over Mack) that has been done heavy on the steers.

8-wheelers (with twin steer) they have more trouble being over loaded on the front if they have a short wheelbase.

 

[jules]

Correct, in fact almost every truck used as a semi will be over 6 tonne on the steer, this is why they are changing the laws so that steer is set at higher rates.

i think you can get 6.5 if you've got other fruit on your cab, such as a bull bar, but i thought the idea was that the extra weight of that stuff was about 500 kg, so it's not really solving the original problem.

is that the law you meant?

 

[jules]

Cab-overs were another story. Turntable placement becomes critical on these. Volvo's had to be placed a fair way back

i've heard that. i was told that this is dangerous as by doing that, effectively you're pointing the nose (steer axle) to the sky a little.

there seems to be conflicting stories about this issue, i've heard people claim it's a widespread problem.

 

[FusionX]

Here in W.A. if you come off a weighbridge, you can't be over on any axle group. 6 tonne is the limit on steers, although without weighbrides, i think there is a small allowance.. but not too sure (depends on the inspector at the time). In Victoria with special modifications, you can apparently get more.

90% of what I deal with is tippers. We have never seen an issue moving turntables. Just keep it within what the manufacture allows. Might be different with containers... but thats a whole different setup again... with a whole different set of weights if you carry extra mass permits (allows close to 26 tonne on tri's from memory). But then you also pay a fair bit more for those permits.

 

[commsirac]

in general terms, the road user charge is based on the sound economic principle of 'costing the externalities', which means you make the consumer pay the true cost of their consumption - in this case, truckies using the road. the advantage of doing this is that when you do that, they quickly work out ways to improve their efficiency (i.e. damage the road less and cost taxpayers less).

That's what I was trying to say, but it is said much better here.

 

[STEALTHY™]

the fourth attack from this member in the thread, and still no contribution to the topic matter. Have you run out of playmates to try and intimidate in the sandpit?

I'm beginning to think your a pedo with all your talk of sandpits and playmates.....

 

[minux]

I'm beginning to think your a pedo with all your talk of sandpits and playmates.....

I was thinking more along the lines of...best to not say.