Putting the brakes on unsafe trucks

©Leon Swart via 123RF

One of these is Patrick O'Leary, editor of FleetWatch magazine, who together with a team of experts recently held the 34th Brake and Tyre Watch roadside safety check at the Donkerhoek traffic control centre, east of Pretoria, sponsored by Hino SA. Representatives of long-time supporters of this initiative, which started more than 10 years ago, were on hand with presentations that varied from trailers, braking systems, tyres and axles to the South African Road Federation (SARF) and the Road Transport Management System (RTMS).

O'Leary started proceedings with a scene-setter that was enlightening and chilling. Imagine hearing that a major transport company which screened potential drivers could find only seven out of 100 that could be trained to meet their high standards. No wonder an average of 43 people die on SA's roads every day.

A high failure rate

The high accident and death rate in SA is to be expected when one hears the statistics gleaned from FleetWatch's Brake and Tyre Watch examinations over the past 10 years. They reveal a failure rate of 68%, with 485 trucks of 679 declared unroadworthy. At the Donkerhoek centre, trucks travelling on the N4 towards Pretoria were inspected and two of the four checked were found to be unroadworthy. One had lost all the tread from a retreaded tyre, while two had problems with their braking systems. One had a very worn main steering link.

Trailer expert Wolfgang Lehmann gave some shocking statistics about the dangers of using cheaper, nongenuine brake and suspension replacement parts on trailers, as well as the dangers of worn or cracked fifth wheels and their kingpins. Lehman said some nongenuine trailer brake drums for sale in SA were made with not only significantly less material, but also of the incorrect metal. He also warned about the importance of using the correct number and type of lashing straps when securing loads.

Wabco's Johan van der Merwe explained the intricacies of the latest trailer braking systems and stressed the importance of proper checks and maintenance to ensure the correct operation of the systems. He also warned about the use of nongenuine replacement parts, particularly brake boosters, where cheaper versions often have shorter push rods which can affect brake balance.

Paul Nordengen, of the CSIR and SARF, was a fountain of knowledge on roads and the manner in which overloaded trucks damage them.

Overloaded

He said a recent survey in Mozambique had shown that 80% to 90% of the trucks there were overloaded, with the maximum overload reported a massive 53 tonnes.

The roads and transport expert warned that matters were going to get far worse as the amount of freight moved globally, using all modes of transport, was expected to increase 4.3 times between 2010 and 2050.

Nordengen is a strong protagonist for the use of the RTMS to self-govern transport operations and he said he was pleased to see that 200 fleets operating 10,000 trucks were now RTMS accredited. He said case studies of RTMS fleets showed amazing improvements in terms of running and maintenance costs as well as a far lower accident rate resulting from using the correct RTMS procedures.

He also bemoaned the fact that low levels of law enforcement in SA meant only about 5% of trucks on the road were involved in interactions with law enforcers during a year, while he estimated that up to 40% of trucks on South African roads were noncompliant.

George Hartman, of BPW Axles, said the high cost of road accidents in SA, estimated at R400bn annually, was due to two major factors: the driver and poor vehicle maintenance. He also said ineffective law enforcement was partly to blame.

Steve Norris, a field engineer with Bridgestone, gave a talk on the importance of fitting the correct tyres on transport rigs and ensuring the correct tyre pressures were maintained.

Kathy Bell, of the vehicle and asset finance division of Standard Bank and who is experienced and passionate about all aspects of the road transport industry, said her company was particularly supportive of companies that were RTMS-compliant as it meant their vehicles were a lower risk and would be in a better condition when they were resold or traded in.

Arrie Meyer, who has 25 years' experience in law enforcement and is responsible for operating the brake roller tester at the Donkerhoek test centre, said it was time to relook all aspects of SA's road traffic regulations as some of them dated back to 1957. He said another problem was that the prescribed test procedures and equipment used were not up to testing the latest technological advances in automotive engineering.

Ernie Trautmann, vice-president of Hino SA, concluded proceedings by committing his company to continuing with road safety initiatives such as the Brake and Tyre Watch. He is on a mission to get his staff, as well as the staff at Hino dealerships, to get their truck driver licences so they can see for themselves the challenges faced when driving a truck on today's congested roads.

Source: Business Day