Working out how much your truck can weigh on each axle is complex and, if you get it wrong, you can receive a fine if CVST weighs your truck. Most people who receive fines have either been given the wrong…
Driving tests
Driving tests
Working out how much your truck can weigh on each axle is complex and, if you get it wrong, you can receive a fine if CVST weighs your truck. Most people who receive fines have either been given the wrong…
Four different vehicles, but one risk factor that needs to be considered before operating or lifting with them. The bigger the object being carried, the more wind resistance it creates, so the more force will be exerted on the machine.…
Four- and five-axle trucks have a twin-steer tandem axle set at the front. This enables the truck or tractor unit to carry more weight. Rather than only being able to legally support 6000kg, 7200kg or 7600kg, which is the rating…
Sideloaders can lift containers exceeding 30 tonnes, and whenever you’re dealing with a heavy, suspended weight, there are always hazards. It’s important to get sideloader or sidelifter training to understand how to operate the sideloader safely, and to understand the…
New Zealand has a large number of roads that pass under bridges for roads, rail and pedestrians. The legal maximum height for a vehicle before a permit is required is 4.3m, and the majority of bridges fall into that category,…
Heavy vehicles (trucks, heavy trailers and motorhomes over 3500kg), passenger service vehicles (taxis, shuttles and buses), and rental vehicles must have a certificate of fitness check (CoF) every six months. It’s like a warrant of fitness (WoF) for a commercial…
Summer presents some major challenges for drivers and machine operators. Here’s how you can stay safe: Fatigue Hot, muggy nights disrupt your sleep, as does an early sunrise. Invest in a low-noise fan and thermometer for your bedroom, and some…
As a sideloader driver, you’ll have had training in how to assess a site’s hazards and you’ll know how to operate your machine, but there are things that are not often taught in sideloader training because they are not part…
To save some money, you can move some or all of your furniture and belongings yourself if you don’t mind a bit of heavy lifting. Vehicle options: One time, when flatting, I moved house in a Porsche Cayenne that I…
From air suspension seats to marker lights, trucks have features that car drivers don’t get, and for very good reasons! Longevity You’ll be lucky to get a million kilometres out of your car before it becomes more expensive to fix…
There are three main types of tail lift and each one has its advantages and disadvantages: Cantilever: the platform folds up using a tilt ram and forms all or part of the rear door Folding: the platform folds in half…
Food is your fuel. You wouldn’t put poor-quality fuel in your vehicle and expect it to run properly. The same applies to your body. Your food choices affect your thinking, your reactions, your energy and your alertness. This applies whether…
On some vehicles, the rear axle passively steers or self-steers. Advantages of a self-steering rear axle It improves the turning circle. The maximum turning circle for a vehicle in New Zealand is 25m from wall to wall (excluding collapsible mirrors),…
A certificate of fitness (CoF) is a periodic check to ensure that a vehicle meets the required roadworthiness standards on the day. Not keeping your vehicle at CoF standard means you could get a fine. A CoF is required for…
In 2022, over one million dollars of fines were doled out to drivers who did not comply with the Truck Loading Code or the Road Code as regards transporting a load which was securely restrained. Seven types of offences were…
We made a request to police to provide statistics for speeding amongst heavy vehicle drivers. It’s much less likely that a truck driver will be breaking the speed limit than a car driver, but 2185 infringement notices were issued in…
2022 was a big year for logbook and worktime fines but less than when we last did it in 2018. If you were a truck driver, police were on your case due to the impact of fatigue on driver performance…
Truck and trailer rollovers are caused by combinations of: Too much speed into a corner Changing direction too quickly Turning too quickly Collapse of a bank Strong winds Tyre failure Live loads or insecure loads shifting Loads loaded with the…
A diesel particulate diffuser, or DPD, is an emission control device used in diesel engines to reduce the amount of particulate matter (PM) emissions released into the atmosphere – they lower exhaust emissions. They’re also called DPF (diesel particulate filter).…
Some chemicals need to be placarded for both a primary and subsidiary risk. Both the primary and subsidiary risks must be considered when segregating incompatible dangerous goods, unless they are gas bottles being transported using appropriate equipment, in which case…