For fleets with trailers, the task of understanding and implementing safe loading practices can be a challenge.

A key component for success is to correctly interpret the towing capacities displayed on the towbar rating plate.

To help with this, the Bartlett engineering team currently provide a supplementary report that lays out the numerical towing capacities of the vehicle. Capacities such as Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM), Gross Trailer Mass (GTM), Static Vertical Load (SVL) and others are included to help fleet management and operators make the right decisions when planning their loads.

Chain of Responsibility (CoR) provisions were introduced in mid-2018 into the National Heavy Vehicle Law (HVNL).

The implications for fleet management and operators is a heightened focus on their responsibility to administer safe work systems for vehicle loading, mass and dimension.

To coincide, Bartlett will improve their towbar reporting format and bring a new level of service to the Australian Transport industry.

The new reports will include charts laid out proportionally to represent truck, trailer and static vertical load limits. These reports will help fleet managers and operators to do the following:

• Load planning is clear and sure
• Operator Training is made easier with the Bartlett report structure
• Better understanding of each vehicle’s towing potential
• Convert the entire fleet to Bartlett for one reliable source of truth