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The WA government has backed down on proposed mandatory signage for road trains after a backlash from the trucking industry.
Industry figures said the updated rules, which would have required operators to buy new signs stating the length and configuration of their road trains, were impractical and overly costly.
After backlash in July, Main Roads WA said it formed a review group with the sector's leaders, culminating in a decision to scrap the mandatory sign changes.
The revised rules now strongly reccomend truckies display the signs. (Supplied: Main Roads)
New signage proving costly
The new signage laws came into effect in WA in July, mandating that road trains would have to carry metal signs telling drivers the length of the long vehicle in both metres and in equivalent car lengths.
At the time, Main Roads WA told the ABC the Restructed Access Vehicle (RAV) warning signs were designed to give drivers more information in order to make better decisions on whether to overtake.
A six-month grace period was established, so operators had until January 1, 2025 to comply.
Under previous laws, road trains only had to have signs labelled "Long Vehicle" or "Road Train".
Cam Dumesny says the industry told the government the new rules weren't working.l (ABC Perth: Julian Robins)
Western Roads Federation chief executive Cam Dumesny said costs quickly stacked up, with some companies having to purchase new signage for hundreds of trucks.
He said the government had failed to explain the rationale for the changes.
"There was a breakdown in communication with the industry and we weren't consulted," Mr Dumesny said.
"So we went back to the government and said 'we got a problem'".
Government listens to industry
After concerns were raised, Main Roads WA said it formed a "Heavy Vehicle Road Signage Reference Group" with trucking companies and other industry representatives.
After a meeting on October 18, Main Roads said it was decided the new signs would no longer be mandatory.
Livestock is one of a number of goods transported by road train. (ABC Rural: Max Rowley)
Truck operators will now have the choice of keeping their existing signs, using the new ones, or both.
"The new RAV warning signs are optional but offer several benefits, including providing more information to other road users, helping them decide if it is safe to overtake the road train or long vehicle," a Main Roads spokesperson said.
"The signs also educate drivers about the length of road trains using clear images and car graphics for comparison."
Road trains can be almost 60 metres long. (ABC Back Roads: Campbell Miller)
Mr Dumesny said he did not expect the new signs to become widely adopted, arguing they remained impractical.
He said that was because, firstly, road trains were often adding and removing trailers, often of different sizes, and the signs would have to be changed frequently.
Secondly, he said drivers would have to get close to a road train to read its length.
"There's a whole lot of practical features which haven't been considered," Mr Dumesny said.
He said he preferred to have safety messaging promoted on social media as a better way to inform drivers.