ISO 10896-8:2024

Overview

ISO 10896-8:2024 - Rough-terrain trucks - Safety requirements and verification - Part 8: Requirements for trucks designed for towing - specifies safety requirements and verification methods for rough-terrain variable‑reach and slewing variable‑reach trucks designed to tow trailers or towed equipment (towed vehicles) at speeds ≤ 40 km/h. The standard addresses mechanical hazards from acceleration/deceleration, instability, kinetic energy, machinery mobility and stored energy, and focuses on safe design, coupling integrity and braking compatibility between truck and towed vehicle.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and exclusions
  • Applies to trucks built to tow towed vehicles (trailers/towed equipment) with max design speed ≤ 40 km/h.
  • Not applicable to trucks towing towed vehicles equipped with EBS, differential braking, vacuum braking, ABS, or endurance braking systems, nor to trucks manufactured before publication.
  • The standard does not set requirements for the towed vehicles themselves.
• Mechanical couplings
  • Requirements for coupling dimensions, strength and vertical load on the coupling point.
  • Design requirements to prevent unintentional de‑coupling; automatic couplings require two independent safety devices.
  • Verification includes dynamic and static test methods for couplings.
• Braking systems for towing
  • Defines required service braking arrangements according to towed vehicle categories (TR1–TR4, TE1–TE2).
  • Specifies requirements for connections, compatibility between truck and towed vehicle braking systems and additional braking system constraints.
  • Verification includes performance tests and Mean Fully Developed Deceleration (MFDD) braking tests.
• Information for use
  • Operator’s manual, marking and guidance for safe towing operations and reasonably foreseeable misuse.

Applications and who should use ISO 10896-8:2024

• Manufacturers of rough‑terrain variable‑reach or slewing trucks - to design and certify towing-capable machines.
• Test labs and conformity assessors - to verify coupling strength, braking performance and MFDD.
• Health & safety regulators and market surveillance - to evaluate machine safety for towing operations.
• Fleet operators, employers and maintenance providers - to set safe operating procedures, operator manuals and marking for towing use.
• Useful for industries using off‑road towing: construction, mining, agriculture, and site logistics.

Related standards

• ISO 10896-1, ISO 10896-2 (series context)
• ISO 12100 (machine risk assessment / design principles)
• ISO 24347 (ball coupling dimensions)
• ISO 7638-1 / ISO 7638-2 (electrical connectors for towing)
• ISO 5053-1, ISO 16028, ISO 5676

Keywords: ISO 10896-8:2024, rough‑terrain trucks, towing safety, mechanical couplings, braking systems, MFDD, verification, variable‑reach trucks.