The Australian Trucking Association has published a revised and updated version of its truck and dog Technical Advisory Procedure, which provides best practice advice for achieving dynamic stability with these combinations.



ATA Chief Executive Christopher Melham said vehicle stability was a key safety issue for all trucking operators, but little guidance was available for optimising truck and dog combinations.



“Under the Australian Design Rules, the truck and towed dog trailer are assessed as two separate vehicles, which may then be put together into a truck and dog combination,” Mr Melham said.



“While completely legal, this means that operators may not receive guidance on how they can optimise the safety and stability of these combinations.



“This advisory procedure provides step-by-step instructions and formulas to help operators improve the overall performance, dynamic stability and safety of their truck and dog combinations.



“The formulas cover five different common truck and dog combinations between 42.5 and 50 tonne Gross Combination Mass. In general, the formulas promote longer wheelbases for both the truck and trailer, reducing coupling offset, and lowering the combination’s centre of gravity.”



The advisory procedure was developed by the ATA’s Industry Technical Council, which includes operators and suppliers with leading expertise in truck technology.



This is the latest in the ATA’s series of technical advisory procedures, which provide best practice guidance for trucking operators, maintainers and suppliers about key technical issues. The procedures are available for free from the ATA’s online resource library.