24 minute read
TECHNOLOGY ON SHOW
Intelligent Transport
Cutting-edge Australian transport operators are deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning to gain a competitive advantage from the reams of data now being collected across multiple technology platforms
Knorr-Bremse
Knorr-Bremse is the world’s leading manufacturer of braking and control systems. In 2022, it received TCA approval for its smart onboard mass (OBM) system, which collects and transmits mass data stand from vehicles in a reliable and standardised way. 76 GREAT HALL
Developed in Australia, iMass uses a trailer electronic braking system (TEBS) to measure pressure in the air suspension of the vehicle and relate this to a vehicle mass estimation.
The electronic levelling control on the truck and the TEBS on the trailer receive electronic signals from the pressure sensor which is interpreted as a mass value on the driver interface unit.
Autonomous on-road trucks may still be a pipe dream, but some leading Australian transporters are already employing artificial intelligence (AI) powered robots to not only automate operations but predict future problems, from mechanical failures to fatigue incidents. AI and machine learning are set to be central themes across technology exhibitions at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show, with key vendors ranging from telematics providers Teletrac Navman, Geotab and Orbcomm, to driver safety monitoring systems suppliers Driverisk and Mobileye, expected to showcase their cutting-edge AIpowered solutions at the event.
Teletrac Navman’s Chief Product Officer Andrew Rossington says these new-generation technologies reflect a fundamental shift under way by both vendors and customers, from capturing historical data to “real time, predictive” data.
The company’s most recent Telematics Benchmark Report found telematics use was
Operators are looking to get leverage, getting advantage out of their telematics data
largely limited to tracking vehicles and equipment.
Almost 80 per cent of operators surveyed were using their telematics for vehicle and equipment tracking, 68 per cent for speed, 53 per cent for hours of service/driver hours, and 51 per cent for distance driven.
Fewer than half were employing the technology to monitor driver performance (42 per cent), proof of service/jobs completed (37 per cent), and maintenance (37 per cent).
Three years on, however, Rossington says there has been significant growth in the adoption of telematics by small-to-mid-sized operators, which had previously been lagging larger transporters.
He says this has principally been driven by increased compliance requirements and the opening of access to higherproductivity truck routes.
At the same time, the technology has become more widely available and more affordable.
With this, operators – especially medium to large transporters – are now focusing on “taking compliance from a cost to an opportunity”.
“Before 2015-16 (the technology) was all about where’s my vehicle, what has it been doing, where has it been,” he says.
Geotab
MyGeotab offers data analytics, reporting and live dashboards to help operators make data-driven decisions. Its software enables them to locate vehicles, analyse trip history and with active tracking capabilities, route drivers around obstacles or send drivers planned routes. Users can also manage fuel consumption and driver hours or generate stand notifications as 346 PLAZA drivers enter geofenced zones. With in-vehicle feedback and behaviour reporting back at base, operators can use the system to intervene to avoid risky behaviour. Geotab also collects diagnostic data through its fleet vehicle management software.
Regional operator Ron Finemore Transport is at the cutting edge of technology adoption in the transport industry
Teletrac Navman’s Andrew Rossington
“Operators are saying how can I take this data (collected by EWDs) and use it to help improve driver performance. I’ve got reams of data, how can I use it to make my operation better through better journey planning, better fleet usage.
“They are trying (to use the data) to make the driver, the fleet, the delivery more efficient and more safe.
“I strongly believe that what operators are going to be looking for is getting leverage, getting advantage out of their telematics data.”
That’s where artificial intelligence and machine learning come in.
For example, Rossington says Teletrac Navman’s Smart Dashcam collects and records data on incidents and accidents.
“What we then need to do is put all this data into the context of the whole trip so that we are able to predict if (an incident) is going to happen again,” he says.
“We’re trying to answer questions such as what’s the best vehicle for the task, for the route; who’s the best driver with available hours, work history etc to do the task.
“It’s early days, the first thing we’re doing is building out the data so we can provide a level of predictability. And the first services we are providing are various downloads and insights.
“For example, if you are experiencing an extended wait time on a site we’re leveraging the data to ask when and
Teletrac Navman
In February Teletrac
Navman released the TCAapproved VT102, which collects trip distance, vehicle engine data, and safety data for use in regulatory programs; stand as well as Smart 104 HALL 4 Dashcam, which uses cameras, telematics data and advanced onboard sensors to monitor drivers. Its EWD delivers operators a real-time dashboard of fatigue information and driver-hour status. When paired with its core
AI-powered TN360 software, the solutions enable operators to ensure drivers and vehicles are operating safely and more efficiently through high-definition GPS tracking, real-time vehicle updates, and customisable data and analytics.
Left: RFT’s Darren Wood is leveraging data from multiple technology platforms to predict future events such as mechanical failure
where and is there a pattern. The next phase is how we provide the answers upfront.”
At the leading edge of this brave new world is mid-sized family-owned operator Ron Finemore Transport (RFT).
Established by industry icon Ron Finemore in 2004 following the acquisition of Wodonga-based company Lewington’s Transport, the carrier boasts a fleet of around 300 trucks across three major operating divisions: food, produce and manufactured goods, and bulk liquids.
With a strong safety culture, RFT’s technology journey began back in the early 2000’s, however, it really took off in 2013 when it adopted the Orbcomm (Bluetree) telematics solution.
RFT General Manager Business Development, Technology and Innovation Darren Wood says the solution allowed it to track vehicles as well as providing data that enabled it to score how well drivers – as well as vehicles – were performing against set parameters, including speed, idling, harsh braking, and over revving.
Around the same time, Wood says RFT came across Seeing Machines’ driver monitoring technology for the first time. At that time the system only
Uptake of technology is being driven by the increased availability and affordability of solutions
comprised an inward-facing camera focused on monitoring the driver.
“We said we also needed to see what was going on in front of the driver and we got them to put forward-facing cameras into the Guardian product. We then adopted it 100 per cent in our fleet,” he says.
RFT’s Driver Safety System (DSS) comprises an infrared driver-facing camera (DFC), and a colour forward-facing real image camera synced with the DFC, to monitor a driver’s eyes and head position to identify potential fatigue and distraction events, specifically wheel speed >40kph, eyes closed >2 seconds (fatigue event); and wheel speed >40kph, eyes off centre >4 seconds (distraction event).
This real-time device alerts the driver by a seat vibration and alarm in the case of a fatigue event and further sends an alert to RFT’s operations team — in turn, allowing them to make immediate contact with the driver to see if they are okay and suggest they take a break if necessary.
“It’s a wonderful product. For example, if you get a fatigue event we’re contacting the driver immediately. If they are fatigued, we recommend that they have a 15-minute break,” Wood says.
The data allows RFT to have “informed conversations” with drivers about unsafe driving behaviours and to make required improvements.
Wood says that in 2015 RFT made a “strategic decision” that its core operating platform was “not fit for purpose for the long term”.
After searching for new solutions domestically and internationally, in 2016 the company invested in a suite of Trimble products, including its Truckmate dispatch, operations and accounting system. The system went live in 2017.
“At that point in time we had a vision of trying to integrate the TMS (transport management system) with our in-cab (telematics) system. We realised
we knew a lot of this information from our telematics system; we knew what the driver was doing, we knew when the driver had arrived,” he points out.
“So, we made a decision that what we really needed to know was what we didn’t know. We needed to add more value (from our technology investments), so we started on our next phase which was how do we get all these systems to talk to each other by sharing the data across platforms.”
Previously, providing accurate status updates for each load required the company to manually re-key the position and activity data into its TMS.
To eliminate this manual process, RFT selected Kofax RPA (Robotic Process Automation) — an AIpowered robotic process automation platform.
Today, a software robot imports the real-time location of each truck into a central data warehouse, and then matches the record to the correct route in the TMS. When a truck enters or leaves a geofenced location such as a fuel station, delivery point or freight terminal, the robot automatically applies the appropriate delivery status update in the TMS.
“From the very start, we knew that we wanted a fully automated solution. Thanks to Kofax RPA, we’ve slashed the need for manual work down to just half an FTE,” he says.
RFT has since deployed around 12 software robots across the business to optimise other process areas and plans to deploy more in the future.
“Now that we’re up and running with Kofax RPA, we have a world of automation possibilities,” Wood says. “For example, a member of the team used to spend around 20 minutes each day collecting the latest fuel prices from across our delivery network and then inputting them into a spreadsheet. This data plays a key role in planning the optimal fuel stops for our drivers, and today we use a software robot to complete the process in just three minutes — a time-saving of more than 10 hours each month.”
Logmaster
Logmaster’s app allows drivers to log all shift data including start, stop, rest break and finish times. Geo-tagging provides location data and guarantees accuracy.
The app also provides real-time alerts for managing breaks to ensure fatigue compliance. If a driver is in breach, the record keeper will be notified.
What’s more, the Logmaster app enables driver fitness documents to be uploaded; and pre-start vehicle inspections to appear to the driver at the right moment in the day.
Accessible anywhere, anytime, operators can view work activity, records and historical data, making it easy to prepare for audits as well as stay up-to-date with renewals. stand 268
PLAZA
Right Weigh
Right Weigh’s products include exterior mechanical load scales; an interior mechanical display to monitor air suspension; an exterior digital display to check a vehicle’s stand on-the-ground 258 PLAZA weight; and an interior digital load scale that monitors axle groups. In March, Right Weigh obtained approval for a smart OBM, which collects and transmits mass data from vehicles. The solution includes an app that allows drivers to view and record real-time gross, axle, and tared weights from within the cab.
Ron Finemore Transport has a new project in play that will give us lead indicators that we know may result in an incident, such as fatigue
Fleetsafe
FleetSafe is the official distributor of the Mobileye Advanced
Driver Assistance System, which is available with a single, forwardstand facing vision sensor, 335 PLAZA or in a multi-sensor solution designed for large commercial vehicles with hazardous blind spots. Mobileye 8 Connect gives the time to prevent or mitigate collisions by providing drivers with audio and visual warnings of potential hazards, including distance from other vehicles, lane deviation and speeding. Mobileye 8 and Shield+ are now connected to the Cloud, delivering over-the-air (OTA) system updates.
RFT is also using Kofax RPA to integrate its operations more tightly with large clients. The company recently created a robot to automate its order acceptance process for Woolworths.
Previously, two employees spent around six hours per day capturing orders, building the loads in the TMS, and coordinating time slots for collections and deliveries.
By using a software robot to automate key stages of the workflow, RFT has cut the order acceptance process down to just one hour of human effort per day, while boosting its data-quality score from 70 per cent to over 90 per cent.
“We see that the logistics industry is only going to become more data-driven in the years ahead. Thanks to our work with Kofax, we’re in a strong position to build the next generation of digital services and become trusted partners to more businesses across Australia,” he says.
Wood adds that integrating data from the TMS, telematics and in-cab camera systems
Ron Finemore Transport has a fleet of more than 300 trucks
MyTrucking
MyTrucking was established to streamline a laborious paper-based system, and in particular, lessen the hassle of manual invoicing.
It has since evolved into a transport management system that allows operators to input job details into an app and sort loads by stand 232 vehicle, origins or PLAZA destinations, making scheduling and allocation a breeze.
Customers can also submit a job request via the customer portal, which the scheduler can review, accept or decline.
The integration with various accounting programs enables operators to capture all the required job information to produce clear and meaningful invoices with no manual intervention.
also enables the company to get a clearer view of driver performance, including areas in need of improvement.
RFT delivers training and education campaigns with all drivers via Yarno, a digital remote learning platform.
“Yarno allows us to deliver burst campaigns to our drivers that are designed to reinforce key learnings and provide us with insights on any gaps that require greater attention,” RFT Managing Director Mark Parry wrote recently.
The next stage in RFT’s journey is to have its trucks fitted with tablets that will have many features to aid the driver including notifications of upcoming hazards as they occur, in real-time, giving them control and confidence to shield them and the community from potential hazards.
Wood adds that RFT now has access to data at a very detailed level that enables it to predict future events, such as mechanical failure.
“We’re now able to tell OEMs that they’ve got an issue with a part even before they know it,” he says, adding RFT has a “new project in play that will give us lead indicators that we know may result in an incident. It’s an exciting opportunity to deliver more information for our business in our ongoing quest for safety and reliability.”
DriveRisk
DriveRisk’s DriveCam SF300 MV – winner of the 2021 HVIA Safety Innovation Award – utilises cameras plus integrated microphone to provide event recording.
DriveCam integrates with DriveAlert+, a driver fatigue monitoring system and early warning solution that actively tracks eyes, facial features and movement, using artificial intelligence, to detect fatigue and distracted driving behaviours.
An auditory alarm and seat vibration attachment reengage drivers detected for distraction or fatigue. stand 322
PLAZA
AN COMPANY
28 Sorbonne Cres. Canning Vale WA 6155 +61 (0)8 6253 4000
Visit our website: tele-radio.com.au Visit our website: telemation.com.au
Top Tool Test
The winners of the 2021 HVIA National Apprentice Challenge say the experience has put them on the path to hugely rewarding careers in Australia’s heavy vehicle industry
For team mates Luke Kneebone and Samuel Allan, competing in the 2021 HVIA National Apprentice Challenge was a daunting – but ultimately rewarding – experience.
Chosen from nominees from all around
Australia to represent the Southern region (Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania), Luke and Samuel competed for the first two days of heats in front of audiences of more than 500 school students – and for the first time under the gaze and scrutiny of the public, in the cauldronlike arena of the South Bank Piazza.
In the end Luke, from Webster Trucks in
Devonport, Tasmania, and Samuel, from Ballarat
Isuzu, prevailed in the pressure-cooker final to take the title, snaring prizes including a set of tools and a hosted trip to the Supercars Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 – with the full corporate treatment, pit lane tours and a whole lot more.
More importantly, they say the Challenge helped them build both their technical skills as well as skills in team work, communication, time management, and working under pressure from having an audience watching their every move.
“It has broadened my view of the industry, being able to see different aspects of my field of work,” Luke reflects.
Samuel – who concedes the experience was initially “quite nerve-racking” – adds the Challenge has improved his time management and vehicle fault diagnosis skills.
“At the start of each round we had five minutes
The 2021 Apprentice Challenge was a daunting but rewarding experience, participants say
to plan our approach to the seven faults, but during the Challenge there was no time to stand back and think about ways to diagnose them as we were under the pump for the entire 45 minutes,” he says.
“If we were struggling with a fault at times we just had to stop what we were doing and help each other out instead. I think this added to my team working skills as well.
“Competing in this Challenge has definitely had a positive impact on me. The skills I have gained from it I use every day while at work including working as a team and good communication to get things done on time. I think this is an important skill to have especially when taking on bigger roles such as managing/supervising a workshop.”
What’s more, Luke’s Service Manager, Craig Ferrall, who attended the show to cheer him on, says the win has been a confidence booster for the young apprentice – and his work colleagues.
Since joining Webster Trucks as a first-year apprentice, he says Luke has shown great promise and has always been willing to push himself to achieve the best for himself, the business and customers.
“Webster Trucks encourage all our apprentices to strive to be their best and someone like Luke becomes the real-life example that if you apply yourself, you can do it,” he says.
“And again, it’s another way of promoting the talents of our team to our customers and more so the bragging rights we have over our other branches and dealers.”
Samuel’s boss, Jonnie Arnel, who also attended the show to support his young apprentice, agrees.
“It has made Sammy have more belief in himself on what he can achieve and more open to take on future challenges,” he notes.
“The Challenge is a great way to show the apprentice where the industry can take them, to get them away from the workshop and experience different parts of the industry.
“It also is a great way to bring the apprentices out of their shell and show them what they can achieve.
“I think it is also beneficial when entering an apprentice to show other apprentices also where they can go if the interest and effort is shown.”
As the countdown begins to the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show, the 2021 victors are urging apprentices and their employers to get involved in next year’s Challenge.
“I would highly recommend any apprentice with a passion for the industry to take part in the Challenge
as it is a very rewarding experience,” Luke says. In 2023 the Challenge will adopt an exciting new format aimed at positioning it as the peak national apprentice competition.
In a further boost to its prominence, the competition will now be held over the first two days of the show, when crowds are biggest, with heats staged on Thursday and Friday and, for the first time, the final taking place on Friday afternoon – again at the South Bank Piazza.
Participants will enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show for the four days.
And in 2023 their skills will be tested on a Western Star truck, courtesy of sponsor Penske.
The winning team will be the first to identify and repair all the faults, or the team that rectifies the most faults within the allowed timeframe.
For visitors to the show the competition is a dynamic spectacle, with commentary explaining the apprentices’ moves and strategy, as their approach unfolds. Things can get tense as the teams watch their available time evaporate.
The event is being co-ordinated by former HVIA Director Chris Musch, who knows first-hand how far an apprentice’s career can go.
“I started in this great industry as an apprentice when I was fifteen, just like our nominees,” he says.
“It has given me opportunities to work in many different sectors of the industry, both here in Australia and overseas, from the shop floor and into different levels of management.”
HVIA CEO Todd Hacking says the number of participants in the 2023 National Apprentice Challenge is testimony to the emerging talent coming into the heavy vehicle industry.
“The response has again been exceptional, with participants including second-, third- and fourthyear apprentices, Australia-wide,” he says.
“These young people are at the beginning of a journey that will open doors to hugely rewarding career paths with Australian and international companies involved in the manufacture, distribution and support of trucks, trailers and their components.”
The 2021 Finalists
SOUTHERN (Victoria, South Australia, and
Tasmania): Luke Kneebone, fourth-year apprentice, Webster Trucks, Tasmania; Samual Allan, third-year apprentice, Ballarat Isuzu
NORTH-WESTERN (Western Australia and Northern Territory):
Bekitemba Gwebu, thirdyear apprentice, Major Motors, Perth; Beau Smith, fourth-year apprentice, CMV Truck Centre, Adelaide
EASTERN (Queensland, New South Wales and Australian Capital
Territory): Shaneet Singh, second-year apprentice, Stillwell Trucks, Sydney; Jack Dennis, fourth-year apprentice, Penske Australia, Brisbane
The 2023 Apprentice Challenge will again be held in the cauldron-like arena of the South Bank Piazza
Flying The Flame
With Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympics, the Brisbane Truck Show is emulating the iconic torch relay – but with a unique twist
Sunny the koala earned its name from the Brisbane Truck Show logo. The crest has been part of the logo for two decades and is instantly recognisable to most folks from the trucking industry no matter where you might hail from across Australia.
So, settling on a name for the new Truck Show mascot was not an arduous or contentious task.
Given Brisbane was recently announced as the host city for the 2032 Olympic Games, we were inspired to follow its lead and emulate the iconic torch relay – with a twist.
In the lead-up to the 2023 show, Sunny will be dropping through to visit as many of the near-300 exhibitors as possible.
We will be tracking Sunny’s progress as he goes, checking out what unusual forms of transport he might be subjected to, and what interesting activities he gets up to.
Exhibitors have been enthusiastic in putting their hands up to host Sunny. Their ideas for giving Sunny an experience that is unique to their brands are irresistibly novel.
However, we can’t give too much away – you’ll have to follow his journey on the show website, through our newsletters, and social media.
PS. Pictured is Sunny in Hannover visiting IAA Transporation in September, inviting European visitors Down Under for the upcoming 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.
HVIA’s Steve Power and Kay Marco with Sunny at IAA Transportation in Hannover
The Golden Ticket
Club BTS 2023 is a new initiative for the Brisbane Truck Show’s biggest fans.
Event Manager Noelene Bradley says the strictly limited intake comes with a range of special benefits.
“This is the gold pass version of entry to the show with only 100 memberships on offer,” she says.
“We’ve had enquiries from regular attendees whose pilgrimage to the show is one of the highlights on their calendars. With Christmas coming up we know that these memberships will go like hotcakes.”
Club BTS 2023 membership includes a multi-day pass to the show along with unique merchandise, gifts from exhibitors and vouchers for use around the show.
To secure your membership jump on www. truckshow.com.au/clubbts.
Bird’s Eye View
New Brisbane Truck Show ambassador Ben Stamatovich captures spectacular images while driving the Nullarbor. He has an even more amazing story. Both will be on show at the 2023 event
We are delighted to welcome Ben Stamatovich, better known as ‘The Drone Way’, as our 2023 Brisbane Truck Show ambassador.
Ben makes his living driving the Nullarbor and has long been in love with the Bunda Cliffs along the Great Australian Bight.
We are excited to share some of Ben’s amazing footage and photography with you.
Ben has already earned himself a pretty amazing following, not just here in Australia, but right around the world.
Hopefully you’ve discovered him on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. If you haven’t – now is your chance to join well over 100,000 others who have fallen for his stunning work.
Ben told us the open road certainly gives you time to contemplate life and your place in it; now Ben does just that – but from a bird’s eye view.
“This drone, it was just a game changer,” he says. “I still had my bad days, but the distraction this drone’s got and from the beauty that it captures, how can you not be positive.
“When I’m seeing it on the screen, it’s just beautiful and it’s changed my way of thinking.”
At the end of it all, we find ourselves with this
wonderful Australian who is doing everything he can to not only make good, but to pay it forward.
Make sure you are subscribed for all the news bulletins coming out during the lead-up to the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show (www. brisbanetruckshow.com.au/subscribe), as Ben shares his story with all of us. It’s going to be quite a ride.
Win one of two framed prints!
We are thrilled to be hosting a gallery of Ben’s work in the new Merchandise Zone at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.
Ben will have a wide range of his most popular prints on display and for sale plus calendars and other collectibles.
Right now, you can enjoy the pull-out poster print inserted in this magazine to add some style to your office, workshop or other favourite place to contemplate life.
Not only that, we have two framed prints up for grabs.
To go in the running, simply tell us what you are looking forward to most at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show in up to 30 words.
To enter go to bts23.com. au/the-drone-way either in your web browser or scan the QR code opposite.
