Bigger B-Doubles for Victorian roads

By Matt Brogan | March 23rd, 2009

Victoria’s Labor Government, in cooperation with VicRoads, is set to trial the use of larger B-Double trucks on the state’s roads in an effort, it says, aimed at reducing the number of smaller trucks using Melbourne’s clogged arterial roads.

The trucks will measure 30 metres in length, four metres longer than a standard B-Double, and will weigh up to 77.5 tonnes.

Under the proposal these trucks will be allowed on major Melbourne roads including the West Gate Freeway, West Gate Bridge, Metropolitan Ring Road and around the Port of Melbourne.

If the trial is successful access will also be granted to routes from Melbourne to Geelong, Hastings, Mildura, Wodonga, Bendigo and Shepparton on a permanent basis.

Speaking at a conference on Victoria’s freight future Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said that with Victorian freight traffic expected to double in the next 20 years, the Government had to take action and that a move to larger trucks capable of carrying greater loads would reduce the total number of trucks on the roads.

“The use of these next-generation vehicles on key dedicated routes has the potential to reduce the number of trucks by almost a third and reduce emissions and the cost of travel by up to 22 per cent on these routes,” Mr. Pallas said. “Suburban streets will benefit from having a freight network that efficiently moves goods on major arterial roads.”

Let us know your thoughts? Are you happy to share the road with larger trucks?

Supply & Demand

This is an fantastic initiative that drives alot of improvement. Less congestion, less carbon in the atmosphere, more efficient transport operations. I only hope car drivers have enough common sense to give these vehicles the respect on the road they deserve.
Simonsez

Possibly best if they are restricted to multi-lane roads as they do need quite some room and/or power to overtake safely.
Reckless1

Not sure of their logic – bigger trucks can carry a bigger load, but are not nimble, so extra handling will be required at each end, and the roads in between will be damaged more.

I think it will fail, for the same reasons Australia doesn’t embrace rail transport, which is an extension of the “more load, less flexibility of routes, and extra handling at each end” theme.

When the customer wants 5 tons more than what the B Double can carry, what then? The small trucks will still be used just as much.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Your right there Simon ,even then some drivers wont pass a truck ?
http://www.thebookabyss.com.au Australian Online Bookshop

How will these vehicles impact on roads and bridges? I fear they will have a detrimental effect. There have been b-Triples on the Geelong Rd for quite some time now.
eh179driver

Another stupid decission from a stupid government that is out of touch with reality. We already have B double trucks on ALL roads. When these were introduced about 10 years ago, we were assured by the industry and the government that they were to be restricted to certain roads (mainly dual carrigeway and major highways. What a joke. We now have B doubles on most roads including narrow single lane roads in industrial estates. We regularly get them in surburban streets (around houses and schools) in the eastern suburbs. Why? Because there are not enough Vic Roads patrol cars around and the Police are not properly trained and equiped to deal with trucks. That and the fact that transport companies will do anything they can to make more money. Take my word for it, these bigger trucks will be doing the same. Once B triples are intorduced (other than Fords 3 plants trucks) they will be the same.
Frenchie

Watch you roads crumble Victoria. In SA they were restricted to certain roads. Now they are creeping into more and more roads with damaging effects.
Acfsambo

The reason why we dont have a train transport system, is because the truck companies refuse to transport the materials to build the railway which wll lower there business.
Will

Transport operators feed a politicians stash. Nothing more than snouts in the trough, again.

Great; more speed crazed truckies systematically turning our roads to dust and requiring massive room for any response in bigger trucks.
upshift

The story is incomplete,
To get 77.5 tonnes gross the trailers will have four axles and the last axle will have to steer. They will only operate on specified roads and are 4-5 meters longer than current B-Doubles (not 19metre general acess B-Doubles) and will have to run airbag suspension that is CLAIMED to be road friendly, it is NOT friendly to all pavements or infrastructure. Larger B-Doubles can operate nationally, can also be operated by a minority group of gazoo drivers also.
PROJET – L

Now if they just stayed in the bloody left land with middle lane limited use, things would be ok.
PROJET – L

correction I meant to say LANE whoops
realcars

serious enough issues in transport industry without introducing longer rigs with larger loads.
Andrew M

All the other negative comments already listed are very much relevant, but the biggest thing i see this as is a quick fix.

Why dont they look at improving the actual freight routes rather than just reducing the number of physical vehicles.

benefits by reducing the number of axels on the road by lessening the amount of trucks will be wiped out by the bigger trucks needing more axels.

In QLD they are working on improving freight routes in readyness for future traffic predictions.

so what happens in 20yrs time when they say the numbers would have doubled????
we are stuffed then because then the roads would be full of these bigger road trains rather than full of smaller trucks. no real gains to be had from this scheme if you ask me.
what about the job losses from eliminating trucks????

moving 20 tonne on the roads still causes the same amount of damage to roads whether it is in one load or 20.

actually it would possibly cause more damage in one load as it delivers a more concentrated stress (depending on how they set the trailers up)
Andrew M

^^^
should have said one load or 2 (not 20)
Rick

OMG
I have never read such a load of illinformed dribble ,obviously from a bunch of ,, oh my mate said ,,I had a bad time with a big truck,they’re dangerous

B triples are a great idea if it helps move freight in a more efficient & safer manner , with education in all sectors of our roads system we can coexist in a safe and courteous manner , benifiting all of us.
another option would be 2 trailer road trains coming in at 36.5 metres and 79 tonnes

A vehicle that is more manouverable than a b double

The middle lane is the best lane for a large truck to travel in because if there is a drama out front the driver of the truck has 2 escape routes , one to the right & one to the left , kinda makes sence when ya think about it don’t it .
Bearing in mind the driver of a heavy vehicle is in charge of a large piece of machinery that has many blind spots
( areas that are out of sight to the driver )
and only a short time to react to ever changing situations
A truck driver may seem to be being a cowboy and a danger to other road users , but before you pass judgement think what’s going on on the other side of the truck ….

in your blind spot
Austin

Rick,

On the last point, absolutely people don’t understand the concept of driving a heavy vehicle.

Just on the b-triple point. B-triple use is being greatly expanded in NSW under one of two efficiency plans I’m aware of for the NSW heavy road transport industry, the other being quad bogey trailers.

It’s important to note that B-triples are being considered in outback NSW to replace double road trains because of the increased stability of the b-coupling compared to the A-bogey coupling. Theoretically you get less chance of roll over during cornering (less roll in the trailer developing due to the sideways pull from the draw bar) and less trailer wander with a b-coupling because of the torsional stiffness.

Austin