1. Experiences with On-Board Mass Monitoring in Australia Gavin Hill General Manager, Strategic Development Transport Certification Australia

2. Overview

3. Overview The Australian context Australia’s experiences and learnings
Current status
What it means for policy makers

4. The Australian context
A large land mass
A small, dispersed population
Highly differentiated road infrastructure ‘quality’
Over 75% of non-bulk domestic freight is carried on roads
Truck traffic is predicted to increase by around 50% by
Australia's economic output is highly influenced by freight transport performance

5. National Key Freight Networks
Australia has over 950% more road network than Chile

6. Australia’s challenges
Australia’s total road freight is expected to grow from billion tkm in 2008 to billion tkm in 2030.

7. Building roads Network performance Demand management road utilisation
years
road utilisation
road capacity
Building roads
Network performance
Demand management

10. Australia’s experience and learnings

11. Operational learnings
Commercially available OBM Systems have been utilised in Australia since 2011 for road access and compliance management purposes
OBM Systems collect and transmit data through the Intelligent Access Program (IAP)
There are now 300 vehicles participating in this arrangement
These vehicles collect and transmit data to TCA for analysis

12. Operational learnings
We’ve learnt a lot since 2011!
Key learnings relate to:
Accuracy
Calibration
Malfunctions and tampering
Roles and responsibilities

13. Operational learnings
Learning #1 – Accuracy
Claims made by OBM suppliers about the accuracy of systems are not always realised in an operational setting
Accuracy can be influenced by a number of operational factors (including the need to be on a level surface)
The level of accuracy can also vary, depending on the weight of the vehicle (ie high accuracy may be achieved at certain weights, but lower levels of accuracy at other weights)

14. Operational learnings
Learning #2 – Calibration
Periodic calibration is essential to ensure accuracy
Claims by some OBM suppliers that systems are ‘self- calibrating’ don’t stand-up to scrutiny
Determining the period between calibrations is subject to a number of factors, including:
The technology used, and its installation on a vehicle
Environmental factors
Malfunctions and tampers (see Learning #3 and #4)

15. Operational learnings
Learning #3 – Malfunctions and tampering
The accuracy (and calibration) of OBM Systems is highly dependent upon the ability to detect:
Malfunctions
Tampering
Commercially available OBM systems do not have capabilities to detect malfunctions and tampering in service
It is difficult to determine whether accuracy issues stem from a lack of calibration, or malfunctions or tampering

16. Operational learnings
Learning #4 – Roles and responsibilities
The relationships between technology providers in a vehicle-based environment can be complex
For example, the suppliers of OBM Systems are different from those which provide telematics services
‘Boundary and interface’ issues impact on the resolution of malfunctions and tampering (it can be difficult to determine if the problem is with the OBM System, or the telematics service)

17. Operational learnings
Each of these learnings have fed into the development of:
OBM System Functional and Technical Specification (completed)
Type-approval of OBM Systems (underway)
Implementation of a certified OBM monitoring and reporting program (underway)

18. Current status

19. OBM System Specification
On-Board Mass (OBM) System Functional and Technical Specification
“determination of axle group mass, and the subsequent gross vehicle mass of a vehicle, addresses numerous public and private policy and operational needs”

20. OBM System Specification
Physical Characteristics
Environmental Characteristics
Data Collection
Record Generation
Functionality
Data Storage
Data Security and Transfer
Interconnection to a Telematics In-Vehicle Unit
Installation, Calibration, Operation and Maintenance

21. OBM System Specification
Our philosophy…
Performance-based focus on required outcomes
Innovation is encouraged!
Performance outcomes can be achieved with:
OEM-fitted or an after-market products
‘Shared components’ providing comparable functionality
Quality management system approach to calibration to maintain accuracy

22. OBM System Specification
A key requirement of the Specification is accuracy The axle group mass measured by the MSU shall not deviate from the absolute axle group mass by more than 2% of the maximum permissible mass (ie the legal mass limit for an axle group) of the axle group for 98% of observations

23. Type-approval
In May 2017 TCA began accepting applications for OBM Systems for type-approval.
1. A probity and financial assessment of OBM System suppliers
A critical indicator of business continuity and support expected by stakeholders
2. A functional and technical assessment of OBM system ‘types’
To determine whether all performance requirements for a type-approved OBM System can be satisfied

24. Type-approval
The first type-approved OBM Systems will be announced in the coming weeks Watch this space!

25. Certified OBM Program
TCA is currently implementing a certified OBM Program to meet the emerging needs of policy makers and industry
The certified OBM Program builds upon type-approval, and will provide the highest level of assurance
A critical component of the OBM Program is that there will be ongoing service monitoring of OBM Systems to ensure:
Accuracy
Malfunctions
Tampering

26. What it means for policy makers

27. OBM – an enabler for reform
Infrastructure managers and regulators are looking at ways to re-engineer the road network This is not about physical engineering… …but the way we engineer the most effective use of road infrastructure Significant productivity gains can be derived without major investments in new infrastructure
Open to Questions

28. OBM – an enabler for reform
“In the absence of further heavy vehicle productivity enhancing regulatory reform, fleet-wide heavy vehicle average loads are likely to increase by less than 5 per cent between 2010 and 2030 (which contrasts sharply with the 40 per cent growth in average loads over the past two decades)”
Australia to 2030 – Trends in Infrastructure and Transport, Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) (2014)
Open to Questions

29. OBM – an enabler for reform
Heavy vehicle access is based upon a number of assumptions made by infrastructure managers Decisions about access often come down to a conservative set of assumptions… …especially when it comes to mass loadings Loading assessments of bridges are typically based on ‘peak loads’, which leads to access constraints
Open to Questions

30. OBM – an enabler for reform
The Australian Standard for bridge assessment (AS :2017) was updated in 2017 The updated Standard incorporates reduced traffic load factors for vehicles monitored through the IAP and OBM Systems Bridge load factors reduced from 2.0 to 1.6 for monitored vehicles
Open to Questions

31. OBM – an enabler for reform
Road & bridge access/ vehicle size, type & mass
What’s sought (by industry)
What’s currently provided (by road managers)
What’s possible (by road managers)
Open to Questions

32. OBM – an enabler for reform
Road & bridge access/ vehicle size, type & mass
What’s sought (by industry)
What’s currently provided (by road managers)
What’s possible (by road managers)
Open to Questions
OBM taps into what’s possible

33. Open to Questions

34. Thank you!