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The heavy vehicle industry will benefit from improvements to the regulations around the selling of heavy vehicles in Australia.
The TIC Code of Practice (for Heavy Vehicles) Manufacturers Plate is an initiative of the Truck Industry Council (TIC) in collaboration with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). The scheme for truck original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) aims to easily identify that a heavy vehicle has had further work undertaken to a base cab/chassis vehicle by the OEM.
According to NHVR Executive Director, Productivity and Safety, Geoff Casey, the Manufacturers plate/label enables the original equipment manufacturer of a heavy vehicle to identify that they completed the vehicle under their manufacturing and quality processes, as part of their Identification Plate Approval (IPA) authority, without the need for certification by the NHVR.
"Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) any equipment fitted, or modification undertaken to a vehicle after it is deemed to be complete (IPA fitment date) requires NHVR approval and affixing a modification plate, identifying the type of modification and when it occurred, Mr Casey said.
"The Manufacturers plate/label clearly establishes that the body and/or equipment fitted to a vehicle is by the original equipment manufacturer and that certification by the NHVR is not required for any J code (body mounting) and P code (tow coupling, fifth wheel and king pin installation) modifications that occurred during this process", said Mr Casey.
TIC’s Chief Technical Officer, Mark Hammond says the Manufacturers Plate solves industry uncertainty about the definition of when a heavy vehicle is complete in the Commonwealth Motor Vehicle Standards Act and modification certification requirements under the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
"Under the TIC Code of Practice (for Heavy Vehicles) Manufacturers Plate, affixing a Manufacturers plate/label clearly identifies the equipment fitted by the original equipment manufacturer over and above the base cab/chassis", Mr Hammond said.
"This clearly identifies that the equipment fitted has been undertaken by the original equipment manufacturer and not a third party. It lets dealers, operators and heavy vehicle inspectors easily identify whether additional certification is required.
"TIC worked closely with the NHVR in developing a code of practice that would work for industry and we have received agreement from all Australian based truck manufacturers and distributors to participate", said Mr Hammond.
Further information about the TIC Code of Practice (for Heavy Vehicles) Manufacturers Plate can be found at www.truck-industry-council.org.
Further information about J and P Code modifications can be found at www.nhvr.gov.au/hvmodifications.