Operational requirements, vehicle dimensions and mass limits, other regulations and road user charges all influence on the type of vehicle used for passenger and freight transport in New Zealand. The aim of this research was to improve the performance of New Zealand’s heavy vehicle fleet in protecting the road and bridge infrastructure, improving safety, reducing environmental impact and reducing congestion. To achieve this aim, typical vehicles used in six transport tasks in New Zealand were benchmarked against vehicles undertaking those same tasks in Australia, Canada, Southeast Asia, and the United Kingdom. The six transport tasks analysed were passenger coach transport, bulk liquids and materials transport, 40 foot ISO intermodal container transport, and livestock and refrigerated goods transport. A more optimal New Zealand truck and full trailer is presented, and ways to optimise other vehicle configurations are discussed. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting