South Australia Boosts Freight Efficiency

0:00It's April 7th. Welcome to Adelaide News today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. South Australia's government is rolling out fast-track reforms for heavy freight trucks to ease the squeeze on transport operators. The goal is simple, slash fuel use, ramp up productivity, and keep goods flowing smoothly across the state. They're giving companies more flexibility with efficient truck and trailer setups right away. These changes center on tri-drive, rigid trucks, prime movers, and quad-axle trailers on bigger combos like B-doubles. 100 new network maps hit state roads immediately, all vetted for road strength, bridges, and safety for drivers and other users. For operators hauling on long regional routes like the Lincoln Highway, this means packing way more cargo per trip. It cuts down the total number of runs needed, saving time and resources while boosting the bottom line. The big win is a weight bump for typical B-doubles, up 13% to 77 tons max. That translates to up to 18% less fuel burned per ton of payload,

1:04making hauls greener and cheaper. Operators are already eyeing these routes for bigger loads, and with infrastructure checks in place, expect smoother freight flow statewide as the changes lock in.