Reform does away with need for new certification of modification
The Truck Industry Council (TIC) and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) say a joint heavy vehicle identification initiative will help streamline sales regulations.
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 productivity and safety executive director Geoff Casey, the manufacturers plate/label enables the OEM 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,” Casey says in a statement.
“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.”
TIC chief technical officer Mark Hammond says the 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,” Hammond says.
“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.”