Aerial shot of Port Botany
The Western Australian Port Operations Taskforce has recently issued the minutes to a previous meeting.
Whilst all important issues for Fremantle Trade is covered by the Taskforce, they also report on the happenings in the industry from around Australia.
The Chain of Responsibility legislation is a hot issue at the moment in the country, with Western Australia’s laws coming in line shortly.
Around Australia, the regulations regarding Chain of Responsibility are already in place. The Western Australia Port Operations Taskforce have let us know how mandatory weighing at Port Botany has made Sydney’s roads safer for everyone.
In Sydney, along with Brisbane, it is mandatory for trucks to pass over a Weigh in Motion (WIM) scale. This scale ensures that each container is the correct weight as declared.
The WIM has strict procedures:
WIM Processes
- All trucks carrying full imports must weigh
- WIMs are configured to warn various over limits
Depending on severity, trucks are directed to either:
- Proceed as normal
- Proceed to authorised Container Freight Station
- Remain in Terminal for load rectification
- All drivers must retain the weigh ticket for enforcement officers
The following lessons have been learned from the introduction of this Weigh in Motion (WIM) scale:
- Adds no more than 3 minutes per truck trip
- Has reduced Overweight (total gross) trucks on road by 85%
- Have reduced Uneven loadings by 52%
With such a massive difference being seen with import containers, it is expected that export containers will become the next area of focus.
Source: Western Australia Port Operations Taskforce / Fremantle Ports
Image credit: theaustralian.com.au
