PBS Review Panel fast-tracks truck and dog Design Approvals

A recent trial of the new Performance Based Standards (PBS) ‘pre-advised’ Design Approval process is now reaching its sixth month of implementation. Under a new National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) procedure, 3- and 4-axle dog trailers towed by 3-axle trucks can enjoy a quicker, streamlined process that bypasses the PBS Review Panel. Instead, these specific combinations are assessed in-house by a team of experts within the NHVR. The pre-advised status of these combinations comes after ten years of processing via the PBS Review Panel.

The requirements for a pre-advised truck and dog design are as follows:

• PBS Level 1 and/ or Level 2
• Maximum overall length ≤ 20.0m
• Maximum overall height ≤ 4.3m
• Maximum overall width ≤ 2.5m
• Single steer axle – max 6.5t
• Tandem drive axles – max 16.5t GML and 17.0t CML/ HML
• Bin type load area – truck and trailer
• Tier 1 bridge formulae compliant
• Axle group loads must not exceed Higher Mass Limits.

From a PBS Assessor point of view, this trial has been a resounding success. Advantia works hard to have Design Approvals processed by the NHVR as quickly and efficiently as possible. Often the longest part of the process is the processing time through the NHVR and the PBS Review Panel.
During the pre-advised trial, we have seen applications that typically would have taken four weeks to be processed by the NHVR and the PBS Review Panel, be approved within the same day by the NHVR alone.

As to the future of the pre-advised system, NHVR CEO, Mr Sal Petroccitto states “we will now look at other popular vehicle types, including semi-trailer combinations and B-doubles.”

But why stop there? A-doubles are quickly becoming one of Australia’s more popular PBS combinations, particularly because of the advances in route assessment and network publication happening in Victoria.

“The PBS scheme has been operating for ten years, I think the time is right to start streamlining the process where the PBS Review Panel is comfortable doing so.”      – Advantia Managing Director, Rob Di Cristoforo.

For further information regarding PBS, Design Approvals, and heavy vehicle access, please contact Advantia