Get on top of changes to truck braking rules

Changes introduced on 1st March 2007 to braking requirements on heavy trucks in New Zealand will mean every vehicle over 3500kg will need to undergo regular brake testing simulating a laden condition.
The changes are aimed at increasing truck safety, but the speed at which the new rule – Heavy-vehicle Brakes 2006 (Rule 32015) - has been enacted may catch out some in the transport industry.
The Government gave the transport industry and testing agencies announcing the rule change a little over six months before it was due to come into force, although the matter had been in discussion for some time prior
to that.
Fortunately, STOCKS, a leading New Zealand supplier of heavy vehicle brake testing equipment, has been well prepared for the change. It has been working with testing agencies and forward-thinking fleet operators who wanted to be ready with testing equipment from MAHA of Germany already in place when the new rule came into force.
Among the testing agencies already up to speed is VINZ, which has been installing MAHA brake testers at key locations around New Zealand and leading the fleet operators is STEVENSON, which has recently installed one at its East Tamaki truck maintenance centre.
Brake testers like the MAHA are nothing new; they’ve been around for a while. But what has changed is that heavy vehicles are now required to have their braking performance evaluated in a laden condition, instead of unladen, as in the past. That type of testing requires a very sophisticated, high performance brake tester.
Says the MAHA brake tester recommended for New Zealand, the IW4 model, is highly suited to the type of use it will undergo at testing agencies and fleet operators. It employs a drive-on, drive-off system that can test the brakes in a few minutes and show the technician or driver if the brakes are up to scratch, or if they need to be serviced.
Because the MAHA is built to modern testing station standards, its readings are ultra- accurate and reliable, unlike older brake testing platforms, whose readings were not ly reliable, especially on wet days. MAHA testers provide accurate readings regardless of wet weather effects.
According to Graeme Steele there are major advantages in transport companies having their own testers.
“Safety is obviously a major concern for all operators and brakes are among the hardest working components on a truck and their performance can drop off markedly in day-to-day use – and it is even more crucial now with the introduction of the new brake testing rule,” says Mr Steele, General Manager for STOCKS Equipment Sales & Service.
“A safety-conscious operator can install a MAHA rolling road brake tester in their workshop so that it can be easily driven onto and provide readings on the braking performance as part of a regular maintenance schedule or prior to having its Certificate of Fitness inspection.”
The IW4 model has the rollers set into the floor for ease of use – although above-floor options are available.
The optional load cells with the sophisticated computer program that controls the MAHA tester can actually weigh the vehicle so it can tell if the truck will stop within legal limits. That’s critical under the new braking rule. Additionally the MAHA can identify if there is an imbalance from left to right, which could cause the truck to veer off the road or into oncoming traffic in an emergency-braking situation.
MAHA brakes testers can hydraulically load the brake rollers to simulate measured laden conditions, and they range from smaller 3.5-tonne capable models up to an axle capacity of 20-tonne. Various options can also be specified that measure emissions, noise levels, headlight accuracy and even if the speedometer is reading correctly. Operators who prefer to have a basic and inexpensive brake testing function can opt for an analogue model.
As part of the MAHA package, STOCKS holds technical training schools for operators, both for beginners and refresher courses for more experienced people, so they can obtain the best performance from their equipment.
MAHA brakes testers are used by a number of testing stations in New Zealand and Australia. They are also very popular in other countries, particularly in Ireland, where every testing station in the country has been equipped with MAHA.
A STOCKS service equipment expert can advise on suitability for either installation – for more information, contact STOCKS Service Equipment toll free phone 0800 863 784 or email equipment@georgestock.co.nz n

Changes introduced on 1st March 2007 to braking requirements on heavy trucks in New Zealand will mean every vehicle over 3500kg will need to undergo regular brake testing simulating a laden condition.
The changes are aimed at increasing truck safety, but the speed at which the new rule – Heavy-vehicle Brakes 2006 (Rule 32015) - has been enacted may catch out some in the transport industry.
The Government gave the transport industry and testing agencies announcing the rule change a little over six months before it was due to come into force, although the matter had been in discussion for some time prior
to that.
Fortunately, STOCKS, a leading New Zealand supplier of heavy vehicle brake testing equipment, has been well prepared for the change. It has been working with testing agencies and forward-thinking fleet operators who wanted to be ready with testing equipment from MAHA of Germany already in place when the new rule came into force.
Among the testing agencies already up to speed is VINZ, which has been installing MAHA brake testers at key locations around New Zealand and leading the fleet operators is STEVENSON, which has recently installed one at its East Tamaki truck maintenance centre.
Brake testers like the MAHA are nothing new; they’ve been around for a while. But what has changed is that heavy vehicles are now required to have their braking performance evaluated in a laden condition, instead of unladen, as in the past. That type of testing requires a very sophisticated, high performance brake tester.
Says the MAHA brake tester recommended for New Zealand, the IW4 model, is highly suited to the type of use it will undergo at testing agencies and fleet operators. It employs a drive-on, drive-off system that can test the brakes in a few minutes and show the technician or driver if the brakes are up to scratch, or if they need to be serviced.
Because the MAHA is built to modern testing station standards, its readings are ultra- accurate and reliable, unlike older brake testing platforms, whose readings were not ly reliable, especially on wet days. MAHA testers provide accurate readings regardless of wet weather effects.
According to Graeme Steele there are major advantages in transport companies having their own testers.
“Safety is obviously a major concern for all operators and brakes are among the hardest working components on a truck and their performance can drop off markedly in day-to-day use – and it is even more crucial now with the introduction of the new brake testing rule,” says Mr Steele, General Manager for STOCKS Equipment Sales & Service.
“A safety-conscious operator can install a MAHA rolling road brake tester in their workshop so that it can be easily driven onto and provide readings on the braking performance as part of a regular maintenance schedule or prior to having its Certificate of Fitness inspection.”
The IW4 model has the rollers set into the floor for ease of use – although above-floor options are available.
The optional load cells with the sophisticated computer program that controls the MAHA tester can actually weigh the vehicle so it can tell if the truck will stop within legal limits. That’s critical under the new braking rule. Additionally the MAHA can identify if there is an imbalance from left to right, which could cause the truck to veer off the road or into oncoming traffic in an emergency-braking situation.
MAHA brakes testers can hydraulically load the brake rollers to simulate measured laden conditions, and they range from smaller 3.5-tonne capable models up to an axle capacity of 20-tonne. Various options can also be specified that measure emissions, noise levels, headlight accuracy and even if the speedometer is reading correctly. Operators who prefer to have a basic and inexpensive brake testing function can opt for an analogue model.
As part of the MAHA package, STOCKS holds technical training schools for operators, both for beginners and refresher courses for more experienced people, so they can obtain the best performance from their equipment.
MAHA brakes testers are used by a number of testing stations in New Zealand and Australia. They are also very popular in other countries, particularly in Ireland, where every testing station in the country has been equipped with MAHA.
A STOCKS service equipment expert can advise on suitability for either installation – for more information, contact STOCKS Service Equipment toll free phone 0800 863 784 or email equipment@georgestock.co.nz n