New Truck Air Conditioning Regulation To Take Effect
If you work in trucking, then you’re familiar with Hot Shot services. These are express freight transport runs where trucks with two drivers stay on the road all day and night, reaching their far-away destination as quickly as physically possible. They’re a great option, and they’re very popular. With two drivers, one is at the wheel while the other sleeps, and there’s always a second person to help prevent problems and to step in if there’s an emergency. In many ways, it’s a good idea.
A Driver Death Wakes Up Regulators
Unfortunately, the limitations of the vehicles can make Hot Shot services dangerous to the drivers and to everyone else on the road. Prime movers most often have a sleeping cabin behind the cab, and they’re perfect for Hot Shot runs. However, most rigid trucks lack a comfortable place to sleep, and the second driver often ends up sleeping on the tilt tray or on a parcel shelf. The spaces where the drivers are bunked are often uncomfortable, too hot or too cold, and insecure. The drivers don’t sleep soundly, and as a result, fatigue is a major problem.
This all came to light recently, after the death of a driver on a Hot Shot run. Government regulators investigated, they pinpointed the problems with sleeping arrangements, and they’ve now made changes to regulations and guidelines to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
New Truck Air Conditioning Requirements
Some of the changes reflect what we’ve been saying all along at Lyons Air Conditioning: good, reliable truck air conditioning isn’t just needed for comfort; it can save lives. Not only does air conditioning keep drivers alert, it also helps off-duty drivers on Hot Shot runs get the rest they need. That’s reflected in the new rules for Hot Shot trucks:
Sleep cabin air conditioners are now being required for trucks north of the 26th Parallel from 1 October to 31 March.
Sleeping cabins are required, and they must comply with Australian Design Rule ADR 42.
Adjustable seating is required.
Lyons Air Can Help
At Lyons Air Conditioning, we keep a close eye on changes to regulations and guidelines that affect truckies, and these new rules are no exception. If you have any questions about the new regulations, then feel free to give us a call or send an e-mail. If you need to add to your mobile air conditioning system in order to comply with the new regs, then we can do the work.
Having to upgrade your vehicle because of a new regulation may seem like an inconvenience, but the fact is, you’ll be glad you had it done and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. It’s important to be alert and well rested while at the wheel of a truck, both for your own sake and for the safety of everyone else on the road. We can add the truck air conditioning you need quickly, efficiently and probably for a lower cost than you were expecting.
