Comply with requirements

IF you own a PMV or other commercial trucks, be mindful of the loads your truck carry.
The standard load requirements for each truck is set by the manufacturer.
Therefore, you have to strictly comply with these weight requirements before transporting loads.
Papua New Guineans are known for modifying standard requirements by either increasing or decreasing loads depending on their wishes.
These adjustments of standard load capacities are mostly done by drivers or bus crews.
Their motives especially for overloading is always instigated money.
When overloading, they have no consideration on mechanical implications on service components of the trucks.
A typical example is an over loaded PMV vehicle traveling through rugged terrain roads.
Passengers sit and stand along the rear steel bars intended for housing and climbing supports while inside capacity is packed.
I want to put you into this scenario where you were to carry 40kg of stock feed bags to your house from the store.
Then someone add another 40Kg stock feed bags on top for you to carry.
Try imagine what will happen to your body system before you reach your destination.
Don’t forget that the same principle applies to the trucks as well.
Overloading propagates highest stress on mechanical components of the trucks.
Therefore, trucks usually engaged first and second gears constantly to reduce speed and increase power to accommodate extra loads.
First and second gears are known as high gears because it’s responsible for producing maximum torque/rotational force to move trucks with heavy load uphill.
Moving trucks on high gear produces higher stress on the internal transmission gears.
When two high powered gears interact and rub each other simultaneously, both create heat energy.
This heat is absorbed by lubricants until the temperature of lubricants reaches its flashpoint.
At flashpoint lubricants loosen its ability to reduce friction and can explode into flames.
Lack of lubrication on internal transmission gears lead to metal to metal rubbing, grinding and cutting.
Eventually gears in either gear box or deef will be sheared off.
Trucks with gear transmission problem will be grounded for good.
Therefore, please replace gear, engine and deef oil every 10 days.
Inform your drivers and bus crews to downsize the load because it puts your money, truck and passengers at risk.

Gibson Lambea Mai,
Ialibu-Pangia electrate