The Monthly Woodflow - June 2024

MONTHLY WOODFLOW

HOGGYS HAULAGE HEADLINES

What a whirlwind time to be in the logging game plenty of ups but just as many downs in the markets Nothing we haven’t weathered before but to be brutally honest it’s when the management team must be at their best, and the staff (everyone in every position), needs to be understanding and react daily to changes that are out of our control… When things are running smoothly, we can pretty much go on “auto-pilot” and only need small changes here and there But we are busy and that’s the main thing

The blue gum game has come to a sticky stop locally but just like 2020 and the world ending… We managed through it and up on the other side. Employees get to reskill or challenge themselves out of their natural habitat and we strive for them to enjoy the challenge Midway has come to the rescue, and we are much appreciative that they have let us put another crew on to clean up the ABP burnt timber Gunners has diverted back into a cool Kenny and is beaming with delight delivering blue gum instead of driving his 1910e forwarder while we have the long-distance carting.

Jim Aitken has fallen on his feet and is back in the log game after doing interstate work. Jim is a Millicent resident, along with Jason from the same spot, they have been carting out of new OFO T1 job from Noolook to Portland. Always a win when people live on route for a long-haul job

Road trains – They have been great for our business and move bulk wood. Smithy’s K220 which would need the dust cleaned off it, should hit the road in early July, we also have another 610 arriving shortly which will again add to the fleet of wood hogs that keep the forwarder drivers on their toes

HOGGYS HAULAGE HEADLINES

Gossey, is short, full of life, and always has a smile on his face. Gossey is a local farmer who has a passion for trucks and moving machines and has been a much-needed help for me. Goss the boss has his backyard of cattle to keep in che I’m not 60 pie on the Ab cky and ber pla hat we ork wit My

LTS Ford – Smithy’s favourite truck, learned to drive in this thing Had a bad smell behind the seat but we worked that out…

Western Star – had built-in air conditioning near your right knee… you could see straight through…

C500 Kenworth – had 6-rod suspension, if you hit a bump, you would hit your head on the roof

K104B Kenworth – Dad found this banger in Geelong and was a bargain! Just had a rooted motor but still went �� We put a crate motor in it and from memory was the last motor fitted before Cummins moved to their new facility on Penola Road Good truck and served me well but was as rough but tough

C508 Kenworth – Still have it and has been a bloody beauty, strong as an ox. Has been seen delivering logs lately so still a favourite of mine Only truck we own with a cat in it too (C16 accert)

Enough about me and float trucks, I recently visited New Zealand for the Wood, Transport, and Logistics conference The focus is a shift into lower emissions or possibly zero emissions down the track Lots of speakers from different areas and it was interesting to understand where manufacturers are at with new technologies but still feel like in Australia, we have a long way to go with infrastructure, especially in the rural regions for it to be a realistic option currently. Exhibitors were of the plenty, with different systems in place for safety, compliance, chain/strap throwers, and onboard tracking just to name a few. Well worth the trip.

NHVR – They have been in force lately and just doing their job I like that they have been setting up more and keeping the roads safe Play the game and keep our units looking sharp, keeps them at bay normally, and with our high focus on safety, compliance, and maintenance, we never seem to have too much trouble.

The road network can be such a great way to stop crime, Last week Tasman Trading had their Float stolen from their yard Quick communication between several drivers and details started coming in of where and when it had been sited Much to the work of a few, the float trailer was recovered along with a heap of other things that might have cracked the iceberg… Thanks to the drivers who helped, you know who you are

HOGGYS HAULAGE HEADLINES

LOGR – dockets are a cheque If you want to get paid, fill it out correctly is the message. Using every docket is like a bank transaction I know the issues have been out of our control at times but, do your best and don’t rush, report issues and problems ASAP so the girls or Timberlands can fix them Timberlands has updated the LOGR manual too, so if you would like a copy, sing out.

Thanks to the drivers in the last couple of months for the tough driving conditions and for reporting the fog and smoke issues we have faced Safety is always number 1 and you have all been fantastic! Keep using the site docs app for our reporting processes, as you might not have time whilst on the road, make a call when you can to management, and we can quickly sort the issue promptly

The cold months and rain, (when it comes) are here, so look after yourself and look out for each other Please read your updates if it's on site docs, truck plans, or memos on the tablet They are all important to keep things in line and organized.

Until next time, LOGON!

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

JUNE

12TH - TONY WOOD

16TH - MATT GUNNINGHAM

26TH - COREY AULD

27TH - MITCH BAUGH

JULY

2ND - GARETH MANNIX

5TH - JOSH HODGSON

7TH - WILL RHODES

11TH - MARK MERRETT

12TH - ALEX MERRETT

13TH - LARRY LAMBERT

14TH - LES MARCUS

15TH - DARREN VAUGHN

17TH - TYLER HOWLETT

19TH - TYSON MURPHY

20TH - HADDON LAWSON

21ST - SCOTT CHUCK

REDDOGS WORKSHOP WRAPUP

And just like that we are half way through the year , or pretty much. Its been a fast paced start with plenty of wood moving which comes with added machines and service work and repairs. The guys have done an awesome job attending to most breakdowns and services on time Site docs has been a really great tool for letting everyone know what is happening or due for service. We did get a bit behind with some guys having some time off due to many different reasons, Zac had his back needled to help with that, Connor was away for some R and R and Tyson welcomed a new baby boy to his growing family and ranch

Well done Sarah and Tyson on the safe arrival of young Ted!!!

We have two new additions to the workshop in the form of Josh Ressuggan who hails from Nartacoorte Josh is a Fabricator who has mainly worked in retail and has a sound knowledge of CAD drawing and welding etc Josh will help Bobby down in the metal section of the workshop and has already made an impact, Welcome Josh!!

We also were able to secure the services of Thomas “Chicken” Wooldridge who comes from a Heavy Vehicle and Agriculture background having spent & years at Whickham Flower as a mechanic and technical expert on high precision Ag. Thomas has also made a great start helping on the field service side of things Welcome Chicken!!

We have had some new additions in the Forestry side of things with Creeky taking the reigns of our fifth 953MH with the 624C waratah attachment on the end of it These machines have really set up our clearfall hitting targets day in and day out to help set the trend for the rest of the wood flow.

fell which makes 16 x 1910E forwarders currently active in the fleet Mark has been lucky enough to receive the latest new rocket after Vern and Haddin also receiving new ones r

We have r e workshop recently carrying out major repairs and also on time maintenance and tidy ups The plan is to try and get every machine through the workshop once a year to carry out on time maintenance and keep uptime to a maximum This will be a work in progress but so far we have had 9 forwarders through both ours and SE Forest workshop and 6 harvesters which is a good start after 5 months work.

The Haulage side of things is ticking along nicely with the guys approximately half way through the trailers for the year and a little less on the Trucks The boys continue to pump out high quality work under the guidance of Harley who does a fantastic job of organizing both service requirements and also break downs and other repairs

We are working on a call out system/phone dedicated for the trucks alone to help spread the load amongst mechanics The details will be out as soon as it is finalized

Other then that stay safe in the fog, stay safe on the roads and look after yourselves and your mates! Log On,

KESSAHS COMPLIANCE

Well, we are hurtling into the half way mark of the year and we are still yet to see the K220 – but I can smell it in the air, it must be getting close The permits are sorted and ready to go – so bring it on!

The last three months have been taken up with permit applications, vehicle approvals and all things compliance, including my first NHVR Audit for Mass and Maintenance It is with great pleasure I can say we passed with flying colours and it is largely due to the work each of the drivers each day with reporting and their diligence with helping us get it right Right vehicles on the right roads!

We started off May with the upgrade to our old stock of trackers and iFaces for trucks and crew fleet vehicles. It was a huge 4 days with 62 vehicles cruising through the workshops for Shane to install the trackers Thanks to all the drivers and operators who had to moved around their schedules to help get it done, it was much appreciated Telstra have fortunately extended the 3G service until the end of August so Tyson has a couple extra month to install the new Guardian processors to the vehicles that need them

We also welcome Derek Price to world of Trucking technology Last week Derek had his Guardian and Iface fitted Great job Derek!! There are plenty of drivers out there willing to share their experience and ‘love’ of the tablets! The Guardians are a great asset and continue to assist keeping drivers alert and aware of fatigue and distraction events – but most importantly have you all returning home safe to your families!

A couple weeks ago I was fortunate to join Adam and Kev in a jaunt across the ditch to land of the long white cloud. New Zealand is a beautiful country and they do logging so different to the Green Triangle With steep hills and lots of undergrowth it was very interesting to witness just how varied the logging industry is. With the landscape and shorter haulage routes they definitely don’t carry the tonnage that the Merrett trucks do There was lots of talk about new technologies which was an eye opener, and it wasn’t just talk they have vehicles and machinery in action New Zealand are also very advanced and doing some ground breaking work with the Guardian systems to assist with selfmanaging fatigue in drivers The technology has not been released in Australia yet but you can rest assured we are on to it as soon as it hits our shores.

CURRENT PINE WORKSITES

TILBYS PINE REPORT

The pine side of the business remains buoyant across the majority of our sites with good production and deliveries in recent months In general we have had very strong export deliveries, a bit of a slow down in the domestic side of things however we have seen that reverse yet again in the last week It has been quite a logistical juggle but through the cooperation of the entire Merrett Logging team we have been able to make it all happen. Greatly appreciate the positive attitudes of our workforce when we have to change plans, it is a challenge at times when things happen and we have to act at short notice but operators and drivers alike are showing great understanding to help get the job done Thank you to all!

Around the Jobs…..

Timberlands

T1 – Werrikoo

Damo and Taylor have moved across to the Werrikoo site and started harvesting in the last week They have started in some of the poorer quality sections and are producing mainly chip with some export where the quality allows. Traditionally a wet area which would not normally be tackled at this time of year but due to the dry nature of the season we have been able to make a start in there Chucky has joined the lads this week and is pulling the wood out The current section has had the chippers through previously and taken the out row, the crew are harvesting the marked trees out of the remaining ones

T2 - Killara South

The crew led by Macca have done a fantastic job in recent times in some challenging blocks which have had some narrow rows, long extraction combined with some large native areas to work around. On top of those challenges the crew have had at times a large array of products to juggle, We have seen a variety of operators on forwarders lending a hand with Whitey and Sauce being two of them, Kingy and Macca have been the main stays and have kept the wood flowing nicely Harvesters have found themselves sneaking away from the forwarders a bit, Pete did a couple of weeks in there to cover “New Dad” Corey (Congratulations from all at Merretts!) then we have had Benny and Dom doing the other harvesting. Like all jobs the balance is always tricky to get right but through good communication out of the job we have been able to try and help the crew as needed

TILBYS TIMBER TRAIL

T3 - Tooloy

We have made good use of a couple of the traditional “Blue gum Boys” with Crossy and Elmo coming across to the pines, both have done a great job and haven’t missed a beat. Pete has also chimed in out that way doing some break tree work over a few days before heading back to the blue gums Bunzy has also taken his 1270 out of the T1 and into the T3 to lend a hand, Mitch has been the main stay out there coordinating the operations on his forwarder, Mick has been on the other forwarder and in recent days Brady has jumped on a forwarder to lend a hand. A mixed bag of products off the job has kept the crew on their toes, to their credit we continue to hit the required numbers

T3 – Killara South

The T3 crew are part of the strong band of Merrett jobs within close range of each other over at the Myaring/Killara area. On the harvesters Nick and Seals have been producing large volumes of timber, helping with the increase in particular of the export products. The 2 x Killara South T3 sections have been quite complex with Power lines, roadside, break tree removal, native areas and a creek! The crew have done a fantastic job around ensuring that all areas have been tackled with a good understanding of the risks and knowledge of the Timber Harvest Plan Fossil has been the mainstay on the forwarder over there using his knowledge to direct traffic along with new operator Scott (welocome!) and Chubbs helping get it done Shout out to Colin for doing some hard yards over that way with some extremely challenging wildling tree work! The crew are on the move and will start harvesting in Myaring West this week.

CF – Myaring West

Myaring West is starting to look a bit bare on the western end and with the crew starting the next harvest area there this week there will be large section cut down. The 2 x Craigs have been doing the harvesting with some challenging sections down towards the creek they have had to tackle which they have done well Vern and Haddon continue to get the wood pulled out and on the break. The job has been the main export job in the company so in recent weeks they have been responsible for over half of our entire export quota each week Communication with trucks coming in and out of 2 different sections of the block has been great, it’s a busy place over there and without the good communication is there always potential for an incident.

CF – Burbyng

Another few blocks have been knocked over out at Burbyng with Creeky knocking over the standing ones and the forwarders in Mark and Josh picking up the products. In recent times the job has been used as the main Tarpeena log producer due to its close proximity to the mill, with the increase in quota this month will see even a larger order coming off the site. Ted has been the “log loader” there and is helping get the trucks through in good times to keep the wheels turning The crew have a couple of weeks left then they will find their way out to Perkins, located halfway between Dergholm and Penola

One Forty One T1 – Lamonds

Things have quietened down a little out that way with a reduced quota in recent weeks The crew led by Bunzy has done a fantastic job out there, Damo, Taylor and Brady have done the chopping, Chucky and Josh have got it out on the break. With a quota reduction at the moment we have moved the crew out and about to other jobs while we await an expected increase in the coming weeks

TILBYS TIMBER TRAIL

T1 – Hayes

Over Cape Jaffa way Bomber and Sauce have started harvesting and forwarding, it’s a fair way from our home base so they are spending their weeks in Robe There has been a few challenges around the distance but things are going along nicely Hayes is part of a larger section forest over that way known as Noolook, it is close to the ocean with a nICE cold breeze. All the haulage at this stage is to Portland.

Tilby’s

Very interesting Podcast this one, Gregory Lynn the Jetstar pilot who loved to go hunting in the high country in Victoria is on trial for the murder of Russell Hill and his girlfriend Carol Clay Lynn claims it was an accident and denies he murdered the pair. The court room updates are interesting and shed plenty of light on the events that happened but also leave plenty of questions unanswered

4 logs out of 5

JRS BLUEGUM JAUNT

CURRENT BLUEGUM WORKSITES

SWF – Warners

The crew has consistently been hitting around 300 tons a day for the past 3 months However, in the last 2 weeks, we had to pull up stumps. Due to the decrease in sales and the forecast looking less than favorable, SWF are going to reduce production to minimal levels in the foreseeable future. We have a few small jobs lined up, with Sandy heading to Littles next week

ABP – Spencer/Geberts/Callendale South/ Pieracle

After completing the cleanup at Spencer Sandy, Will and Whitey moved to Geberts to complete the work left unfinished by a previous contractor The crew quickly discovered that the site was teeming with Koalas, which made progress slow and frustrating for everyone Credit is due to everyone involved for doing a great job and ensuring our furry critters' safety.

The team at Callendale South kept clearing trees until they were summoned to work at Pieracle Although Pieracle presented challenges, Elmo, Chappy, and Notty continued to get the job done. We were informed by ABP that work would significantly slow down over the next 12 months due to the sharp decline in the market. As a result, they have halted all work for ABP until further notice We are working with ABP to develop a beneficial solution for the future

Midway – Callendale North/Poolaijelo

The crew at Callendale North is doing well cutting the burnt timber, with good numbers in the bush and on the break. We are currently sending around 1600-1700 tons per week to Geelong There is still plenty of wood remaining, which should keep Jase, Camo, and Chappy busy on the harvesters throughout the winter Ray Caldwell and Kev Humphries are picking up the sticks to keep the operation running smoothly.

Zac, Will, and Notty have started working at the new job site in Poolaijelo, which they expect to keep them busy for a while, until it becomes wet (if it rains). The mid-term outlook is good, with no restrictions on quotas.

Thanks to all the operators for being understanding during the recent changes

KEVS SAFETY SUMMARY

As we transition from the reasonably mild sunny days of autumn into the colder months of winter, it’s essential to stay updated on our work health and safety priorities This season brings unique challenges and that we must navigate with vigilance and continued dedication to our processes and procedures

Increase in Native Wildlife Movements

With the onset of winter, we typically observe an increase in native wildlife movements Animals such as kangaroos, wombats, and deer become more active, often crossing roads and work areas in search of food and shelter. It’s crucial for all our operators and drivers to remain vigilant and exercise extra caution, especially during dawn and dusk when wildlife is most active. Your awareness and careful driving can prevent accidents and protect both wildlife and people

Driving to the Conditions

Winter brings about challenging driving conditions, including fog, rain, and wet roads. It’s imperative that all drivers adjust their driving to the conditions to ensure safety Reduce speed in low visibility conditions, increase following distances, and always use headlights in fog and rain to enhance visibility

Additionally, regular vehicle maintenance is critical during this season Ensure that your vehicle’s tires, brakes, and wipers are all in good working order. These checks can make a significant difference in preventing accidents and ensuring safe travel

Praise for Communication and Response

I want to extend my heartfelt praise to our operators and truck drivers for their exemplary communication and response during recent incidents involving heavy fog and dense smoke Your ability to maintain clear communication and follow safety protocols ensured that everyone stayed safe during these hazardous conditions. Your commitment to safety and teamwork is truly commendable

Health Initiatives: Medic at Work Health Checks and Flu Shots

In the last quarter, we partnered with Medic at Work to offer comprehensive health and skin checks, as well as Gambier City Pharmacy to administer flu shots to our workforce. I am pleased to report that these services were taken up by a large percentage of our team Regular health checks are crucial for early detection and prevention of potential health issues, and flu shots are essential in keeping our team healthy during the flu season Thank you to everyone who participated; your proactive approach to health and wellness helps maintain a safe and healthy workplace.

KEVS SAFETY SUMMARY

Insights from the Wood Transport & Logistics Conference in Rotorua, New Zealand

Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Wood Transport & Logistics conference in Rotorua, New Zealand The conference highlighted several exciting emerging technologies in harvesting and transport, which hold great promise for our industry Among the innovations discussed were:

Straight Hydrogen-Powered Heavy Vehicles: Offering zero-emission solutions and a significant reduction in environmental impact.

Hydrogen / Diesel Dual Fuel Powered Heavy Vehicles: Combining the benefits of hydrogen and diesel to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

Hybrid Harvesters and Forwarders: Integrating electric and traditional power sources to improve efficiency and sustainability in harvesting operations

Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning: This is an upgrade to our current Guardian Generation 2 device including the fitting of a light bar and installing a software update with cutting-edge algorithms to ensure drivers are alerted before they reach the critical stage of microsleep.

These advancements are not only environmentally beneficial but also promise to enhance operational efficiency and safety. We are closely monitoring these technologies and exploring opportunities to integrate them into our operations

Safety Awards

It is with great pride that we acknowledge the outstanding contributions of our team members in ensuring safety and swift response to emergencies:

Jase Manninen: Jase demonstrated exemplary leadership and management of his site following an incident. His quick thinking and adherence to safety protocols were instrumental in mitigating risks and ensuring the safety of his team

Thomas King: Thomas displayed exceptional bravery and quick thinking when he assisted a fellow motorist in extinguishing a grass fire by the side of the road His willingness to help and proactive approach prevented a potentially dangerous situation from escalating.

These awards recognize the dedication and commitment to safety that both Jase and Kingy have shown. Their actions reflect the core values of our organization and set a high standard for all of us

Looking Ahead

As we move into winter, let’s continue to prioritize safety and stay informed about the latest developments in our field Your vigilance and dedication are key to maintaining a safe and efficient work environment Thank you for your ongoing commitment to excellence and safety.

Stay warm and remember “Safety never sleeps”!