Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) advisory procedure I recently came across a post on Fullyloaded.com.au that sparked my interest. The post is about a new technical advisory procedure on electronic braking systems which was developed by The Australian Trucking Association Industry Technical Council.  The reason this post is so useful is because the information has some bearing on trucking safety. The advisory provides information on Electronic Braking Systems used by trucks that support their use. By utilising the advisory guidelines, operators can improve safety without compromising on productivity. The new technical advisory procedure also outlines the benefits as well as what is required for the Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) and using them on heavy vehicles.  The electronic braking systems use electronics to control the braking system of the vehicle and stopping the vehicle in dangerous situations. In this system rather than the air signal from the brake pedal used to activate the brakes, rather an electronic signal is primarily used to improve safety and stopping distances. The brakes essentially become more effective. Another innovative and ground breaking advancement of Electronic braking systems is that they allow communication between towing and towed vehicles with regard to axle braking loads, wheel speeds and deceleration and can be combined with other systems to provide roll stability assistance for trailers. This can be invaluable in reducing the number of truck and trailer jack knifes and roll overs we see. In developing this system the Australian Trucking Association worked in conjunction with operators and suppliers to provide best practice procedures and reliable technical information. By implementing these systems, trucking operators will no doubt improve their safety standards and reduce the number of crashes they have to deal with. This post has more:

A technical advisory procedure on electronic braking systems (EBS) has just been released. The Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) Industry Technical Council (ITC) developed the generally focused guidelines with a view to improving the technical understanding of the systems in a range of truck/trailer and prime mover trailer combinations. The advisory backs the use of EBS and trailer EBS, pointing to National Transport Insurance and US Department of Transport studies that support their use. ATA National Policy Manager David Coonan believes the publication will allow operators to benefit from the experience of ITC members, and could be used to improve safety outcomes for the entire industry. “There is no doubt that these devices have a positive influence on safety outcomes when correctly implemented into a fleet,” Coonan says. “Using this resource as a guide, operators and suppliers can work together to ensure they achieve the best safety outcomes in their fleet, without sacrificing productivity or efficiency.” The systems utilise electronics to control a vehicle’s braking system. The electronic signal takes priority over the air signal sent by the brake pedal to activate the brakes, improving stopping distances and braking system performance. EBS also enables communication between towing and towed vehicles on axle braking loads, wheel speeds and deceleration. It can be combined with other systems to provide roll stability assistance for trailers among other features. The advisory can be viewed here: https://www.truck.net.au/industry-resources/electronic-braking-systems-ebs-advisory-procedure. Source: https://www.fullyloaded.com.au/technical-news/articleid/80467.aspx.

When combined with other technological advances such as electronic stability control in trucks, operators can ensure better safety for the heavy vehicles. Electronic stability control is also referred to as electronic stability program or dynamic stability control. This is a computerised technology that improves the safety of a vehicle’s stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction. In other words it reduces the amount of skidding or eliminates skidding altogether. When loss of steering control is detected the brakes are automatically applied to help steer the vehicle in the right direction. Brakes are automatically applied to wheels individually such as the outer front wheel to counter over steering or the inner rear wheel to counter under steering. Some systems also reduce engine power until control is regained.  Electronic Braking Systems and other electronic technologies have the potential to increase productivity by reducing incidents and provide both cost effective and practical solutions for operators.