“We at Tata International DLT (TILDLT) are already focused on light-weight trailer. We have the lightest trailer already as part of our standard offering. However, considering the urge to move to further light-weighted trailers, we are also offering light-weight high strength steel trailer / tip trailer in our offering,” states Mr. Rajeev Batra, Chief Operating Officer, TILDLT. His perceptions on the topic follow.
Excerpts:
Mandatory and other safety requirements
* ABS in brake system is made mandatory – For perfect brake
* Auto slack – For brake liner adjustment to have same brake force always
* All electrical parts / reflectors to be used – Always lights and signals have to be proper. Most of the accidents during nights is due to poor light / signals
* SUPD / RUPD tested as per standard & used:
o Side & Rear Under-Run for smaller vehicle is being taken care of
o In addition to these features, we would like to suggest validation of manufacturing processes including welding and assembly of trailers.
Safety features and highlights in operations
Since we always recommend usage of complete ABS braking system with tractor interface, tractor-trailer brake will be perfectly synchronized and hence jack-knifing is totally avoided.
Safety apprehensions at higher road speeds
The Government had given notification to implement trailer code as per AIS 113 from April 2016 which has been made mandatory but still the implementation is far away and extension of date has been given multiple times in different states. In my opinion, until we have truck / trailer / bus code implemented fully and enforced, we should not increase the speed limit of vehicles. With increasing speed of vehicles, we will have to first implement safety-related norms to avoid accidents. Even without speed increase, implementing trailer code, bus code, etc., are very important for the society and fellow commuters in the present scenario, given the fact that we still do not have much experience in road safety.
Technology impact on safety in the times ahead
We are moving ahead on safety requirements and road infrastructure at present. However, we need hi-tech vehicles, better road infrastructure and road discipline to be able to move ahead with advanced features and technologies such as adaptive cruise control, lane assist, platooning, autonomous driving, etc. However, we can move ahead on additional safety systems such as mirror cameras to reduce blind spots, auto emergency brakes, etc.
Unfortunately in our country, any such safety feature does not seem to be in the agenda of agencies and governing bodies. The move should be driven from the Ministry and ensure all kinds of safety equipment are installed wherever required. Though the Government’s take on road safety has been quite positive, we still have a long way to go if we have to reach the safety standards of developed countries.
Light-weighting necessity and trend
Here also, the Government has a major role to play; until we do not restrict overloading, we cannot ensure safety on roads. Even the testing of vehicles is being conducting on rated load with some FoS. Only when overloading is restricted, the requirement for light-weight trailers will pick up.
We at TILDLT are already focused on light-weight trailer. We have the lightest trailer already as part of our standard offering. However, considering the urge to move to further light-weight trailers, we also have light-weight high strength steel trailer / tip trailer in our offering. In our trailers, we are using high tensile steel for the structural member, whereas in tip trailer, we use wear resistance steel for tipper body and high strength steel for the other structural member.
Role of advanced materials in light-weighting
We have started using high strength material in our trailers and also started using plastic mudguard / light weight mud flaps. We are also exploring the feasibility of using composites / alloys for various components. We can even explore offering aluminium chasses similar to European countries but this would become a reality only when overloading is restricted throughout the country and road conditions improve, leading to higher demand for lighter trailers.