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Truck and Track June/July 2017 22
BUSINESS NEWS
Technology is playing an important role in increasing safety on
Australian roads, with a major wood panel manufacturer, Borg
Manufacturing of Somersby, New South Wales, eliminating all
instances of truck rollovers and crashes since implementing a
MiXTelematicssolutionovertwoyearsago.BorgManufacturing
fulfils approximately 1,000 deliveries per day and has a fleet of
200 vehicles.
The decorative wood panel and made-to-order kitchen door
manufacturer previously suffered costly delays from unsafe
driving. In response, Borg implemented a comprehensive safety
and efficiency solution in order to monitor and improve driver
behaviour. TheMiX Telematics In-VehicleMonitoring System(IVMS)
provides live updates on vehicle and driver behaviour, utilisation
and location. The solution also alerts drivers through an in-cab
buzzer whenever a vehicle is being driven unsafely.
In addition Borg installed MiX Vision, which uses driver- and road-
facing cameras with sound, to record driver behaviour as well as the
actions of other road-users and which is fully integrated with the
IVMS.
When a predefined event occurs, the system simultaneously
captures driver and road view video, which puts the fleet managers
at the scene and in control, providing visual evidence in the event
of a crash and, in turn, can be used to facilitate driver coaching. The
systemhas been highly successful in reducing insurance premiums,
capturing footage of road-users acting unsafely and absolving
truck drivers of potential costly blame.
Borg has also been able to make efficiencies in its fleet funding.
The reduction in fleet accidents has meant that the company has
been able to generate significant insurance savings, with funds
normally spent on comprehensive insurance now going towards a
long-term telematics solution.
Aussies reduce truck RTAs withMiX Telematics
Volvo Trucks and Swedish
waste management
company Renova are
currently testing and
researching how automated
vehicles can contribute to
safer, more efficient refuse
handling and create a better
working environment for
drivers. The automated
systems being tested are in
principle the same as those
fitted to the autonomous
Volvo truck operating in
the Kristineberg Mine in
Northern Sweden since
Autumn 2016.
The vehicle is fitted with GPS and a LiDAR laser scanning system for
mapping, positioning and scanning of the area around the vehicle.
There is automatic control of steering, gear changing and speed and
an automatic stop if an obstacle suddenly appears on the road.
Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director of Volvo
Trucks, pictured here, states: “Driving a heavy commercial vehicle in
an urban residential area with narrow streets and vulnerable road-
users naturally imposes major demands on safety, even when the
vehicle’s speed doesn’t exceed a normal walking pace.
“The refuse truck we are now testing continuously monitors its
surroundings and immediately stops if an obstacle suddenly
appears on the road.
“At the same time, the automated system creates better
prerequisites for the driver to keep a watchful eye on everything
that happens near the truck. The first time the automated refuse
truck is used in a new area, it is driven manually, while the onboard
system constantly monitors and maps the route with the help of
sensors and GPS technology. The next time the truck enters the
same area, it knows exactly which route to follow and at which bins
it has to stop.
“At the first stop with the automated
system activated, the driver climbs out of
the cab, goes to the rear of the truck, brings
out the wheelie-bin and empties it exactly
the way the job is done today by operating
the relevant controls.
“When the operation is completed, the
truck automatically reverses to the next
bin upon receiving the driver’s command.
The driver walks the very same route that
the truck takes and thus always has full
view of what’s happening in the direction
of travel.”
Carl Johan Almqvist of Volvo Trucks
Volvo Trucks & Renova test autonomous
RCV in Sweden