TruckR app launched for the safety of truck drivers
TruckR is a new app that helps truck drivers to navigate the alternate Picton to Christchurch route
NZTA and Road Transport Association NZ (RTANZ) have rolled out a new app to help truck drivers navigate the alternate Picton to Christchurch route via the Lewis Pass. The TruckR app lets users plan their stops for rests breaks and fuel, get information on road conditions, and identify trailer swap areas.
TruckR is designed to improve the safety of truck drivers and provide information about the alternate route that became the main highway after the closure of State Highway 1 through Kaikoura post the November 2016 earthquake.
TruckR app features
TruckR provides specific information for the safety of truck drivers tackling the alternate route. It includes information on:
- Passing lanes
- Trailer swap areas
- One-lane bridges
- Places with limited cellular coverage
- Petrol stations, food outlets, and public toilets on the route
- Commercial Vehicle Safety Team
- Accommodation
- Stopping bays for 20-metre trucks
- Road closures
One of the main features of TruckR is that truck drivers can plan the journey beforehand and check for information during their journey even in areas without cellular coverage.
The app also connects to the Transport Agency’s road alert system to provide drivers with up to date information on crashes, road closures, and roadworks.
The app will be trialled for three months by the freight industry. Plans are under way to include the State Highway 1 route along the Kaikoura Coast once it reopens.
App for truckies, by truckies
TruckR has been designed and tested by truck drivers, for truck drivers, RTANZ representative John Bond, says.
"Most drivers travelling on the alternate route are not familiar with it and as drivers know, you can’t just park a 20-metre truck wherever you want to, and it is hard to just stop suddenly, even if you do spot somewhere on your travels," he says.
"This app will let users plan ahead and get the local knowledge they need to make the drive easier and safer."
TruckR is part of a wider Alternate Route Truck Crashes/Rollover Prevention Plan that has been developed by the South Island’s Truck Crashes/Rollover Prevention Team.
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