In the spotlight recently are truck operators who tamper with speed limiters on their trucks after a company in NSW was accused of doing just that. The company, Fred’s Interstate Transport was accused  of tampering with a truck’s limiter after the truck was clocked doing 130km per hour on a NSW Highway. The current speed limit of 100km per hour was exceeded by the truck and police claimed the limiter had been adjusted to allow the vehicle to do so. The company has vehemently denied all allegations against it, claiming that it does not tamper with any truck limiters. Other companies have also been accused by authorities, but they too deny all allegations of tampering, although none of the companies accused offered a possible solution as to why the trucks exceeded the speed limits. According to Australasian Transport News:

A target of the crackdown on trucking operators in NSW has defended itself against accusations it fiddled with speed limiters, blaming a speeding truck on “human error”. Fred’s Interstate Transport was last month the subject of a NSW Police and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) blitz after one of its trucks was allegedly detected at 130km/h on the Hume Highway. NSW Police claimed at the time the speed limiter had been tampered with to allow the truck to exceed 100km/h – a charge Fred’s denies. Source:  https://www.fullyloaded.com.au/industry-news/articleid/79169.aspx.

The company denies all allegations and claims to have cooperated with the police as they believe they are innocent. The company claims the incident was the cause of driver negligence as he failed to slow the vehicle down. The company has reiterated that the public and police must be aware that limiters do not automatically apply on downhill descents, but only on flat roads.  The company also claims to have stringent inspection processes which it claims rules out the possibility of the limiter being tampered with. The report in ATN goes on to say:

“Contrary to media reports, none of the company’s trucks has been found with tampered speed limiters. We do not tamper with speed limiters,” the company says in a statement. “The community must be made aware that speed limiters are only effective on flat roads – they do not control vehicle speed on downhill descents. The cause of the speeding truck was human error. It had absolutely nothing to do with the speed limiter which was fully functioning at the time. “This vehicle is the only vehicle in the company’s fleet that has been found speeding throughout this process. As a result of an independent inspection of the vehicle, it is clear that the speed limiter in this vehicle is not faulty nor was it tampered with.” Authorities raided Fred’s and Damorange as part of Operation Discovery, looking over 92 trucks in total. Officers issued 22 speed limiter compliance notices in total, but NSW Police has not detailed the how many notices were issued to each company. Fred’s says it cooperated with authorities during an inspection of its fleet, adding that its vehicles are subjected to a “rigorous maintenance regime” by an accredited auditor to ensure compliance. “Fred’s Transport has a long and proud safety history in the transport industry and the safety of all road users is our number one priority,” the company says. “The company has and will continue to fully cooperate with authorities.” The investigation into Fred’s and Damorange came on the back of blitzes against Lennons Transport Services and Scott’s of Mt Gambier. Like Fred’s, Lennons and Scott’s have contested police allegations of speed tampering. Source :  http://www.fullyloaded.com.au/industry-news/articleid/79169.aspx.

Although Freds Transport is in the spotlight, it is not the only company being investigated by police. According to reports approximately 92 truck operators are being investigated. Other companies suspected include Lennons Transport Services and Scotts Transport, although the companies  all deny the claims. Fines for exceeding the speed limit in NSW range from $238 to $3149 for trucks. If convicted by a court fines could range from $2200 to $3300 and possible licence disqualification. Whatever the reason, tampering or human error, authorities need to establish the cause in order to find a solution and come up with a plan to combat the fatal accidents associated with heavy vehicle crashes, which are only exacerbated by high speeds.