Fuel tankers ordered to be retrofitted with auto brakes by 2019

[Newshound]

Three years after a coroner's report into a fatal truck accident recommended mandatory new safety equipment, the government will insist it be installed on all old trucks carrying dangerous materials.

But the trucking industry will be given another five years to install the safety equipment, which makes trucks less likely to roll.

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[RobWatson]

The cost to Truck rigs will not really apply as the Useful Life for truck rigs is 9 years; i.e., a Depreciation Expense (free money) using the Straight Line Method may be claimed by profitable businesses for 9 years from the year following new truck rig purchase. (The purpose of the Depreciation Expense is to invest in new capital equipment... it is not intended for O&M reimbursement.) (ESC, developed jointly by Bosch & Contitech, was available for truck rigs in Europe in 2009 and as an option a few years earlier.) The major problem will be retrofitting existing trailers which have a Useful Life of 23 years. Most will have to be retrofitted to comply with the new standard by the compliance date as they were not manufactured with wheel speed sensors for connection with existing ABS control modules in the Truck Rigs. This will add to the cost of road transport of Dangerous Goods on Australian Roads as all costs will be passed on ultimately to the final consumer. An economist would say the additional cost is inflationary as it doesn't not coincide with the depreciation tax schedule. To level the playing field, incentives must be provided to the industry to effect the changes in trailer roadworthiness, so as not to burden either the industry or the final consumer.