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BRISBANE-BASED XL Express, which went into voluntary administration in late June, has now gone into liquidation with over $40 million in estimated debts.
XL Express appointed FTI Consulting on June 27 to conduct an “urgent assessment” of the company’s viability, which also includes 17 other entities under the company’s brand.
The group’s 200 employees were stood down after XL Express was locked out of its Smithfield premises in Sydney’s west in late June, due to rent not being paid, according to its administrators.
An ASIC notice on Monday, August 4, confirmed creditors
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had voted to wind up the 17 associated companies under the XL Express group.
A spokesperson for FTI Consulting told Big Rigs, “Fol-
lowing the second meeting of creditors of the Companies held on 1 August 2025, creditors resolved to wind up the Companies and Joanne Dunn,
Ross Blakeley and Kelly-Anne Trenfield were appointed Joint and Several Liquidators of the Companies.
“During the course of the liquidation, the liquidators will continue to carry out investigations into the affairs of the Companies.”
According to a News Corp report, the administrators estimated there were up to $41.9 million in total debts across the XL Express companies, including $5.3 million owed to 200 former employees and $3.4 million owed to the Australian Taxation Office.
NAB, Judo Bank and ScotPac were among the secured creditors and business lend-
ers with the largest bundle of debts, totalling an estimated $18.9 million, the report from administrators Kelly-Anne Trenfield, Ross Blakely and Joanne Dunn of FTI Consulting said.
Other unsecured creditors were owed an estimated $12.4 million.
Manheim Auctioneers had been engaged to begin selling off the XL Express fleet of 193 vehicles before it went into administration.
The administrators also noted they were aware of multiple injury compensation claims from employees, although they were still being processed by insurers.
THE long-running battle over Martins Creek Quarry has reached a decisive end, with the NSW Land and Environment Court this week dismissing a bid by owner Daracon to expand the hard rock operation near Paterson.
The court’s decision upholds the Independent Planning Commission’s (IPC) earlier refusal of the company’s plan to increase extraction to 1.1 million tonnes per year, citing unacceptable impacts on local communities along the truck haulage routes.
It was expected the expansion would generate up
to 160 truck movements a day through several Hunter Valley towns, including the historic Paterson village and Bolwarra.
In its original February 2023 decision, the IPC said the truck volumes would have a “significant adverse impact on residential amenity, tourism, and road safety,” a conclusion now backed by the court.
Dungog Shire Council and Maitland City Council both fought the appeal, warning that local roads were never designed to cope with that level of heavy freight. In a statement to ABC
News, a Daracon spokesper son said the company was disappointed by the court’s decision.
“For more than a decade Daracon has led a rigorous process of environmental studies and stakeholder en gagement which has seen the application amended a multitude of times to cre ate compromises, resulting in a recommendation for approval by the then-NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure in 2022,” the spokesperson said.
“It is disappointing that today’s decision does not uphold that.”
The spokesperson said the company was disappointed it would not be able to supply construction materials from the site to local infrastructure projects. “We will now take time to assess the future of the quarry.”
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BY JAMES GRAHAM
A leading compliance and auditing expert has released a comprehensive blueprint she’s confident would go a long way to fixing the major issues plaguing the industry.
Department of Future’s co-CEO and Director, Jodie Broadbent first floated the idea of a Road Freight Licensing Scheme in her Big Rigs column ‘Is it time industry had a road freight licensing system?’ in the July 18 issue.
Broadbent has now published a white paper on the sa me subject titled ‘Towards a National Licensing Scheme for the Heavy Vehicle Supply Chain’ and is now calling on industry input to help it progress.
“The white paper proposes a new path forward: a Road Freight Licensing Scheme (RFLS) that doesn’t just look at the truck, or the driver, or the operator, but which finally brings the entire supply chain under the same standard of visibility, responsibility and consequence,” Broadbent writes.
“This is not about more red tape. It’s about fixing the imbalance.”
The R FLS proposes a national licensing model that Broadbent says holds everyone in the supply chain to a transparent standard of safety, commercial fairness and legal accountability.
Under the proposed scheme,
operators would be licensed according to fleet size, with increased expectations at each level.
“This ensures obligations match risk and capability, rather than crushing the smallest players with the same rules as the largest,” Broadbent said.
Consignors, consignees, schedulers, warehouse managers and prime contractors would also need to comply with licensing requirements.
“All must register, declare their responsibilities under Chain of Responsibility [CoR] and be visible in the system. No more hiding in plain sight.”
Broadbent said a major flaw in the current system is that those who influence transport decisions – consignors,
consignees, freight forwarders, and logistics contractors – are rarely held accountable for the consequences of their decisions.
“While Chain of Responsibility laws technically extend to all parties in the supply chain, enforcement remains rare. Contracts are often drafted with terms that put impossible demands on operators, with no practical recourse.”
The R FLS would also incorporate tighter controls for those with repeated breaches of safety, loading, fatigue or payment obligations. Under the new scheme, they would face licence conditions or removal from the system.
The final component would be a National Offence Registry in which driver operator
history would be unified.
“So, offences in one state follow the individual or business wherever they go,” Broadbent said.
“Employers can assess histories [with consent], insurers can assess risk fairly and regulators can act based on patterns, not guesswork.”
The Registry would also capture the history of supply chain parties, identifying those who were not meeting the requirements, and even preventing them from operating in the industry.
“No more shell games. No more phoenixing. No more, ‘We didn’t know’.”
Broadbent said the proposed licensing system would operate in parallel with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator but under legislative
authority from the Commonwealth via the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
Safety investigations will be independently conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, ensuring separation of policy, enforcement, and root cause analysis.
“This paper is written for those who’ve spent years doing the right thing while being squeezed, blamed and penalised,” Broadbent added.
“For those who’ve lost contracts because they refused to break the law. For those who’ve sat in courtrooms alone while the real decision-makers slept soundly at home.
“This is not a call for sympathy – it is a demand for balance, fairness and reform.”
Broadbent said she already had interest from some industry associations in the concept and was hopeful others would follow.
Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) CEO Gary Mahon hadn’t sighted the blueprint at issue deadline, but told Big Rigs he was wary about adding more red tape.
“It runs the risk of another layer of bureaucracy which may or may not remedy the problem,” Mahon said.
“We’ve got to be very careful that we’re treating causes, not symptoms.”
Mahon said the industry
needs “targeted and appropriate” enforcement of what are standards and obligations in the system right now that are not being exercised.
“It’s early in the proposal of this idea and we’d need to work through a lot more detail of how it might actually be put into effect and how it’s going to make a difference.”
Mahon said the QTA is working on strategies to prompt governments and authorities to take action against rate deterioration that’s putting unprecedented pressures on operators.
“I can’t remember a worse start to the year. Here we are in August and we’ve lost companies with a capital value in the order of $650 million.
“If that’s not some sort of alarm bell, or canary in the coal mine, I don’t know what is.”
Turn to Broadbent’s column on pages 48-49 for more details and how you can have your say.
ONE of Australia’s leading diesel systems specialists has entered administration, leaving hundreds of staff facing an uncertain future.
A total of 23 companies under the Cornell and MTQ Group entered voluntary administration late last month with unknown debts.
The most well-known trading entity, Cornell Diesel Systems, has been around for over 50 years, specialising in diesel fuel injection diagnostics, repair, aftermarket parts sales and service.
“Our strategically located branches serve regional and urban centres across diverse industries, including passenger vehicles, fleets, agriculture, mining, rail, marine, and power generation, with tailored solutions for both
off-road and on-road needs,” their website states.
Cornell recently consolidated with other industry leader MTQ Engine Systems which was formerly known as Dynamic Turbochargers and has been operating in Australia since 1970. It was acquired by Bapcor – which takes in brands including Autobarn, Autopro, Opposite Lock, Midas, and Shock Shop – in 2016. Bapcor sold off MTQ in November last year to a buyer group led by Cornell management as part of its broader strategy to exit noncore assets.
“By bringing our highly skilled teams together, we’re enhancing our capabilities to deliver a more efficient, streamlined, and customer-focused one stop shop for
all your diesel system and turbocharger needs,” their website reads.
The company has several branches across the country under the MTQ banner, in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. They all appeared to be trading as normal after the announcement, although at
deadline for this issue, Big Rigs was told by a source familiar with the operations that the Sunshine site in Melbourne had abruptly closed. It’s not clear at this point what led to the administrators’ appointment, or how much the companies owe to creditors and employees.
Cornell Group CEO De-
vesh Mishra declined to comment further. Mishra was removed from the business on July 25.
As advised in the first creditors meeting, it was highlighted that funding provided to the company was unsustainable and had allegedly drowned the company in high-interest debt.
Another source familiar with the finance arrangement told Big Rigs that in July 2025, Mishra was told the default on the loan was inevitable.
“He then moved to place the group entities into voluntary administration to protect employee wages and customer commitments,” the insider said. “All available cash was transferred into a trust account to support wages.”
Big Rigs also understands
that following the administration announcement, the receivers Worrells provided interim trade funding – approximately $3 million – with backing from Juel Solutions and Arcus Capital Advisory. Cornell Diesel–MTQ is one of the largest diesel-service networks in the country, trusted by OEM passenger vehicle brands across Australia and heavy-duty freight fleets hauling everything from groceries to iron ore.
“A break-up sale of plant and inventory might satisfy secured creditors, but it would rip skilled technicians, calibration benches and nationwide parts logistics out of the market overnight, leaving a service vacuum no single business can fill,” our insider said.
A voluntary accreditation model developed by Australia’s rural freight sector couuld save the economy up to $1.1 billion a year, said the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA).
In its submission to the federal government’s Economic Reform Roundtable, the ALRTA has shown its support for a 6 -star Trucking model.
The peak body said the practical, industry-led framework rewards operators who go
beyond baseline standards in fatigue, maintenance, animal welfare, biosecurity and training.
The association points to economic modelling that indicates potential national savings between $422 million and $1.1 billion per year, based on data from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics and Austroads.
A LRTA President Gerald
Johnson said the model offers exactly what the Treasurer Jim Chalmers is looking for: productivity gains that are specific, scalable and budget positive.
“This is not theory; it’s real-world reform,” Johnson said “We’re talking about safer roads, lower premiums, fewer crashes and stronger supply chains.
“The 6-star model has been designed by industry with real-world conditions in mind.
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W hat we need is national support to put it into action.”
The A LRTA submission, one of many from the trucking industry, also calls for:
• A national High Productivity Vehicle (HPV) framework to replace fragmented access rules;
• A co-designed National Truckwash and Biosecurity Infrastructure Plan;
• A Rural Driver Training Academy to address workforce gaps and formally rec-
ognise rural freight driving as a skilled occupation;
• Investment in disaster-resilient freight corridors to future-proof food and supply chains.
Johnson said rural freight had long been overlooked in big-picture reform, despite its role in supporting Australia’s $90 billion agricultural economy and more than 300,000 supply chain jobs.
“We’re not looking for special treatment. We’re offering a
clear set of practical solutions that deliver for farmers, exporters and consumers alike,” he said.
“If this roundtable is serious about resilience and productivity, rural freight has to be in the room.”
The Economic Reform Roundtable will be held from August 19-21 in the Cabinet Room and will help shape the next phase of the government’s economic agenda, said Chalmers.
ACCORDING to the latest figures from the Truck Industry Council (TIC), to the end of July 2025, there have been 26,212 trucks and vans sold across all segments – that’s compared to 27,972 by end of July 2024, and 27,576 recorded by the end of July 2023.
Though truck sales have somewhat slowed compared to the previous two years, it’s reflective of the various challenges facing many operators – including increasing costs of doing business.
On July 1, the national min-
imum wage increased by 3.5 per cent and the superannuation guarantee rose to 12 per cent; among other rising costs. Overall, perennial market leader Isuzu topped the truck sales charts for July 2025, with 1072 trucks sold for the month – a 29.5 per cent market share. In distant second place was Hino, with 396 units sold in June, and then Kenworth with 259. In the heavy-duty space, Kenworth sold 259 units in July 2025, equating to a 23.2 per cent market share for the
segment – though down on June 2024 figures, which saw 338 deliveries. This was followed by Volvo with 183 heavy-duty trucks sold in July (down slightly from 197 in July 2024). And in close third place was Isuzu’s 179 trucks in this space, as the brand continues to increase its sales in the heavy-duty segment. Of the top three finishers for July in the heavy-duty segment, Isuzu was the only one to report higher sales for July in 2025 compared to July last year, where it sold 167 units.
In the medium-duty sector, Isuzu was on top for July with 267 trucks sold – a 50.3 per cent of the market in this space. Hino was in second place with 166 units sold (31.3 per cent market share), followed by Fuso with (11.9 per cent market share).
And in the light duty segment, Isuzu again topped the chart for July, with 626 units sold (51.4 per cent market share in the light-duty space); followed by Hino with 177 light-duty trucks sold and then Fuso with 117.
INDIA’S Tata Motors is to acquire Iveco Group’s commercial vehicle business in a deal valued at 3.8 billion euros (A$6.7 billion) after the Italian truck-maker separately agreed to sell its defence division to Leonardo.
Leonardo will pay €1.7 billion including debt for the military vehicle business, according to a joint statement announcing the news this week.
The same statement did not indicate any immediate changes to operations and staffing levels of its truck sales operation in Australia as a result of the deal.
“The Offeror does not envisage any reduction of the
workforce of Iveco Group as a direct consequence of the combination,” the statement said.
“The combined group will be better positioned to invest in and deliver innovative, sustainable mobility solutions by leveraging both supplier networks to serve customers globally.
“It will also unlock superior growth opportunities and create significant value for all stakeholders in a dynamic marketplace. By preserving each group’s industrial footprint and employee communities, this complementarity is also expected to foster a smooth and successful integration process.”
Iveco, which also makes buses, vans and engines, is controlled by Italy’s Agnelli family through its investment company Exor, which currently owns a 27.1 per cent stake in the Turin-based group, with 43.1 per cent of voting rights. Exor has agreed to hand its stake in Iveco to Tata.
The agreement will see Tata Motors’ TML CV Holdings make an all-cash voluntary tender offer for Iveco’s common shares at €14.1 per share, excluding its defence business. Completion is expected in the first half of 2026, following the separation and sale of Iveco’s defence unit which is expected to close by March 31, 2026.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Motors, said this deal is a logical next step following the demerger of the Tata Motors Commer cial Vehicle business and will a llow the combined group to compete on a truly global basis with two strategic home mar kets in India and Europe.
“The combined group’s com plementary businesses and greater reach will enhance our ability to invest boldly. I look forward to securing the neces sary approvals and concluding the transaction in the coming months.”
Tata Motors is headquar tered in Mumbai and its nota ble subsidiaries include Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Daewoo.
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to see increased National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and police activity around major ports all through August.
The NHVR put the sector on notice at the beginning of the month that it’s conducting Operation Quay, alongside police, in its jurisdictions to ensure heavy vehicles travelling in and around port facilities are safe and compliant.
NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said with heavy vehicles undertaking a transport task around port facilities normally moving large shipping containers, it’s crucial that every container is properly restrained, secured using compliant equipment, and checked before every journey.
“Heavy vehicles transporting freight in shipping containers are more likely to be involved in safety incidents in comparison to vehicles carrying general freight, with unique challenges associated with containerised cargo such as load instability and the potential for rollover,” Salvati said.
“Tragically, there has been
volving a heavy vehicle this year, and the last thing we want to see is further road trauma occur on Australian roads.”
Salvati said the operation sites include Port Botany, the Port of Brisbane, the Port of Melbourne, the Port of Adelaide and the Port of Bell Bay in Tasmania.
He said with the rising movement of goods through the nation’s ports, heavy vehicle traffic in and around the freight terminals is only increasing.
“Ports are among the busiest transport environments across the country, so it’s imperative heavy vehicles are operating with heightened caution and are adhering to all safety requirements –even travelling at low speed around a corner can cause an unsecured cargo to move dangerously,” he stressed.
“Incorrectly positioned loads can impact a heavy vehicle’s stability, steering and brake performance – and if a driver is unable to brake or steer effectively, lives are at risk.
“Furthermore, if the cargo inside the shipping contain-
ers is incorrectly packed, poorly restrained or not balanced across the container, the vehicle can become unstable, and the risk of a rollover increases.”
Salvati said it’s also critical that drivers comply with fatigue requirements and are well rested, alert and fit to be behind the wheel.
“While we understand drivers often face time pressures and demanding schedules, safety should always be the top priority – no load, no matter how important, is worth the risk.”
Inspector Gareth Bosley of QPS’s Road Policing and Regional Support Command said officers will be conducting a range of compliance checks during the month-long operation to help keep all road users safe.
“Queensland Police are committed to ensuring heavy vehicles operating in and around the Port of Brisbane meet all safety obligations,” he said.
“During Operation Quay, our officers will be checking for fatigue compliance, mechanical condition, and the secure restraint of loads, as well as targeting any danger-
CAN IMPACT A HEAVY VEHICLE’S STABILITY, STEERING AND BRAKE PERFORMANCE –AND IF A DRIVER IS UNABLE TO BRAKE OR STEER EFFECTIVELY, LIVES ARE AT RISK.”
PAUL SALVATI
ous behaviour on our roads, including drug or drink driving.”
Inspector Bosley said the freight environment around the Port of Brisbane presents unique risks, which makes proactive enforcement and engagement critical.
The NHVR is also reminding consignors and consignees, transport operators, packers and loaders and container terminal operators, that the chain of responsibility means everyone involved in the journey is accountable for safety and has a duty to ensure freight
can expect
is packed, restrained and loaded safely.
Many online Big Rigs readers, however, weren’t so sure about what impact the operation would have on safety around ports when we first broke the news at bigrigs. com.au.
“They are going to get a 1000 fines for overwidth with open twist locks on empty skels,” wrote Michael Leslie on Facebook.
“And then announce to the
government that they have intervened and prosecuted dangerous over dimension breaches and that they need a few million more in budget to keep up the compliance. “They will get that and everybody will get a pay rise next year.”
Added Paul Keir: “How about the NHVR and police go around and do a compliance check on the nation’s roads because that’s what’s damaging our trucks.”
Why are container transport operators being targeted?
This targeted action has come about due to the NHVR’s intelligence suggesting that “[h]eavy vehicles transporting freight in shipping containers are more likely to be involved in safety incidents in comparison to vehicles carrying general freight, with unique challenges associated with containerised cargo such as load instability and the potential for rollover”
But as to the underlying question that operators will have, ‘Why are container transport operators being targeted, rather than packers, Shippers, importers, consignors etc.?’, the answer is – ‘Because they are an easy target’.
The CoR laws only apply to transport activities related to the carriage of goods by
once there are goods on a road. Vehicle standards and fatigue are obviously within the primary control of container transport operators. But what about load restraint? The person with the most control over whether goods are safely restrained within a shipping container is the person who packs the container.
they are asked to collect it.
But, CoR safety duties are shared, so any one or all of those parties can be held responsible.
Of course, when containers are intercepted and inspected on the road, they are in the possession of the container transport operator – who is ‘caught red-handed’ and the most immediate and easiest target for enforcement action.
Importantly, you need busi ness practices to be set up so that these things happen before you collect a container. If you’re not sure whether your practices are protecting you in this area, reach out to us and we can help put you in the strongest and safest position.
What to do if you get pulled up for an offence/prosecuted
and Shipper are overseas and therefore not subject to the reach of the CoR laws.
So, the first Australian parties who have any contact with an imported container are the consignor (whoever arranges the road transport, usually a logistics services provider or the importer), the stevedore (who typically loads the container onto
Arguably, it is the importer who has the most control over how their goods are packed overseas – they are the party who can dictate or have an influence on packing standards.
Next would be the logistics services provider, who has the capacity to seek information on the consignment and, at least indirectly, influence whether the consignment arrives in a complying state. Next would be the stevedore, who typically physically loads the container onto a truck immediately prior to road transport.
Next and finally would be
That may not be the fairest outcome. It may not be the outcome that is most likely to change behaviours and practices and ensure that future consignments reach Australia in a compliant state. But that is the position that we are in – so how do you deal with it?
What do you need to be doing to avoid problems?
Container transport operators have to do everything that they reasonably can to ensure that the containers that they are collecting are restrained properly. Given that they can’t look inside the containers, this means that they must:
• ensure that this is a requirement of their engagement (e.g. is set out in their customer terms); and/or
• seek this information and/ or assurance from their customers before they collect
If something does go wrong, don’t sit on it.
The best thing that you can do is identify the underlying problem and take prompt steps to ensure that it won’t happen again.
Ideally, you would do this responsibly and proactively before you even receive a Court Attendance Notice in the mail. In this way, you will be able to demonstrate to the court that you took responsibility and implemented meaningful change (if required) to ensure transport safety in the future and you will be in the best position to convince the court to impose a lesser, rather than greater, fine. You need to conduct the above assessment and implementation of any changes in a considered manner that will put you in the best light – so it’s best to seek some informed legal input to ensure that you’re on the right path. So, for a mixture of right and not so right reasons, you are going to be targeted over the next four weeks and will continue to be an easy target for such matters going forward.
That being the case, the best course is to prepare yourself (and your customers), so that you are in the best position to weather the scrutiny.
• This Q&A was published with the permission of Road Freight NSW which first shared the information with its members.
EDITOR
JAMES GRAHAM
seems to change when our backs are against the wall –the resilience and determination of truckies to answer the call for help. They were there on the Covid frontline, keeping the shelves stocked and they were there again earlier this month to answer the call for help from SA farmers, as our cartoonist Ryan Lee-Taylor has so brilliantly celebrated in another ripper of a toon on the right.
Make sure you stop off at pages 30 and 32 for a full report from senior writer Danielle Gullaci on the massive logistics exercise from WA involving 90 trucks and 6401 bales of hay.
Why is it that truckies do so much for so many, yet still struggle to get the most basic facilities and roads that aren’t falling apart.
CLAYTON’S Towing is fronting court to fight an alleged over-height breach. This comes after NHVR officers intercepted one of their heavy vehicles with a permitted height of 4.3m. With the Kenworth it was towing behind it, it sat at 4.88 metres – just 58cm higher. Now the operator is fighting a maximum penalty of $66,550.
Readers have been quick to weigh in and show their support.
Bernard Smith, who drove trucks for 45 years, shared his thoughts, “This is a ridiculous case of overzealous bureaucracy. 58cm is probably just the difference of tyre pressures
in a large truck.”
Niell Graham agreed, “Sounds like bureaucratical bullshit. They can go 5m on the back of a truck/trailer but can’t being towed?”
“It’s far safer to have broken down big rigs towed away than left in often precarious locations on the highway – yes common sense unfortunately is not taught at university nor is actual experience in such
This vehicle was intercepted by NHVR Safety and Compliance Officers on the Bruce Highway, Maryborough. Image: Clayton’s
events – what more can you say!” added Kym Turnell.
While Jeffrey Dukes pondered, “So they want the recovery vehicle to remove the body from the vehicle and tow them back separately just so they meet some archaic standards?
While Nik Lamberth questioned, “How can it be a severe risk if it’s well under 5 metres? That is just absolutely ridiculous.”
OUR story about KW Earthmoving and Concreting’s new 11-axle, 6×4 rigid truck and two quad-axle dog trailer combination sparked plenty of discussion amongst readers online.
Dale Paszula wrote that it may be a novel idea for Victoria, but “up north” it’s been around longer than he can remember.
“But then again Victoria is a very small state, the second smallest in Australia so they can only fit small trucks in it.
“Also, curiously, wondering why they opted for bogey, bogey on both trailers when up here we go tri-tri with a twin steer bogey drive pulling it.”
Waine Brosnan concurred that
he’d also seen similar combinations in Queensland.
“I’ve seen one like that and rest are side tippers.”
Added Pete Hellemons: “Trailers are too short to be stable in my book. Rigid and two dogs were abandoned in WA for reasons you know. They were even required to be 8x4 rigids as well.
“I drove short triples between Perth and the Pilbara and omg
they were a handful and not forgiving. Really needed to run an oversize sign as the combo was 3.5m wide at times despite the prime mover being held in a straight line.”
Daniel J Browne concluded: “To quote Boral loosely, ‘PBS will allow us to cart more for less, giving a better deal for our customers.’ It’s on YouTube somewhere.”
A blunt warning from WA Senator Glenn Sterle to operators exploiting truckies on sham ABN contracts ignited a storm of support.
Darren Pincini, however, wondered why it had taken so long for this action.
“Why the time lag?” wrote Pincini. “I know of many who have been reporting this to you since Labor was reelected and believe it was also discussed at your inquiry.
“Are you suggesting we don’t have legislation already to stamp this out .
“Or is it a case of rules upon rules upon rules, where there is no enforcer. Just like so many other levels of legislation.
“You introduced wage theft legislation, does that not cover this?
Andrew Hetherington said this still goes on with “heaps of dodgy subbies.
“You even see some idiots advertising for drivers saying, ‘Must have an ABN’.”
Added David Dale: “Yeah well, I was an owner-driver for a reputable national carrier for five years. Sacked the morning
after asking for a pay rise. “Their trucks operate slow and very safely, but the subbies were given the demanding tasks that needed creativity.”
James Camro said it’s too little, too late.
“The transport industry is beyond repair,” he said. “Most drivers and companies are just hanging in there – and we all know why.”
READERS were quick to rally in support of those operators most impacted by the decision to impose new load limits on the historic 127-year-old Hampden Bridge at Kangaroo Valley, NSW.
While issues with the structural stability of the bridge have been known for decades, there are still no plans in place for an alternative solution.
Mark Turner wondered why it had taken so long for the authorities to take this action considering they’d had a weight-limit on the bridge since 2003 due to it being under stress.
“They’ve only had six or seven elections since then so can’t expect too much,” he said.
“I
BY DANIELLE GULLACI
SEASON 11 of Outback
Truckers is due to hit screens soon, with the return of some very familiar faces, including the legendary Steve Grahame – who is this time joined by his 16-year-old grandson Brody Hunter.
Steve spoke to Big Rigs recently while pulled up around 150 kilometres north-west of Newman, in WA’s Pilbara region.
From behind the wheel of the 1994 Kenworth C501 he’s owned for over 25 years, Steve continues to travel to some of the most remote locations in the country.
Since purchasing that truck in 1998, Steve estimates he’s put between 3 to 4 million kilometres on the clock.
However at 73 years of age, he also revealed he has begun to scale back – even if only slightly.
“I’m still doing the same work but a little bit less, age is starting to dictate various things.
Overall, I’m reducing my
workload,” said Steve.
“The ‘r’ word [retirement] has crept into my vocabulary. I don’t know exactly when –I can’t see myself being fully retired though, I’ll still keep doing the good loads I enjoy, like a hot-shot to Broome in the middle of winter. If you like what you do to make a living, then it becomes a way of life.
“Whilst I’m still reasonably fit, this is a lifestyle and I enjoy it. Australia is a big country but a small village. I’ve made good friends in Alice Springs, Darwin and Broome and it’s great to be able to wander around and visit them. Once I finish this trip, I’ll have a week at home, then I’ll look to head out again.”
Steve features prominently in the new season of Outback Truckers, coming to 7Mate on Tuesdays at 8pm from August 26. Viewers will also be able to stream the program on 7plus.
“I’ve been in every season and I can’t believe I’ve been associated with this show for nearly 13 years of my life. I’m still proud to be showcasing
Australia and the way we do things,” he said.
In season 11, Steve takes on a tough 2500-kilometre journey from Perth to Alice Springs, travelling along the Great Central Road.
Steve’s loyal dog Bella will be no stranger to Outback Truckers viewers, however this is the first time they get to meet his grandson Brody.
Along with spending quality time together out on the road, the trip is also an opportunity for Brody to learn the ropes from his grandfather.
Unlike in previous seasons which focused more on the job at hand, this new season of Outback Truckers takes a deeper look into the personal and family lives of other truckies too. “I’m pleased that this season shows a bit more of the background of the truckies, which I think is a good thing,” Steve added.
“Season 11 shows more of the family dynamics of various truckies, so it shows the human-interest side as well, not just the truck runs.”
Another fan favourite, Paul
‘Sludge’ Andrews also returns for season 11. After a horrific motorcycle accident meant he was off the road
the show, Prospero Productions, has just started filming for season 12 – with casting still open.
LOUISE Bilato, one of the NT’s most high-profile and respected industry advocates, has quietly called time on her 15 years in the top job.
Bilato officially resigned from her role as Executive Officer of the NT Road Transport Association (NTRTA) on July 31, although has agreed to stay on while searching out and recruiting her replacement. She also juggled a psychology and injury management practice with the role, but Bilato’s not leaving the industry, however, far from it.
Bilato’s family runs a midsized trucking company, G&S Transport, and quarry operation out of Alice Springs and Port Hedland so she’s now taking over more of their compliance and corporate governance responsibilities.
There were many highlights at the NTRTA for Bilato, including two issues that drew heavily on her experience in psychology and injury man-
agement practice: suicide by truck and identifying truck drivers as first responders.
“There was no research evidence on that subject [first responders] at all,” said Bilato who led the campaign for game-changing Stop the Bleed training for truckies that’s ongoing today.
“You can go to three incidents and manage it, and the fourth one wrecks you. People just expect that you’ll bounce back and manage it, but sometimes you can, and sometimes you can’t.”
Bilato takes great satisfaction in knowing she’s now managed to have the nation’s truckies formally recognised for the vital role they often play at accidents.
“It’s always been police, fire and emergency services. No one ever contemplated having the road transport industry in that mix, and I think there’s increasing awareness they play a pivotal role, especially in remote Australia.”
One of the most memorable achievements, however, remains the work she did with NTRTA members to ensure the Territory did not become a signatory to the Heavy Vehicle National Law from 2014.
“I never felt that the whole prescriptive hours of work was a safe way to manage fatigue risk, and that’s been borne out,” Bilato said.
“Sleep and health factors heavily influence fatigue risk, whereas prescriptive driving ignores all of that.
“A lot of good people left the industry prematurely because they couldn’t cope with being treated like criminals on the side of the road, incurring big fines because of a counting hours issue, not due to a heightened risk of fatigue.
“Prescriptive driving hours might be convenient for regulators but does not necessarily improve road safety.”
Bilato also said the Covid years were a particularly challenging but rewarding time.
the many transport sectors –and front-line emergencies.
When Big Rigs calls, she’s knee deep in coordinating transport movements around bushfires on the Barkly Highway.
“You need to be a jack of all trades with a solid understanding about a wide range of subjects, from heavy vehicles, carbon emissions to emergency management, access and road infrastructure,” said Bilato of the role.
News of her resignation resonated all the way to Canberra with WA Senator Glenn
A Kenworth T909 or K220 – which would you choose?
That’ll be the question for one lucky punter in a local footy club’s $1000 a ticket truck raffle.
The Hepburn Football and Netball Club in Victoria first started running raffles of this scale back in the 1990s – and this is the sixth time a Kenworth truck has been up for grabs.
With just 1200 tickets for sale, punters are given a 1 in 1200 chance of taking home a brand spanking new Kenworth valued at almost $500,000.
The Hepburn Football and Netball Club was formed in 1867 and has become an important part of the community – with around 190 kids playing junior footy or netball, along with six senior teams.
Local transport operator
Jason Dooley – who runs Oz Trans – is among those who’ve grown up around the club, from playing junior footy as a kid to being part of the committee.
As Dooley explained, fundraisers are vital to keeping community clubs going strong. “Whether you’re raffling chooks or Kenworths, you need to be running fundraisers to keep the clubs going and ensure families can have their kids playing without exorbitant fees.
“The truck raffles are a huge fundraiser for our club. They’ve meant we can build a lot of infrastructure for the local community at our headquarters – including new changerooms and an elec-
tronic scoreboard. The next step will be to upgrade the social rooms – that’s where we’re planning on spending the money from this raffle.”
During the 1990s, the club raffled two Kenworth T900s and a T950. Then when Kenworth launched the Legend 900 in 2017, it saw the return of the club’s truck raffles, with the Legend SAR then raffled off in 2023.
“For this latest raffle, they aren’t special edition trucks this time but the Kenworth T909 and Kenworth cabover are both legendary in their own right,” said Dooley, who worked closely with Ron Ludbrook at PACCAR to get the trucks fully specced.
“We decided in conjunction with PACCAR to have
two trucks built. Together, we looked at what makes a great truck that’s applicable to a number of applications.
“One of the trucks will go to the raffle winner and then Kenworth Derrimut will sell the other one from the dealership.”
Both the T909 and K220 have longer wheelbases with extra tanks, along with custom interiors. “The seats have Hepburn Football and Netball club stitched into the leather. With Kenworths, particularly as they get older, people are interested in knowing the history of the truck – so they’ll always know this was a Kenworth raffle truck,” Dooley added.
R affle tickets will be on sale until April 2, 2026 and are strictly limited to 1200 entrants. The winner will be
Sterle rising in Senate to pay tribute: “She’s never afraid to speak her mind and say what needs to be said in the interests of our great industry,” said Sterle, who first met Bilato in 2020.
Western Roads Federation CEO Cam Dumesny says Bilato leaves behind big shoes to fill.
“Her knowledge of not just the NT but across all of Northern Australian transport oper-
out measure, and sadly, we will only truly appreciate how much she has given, and that we have relied on as an industry, once she has left.”
Former NTRTA President Michael Swart also paid tribute to Bilato for her tireless advocating for better roads.
“One such road she has championed has been the upgrading and sealing of the Tanami Road which has proven time and time again it is a road of significance to so
road costs. Two runners-up will receive a $10,000 prepaid fuel card.
“Louise is our champion of
Those who purchase raffle tickets by October 3, 2025 will also go into the early bird draw, with two $5000 prepaid
Rest area upgrades
New toilet facilities have been completed at four rest areas in the New England region.
This includes the Goonoo Goonoo rest area, Bolivia Hill rest area and Muswell Hill rest area on the New England Highway, and the Heffron lookout rest area on the Gwydir Highway.
At each site the number of toilets has been doubled, including the addition of an ambulant toilet. While older-style composting toilets have been replaced with a collection well pit style system, which requires less ongoing maintenance. The new facilities are also equipped with internal and external lighting powered by an on-site solar panel, along with rainwater tanks.
Volvo/Isuzu partnership
Bosses at Isuzu Motors and Volvo Group have expanded on an international partnership established in 2020 with a new strategic agreement deal. The deal is said to support the joint development by Isuzu Motors and UD Trucks of a common platform for medium heavy-duty truck models for the Japanese and other Asian markets, utilising Volvo Group technology.
Volvo told Big Rigs the recently launched UD Condor was the first product launched locally under the alliance, but the deal will not affect its product range in Australia. The long-term collaboration, set for a minimum duration of 20 years, includes provisions for the continued supply of key components, particularly powertrains from Volvo Group.
MAN recall
Penske Australia has issued a recall notice for 85 MAN branded trucks due to a manufacturing defect.
Impacted trucks are all variants of the TGM 2-AXLE, TG3 3-AXLE and TG 4-AXLE models manufactured between 2023-2024.
According to the notice, “The steering shaft pinch bolt may have been incorrectly installed. This could result in a loss of steering control.”
Owners of affected vehicles are advised to contact their nearest MAN Dealer to arrange to have their vehicle inspected and the work carried out, free of charge.
Two road trains loaded with 550 bee hives have made a 2700km trip from Western Australia to South Australia’s almond growers in the far east of the state.
Bee Industry Council of Western Australia answered an urgent call for help from almond growers, who have faced dwindling bee numbers in recent years due to drought. Bee hives were collected from as far as 350km north and up to 500km south of Perth. They were transported by two double road trains, with the hives loaded onto three flat top trailers, and a fourth curtain sider used to transport bee keeping equipment. There were four drivers doing two-up, with the trucks continuing for about 30 hours to complete the trip.
BY JAMES GRAHAM
T RUCKIES’ tireless campaigner Wes Walker is back on the warpath.
This time the Queensland advocate for drivers’ rights, famous for his long and successful fight for truckies’ toilets at the Gatton pads, has his sights set on a similar site at Roma.
It’s almost 12 months ago to the day that he lodged an official complaint with WorkSafe Queensland about the lack of lighting and security on the busy site – but there’s still no progress on a
fix for the area that’s twice the size of Gatton.
“TMR rang me and said they haven’t got any money to do it,” Walker said.
“But it comes under Work, Health and Safety. They’re working with no lights, and this is how I pushed it [the toilets] through at Gatton.
“If it was a private facility you would have to have toilets and Worksafe Queensland agreed with me.
“But no, they [the Queensland Government] just want to spend billions on the Olympics.”
Walker said he wants to
also see the sealing cover the entire site, and permanent security cameras installed to improve driver safety.
“They’ve got that portable one but I could push that over with my penis, and it can’t cover the whole facility. I also told TMR that I’m also going to go ahead and campaign to finish the other half that isn’t bitumen.
“Under WorkSafe Queensland, when it rains, hails and snows, and all the trucks take all the mud out on to the major highway, it’s a safety hazard for the general public.
“TMR then told me that they shouldn’t be parking there, it’s not a parking area.”
Maranoa Regional Council told Big Rigs it is an advocate for works to be done to the breakdown pad and had placed temporary security cameras with a threemonth permit last year when the issue was raised. But added that ultimately, the breakdown pad is a TMRowned facility and project and all inquiries along those lines need to be directed their way.
need for infrastructure improvements at the facility, including lighting,” the spokesperson said.
“These investigations will assist us with prioritising funding for design and construction of the recom-
mended infrastructure at
TMR said it installs CCTVtrolled road network where here is a traffic management
“At this point in time, TMR is not aware of any traffic management issues at the facility that would warrant the installation of CCTV cameras.
“TMR encourages operators to undertake all activities at the facility in line with safe working practices.”
MAJOR construction has now begun on the new $100 million Pitt Town Bypass.
Located in the Hawkesbury region of Sydney, the 950-metre bypass will link Pitt Town Road and Cattai Road with two new roundabouts and a new bridge across Hortons Creek. It aims to ease congestion in the town, divert heavy vehicles from Pitt Town’s centre and improve access for emergency services.
From August to October, works for the bypass will include land and site surveys,
MAIN Roads WA says major upgrades will begin later this year on Toodyay Road, a rural highway running from Perth to the Wheatbelt region. This follows the release of a tender to industry for construction between Dryandra Road and Clackline-Toodyay Road. This section of Toodyay Road is currently used by over 2800 vehicles a day, with heavy vehicles making up 21 per cent its traffic. That’s expected to increase with developments taking place in the area.
IT’S a case of better late than never for truckies and their promised $3.8 million heavy vehicle rest area at Salt Creek in South Australia; with work finally starting on the Princes Highway site.
This time last year SA’s Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Tony Pasin, claimed proposed new SA sites un-
setting up environmental controls, geotechnical investigations, relocating existing utilities, clearing and grubbing vegetation, bulk earth-
works and establishing haul roads, installing stormwater drainage, establishing a site compound at Wellesley Street, setting up construction areas
and property adjustments.
While these works are completed, there will be temporary traffic impacts including lane closures and a reduced speed limit of 40km/h.
The bypass is due to open to traffic by the end of 2026.
Also in the Hawkesbury region, a new $515 million bridge will be built at Richmond to help improve flood resilience.
As part of this project, two new roundabouts will be built along The Driftway at Londonderry and Blacktown Roads.
The upgrade at Londonderry Road will include a new roundabout and an additional southbound lane to support emergency evacuations. A new roundabout and new bridge across Rickabys Creek will also be delivered at Blacktown Road, to help improve safety and flood resilience.
Stage 2 of this project, which includes the construction of a new four-lane bridge over the Hawkesbury River, around 10 metres higher than the existing bridge, is expected to begin in 2026.
Upgrades to the Wheatbelt section of Toodyay Road are due for completion in 2027, aiming to improve safety and efficiency.
Scope Two sections of the Toodyay Road Upgrade, at Jingaling Brook and from Clackline-Toodyay Road to just west of the Toodyay townsite, have already been completed under smaller, stand-alone contracts.
Main Roads says the upgrade of Toodyay Road will meet current standards for regional roads. Works will include various intersection improvements,
der the $140 million Heavy Vehicle Rest Area Initiative were either not mentioned at all in last year’s state budget, or had only received partial funding, and would be behind schedule.
At the time Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis told Big Rigs that Pasin’s “amateur sleuthing” was misguided
including turning pockets and enhanced sight lines, four new overtaking lanes and the replacement of the 85-year old Jimperding Brook bridge.
“Collectively, the upgrades will reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes on a section of road with a very poor safety record,” noted Main Roads WA in its latest project update.
“In the decade between 2011 and 2021 there were 81 crashes within the project area. Thirty of these crashes resulted in death or serious injury. The most recent fatal-
and Salt Creek would start at the beginning of 2025 and be completed in the first half of the year.
Work however didn’t begin until earlier this month and is due to be completed by December.
The Salt Creek Heavy Vehicle Rest Area will include five heavy vehicle parking bays, a unisex toilet block and a
ity occurred in late 2024.
“Although crash rates have fallen in recent years, the conditions that contributed to the earlier crashes have not changed. These condi tions include narrow lanes, unsealed shoulders, limited sight distances at intersec tions, lack of safe overtaking opportunities, steep drop offs as well as large trees within metres of the road.”
Main Roads WA says the project is expected to take around two years to complete, with multiple crews working in various locations along the alignment.
metal shade structure.
Speed and lane restrictions will be in place on the Princes Highway for the duration of works which will take place between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Outside of working hours speed restrictions will remain in place until all works, including line marking, are complete in late 2025.
The $3.8 million project is jointly funded by the Australian (80 per cent) and South Australian (20 per cent) governments.
Two parking bays were also planned for the Barrier Highway at Winnininnie and Bindarrah in South Australia, totalling $2.121 million and were due to be completed in January 2026.
August 20–21
The Sydney-headquartered charity unveils a prime mover and trailer that will slash costs and turbocharge its ability to deliver fresh food across the state.
BY JAMES GRAHAM
JOHN Robertson will never forget that pivotal day he was packing Christmas hampers at the giant Foodbank distribution centre in Sydney’s west in 2022.
Former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet who was there on the campaign trail at the time asked the Foodbank CEO what was one of the big transformative things he’d really like for the charity.
“I told him I’d like a prime mover and a refrigerated trailer,” recalled Robertson, a Foodbank volunteer for 16 years before running the show for the last seven.
“It’s so cost prohibitive to move chilled and frozen food around the state that we just couldn’t afford it.
“One of his staff members said, ‘Oh, I’ve got a friend who works at Volvo and it literally went from there.”
Fast-forward more than 2.5 years and that pipedream has finally come true thanks to a new partnership with Volvo and a $250,000 windfall from ClubGrants.
Late last month, Robertson was joined by NSW Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris and Volvo’s Tracy Griffin, Director Volvo Brand, Marketing & Events, at Foodbanks HQ to officially cut the ribbon on a revolutionary new combination.
Robertson said the Volvo 13-litre FH540 Globetrotter and Vawdrey 22-pallet refrigerated trailer – a Foodbank first – will transform the way it delivers food to communities throughout NSW and the ACT.
Up until now, Foodbank
has been restricted to using its small rigid fleet and relying on other contractors for larger hauls, which has limited its reach due to budget constraints.
“It is transformative, it really will make such a huge difference to our ability to get fresh produce, chilled product, frozen products out to some of these more remote communities where the cost was just so prohibitive we couldn’t do it,” Robertson told Big Rigs
The advanced fuel efficiency of the FH540 is expected to reduce outsourced freight costs by approximately 10 per cent, enabling more food to reach more people in need, more efficiently, said Foodbank.
Robertson said the truck and trailer will be kept busy from day one with staff driver Allan Thomson behind the wheel, delivering to remote areas, fresh produce ‘pop-ups’ and as a vital part of Foodbank’s emergency response.
Foodbank has already put the Vawdrey trailer to work thanks to a loan truck from Volvo so it could respond to the demand caused by the recent floods on the North Coast of NSW.
“That will be one of the many roles this truck will play,” Robertson said.
“It’ll also be used to go to the Riverina to pick up produce that’s donated by a lot of the farmers there and brought back, and again, it’s going to reduce our transport costs because we’ve had to pay for that,” Robertson added.
“This is going to make a huge difference because we
can actually plan our runs and do drops on the way down and come back full of produce to put in our chillers here.”
Thomson said he’s thrilled to have the honour of being the designated driver and was looking forward to getting out on the open road in August when he spoke to Big Rigs at the launch event.
“So far so good,” Thomson said of the little time he had spent behind the wheel at that stage.
“It’s just been a case of getting used to having cameras rather [side] mirrors – you open up your window and you don’t have to.
“It’s definitely a step forward from what we’ve had before.”
Robertson said as far as you can travel in NSW, you’ll see the new Foodbank combination in action.
“We literally deliver everywhere but we do a lot of that with third-party logistics transport providers. This is going to mean we reduce some of those costs, but also increase the amount of food we ship out.”
Every week, Foodbank ships out the equivalent of 500,000 meals across NSW and the ACT. Robertson said for the last financial year, Foodbank’s transport costs alone were $4.1 million
“If we can afford to put another trailer on at some point, that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
“One of things we always look to do is maximise all our assets and this is a fantastic piece of equipment.”
The bulk of the funds for the trailer came from a $250,000 grant from the ClubGrants scheme, with the balance met by Foodbank supporters.
Volvo jumped at the chance to form a partnership when first approached at the end of 2022.
Matt Wood, Volvo’s Product Communication Manager, said the 13-litre FH540 is the perfect choice for Foodbank’s needs.
“It gives them a bit of flexibility and efficiency,” said Wood who has worked closely with Foodbank every step of the way to ensure they got the result they were after.
“From a safety perspective, it’s also got everything you could want. It’s got Pilot Assist, which is electric steering but intelligent cruise control and camera monitoring system.
“Because they’re paying for fuel, we wanted to give them the most fuel-efficient spec as possible. There’s no point in having a truck that’s more expensive than it needs to be to run.”
Wood also worked with Foodbank on the specs of the trailer which can run different temperature zones for mixed
It also has side doors to enable multiple access points and a tailgate lifter which means driver Thomson is not dependent on forklifts and docks.
“They can actually pull up in the middle of a main street if they want to or go to a remote area with no infrastructure and still deliver food.”
Wood was rapt with the way the trailer performed during the recent floods using an identical FH540 Globetrotter with the exact same spec.
“From what I can tell, the drivers love the truck,” he said.
Tom Chapman, Vice President, Volvo Trucks Australia, said the company is incredibly proud to partner with Foodbank NSW & ACT.
“Their vital work delivers essential food relief to Australians facing hunger daily, particularly in regional and
our trucks a familiar sight on roads across the country. This new Volvo Prime Mover strengthens our connection with local communities, empowering Foodbank NSW & ACT to double their fresh produce deliveries, while cutting freight costs.”
Prime mover: Volvo FH13 540 Globetrotter XL
Additional features: Volvo Dynamic Steering, Pilot Assist and CMS (Camera Monitoring System).
Trailer: 22 pallet Vawdrey Ice Liner fitted with a dual evaporator system to allow for different Quick specs
This fuel transport business has been steadily growing its fleet one truck at a time, with the newest prime mover delivering extra power and torque.
FROM humble beginnings, Oleum Fuels was started by Ben Hicks as a single truck operation back in 2012.
Soon one truck grew to two, then three and eventually to the fleet of 25 trucks and 30 trailers that the business operates today.
Oleum Fuels provides bulk fuel delivery and on-site refuelling services across Sydney and regional New South Wales – along with occasional runs into Victoria and Queensland where required.
It has three depots in Sydney’s west, located at Kemps Creek, Saint Marys and Riverstone; and an office at Summer Hill.
Prior to starting Oleum Fuels, Ben had been involved in biodiesel manufacturing. He recognised an opportunity to begin offering fuel transport services, and with that, his business was born.
Ben decided to move away from biodiesel, with the focus now on supplying diesel and petroleum.
As Ben explained, “Oleum Fuels is a fuel wholesaler. We specialise in picking up from the port and deal with all the fuel traders who bring the fuel in by ship from places like Singapore and South Korea.
“We negotiate our way into getting the best fuel prices we can. Our trucks pick the fuel up from the ships at the port and we deliver it to our customers.”
Oleum Fuels’ customer base is wide-ranging – from road transport operators and service stations, to airports, agricultural businesses, container works and civil projects.
“Fitting into a particular service market while also being able to deliver the products to customers ourselves was always going to be our point of difference,” added Ben.
“We decided our best course of action was to offer a complete service, so Oleum Fuels does everything from A to Z and is a true one-stop shop.”
The 25-strong truck fleet is used to pull rigids, semis and five B-doubles – with the newest addition being a DAF XG660 prime mover, purchased through Sam Giancotti from Gilbert & Roach Huntingwood.
It was delivered in early June and has now been on the road for close to two months, pulling a 19-metre B-double with a 47,000-litre capacity.
Ben purchased his first DAF eight years ago. “That was a 500hp model, then we went for the 530hp DAF and now they’ve brought out the 660hp, so they’ve broadened their range,” he said.
“Since buying our first one, we’ve stuck with DAFs and now have seven in the fleet.
“Sam at Gilbert & Roach has been amazing, I can’t speak highly enough of him. The team there are good and they’re friendly.
“We don’t typically do a lot of long haul freight so 660hp is probably a bit more than we need, but we’re testing and trying it out and it’s really going well.
“Because we tow 25 and 19 metre B-doubles, anything less than 600hp is a slow slog up a hill, especially over the Blue Mountains, so this gives drivers that extra power to go into the regional areas of New South Wales.”
Before it hit the road, the ced up to suit the task at
hand. “Once we purchase our new trucks, we have them fuel specced and fire rated for the fuel terminals, as they need to be set up to fuel terminal standard,” Ben added.
This particular truck features a modified fuel tank to support a hydraulic system, and a customised roof k it for tight site access. It also comes with a 60-month Premium PacLease Maintenance Package.
The new truck is driven by
coach Michael had his own fuel transport business, so I started driving for him in a little rigid truck, then worked my way up to semis. We were already doing some work for Ben, so I got to know him before I started working here.
“Michael sold his trucks to Ben, so I started working at Oleum Fuels. Michael was my allocator when I worked for him, and he’s the allocator here now too.”
When Chris started with
diesel deliveries into regional areas – the furthest I’d go is about a 1000-kilometre return trip.”
The new DAF XG660 is based at the Saint Mary’s depot. Before getting the keys to the new truck, Chris was in a smaller DAF 530hp.
Asked how the two trucks compare, Chris said, “This truck leaves it for dead. I’ve been in it about six weeks now and have done about 12,000 kilometres so far.
stand up and you only just hit the roof.”
Though he already knew he’d be getting to drive the new truck, Chris said it was a pleasant surprise when he returned from holidays recently, and the truck was ready to go. “It had been in the pipeline for about three months, but once the trucks arrive, they need to get all the equipment put on before it hits the road. When I got back from leave, I got straight into the
‘I knew it was the right
This 83-year-old truckie – who’s clocked up over 7.6 million kilometres in his beloved Peterbilt – recently embarked on his final Melbourne to Brisbane run.
BY DANIELLE GULLACI
FROM buying his first truck in the 1970s and his dream truck in the 1990s to overcoming a significant health scare that threatened to take him off the road for good –Roger Alomes has many stories to tell from a trucking career that spans more than 50 years.
For the past 29 years, Roger sub-contracted for Nolan’s Interstate Transport, transporting produce from Melbourne to Brisbane from behind the wheel of his 1995 Peterbilt 379, that he’s had since new.
“Nolan’s was the best place I’ve ever worked in my life,” Roger said. “Back when I started at Nolan’s, there were a lot of people who wanted a job there. But the only way they could make a job for someone was to buy more trucks – because no one ever left!”
A true gentleman of the industry, Roger has been described by his employer as always reliable, hardworking and extremely humble.
Roger grew up in Tasmania. His father drove bulldozers and trucks, so Roger got his start on the dozer before making the switch to trucks in 1972. As he revealed, his first truck purchase was based on a handshake and a whole lot of trust.
“Dad had a good relationship with AG Webster, who were the agent for Mack Trucks in Tasmania,” said Roger.
“They had started their own finance company and I was the first one on the books.
“A fellow called Paul Barnes said I’ll give you a brand new truck and when you’ve got $10,000 you can come back and pay your deposit! It was all based on trust.”
Roger had worked the dozer on the Gordon River Road project in Tasmania and when that road was completed, there were lots of logs that needed to be moved out – so with his new truck, Roger did exactly that.
Then in 1986, Roger decided to move to Victoria. “At the time, I couldn’t see a future in logging and thought that one day we’d all be out of work, so that’s when I left. Though I might have jumped the gun a little.”
He’s called Melbourne home ever since. After the move Roger got a job running interstate from Melbourne to Sydney. Then after 12 months, he bought his own trailer and started doing the Melbourne to Brisbane run – a route he did ever since, up until he finished with Nolan’s on June 30 this year. Roger’s striking red Peterbilt became a very familiar sight at Nolan’s Melbourne and Brisbane depots. As Roger explained though,
it was a two-year process to get his hands on the rig he’s owned for the past three decades. In that time, Roger’s done a whopping 7.6 million kilometres in that truck a lone. That’s in addition to all the kilometres travelled in the 20 years before that too.
“That was my dream truck and I still think it’s the best truck in the world. It’s still almost as good as the day I bought it. It doesn’t have a rattle or squeak or anything, it is just a beautiful truck,” said Roger.
“It was a battle to get my hands on it though. It took two years to get it on the road, but it was all worth it.”
Roger spoke of the lengths he had to go to just to buy his Peterbilt. “I was in the sales yard in California and a salesman came out and asked if I was interested in one of these trucks. I said yes I am! When he heard I was from Australia, he said that was too bad because they aren’t allowed to sell to Australia.”
Luckily for Roger, the salesman was willing to help him out. “He asked if I really wanted one of these trucks and then we went through the specs. The salesman went and asked his general manager if we could build to those specs and he said of course they could. When the general manager asked if the truck was going to Canada, the salesman didn’t answer and then put the order through,” explained Roger.
“It took two years to build because there were 30,000 trucks ahead of mine and they were building 15,00016,000 trucks a year at the time. When it arrived in the yard and the general manager found out it was going to Australia, he said, well we can’t do that!”
The salesman told Roger not to worry. “We won’t sell that truck because it’s too heavy,” he said. After two months and no bites from anyone else, Roger got a phone call. “The general manager had asked the salesman if that guy in Australia still wanted the truck.
“So I paid for it and it came
into Brisbane on Good Fri day in 1996. I had it con verted to right-hand drive at J took about nine months and then I finally had it registered in December 1996.
ever
was bane run twice a week up agnosis of aggressive bladder ancer saw him off the road
three times but it all came together in the end. I drove the Peterbilt and maintained it. Nothing broke on it for 8-12 years. And I was doing two trips a week to Brisbane for years and years. That was around 20,000 kilometres a fortnight.
“All my truck has done all its life is travel up and down the Newell Highway. So many people would say why are you buying this thing for? But it’s been an incredible truck.”
And Roger’s driven that
“I kept my truck but I sold my refrigerated trailer. I didn’t think I’d go back to work – at one point, I didn’t think I’d get through it,” he
Roger credits his wife Joan Alomes with saving his life.
“At the time, I was still feeling 100 per cent but I had passed blood, so Joan made me go to the doctor. She’s the one who saved me,” said Roger.
“I didn’t think anything was wrong with me. I wouldn’t have done anything about it until it was too late. I was still going to work as normal.”
After various tests all came back looking normal, Roger’s doctor ordered an MRI.
“When the doctor called me to come in, I said I’d already loaded to go up to Brisbane, so I didn’t go in until four days later. When I went back to the hospital, they found it was aggressive cancer and I had surgery to remove my bladder the next day.”
Roger said that the late Terry Nolan, who owned Nolan’s Interstate Transport, would call to check on him every single week. Sadly, Terry lost his own fight with cancer in 2014.
As Roger recalled, “Terry Nolan rang me every single week to check in and see how I was. Then after nine months, I said I’m actually feeling good and think I could go back to work but I’ve sold my trailer. Terry said, ‘We’ve got plenty of trailers here.’ So I went back and towed their trailers. After that I went down to one Melbourne to Brisbane trip a week.”
By the age of 83, most truckies have well and truly retired or at the very least scaled back to shorter runs.
Roger shared his reason for continuing in this role for so long. “Working for good people, it’s as simple as that.
Nolan’s is just an absolutely incredible company. I had a great relationship with Terry. He was such a great, wonderful man. He meant a lot to me and a lot to everybody else as well. When he said
thank you, it always came from the heart.
“After Terry passed away, I wasn’t sure if they’d still want an old subbie like me but they’ve always been so good to me, all the staff, at every single level. The job has always been here for me.
“The other reason is that my wife looked after me so well. She got me well from cancer and strong enough to go back to work.
“I could have retired a long time ago, I could have not gone back to work after I had cancer – but I wanted to go back to work.”
Now, as the curtain comes down on a major chapter of Roger’s life, he said he knew the time was right to retire.
“Time is getting on and I’m not as young as I was. I could still keep going but I know it’s the right time for me. I’ve been extremely lucky to keep going for as long as I have.
“It’s the people I’ll miss the most. I had a very good relationship with everyone in the company. I’ll still go in and say hi to everyone.”
Roger also revealed that he’s now ready to part with his Peterbilt, which he plans to put up for sale.
With more time on his hands now too, he and Joan are looking forward to doing some travelling. “We’ve a lways wanted to go to the Mississippi River on a paddle steamer, so we’ll do that at some stage; along with some trips to Queensland and Tassie too.”
To find out more, visit your nearest Isuzu Trucks Dealer or visit isuzu.com.au
Award-winning NT driver Kellee Hill has endured heartbreaking loss and trauma, yet somehow still finds the strength to keep the wheels turning.
BY JAMES GRAHAM
IF there is a more deserving and inspiring industry prize winner in 2025 than truckie Kellee Hill – the Women in Transport Association’s [WiTA] Driver of the Year –we’re yet to hear about them.
In the dusty expanse of Port Hedland, where giant iron ore trucks rumble day and night, Kellee parks up her Mack MP10 and quad for a few minutes to share a remarkable story of courage and resolve.
The veteran truckie has weathered unimaginable personal tragedy with the loss of her husband John to cancer in 2014 and her beloved teen son Kohl Darcy in a car accident just last year.
On top of those heartbreaks, the brave mum tells Big Rigs she’s also endured years of intimidation and bullying outside her workplace, culminating with a horrific, frenzied 2020 knife attack she was lucky to survive.
“It’s been nearly 29 years since I’ve been doing this,” shares Kellee, 46, between tipping off loads on her 12hour daily shift for Jamieson Transport. “And I thought, well, if I’m going to quit my career, it’s going to be on my terms, and not those bastards, that’s for sure.
“I’ve been through enough now and I’m too strong to put up with that shit. I just keep plugging along because I think it’s going to get better –you’ve just got to keep going.”
Kellee is quick to stress that Jamieson Transport has “been amazing” in support.
“They have nurtured me through and I’m loyal to them, and they’ve been extremely loyal and very understanding.”
But Kellee still bears the physical and mental scars from the sickening attack that happened soon after moving to Port Hedland in WA’s Pilbara.
She was stabbed nine times by a truck driver she knew from another company. He was later arrested and sentenced to nine years in jail.
“I found out later in court that he was intoxicated and on drugs and he just went to town on me with a kitchen knife,” Kellee recalls.
“It was lunchtime on a Saturday afternoon behind the doctor’s surgery in Port Hedland.
“They operated on me in Port Hedland for eight and a half hours to keep me alive, and I was stable enough to then fly on the Flying Doctors to the trauma ward at Royal Perth Hospital.”
The attack left Kellee with a punctured lung in two places and a bowel perforated in eight different sections – the wounds were up to 12cm long. Her hands and fingers, all the way down to the wrists were also slashed to pieces, the left hand so badly it was nearly completely severed.
wheel at just 16 on rollers and water carts before progressing to side tippers and floating heavy machinery – “excavators, graders, all that sort of stuff”.
“I built a lot of roads through the Territory,” she says. “Katherine through to Alice, the big highway… the Barkly Highway, Tablelands Highway; built a lot of roads.”
Kellee admits the win in Darwin at the TOOTS Awards last month was an unexpected surprise, but she felt humbled and honoured to be recognised by her peers.
“I didn’t even know these awards existed,” she admits. “I’ve never made a big thing about my job. It’s just like, you know, it’s my job, and this is what I do.”
She brought a framed photo of Khole Darcy to the awards night. “We booked a table of eight because I had family there. And I thought, well, I’m going to sit this boy on this table because he deserves to be there.”
lar mortgage, so we didn’t lose
Then in May 2024, Kellee’s son Khol was killed in a headon car crash in the Northern
got another one coming up in October, and hopefully I’m done.”
Despite the severity of the injuries, never-say-die Kellee was back on the road just seven weeks later.
“That’s all I could afford to have off,” she says. It was a similar story when Kellee lost her husband John – a diesel engineer who built trucks from the chassis up –to cancer in 2014, just 66 days after his diagnosis.
“I had a month off work. I nursed him at home, and he passed away. And then within three weeks, I had to go back to work because no one else was going to pay the bills.
“I had two kids, and I had to refinance a half a million-dol-
“He was a passenger. Poor little bugger. He’d only just left home in the January to go back and help his grandfather on his drilling rig in the back of the Territory.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over that. We had a workshop at home and that boy was under a truck from the time he could walk.
“When it came to Kenworths, he was the most clever kid. His knowledge was unbelievable. It was such a waste, poor little darling.”
Heartbreakingly, Kohl Darcy had been by her side during the 2020 stabbing.
“He was at the doctors with me, so he saw everything. He was screaming, and I’m just trying to tell him, just to, ‘Don’t come near me, be-
here. My kids need me.’”
Now, with Kohl Darcy gone and her daughter Georgia grown, Kellee is eyeing a return home to Darwin, where she owns 20 acres, and is planning a new chapter.
“I’m going to finish the year off here with these guys [Jamieson’s], and then it’s time for me to go home to my family,” she says.
Kellee’s had diesel coursing through the veins since she was a child growing up in construction camps in the NT.
Her stepfather was a final trim grader operator and from a young age there were no boy bands plastered on her caravan’s bedroom walls, just wallto-wall truck posters from her favourite industry magazines.
She got her start behind the
“When I won it, I was like, Oh my god. I felt so very blessed and humble… I could feel him there. He would have been so proud.”
WiTA CEO Lyndal Denny said Kellee teaches those around her about resilience and forgiveness.
“Her remarkable contributions to the sector which continue to enhance the image of female heavy vehicle drivers are evidenced by the widespread respect so many have for this hardworking truckie and her unwavering commitment to safety and mentoriship,” Lyndal added.
“All fed from a deep quiet strength she carries within.”
As Kellee prepares to wind down her long career, she hopes her experience inspires more women to join the industry – and stay.
She would, however, like to see more training for those following in her footsteps.
“There’s no groundwork with these young fellas. There’s nothing,” she says.
“I asked a shift partner to keep an eye on a lead dolly and he didn’t even know what it was.
“When they don’t have a grounding from their fathers or grandfathers, they’re coming in blind – it’s getting scary out there.
“My stepfather always said, if you can’t get underneath there and grease all your slack adjusters and pull a filter off and service your own truck, don’t drive it.”
And her final advice to the next generation of female drivers?
“Keep on trucking girls. Just push through. If they’re passionate about something, it doesn’t matter what happens.
“Just get in there. Don’t worry about it. And just keep going. Because we all deserve to be on this road, just like anyone else.”
Our long-time contributor celebrates the memory his late father, R.G. (Toby) Vile – livestock hauler, owner-operator, and storyteller of the road.
BY DAVID VILE
HAVING done near-to 400 stories for Big Rigs over the last 14 years, this is probably the most personal one I have written, as this issue I pay tribute to my father, R.G. (Toby) Vile, who passed away last month at the age of 91.
Over his working life, trucks and machinery played a large part, first getting be hind the wheel on the reloca tion of the Tallangatta town ship with the Lake Hume expansion in the 1950s.
Over the next 35 years he made many a mile as a driver, owner-operator and sub-contractor, working for and alongside operators such as Jim Strachan from Albury, C.D. Webb of Tallangatta, R.J. and N.M. Taylor of Walwa and Graham Paton from Corryong.
With livestock haulage the focus, he used to tell the tales of being part of a large ‘lift’ of cattle from Nockatunga Station in south-western Queensland in the late 1950s and hauling many a load of bullocks to the old Newmarket Saleyards in Melbourne and backloading Caltex drum fuel within the crate. He also found niche work with local stud cattle breeders, running the agricultural show circuit as far afield as Sydney and Adelaide with Angus cattle and later in the 1970s carting cattle as far as Longreach in Queensland as the Murray Grey breed became popular.
In the mid-1960’s he took the plunge as an owner-driver, buying a Perkins-powered Commer and taking a role as a ‘subbie’ with RoadAir in Albury, hauling pipes to the Geehi Dam which was part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.
The Alpine Way between Corryong and Jindabyne later became a regular run as he trucked sheep over the Great Dividing Range from Bombala in a twin-steer, single drive Isuzu which, he reckoned, with its gearing and brakes made it ‘the perfect truck for the mountains.’
As a young fella I remember doing many a trip with him, and one of my earliest memories was going to Wagga to
Gowlands Body Works to fit the stock crate to his new International ACCO, which was his last truck.
While I have never graduated to being a full-time driver as he was I served an ‘apprenticeship’ by his side carting cattle, sheep, fertiliser, wool and machinery throughout the district.
This was also the catalyst for my lifetime interest in trucks (and for having a soft spot for Internationals) and inspired the role I have today writing articles for Big Rigs
As he always had a camera close by in his truck, today we have an archive of photos from his time in transport, a few of which I have decided to share in Big Rigs. Rest easy Dad.
Will miss talking trucks with you and will always have fond memories of the stories told and the miles made.
BY GRAHAM HARSANT
SOME 550 trucks to judge, dozens (and dozens) of prizes in the form of trophies, vouch ers and cash and in the end it all comes down to just one winner. Except it didn’t.
In a first for the Casino Truck Show, after adding up all the points, it came down to a tie. Rare but not unheard of. This though was a tie like no other, possibly in the world. Ever.
The two trucks in question were both Kenworth T900s. They are both working trucks. They have both done over 1.2 million kilometres. And they are both owned by two brothers, Chris and An drew Muscat of Muscat Haul age out of Yass, NSW. What are the odds?
The Muscat’s took a truck to Penrith in 2019. “Did we win anything there?” asked Chris.
“Don’t think so,” said Andrew.
“We went on the Goulburn Convoy and to the Kenworth Klassic, but that’s about it.”
So why come to Casino?
“Darren Goodwin (organ-
iser extraordinaire) basically hounded us into coming,” said the boys in unison. “He’s a hustler plus.”
Chris, a spray painter by trade, and Andrew a panel beater, the brothers were nevertheless determined to follow in their parents footsteps and get behind the wheel.
With a staff of around 20, and 13 trucks on the road the company hauls mainly general building products, counting Bunnings, BlueScope Steel and InfraBuild Steel among their clients.
“Mum and dad had the business going and we grew up in and around trucks before we could walk, so it was in the blood,” said Chris.
“Dad drove for his older brothers, Charlie and Michael. When he started out on his own with mum they bought a brand new International Eagle 3070 and freighter flattop.
Then Atkinson’s and S lines and TranStar’s before they went into Kenworth’s. We’ve stuck with the Kenworth brand.”
The brothers are glad these days that they learnt the trades they did. “I think it teaches you a good work ethic,” said Andrew. “And it
helps that we can repair them too. We can get small jobs done on a weekend and the truck doesn’t lose work.”
Where will the trophy live? “Chris has the bigger house, so it’ll probably go there…or we could rotate annually.”
Congratulations to Chris and Andrew. One company, two brothers, two working trucks, both with over a million clicks jointly winning R ig of the Show jointly at Casino just might be one for the Guinness Book of Records.
The boys wouldn’t let us go without thanking chief organiser, Darren Goodwin and his team, all the volunteers and the whole community of Casino. “They have been so welcoming. It is, quite frankly unbelievable.”
Coming ‘for a gander’ pays off Nick Rayner drives for Whitehead transport of Mount Gambier and along with some cohorts brought some of the company’s product up to Casino to support the show, bringing three trucks: two T909s, one of
which is quite striking flattop, and a T900.
This is good-looking gear, as anyone who has attended the Koroit truck show would attest.
It is a long way from home but as Nick commented in a typically understated trucking way, “We thought we would come for a bit of a cruise to see what all the fuss is about. So we loaded up for Brissie, went there, loaded out and cruised past here on the way back down.”
Starting out as a diesel mechanic trade with a Kenworth dealership Nick jumped ship and has been with Whitehead Transport for five years, starting out behind the wheel and working his way up through the ranks. These days he is in management back at home base.
“It’s a good, tightknit family business with 18 trucks, give or take. We do general and timber. We have a float, a little bit of oversize stuff here and there and the boss has a livestock crate to do a bit of local livestock because he’s a bit of a country bumpkin.
“I don’t see much of the road nowadays but it’s good to get out every now and then to scratch the itch.”
Dazza drives the T900 and calls himself ‘the geriatric’ having been with the business for eight years.
“I go anywhere and everywhere. It’s one truck, one driver. If you’re not working they usually get parked up and no one else touches them.
“The boss is good like that. The onus is on us to keep them shiny and clean.”
I make a comment to the boys about parking near the epicentre of the truck show and that I wouldn’t have to walk too far to interview them if they won.
“It’s not about that,” said Dazza. “We’re just here for the enjoyment of it. It’s good to see all the other trucks when they rock up. That’s the best part of it.”
Dazza’s truck was one of five ‘Judged Elite’ for 2025 which gave him a trophy and $700, so coming ‘for a gander’ was a good move.
Continued on page 24
From page 23
ONE very cool looking Kenworth T909 painted in light pearlescent grey – a colour that seems to be gaining in popularity with the marque – sat on the street at Casino bearing no signage other than the number plate, 00ABH.
Luckily for Big Rigs, a bloke was climbing down out of the cab, so we nobbled him for an interview.
It turns out that ‘the bloke’ was one Brad Gallagher, the regular driver of the truck which belongs to the Airlie Beach Hotel – hence the number plate.
ter truck driving jobs in the c And the job is?
hotel and my job is to get the alcohol there.” question, does it all get there?
The odd gutter party and the like on the way up, you know.” Brad was saying this with a wry smile on his face so we presume he was pulling the other one.
So, the Airlie Beach Hotel owns not one but two Kenworth’s – Brad’s T909 as well as a cabover K200.
“It’s a busy pub. It is a tourist town with cruise ships coming through all week and they generally get through three B-double loads of alcohol per week. That includes the bottle shop.” (No wonder they run their own trucks.)
“The owners said, ‘We bought a pub, now we have to get the booze in so best
You don’t have time slots. You just get there when you get there. There is no pres sure.
“The K200 was one of the very last of the run. A can celled order, the truck was red when bought by the hotel so had to be repainted in the classy grey.
“They snapped it up be cause at the time trucks were really hard to come by. I waited three years for the 909. We needed something in a hurry so we grabbed the 220.
“The alcohol is picked up in Brisbane and then hauled 1100 kilometres north. It’s sort of a remote area and the transport and freight getting up there was an issue. So the owner just decided to do it himself so he could maintain control. You can’t run a pub
bane took care of the 909 hilst Highway Lights from
So you’re not about to change jobs anytime soon Brad?
“Not intentionally anyway. It is a pretty good job and you get a pint at the end of it. You have to taste test to make sure that what you are carting is okay.
“You gotta know that it’s quality controlled. I really enjoy it. Sure beats sitting at Coles or Woolworth for hours waiting for your slot.”
Kelly’s ‘Alley’ still a safe bet
As most would know, Casino is a street show with trucks lined up north, south, east and west from a central roundabout like the spokes of a wheel.
At the beginning of one of those spokes is an array of vehicles belonging to Jon Kelly.
Jon has been a major supporter of Casino for 17 years, so much so that Darren Goodwin refers to it as ‘Kelly Alley’.
This year, amongst others, were the trucks that Jon was parting company with at an upcoming auction. We asked
him if this was a bittersweet occasion.
“No, not really,” said Jon. “I have had my fun with them and enjoyed building them up to what you see today. But just as my heavy haulage business was a chapter in my life, so are these trucks. It is time for others to enjoy them.
“The fact is that we do not have enough space in our current premises and so will shortly be building something much bigger.
“That will allow us to be more streamlined with our restorations and also give us space for a truck museum for the public to attend at any time.
“I’m also intending to take a truck or three to the United States to show them what we can achieve in this country, which I think will come as quite a surprise to them. So now begins yet another chapter.”
Whilst parting with a number of his favourite trucks, Jon is keeping a few such as the restored truck originally belonging to his dad and will occasionally partake in some
heavy haulage work.
“It may only be once a twice a year,” he said. “But I can guarantee that it will be the biggest heavy haulage work possible.”
Jon will however continue to support the Casino Truck Show which is a very good thing because the ‘Alley’ wouldn’t be the same without the Kelly trucks in it.
Predicted inclement weather did nothing to keep the trucks or the crowds away from Casino and the Gods did indeed clear the skies for most of the time.
The show is backed to the hilt from the council, down to the many sponsors who donated trophies, product vouchers and a lot of cash prizes to the myriads of worthy winners.
I lost count in the end but there were in the region of 90 prizes awarded.
We don’t know what the odds are of a repeat of this year’s first prize award, but you couldn’t bet against this writer not being there again next year. Then again, I’m getting older. Bets anyone?
BY GRAHAM HARSANT
GROWING up, Mark Mc-
Lean from Brisbane just loved the movie, “BJ and the Bear”. No doubt he is not alone in that regard, but Mark went one step further.
“I fell in love with BJ growing up,” Mark explained.
“That, Convoy, Moving On and those type of movies were why a lot of us became truck drivers – that was certainly the case for me. I loved BJ and the Bear that much, but I couldn’t buy a model so I decided to do the real thing - I built a replica.
“It is a 1979 K125 Aerodyne. I rebuilt it basically from the ground up, painted it and got it ready for this time last year at Casino which was its first outing. It didn’t miss a beat.
“Three or four weeks later we took it down to Sydney for the Kenworth Klassic. Here it is 12 months later and it still looks as good as the day it rolled out of my shed.”
operator by trade. “I drove interstate many years ago but decided I’d like to get home overnight. There is just as much money in driving a bobcat and it uses a lot less fuel, I can tell you that. This truck helps move my gear around.
“Underneath is a 350 V8 903 Cummins with a 13-speed factory Air Glide 100, probably one of the first in Aus-
“We know one was crashed, we know where the other two are and there is a possibility this is number four, with its V8 Cummins, 13 speed and airbags specs. I have the build sheets for it from Brown and Hurley. That being the case there’s a bit of history there.”
The truck was not in its
Around this time last year it was back to a shell, no doors no windscreens, and there wasn’t much left of the shell.
“I stripped it by hand and sandblasted around the rivets, I re-sheeted the whole doors, taking them out of the shell and putting new skins on them. I re-sheeted the cabin
from the rivet line below the windscreen down.
“I bought some brand-new ‘old’ stuff from a fellow over in Perth that had been sitting in a shed.
“The panels didn’t even have the holes cut in them for the headlights. I changed from spiders to 10 stud, put in new shockers and springs, took the gearbox out and put a rear main seal in, I did all the airbags, all new airlines and pretty well rewired the whole truck. My ‘sheety’ mate and I re-rolled the front half.
“Originally the truck was blue and I took it to Casino in those colours two years ago after chipping away at it for a few years prior. It took me most of the following year to get it to what you see today, and I drove it into the truck show last year for its first outing in its current guise. The interior has all been re-trimmed and I chucked in new air-conditioning.
“I put a brand-new Speedo in and it has just clocked over 3000 km between here and Sydney last year which is not much. I’d hate to guess what it’s done over its lifetime.”
To keep Mark company on his travels, Bear sits in the passenger seat – strapped in of course! “10-4, Bear!”
BY GRAHAM HARSANT
NOT all attend Casino to win a prize. Brian Jamieson is a bloke who just likes to be there with his warts-and-all 1970 W Model Kenworth which he’s owned for three years. The truck is a piece of rolling history.
“It’s pretty tatty around the edges and that’s the way I like it,” Brain explains.
“It was originally a factory 350 Cummins, 15-speed Road Ranger on 44s. It needed a bit of work so I had a bit of a brain explosion. I had a 12V71 twin turbo Detroit sitting at home so that now sits under the bonnet with an 18-speed double over and 3.9 final drive, so she’s a pretty quick bit of gear.”
And that folks, is probably the understatement of the day.
“The motor was just sitting in the shed and every single expert in the country said I’d never get it in without moving the cab or cutting the firewall.
“Well, it is in there without anything cut. Nothing is touched, original radiator just re-cored, sitting in the same spot, original bonnet mounts and cabin mounts.
I just made it all fit. And it worked.”
Looking at the number plate, 12V-71T, my impression was that the truck was road registered but that is not the case. In Queensland they will allow you to have personalised club plates. Other states take note.
“I go to the Kenworth Klassic every year they all say, how do you afford to run all these things on full rego, but it’s not. It’s about $250 a year. All my trucks have personalised plates for this reason, you’re not running around with those ugly historic plates. It just looks better in my opinion.
Based in Brisbane, Brian is a retired truck driver having had 20 trucks of his own. As well as the W Model he owns an old Lodestar, and an SAR that one of his mates was
bringing to Casino for the weekend.
He also has an old Atkinson which is sitting on the trailer behind the W Model.
“The W Model is a day cab. It gets a bit cold down here and I’m not a swag person, so I bought the Atkinson down simply because it has a nice bunk with a nice mattress, doona, sleeping bag and all the gear.
“I love that old thing. I’ve had it for about 10 years.
It has done four Hauling the Humes and a couple of Crawlin’ the Humes as well. It’s just a cool old truck. I’d rather sleep in that than on top of the trailer… and I couldn’t get accommodation. My muck up.
“I love Atkinson’s. I drove one back in 1980. Everyone said it was a poor man’s Kenworth and were trash. Well re-
alistically, every nut and bolt is the same except for the cab: Cummins, Eaton, Rockwell, all the same running gear and everyone shit-cans them.
“Back in the day they were probably 20 or $25,000 cheaper than a Kenworth. And they don’t rust. Perfect!
“It’s no show truck, it’s purely just a nice old model to go to Heritage shows with. It was never built or made to be a show truck. I used to tow my float with it with my old Lodestar on the back and then I bought another truck so this thing became a backup truck.
“And now it’s a bed. It wouldn’t owe me $30,000 so to my mind it is a cheap bed. Brian is yet another example of keeping the history alive, and in the case of the W Model, doing it with a big twist (of torque).
ASIDE from the coveted Rig of the Show prize won by the Muscat brothers, there was a raft of other trophies and vouchers handed out on the day – more than $60,000 in cash and prizes were on offer in total.
Here are some of the other major winners in Casino.
Best Service Truck: Jake Taprell – Mitsubishi Fuso (Techknow Tyres)
Best Specialised: Connor Krahnen – Kenworth C500 (BTHR Moving)
Best Rigid: Ethan Muscat – Kenworth T359 (Muscat Haulage)
Best Tilt-Tray: Rick Hopkins – Kenworth K200 (Anywhere Truck & Machinery Heavy Towing)
Best Heavy Recovery: Michael Donchos – Kenworth T909 (Lalor Towing Service)
Best Car Carrier: Andrew Gunn – Western Star 4800 (Statewide Car Carriers)
Best Tanker: Brenten Northcott – Kenworth T409 SAR (BKN Civil Services)
Best Tipper – Civil: Dick Hartas – T909 (Earthmoving Creations)
Best Tipper – Bulk: Jason Smith – T950 (Graintrans)
Best Log Truck: Brent Dentler – Western Star 4900A (N & N Smith Sawmiller and Logging Contractors)
Best Livestock: Jai Perkins – Kenworth W900 SAR (Martins Stock Haulage)
Best Refrigerated: Jake Bailey – T909 (TRSS Refrigerated)
Best Heavy Haulage: Brandon Doherty – Toyota LandCruiser (Amped Up Truck Electrical & Air)
Best General Freight – Soft Hands: Josh Manhood – Kenworth T909 (G & D Richards Transport)
Best General Freight – Hard Hands: Winston Express Haulage
Best Custom Truck: Mark Holt – Kenworth T909 (Pittsworth Fleet Maintenance)
Best Engine Bay: Chris Tibbits – Kenworth K200 Big Cab (Schaeffer’s Transport)
Best Day Cab: Jamie Woods – Kenworth T909 (Bondwoods Transport)
Best Bonneted: Mick Seguss – Kenworth T604 (All Bulk Trans)
Best Cabover: Shane Eyers – Kenworth K200 (Airlie Beach Hotel)
Best Japanese: Danielle Allen – Isuzu (Sheaffe Motors)
Best DAF: Joe Ware – DAF CF450 (Carways Pty Ltd)
Best MAN: Peter Argyropoulos – MAN TGX 26.640 (T&S Roadworks)
Best Volvo: Greg Hawke – Volvo (SRH Milk Haulage)
Best Scania: Trai Hildebrand – Scania R620 (Aplus Towing)
Best Ford: Brad Lawrence – Ford LTL
Best Freightliner: Ritchie Daniel – Freightliner Coronado (O’Neil’s Haulage)
Best Peterbilt: Andrew Maddox – Peter Built (Maddox Haulage)
Best Western Star: Joshua Broom – Western Star (JKL Freight Lines)
Mack & Kenworth champions
Best Mack – Old Breed: HHA – Mack Super-Liner
Best Mack – New Breed: Stevie Cooper – Mack Super-Liner (CKC Haulage)
Best Kenworth – Pre-2000: Mark McLean – Kenworth Aerodyne (Ace Excavations)
Best Kenworth – Post-2000: Paul Norton – Kenworth T904 (Ballinger Transport)
Tyrepower Casino – Fantastic Fifteen
Kenworth 610 SAR – Schaeffer’s Transport – James Hadley
Kenworth T659 – Willett Transport – Charlie Williams
T610 Kenworth – North Coast Petroleum – Dillon Cunning
Kenworth 409 SAR – P & G Trucking – Alan Urquhart
Kenworth C501T – G&S Transport – Franco Bilato
Kenworth T909 – KGB Bulk Transport – Sam Bateman
Kenworth T909 – Limestone Ridges Haulage – Sam Weber
Kenworth W900 SAR – FEDC – Peter Northfield
Kenworth – Morgans Transport – Ken Bennet
Kenworth T909 – Gilders Transport – Matt Nugent
Kenworth C509 – TDH Bulk Haulage – Patrick Heaney
Kenworth T909 – Sanbella – Zach Purcell
Western Star 4900 – TDH Bulk Haulage – Don Henry
Western Star 4900 – Gava Freight – Bodie Jans
T610 SAR – Bloomer Transport – Damien Gill
SHELL Rimula has partnered with Big Rigs in a big way – so there are even more reasons to send in your best truck shots.
Each month, the Big Rigs team will choose a #PicOfTheMonth, with the lucky winner receiving a $500 Shell Coles Express Gift Card.
Keep an eye out for our regular posts on the Big Rigs Facebook page, calling for your best truck photos and add yours in
the comments, or email them direct to danielle.gullaci@ primecreative.com.au for your chance to win the main prize.
Don’t forget to include a brief note about the truck and where the photo was taken. We’ll feature some of the best photos in each print edition of Big Rigs, with one winner announced each month.
Keep those amazing truck pics coming!
It was a hay run of epic proportions, with 90 trucks and truck drivers delivering hope and much-needed relief to South Australian farmers battling through drought.
BY DANIELLE GULLACI
LAST month, a huge group of big-hearted volunteers came together with a single goal – to undertake the mammoth logistical exercise of transporting 6401 bales of hay from Western Australia to farms across South Australia.
The hay run was organised by Need For Feed Australia and Farmers Across Borders.
Truckies came predominantly from Western Australia, as well as New South Wales, Victoria and parts of South Australia, volunteering their time to take part. For some – including Victorian based Graham Cockerell – this meant being on the road for up to two weeks, as they travelled into Western Australia to load up, delivered to South Australian farms and then made their way back home.
Graham founded Need For Feed in 2006 and since then, he’s taken part in so many hay runs he’s lost count.
His blue 2007 Western Star 4900 has become a familiar sight at Need For Feed’s numerous hay runs since he purchased the truck in late 2018.
A longside his work with Need For Feed, Graham also runs his automotive mechanical workshop, Moonshine Motors, which he’s owned for 41 years – so his truck is used exclusively for the hay runs.
“The truck has done about 500,000 kilometres since I’ve had it and it only does Need For Feed hay runs. Other than that, I’ve only ever used it to cart a couple of bits of machinery and that’s been for people who’ve donated to Need For Feed,” Graham told Big Rigs
And so it was only fitting that this truck took prime position in the recent trip.
“I was the lead truck for this run the entire way and had a big number one on my truck –so I was pretty stoked.
“The truck has a long wheelbase, so it’s got a big enough bunk for me and my two dogs. I had a passenger travelling with me for most of it too –Kelly Laffan who is deputy chair at Need For Feed and co-ordinator for the hay run,” Graham added.
The hay run consisted of 84 trucks running as multi combinations with two or three trailers, and another six semis, which together transported a total of 6401 bales of hay from Western Australia to South Australia.
Hay was loaded up from four areas across Western Australia: Bindi Bindi in the north; York in the east; Kulin, Woodanilling, and Wagin in the Wheatbelt; and Grass Patch in the south.
The trucks travelled in four groups of around 22-23 trucks, to lessen the impact on other road users, however all the trucks came together at
WA’s Mundrabilla Roadhouse on the Nullarbor.
Graeme ‘Trouty’ Troutbeck was another volunteer truck driver for the recent hay run. Alongside running his Melbourne based parts business Volwreck, he’s also been involved with Need For Feed since 2019 – and has been on almost every one of the organisation’s hay runs ever since.
Steering his 2010 Volvo FH16 Globetrotter, Trouty said it was a great run to be a part of. “It was a nice, long distance run, with a lot more trucks than we usually have, and I was pulling a B-triple –which I don’t get to do around Victoria.
“I mainly use the truck for picking up wrecks for Volwreck. I had the truck sitting here so that’s why I decided to start doing the hay runs. Once you do one, you get addicted to it,” Trouty added.
“It’s such a nice group of volunteers. You drive all day and then you pull up somewhere at night-time for a nice meal and a laugh.”
Though he’s driven to Perth
five times, this was the first time he’s travelled into Western Australia for a hay run.
A s Trouty explained, “When all of the trucks met up together at Mundrabilla Roadhouse, which is in the middle of nowhere on the Nullarbor, it was so unbelievable to see 90 trucks all together. There was water everywhere but they fit us all in and then cooked for us. It was a real big effort from the roadhouse.”
Although this hay run wasn’t the biggest Need For Feed has been involved in based on truck numbers, it was the biggest in terms of the amount of hay being transported.
“Need for Feed has done more work for South Australia than any other charity,” said Graham. “In the past 18 months, we’ve done 12 hay runs into South Australia. We have reached about 1000 farms with that – and there aren’t many farms we’ve been to twice.”
Due to its sheer size, this hay run involved about three months of planning.
Kelly has been involved
with Need For Feed since 2018 and in 2020 moved into her current role as Need For Feed deputy chair and hay run coordinator – but as the daughter of a truckie, she’s
been around trucks her entire life. “Logistically, this is the biggest hay run I’ve ever handled,” she said. “I try to go out on all the hay runs. Normally I drive a
I
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freighter.com.au
From page 30
AS Graham added, “Along with a heap of logistics, there’s also biosecurity measures involved in getting the hay from Western Australia and over the border to South Australia.”
In some parts of Western Australia there is a pest called green snail, so there are restrictions in place to prevent its spread. “If green snail gets into crops it eats everything to the ground, so we had to have vendor declarations and the farms where we purchased the hay had to be certified as being outside of the green snail area.”
Need For Feed and Farmers Across Borders worked together to make the run happen.
Farmers Across Borders donated three loads of hay, with the remainder purchased by Need For Feed. This included funding via a $1.9 million grant from South Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions; along with $1 million raised by Need For Feed through community initiatives and public donations.
“We needed to keep a manifest of what hay was on each truck and where it came from, as well as who was receiving it on the other end, in case any issues crop up later on,” added Graham.
In normal circumstances, the hay would need to go in quarantine before being inspected and crossing the South Australian border, however authorities worked with Need For Feed to ensure trucks had a smoother journey.
“Farmers Across Borders put a lot of work into everything on the WA side, assisting with permits and bio security measures,” said Graham.
“The farms supplying the hay were inspected by the WA agriculture department, which gave provisional approval for the hay to be transported to South Australia.
“Then we had an arrangement where they would do a visual inspection at the quarantine checkpoint at Ceduna.”
Manager of South Australian Biosecurity, Greg Mosel, made the 800-kilometre trip from his Adelaide office to be there at the Ceduna checkpoint in person, ensuring trucks got through without any hiccups. “We were so impressed, Greg stood out there in the rain and the wind on a Saturday afternoon to make sure we all got through,” Graham added.
On a personal level, Graham said it was so rewarding to be part of this hay run –which was only made possible through the help of many.
“There’s a heap of pride, it’s quite emotional,” Graham revealed. “Even when we got to Ceduna, to see the biosecurity staff there, in the rain, with beaming smiles. Then coming across the Nullarbor and there’s grey nomads flashing their lights or pulling over to take video as we came past.
Seeing the farmers at the end of their driveways giving us a wave. And there were young farmers and their kids sitting by the road on machinery and getting the trucks to honk their horns. In Ceduna, there were people in tears as they
tears to our eyes. We were also met there by NHVR officers who were on hand to help escort the convoy through Kimba on the Sunday morning.”
came out to have a look. The welcome into Wudinna in South Australia was pretty special too.”
As Graham continued, “In Wudinna, we had the whole community coming out and greeting us, which brought
Trouty also added, “I spoke to one farmer who was 90 years old. He drove down in his car to come and see us and he was talking about the weather cycle and how bad it is for farmers at the moment. It’s not looking good for spring, but they just keep going. The farmers are always happy to see us, and some get a bit teary. It’s a good feeling –you know you’re doing a good thing when you see their reactions.”
Along with hay, each of the farms visited by Need For Feed also received dog food.
Despite the volume of hay transported during this hay run however, Graham said there are still so many requests for help from farmers doing it tough.
Ahead of setting off for the recent run, Need For Feed had approximately 400 requests for help from South Australian farmers. “We were able to meet around 300 of those requests but still have more to do. By the end of June, South Australia had about 150 requests that we couldn’t get to, and then there were another 300 requests in the two weeks that followed the run,” revealed Graham.
“Areas of Victoria are just as dry. We’ve got nearly 600
requests for assistance in Victoria and we were only able to meet about 100 requests on our last hay run there.”
The Need For Feed team now have their sights set on their next hay run, scheduled to take place across the Father’s Day weekend in September. “We’re hoping to head out to south west Victoria, along with parts of South Australia around the Riverland and Murray Mallee region that we got to, but they haven’t had anywhere near enough rain, so they still need more support,” explained Graham.
“We’ll need about 40 trucks for Victoria and about 10 for South Australia for the Father’s Day run.”
GRAPHENE Manufacturing
Group (GMG) is a clean-technology company that has developed and proven its own proprietary production process to manufacture Graphene powder from natural gas.
This process produces high quality, low cost, and contaminant-free graphene. GMG’s focus has been on developing applications for energy saving and energy storage solutions.
It is manufactured at the company’s Brisbane headquarters – and though it is produced locally, GMG’s products are being recognised globally, with the business listed on the Toronto stock exchange.
Graphene is known for its heat and lubrication properties. As GMG CEO Craig
Nicol – who started the business nine years ago – asserted,
“What we see with graphene is its ability to move heat and lubricate – it is the highest conductor of heat in the world of any material and is one of
the best materials for lubrications there is.”
GMG currently produces and sells four products, containing graphene produced from natural gas:
• Thermal-XR: A heat exchanger coatings system
• G Lubricant: An automotive fluid additive
• Graphene aluminium-ion batteries
• SUPA: Graphene slurry for lithium-ion batteries
G Lubricant – from lab to the highway GMG’s G Lubricant is a graphene liquid concentrate that can be added to any mineral or synthetic oil used in an internal combustion engine – including both petrol and diesel.
Through rigorous testing, it’s been proven to deliver exceptional fuel savings.
G Lubricant isn’t just another oil additive promising miracles. Though it officially hit the market in February this year, the product has under-
gone extensive testing – with proven results.
This includes four years of rigorous testing and University of Queensland verification.
G Lubricant has been shown to increase fuel efficiency by up to 8.4 per cent in a diesel engine.
“An 8.4 per cent reduction in fuel usage is quite high. If you apply that to a long haul truck for a year, that’s a fuel saving of about $8000 per truck, per year, so it’s quite significant. This product is the result of eight years of development and testing, and we’re continually looking to improve our product even further,” added Craig.
Additionally, testing has shown:
• Friction reduction: 30 per cent less wear on engine parts
• Extreme pressure protection: 20 per cent better under heavy loads
• Overall engine wear: 10 per cent reduction
• Real-world results: 13 per cent fuel reduction in high-mileage vehicles
The science that saves As your engine heats up under load, normal oil thins out. But graphene keeps oil viscosity stable even under extreme conditions. It literally fills in microscopic wear scars in your engine, creating a smoother surface that reduces friction by up to 30 per cent.
“For every dollar spent on our product, drivers can save up to $10 in fuel,” said Craig. That’s before counting the savings
from extended service intervals and reduced engine wear.
From testing to testimonials
After years in development, GMG launched G Lubricant commercially just months ago. Now they’re collecting real-world data from some of Australia’s biggest transport fleets.
“We have new engine testing data and truck dyno performance testing to share, plus customer testimonials from fleets coming shortly,” Craig added.
One testimonial from a wellworn Mercedes Vito with over 360,000km on the clock showed a 13 per cent reduction in fuel use during highway simulation tests.
Testing was conducted while travelling at 100km/h at 2500 rpm, putting out 400 Nm of torque.
Along with a reduction in fuel consumption, this test showed a 27 per cent reduction
in NOx emissions – and this performance was consistent across multiple test runs.
The bottom line for operators In an industry where every percentage point of efficiency goes straight to the bottom line, GMG’s graphene technology represents something significant. It’s not just about fuel savings, it’s about engines running cooler, lasting longer, and needing less maintenance. For fleet managers juggling rising costs and tighter margins, this Brisbane innovation might be the edge they’ve been looking for. As one fleet operator put it: “In trucking, we’ll try anything that’s proven to save fuel. When it also reduces wear and extends service intervals, that’s gold!”
G Lubricant is available in 500ml bottles (treats 50L of oil) or packs of 8x50ml bottles and can be purchased at g-lubricant.com.
THE largest regional freight provider in Victoria, Victorian Freight Specialists (VFS), is putting two Daimler Truck models to the test.
The Dandenong-based operator has begun trialling the Mercedes-Benz eActros and is planning to soon put the Fuso eCanter to the test too.
VFS has a long history of buying lower emission trucks. Back in 2016, it was one of the first to purchase the Mercedes-Benz Actros Euro 6.
For VFS, adding these fully electric trucks to the fleet signifies the next step in its sustainability journey.
“Sustainability is central for Victorian Freight Specialists. We have always purchased lower emission options where possible, well ahead of government mandates,” said VFS Director of Operations, Chris Collins.
“Of course, now we have an opportunity to take that next step and integrate fully electric trucks into our fleet. We are really excited about this amazing technology.”
In recent times, there has been an increasing number of truck fleets and operators beginning to make the switch to alternative fuel vehicles – particularly in the last 12 months.
“We know from experience running Daimler Truck products that they don’t mess about with their research and development and their product quality. So, it is only fitting that their electric trucks are the most advanced of those available,” he said.
The electric truck trial is another sign of growth for Daimler Truck Australia Pacific too, with the OEM continuing to offer the latest zero and low-emission trucks in the local market.
Chris said that trialling Daimler Truck’s electric models made perfect sense for the business.
Daimler Truck Australia Pacific Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Operations, Andrew Assimo, has welcomed the VFS electric truck trial. “Chris and his team were early adopters of Euro 6 with our Mercedes-Benz Actros product all those years ago because they valued sustainability, and nothing has changed,” he said.
“Progressive companies such as VFS are leading the way with electric trucks. We are excited to see what they think of our remarkable Mercedes-Benz eActros and Fuso eCanter.”
The Mercedes-Benz eActros and Fuso eCanter will join VFS’s operations on a trial basis. Both of these advanced electric trucks come with a raft of features that set them apart from competitors, including their innovative eAxle technology, which places the electric motors located in the drive axle. This means there’s no need for a drive shaft to link the rear wheels to the power source towards the front of the truck. The benefits of this solution are set to result in reduced
Introducing G® Lubricant, the cutting-edge graphene-based additive transforming the diesel and gasoline engine industry. Verified by the prestigious University of Queensland, this revolutionary lubricant delivers up to 8.4% fuel savings under high-load conditions, offering optimised performance and cost efficiency.
• Exceptional Fuel Savings: Achieve up to 8.4% improvement in fuel efficiency, even under demanding conditions.
• Minimal Concentration, Maximum Impact: Just 1:10,000 graphene-to-engine-oil ratio ensures safety and compatibility with any internal combustion engine and Group I,II,III and IV engine oil, not suitable for Group V oils. Suggest use in engines out of warranty.
• Proven Results: Backed by four years of advanced testing.
• Eco-Friendly Solution: Reduce fuel consumption and emissions while saving money.
Graphene, a carbon wonder material known for its strength and low friction properties, enhances lubrication at a molecular level. When added to your engine oil, it reduces internal friction especially around the pistons, optimizing performance and fuel economy without compromising engine integrity.
• Significant cost savings.
• Improved Fuel Efficiency & Performance
• Safe for all diesel and petrol engines - suggest use in engines out of warranty.
BE PART OF THE FUTURE
Don’t get left behind in the race for efficiency. Upgrade your engine oil with G® Lubricant today and experience the graphene revolution firsthand!
Order now and join the global movement toward smarter, greener, and more cost-effective engine solutions.
operated, Trucktools offers a huge range of tools for diesel mechanics, along with the latest in truck workshop equipment.
Since being launched 25 years ago by brother and sister team Mark and Annelie Heldoorn, Trucktools has grown into Australia’s largest heavy vehicle tool supplier, helping to keep workshops and truck fleets running smoothly.
Trucktools’ customer base extends to workshops all around the country.
The business is also a national Capricorn preferred supplier to all Capricorn Commercial/Fleet workshop members, right across Australia.
Due to continuous growth and an ever-increasing product range, Trucktools has ex-
panded its warehouse, located in the Melbourne suburb of Pakenham.
Just last year, Trucktools took over the adjacent factory warehouse next door, doubling its footprint, enabling the company to stock an even broader range of great products.
“We’re carrying more equipment and more tools, as the variety available continues to expand,” said Annelie.
“Due to the wide variety of products we carry – and the extensive stock we keep on hand, ready for purchase and dispatch – we had run out of space in our existing warehouse.
“So, we had to take on another one and we were very fortunate that it’s located right next door!”
Trucktools is committed to searching the globe for the highest quality products, specifically manufactured to meet or surpass trade standards. The business supplies all the tools needed for heavy diesel mechanics that work on trucks, trailers and agricultural equipment.
Trucktools carries major brands from Canada, the United States of America and its own Trucktools brand, which are all trade quality products. Its customer base extends Australia wide, as well as overseas to countries that include New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Whether it be truck engine tools, truck filter tools, truck injector/fuel line tools, truck brake/steering/suspension tools, truck hub pullers and axle tools, truck workshop equipment, truck axle sockets, truck wheel service tools, gear/bearing pullers/seal drivers, hand tools, torque wrenchers, or truck diagnostic tools – Trucktools has you covered with the tools you need to get the job done.
“We provide the best service in the industry by sourcing trade quality global products, manufactured for the heavy vehicle and truck service industry,” said Annelie.
“At Trucktools, we specialise solely in supplying tools and equipment to service trucks and heavy-duty equipment –that’s our main purpose and
what we specialise in – and that’s why our customers keep on coming back to us, time and time again.”
Located just one kilometre off the Princes Freeway, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Trucktools is strategically situated in one of the largest growing commercial areas in Victoria, making logistics convenient for same day dispatch out of the warehouse.
Trucktools also has major carriers picking up orders from the warehouse daily.
Customers can order online, over the phone or by visiting the warehouse in person.
“We stock a huge variety of specialised truck tooling. At Trucktools, we are
the one stop truck tool shop, along with being a National Preferred Supplier to Capricorn members across Australia,” Annelie added.
To order online, visit trucktools.com.au or call and order over the phone during warehouse trading hours (Monday to Thursday) on 1800 000 561.
THERE’S something truly special about life on the road. The vast stretches of highways, the hum of a powerful engine, and the feeling of freedom that comes with being behind the wheel – it’s something only truckies understand.
Over the years, we’ve come to appreciate not just the hard work and dedication of truckies, but also the care they put into their rigs. Trucks aren’t just vehicles; they’re a second home, a trusty companion, and often, a reflection of the driver’s personality. That’s why the choice of equipment and accessories matters so much in this line of work.
Recently, the Silverback team had the chance to attend the legendary 2025 Casino Truck Show, an event that always delivers when it comes to showcasing the best in the trucking business.
Walking around and soaking in the gleaming chrome, custom paint jobs, and intricate details on display, one thing stood out to us immediately – Silverback was everywhere. It wasn’t just on one or two rigs; it seemed like every third truck had the unmistakable mark of Silverback. From the iconic chrome stacks to the stainless fenders and steer flares, the presence of Silverback gear was undeniable on the legends of the road.
But it’s not just about looks, is it? Functionality is what matters most, especially on the unforgiving Australian roads. Anyone who’s spent time on these highways knows how brutal conditions can get. Stone chips, unexpected weather, road debris –every mile is a test of your rig’s endurance. And that’s where we began to understand why Silverback is so highly regarded, earning the trust of Aussie truckies nationwide – and it’s clear why. Engineered with a unique ripple-free finish, our
fenders deliver a remarkable 50 per cent boost in resistance.
Designed to set a new benchmark for durability and protection, these guards are crafted with one mission in mind: Toughness on the Road!
Back at the truck show, we couldn’t help but admire some of the “Ultimate Beast Setups” we came across. There’s something undeniably awe-inspiring about seeing a rig fully decked out in Silverback gear. It’s the kind of setup that not only turns heads but also assures you that the driver means business. These are trucks built to endure long hauls, tough routes, and endless hours on the road without missing a beat.
The trucks wearing Silverback gear weren’t just showpieces; these were workhorses. Trucks with miles under their belt, driven by professionals who know exactly what they need. Seeing so many experienced truckies choose Silverback said more than any marketing campaign ever could.
The Silverback Rising Beast Award
We’ve always been proud supporters of the trucking industry, and as a way to give back, we launched a campaign to find the next ‘Rising Beast Legend’. The campaign invited nominations for truckies who go above and beyond, with the winner receiving our exclusive Silverback kit – including stainless steel fenders, brackets, and a voucher – valued at a total of $5000.
We’re excited to announce that Matthew Hart of Chris Hart Haulage has been named our winner! Matthew was nominated for his remarkable dedication and tireless work ethic. With over 2 million kilometres behind the wheel, he has devoted countless hours on the road, often sacrificing personal and family time to help grow his family’s business. Congratu-
lations Matthew – you are the true definition of a trucking legend!
Road-ready with Silverback: Gear that speaks for itself!
Choosing the right gear is just as important as maintaining your engine or planning your route.
Silverback is more than just a brand – it’s become a trusted partner to those who keep the country moving, one mile at a time.
Next time you’re out there braving the highways, take a moment to notice the rigs sharing your path. Chances are, a good number of them will be decked out in the unmistakable mark of Silverback. Sometimes, the proof of quality doesn’t come in words, but in the silent yet powerful statement of a truck kitted out for the long haul. After all, actions – or in this case, gear – speak louder than words.
Safe travels and may your rig always be road-ready.
For more information about equipping your rig with the toughest gear, check out Silverback’s thickest fenders and chrome stacks online at silverbackarmour.com.au.
SPECIALISING IN PARTS FOR ALL OLDER MACK TRUCKS, FROM FLINSTONE’S TO ALL PRE 2007 MODELS. INCL. COMPLETE DASHES, INTERIOR TRIMS, ENGINE REBUILD KITS, ENGINE ECU EXCHANGE, FIREWALL AIR MANIFOLDS, AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER PARTS. 0417 428 821 0417 428 821 sales@djftruckparts.com 191 Waratah Road, Mangrove Mountain, NSW, 2250
FOR over three decades, Wants Transport has specialised in bulk haulage across northern New South Wales with one focus: keeping the business rolling with equipment they can trust.
Based on the north coast and specialising in the haulage of grain and fertiliser, the family-owned company knows exactly what it takes to continue to grow in a demanding industry.
From the very beginning, Lusty EMS trailers have been a key part of that journey.
“We’ve been using Lusty EMS from the start,” said
Matthew Want, Owner and Operator of Wants Transport. “And for the last six years, they’re the only trailers we’ve been buying.”
Operating in regional areas means long distances, rough terrain, and tight harvest windows. According to Matthew, Lusty EMS trailers are built to handle it all – season after season.
“They’re just good, strong trailers,” he said. “They take a beating on our great Australian roads, and the product really stands up to it. You get what you pay for – and with Lusty EMS, that value for
money really stands out.”
Lusty EMS is known for building innovative, high-performance tipper trailers tailored to Australian conditions. Their aluminium tipper trailers are designed with features that maximise payload and uptime, from robust chassis construction to clever weight-saving de signs that don’t compromise on performance. Backed by Freighter Group’s 80 years of manufacturing expertise, these features aren’t just in clusions – they’re integral to what sets Lusty EMS apart in the bulk haulage industry.
“Durability and reliability are non-negotiables for us,” said Matthew. “When you’re in the middle of harvest, you can’t afford downtime. These trailers get the job done, day
But for Wants Transport, the value of Lusty EMS goes beyond the trailers themselves. It’s the people and the support network behind the product that really sets the ex-
The company sources its trailers through Trailer Sales Queensland, part of the Freighter Group dealer network, and Matthew added the relationship has gone from strength to strength.
“The customer service has been great. If there’s ever an issue – and there always will
be when you run heavy equipment – they’re quick to help and get things sorted. That level of support makes a big difference, especially during busy periods.”
Wants Transport sees their fleet as an extension of their brand, and Lusty EMS plays an important role in that identity.
“We take pride in how our trucks and trailers look out
on the road. The Lusty EMS trailers fit that profile perfectly – they’re tough, reliable, and they stand out. It’s like having a rolling billboard out there for us.”
With a fleet built for performance and a partnership built on trust, Wants Transport continues to rely on Lusty EMS to keep their business –and Australia’s grain and fertiliser – moving forward.
THE latest governmental and regulatory challenges to hit the Australian transport sector have just come into effect to further stifle thousands of some of the nation’s most important small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
Since July 1, the National Minimum wage increased by 3.5 per cent and the superannuation guarantee increased to 12 per cent. The changes, combined with the General
Interest Charge and Shortfall Interest Charge incurred on tax debts, which can no longer be claimed as a tax deduction, means more than 237,000 SMEs operating in the transport, postal and warehousing sectors are dealing with more complexity than ever before.
Furthermore, Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) have increased business name fees and the cost of registering a
company as well as the annual review fee.
Chief Executive Officer of invoice finance specialists Earlypay, James Beeson, says all of these latest imposts on SMEs, particularly in the transport sector, are having a “profound impact on cash flow and dayto-day operations right across the small business sector”.
“Whether it’s moving freight across states or keeping shelves stocked, transport usinesses are essential to the economy. But they’re being squeezed by rising costs and more regulatory complexity,” Beeson said.
What’s more, he says there’s more to come with the Pay day Super program, requiring mployers to pay super at the same time as their salary and wages, potentially kicking-in from July 1 next year.
“While the Payday Super program will provide Aus tralian employees with more ertainty around their su perannuation balances, it’s nother cashflow challenge for transport business own ers who often have to endure ong payment cycles while at the same time pay for staff, fuel and fleet.”
Earlypay deals with SMEs across a range of sectors which puts them in the unique po sition of being able to speak irectly to the financial chal lenges and cash flow pressures each sector.
“As for the transport sector, it literally drives the econ omy forward and operators urgently need less red tape
across their operations or we risk watching our supply chain grind to a halt,” added Beeson.
Earlypay is a leading provider of working capital finance to Australian SMEs with its invoice finance and equipment finance products. It’s been supporting Australian SMEs since 2001 and has built a trusted legacy of delivering reliable, flexible and innovative working capital finance.
Earlypay’s invoice finance helps SMEs bridge the cash flow gap between issuing invoices and receiving payment
Recent data from CreditorWatch supports this concern, showing rising insolvency rates across the transport, postal and warehousing sector — an area t raditionally considered more stable. It’s a clear signal that economic strain is d eepening even among the industries that keep the country moving.
The current challenges facing the sector come at the same time as the nation faces a drastic shortage of drivers over the next few years, with nearly 50 per cent of Australian truck
chasm between young and older driver employment rates, and Australia is one of the worst hit.
The report found that 21 per cent of current Australian drivers will retire by 2029 yet only 5.4 per cent of the current cohort are aged under 25.
Speaking on the release of the report, IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said, “The truck driver shortage crisis continues to deepen with, most alarmingly, an ever-widening chasm between young and older drivers.
IN 2025, we celebrate a century of NAPA – 100 years of expertise, innovation, and service that have made us the trusted provider of automotive products and solutions in the USA.
While NAPA’s journey in Australia is just six years old, our foundations run deep. Heritage brands that became NAPA – like COVs, founded 96 years ago, and Ashdown-Ingram with over 55 years, have long been part of the fabric of Australia’s automotive industry.
Many of our team members have dedicated decades to this business, bringing invaluable industry knowledge that sets us apart. Their expertise, paired with NAPA’s global strength, is what makes us the trusted name in automotive aftermarket parts and solutions.
At NAPA, we talk about being globally local – leveraging the scale, capability and heritage of the world’s largest automotive aftermarket parts provider while delivering the local expertise, brands, range and service that Australians rely on.
NAPA Australia comes from a proud heritage of automotive electrical and air conditioning expertise. Over the years, we’ve expanded our range, deepened our knowledge, and refined our special-
ly comprehensive aftermarket solution.
Whether you’re sourcing parts for air conditioning, electrical, braking, clutch and driveline, engine cooling, servicing and consumables, steering and suspension, tools or workshop equipment – our team’s deep industry expertise ensures you get the right part, first time, every time.
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NAPA’s automotive passion extends beyond the workshop and onto the track. As naming rights sponsor of the NAPA Speedway – Sprint Car in the City, returning to Adelaide this November, we proudly support the future of Grassroots Motorsport.
NAPA has long been a driving force in motorsport, with major sponsorships dating back to 1977, supporting the National 500 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Nearly 50 years later, the NAPA brand remains a dominant presence in global racing, backing stars like Chase Elliott (NASCAR), Brad Sweet (World of Outlaws Sprintcars), Ron Capps (NHRA Drag Rac-
TO MARK 100 YEARS OF NAPA, WE’RE DONATING $100,000 TO STARLIGHT, CONTINUING OUR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF SERIOUSLY ILL CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.”
Touring Car and Truck Rac ing Championships.
The NAPA Sprintcar Invita tional returns in 2025 after a thrilling debut last year that saw packed crowds witness Sprintcars tearing through Adelaide’s city centre. This year, the event expands to a three-night schedule, held from Wednesday 26 to Friday 28 November, as part of the bp Adelaide Grand Final.
Featuring a 40-car field, fierce competition, and a boosted $110,000 prize pool, fans can expect more action than ever before on the 342-metre temporary NAPA Speedway.
As if that weren’t enough, Lenny Kravitz and Jet will headline Saturday night’s entertainment, leading into an explosive Sunday finale featuring none other than AC/ DC, closing the Supercars season with a bang.
“The success of the NAPA Speedway was incredible in 2024, and it is exciting to increase the Sprintcar action to include Wednesday evening
Final,” said Mark Warren, South Australian Motor Sport Board CEO.
Located within the Adelaide street circuit precinct, the event will once again bring 950-horsepower Sprintcars into the heart of the Supercars season, delivering heat races, qualifiers, and feature events across the three days.
The 2024 debut was a standout success, earning NAPA Speedway the ‘Innovation/ Promotion/Event of the Year’ at the Australian Speedway Awards.
Mitch Wiley, executive general manager of marketing for NAPA said: “It’s fantastic to confirm the return of the NAPA Speedway at the bp Adelaide Grand Final this year.
“The inaugural event last year was nothing short of out standing. To see Sprintcars in he heart of Adelaide was an incredible spectacle, and the 2025 edition promises to deliv er so much more.
NAPA is proud to have played a part in bringing it to life and we all look forward to seeing another huge event in the Adelaide Parklands as part of one of Australia’s great sporting events.”
where we live and work. That’s why we’ve proudly partnered with Starlight Children’s Foundation for over 15 years.
Starlight understands that every child deserves a happy childhood, but for seriously ill kids, hospital stays and treatments can be overwhelming. Through play, creativity, and social connection, Starlight brings joy and positivity to families during their toughest times.
To mark 100 years of NAPA, we’re donating $100,000 to Starlight, continuing our commitment to improving the lives of seriously ill children and young people. Because happiness matters.
Heritage, scale, expertise: Powering performance
For a century, NAPA has been the trusted name in automotive parts and solutions, delivering expertise, scale and service wherever it’s needed. In Australia, our national network ensures that no matter where you are, you have access to the parts, knowledge, and support to keep your business ahead of the curve.
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At NAPA, we believe in supporting the communities
CMV Truck & Bus and Cartage Australia are celebrating a significant milestone in their long-standing partnership –the delivery of the 400th Volvo truck.
The purchase of the 2025 Volvo FMX by Cartage Australia reflects over two decades of collaboration built on trust, performance, and shared growth, the companies said.
“For Cartage Australia, it’s not just another truck on the road; it’s a symbol of their unwavering commitment to quality, safety, innovation, and strategic investment in one of Victoria’s most ad
vanced transport fleets.”
Since 2004, Cartage Australia has grown from humble beginnings into one of Victoria’s premier cartage contractors, and CMV Truck & Bus said it has been privileged to support that journey every step of the way.
CMV Truck & Bus said its Derrimut Service Department – with its dedicated afternoon shift team – ensures every Volvo in Cartage’s fleet is maintained to the highest standards under Volvo’s Contract Maintenance program.
“The relationship between
mutual respect and a shared commitment to continuous improvement, said Miles Crawford, Joint Managing Director of CMV Group.
“Cartage Australia’s milestones – such as the purchase of their 200th Volvo in 2019 and now their 400th in 2025 – are not just numbers; they’re a testament to the strength of our partnership and the confidence they place in CMV Truck & Bus and Volvo Group.”
Founded by Wayne Vella and Ray Cauchi, Cartage Australia has evolved into a powerhouse fleet of 118 -
cluding 114 Volvos equipped with Hercules bodies.
Their early adoption of cutting-edge technologies, such as I-Shift transmission and advanced safety packages, reinforces their role as trailblazers in the transport industry.
They were the first in Victoria to implement 5- and 6-axle dog trailers – a clear sign they lead, not follow.
“It’s quite humbling to be the partner of choice to such an innovative and successful business,” said Tom Chapman, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Volvo Trucks
“Four hundred trucks is no small commitment to our brand, and we value the trust that the Cartage Australia team has in our products and our people.”
CMV Truck & Bus is a division of the wider CMV Group, which last year celebrated 90 years in business.
The CMV Group, now a fourth-generation family business with over 2000 staff, operates substantial light automotive and heavy vehicle dealerships, predominately in Victoria and South Australia and also has farm-
I NTERSTATE Towing, a caravan and motorhome delivery and relocation specialist transport operation, is based in Melbourne’s Craigieburn, within sight of the start of the Hume Highway.
Owned by Gary Singh, the business has bloomed organically from its start in 2012 and has outgrown its current premises, so a new bespoke headquarters is currently in build in Campbellfield, even more closely nestled among the caravan builders of Melbourne’s northern outskirts.
“We specialise in transporting caravans and motorhomes a ll over Australia from the manufacturers to the dealers. We also transport boats, mainly back from the west coast to the east coast, as well as cars and utes,” Gary says.
“When we began buying Scania rigid sleeper trucks to pull our trailers, we were able to build exactly the truck we needed, the right length and wheelbase for our needs. All the Scanias are 320hp 4x2 P-series rigids with a 10-metre load-bed and a 6-metre wheelbase.
risk of damage for the customer,” he says.
The Interstate Towing fleet is now 14 vehicles, with the company buying new Scanias for about the last four years.
“The first Scania is soon to come off the service contract, and we may sell it or keep it,” Gary says.
The trucks are logging big kilometres each year, around 240,000-250,000km, with one already almost at one million. The trucks have been pretty reliable over the period. We have used the Sca-
“Each of the seven Scanias we have bought has a trailer, so we can carry two caravans or motorhomes or boats with one combination. Since we started buying Scanias we haven’t looked at any other trucks. The Scania Account Manager, Roger Lake, has been excellent, listening to what we needed and bringing us a good solution,” he says.
nia ser vice contract which fixes the amount I pay each month, and not only do I have peace-of-mind, but if we do fewer km or more km than the contract estimates, Scania can adjust the payment to suit.”
Gary says another great feature is Scania Assistance which will come out to help if there is a breakdown on the road anywhere across Australia.
“It’s good to know that we have that support.
“Fuel economy has been
excellent, we’re running relatively light at around 5-tonnes of payload with two caravans on, and we’re getting up to 3.8km/litre, which is better than we had with our previous trucks.
“We have two new Scania trucks on order, and they may well be additional if we decide to hold on to the first Scania,” he says.
Gary says Scania also allows the fleet to tailor the specification of the trucks to meet their needs, particularly by fitting an airbag front end to match the rear.
“This gives us the ability to drop the rear and raise the front to make it easier to winch the caravans on and off the back of the truck. It’s almost like a tilt-tray. That speeds up the operation for the drivers and reduces the
“The cabs are very comfortable for the drivers who sleep in the trucks when they are travelling interstate. The trucks have the Scania auxiliary air conditioner that keeps the cabs cool in the summer even when the drivers are sleeping.
“They do like the trucks. Most of my guys have been with me for several years. I find if they have good trucks to drive, and they are paid on time, they stay loyal.”
Like many entrepreneurial business owners, Gary started off as a subcontractor, while at the same time trying to build a business for himself. When the subcontracting job finished, he took the plunge and worked for himself full time.
“It’s been a long hard road, but now we have created a good name for ourselves in the industry, and we have a good team. We deliver quite a big number of caravans and motorhomes for several of the bigger manufacturers in the caravan industry every week on our trucks,” he says.
“Today we have 15 staff on the team and every year more dealers approach us about delivering to them. They understand that our guys take good care of their stock and avoid damage in transit.
“My business philosophy is to keep it simple. This is the only market I’m going to target, and I have the trucks efficiently configured to deliver for my business.”
Early in 2026, Gary will move to a new depot even closer to Scania Campbellfield, where he is currently working on laying down a large shed in which he can warehouse caravans while they await delivery to dealers.
“We have a good team. You know, it all depends on the team. If you have a good team, you can do a good business.”
According to Scania’s Roger Lake, the P-series rigid is the perfect all-round workhorse, and ideal for operators like Gary Singh.
“When Gary came to us, he was looking for a more comfortable, safe and fuel-efficient solution to replace the A sian brand trucks he had previously. The Scania P-series is extremely fuel efficient, as Gary has found out, and has been available with Euro 6 configuration for several years.
“Aside from being able to tailor the specification of the truck to exactly his requirements, which adds efficiency and productivity to his business, we were also able to offer him a range of our Scania services from fleet monitoring to repair and maintenance contracts, Scania Finance Australia, as well as Scania Assistance.”
A 1976 Isuzu KS11 Elf 350 tipper has been given a new lease of life thanks to the volunteer work of Isuzu staff in Melbourne.
The vintage truck was unveiled for the first time at the recent Brisbane Truck Show in May alongside the 2025 NKR version of the same model.
Retaining its distinctive blue paint job, the ‘Elf Tipper’ was the unofficial star of the brand’s recent launch showcase in Brisbane; a proud moment for lead restorer and IAL’s Senior Product Development Technician, Darren Pottage.
“It’s been a long road to get this project completed and to see the old Elf Tipper up in lights again alongside its modern contemporary in Brisbane was just fantastic to see,” Darren said.
“These were one of the first Isuzu models to hit our shores
seventies, so this resto has been a fitting tribute to the longevity of the brand here in Australia.”
Rarely sighted on Australian roads these days, the Elf 350 was sourced from its original owner, a Sydney-based con-
still operating under a different name.
Famous for their reliability and ‘bullet proof’ durability, the KS11 350 model has a notable history in the Australian market, where they gained significant popularity amongst a range of trade and construction applications throughout the 1970s and into the 80s.
“This model in particular really helped cement the Isuzu brand’s penchant for steadfast reliability, quality factory body build credentials and overall versatility,” said Darren.
The restoration project began in 2023 and saw a number of IAL staff participate during a range of stages, from stripping and disassembling the vehicle, through to sourcing and installing like-for-like parts and components as original.
“From the very beginning, the vision was to return this truck to its original condition, which involved removing the cab and factory tipper body, stripping-out the interior trim and essentially winding-up with a rolling chassis,” Darren added.
“Whilst still operational, a range of engine componentry needed a lot of attention, including a transmission re-build as well as sourcing a number of replacement parts.
“Given the age of the truck, sourcing model correct componentry almost half a century later was always going to be a challenge, although with a little help of our parts department here in Melbourne, we were able to get our hands on everything required.”
The next stage of the restoration involved some extensive panel work to both the cabin as well the refurbishment of the cabin interior. Even the original glass manufacturer was identified and secured to re-supply and re-seal the cabin.
passion for this project and really threw themselves into the work,” said Darren.
“We engaged some brilliant local suppliers here in Mel-
“From the interior trimmers to the panel beaters and painters, we couldn’t have asked for a better group to collaborate with on this and the results really do speak for themselves.”
The Elf 350 Tipper was finished off in a new paint job based on the original colour palette, before being reassembled.
“It’s been a challenging, but also extremely rewarding process to be a part of,” revealed Darren.
“This is a part of our heritage and as a companywide achievement, it’s a piece of motoring history we can all look back on for years to come and say, ‘that’s us, that’s Isuzu right there’.”
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TRUCK drivers travelling to and from scenic Emerald in central Queensland say that scalies have been very active at the inspection station there.
Heavy vehicle inspections are now performed by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and one driver said there had been a lot of truckies inspected there recently.
“I passed my inspection but there has been a lot of others who have been infringed – some for minor offences,” he said.
Emerald is about 270km west of Rockhampton and serves as a major service centre for the region’s extensive agricultural and mining industries.
Road needs work
It may be only 117km from Tenterfield in NSW to Warwick in Queensland but some truckies have described stretches of the highway between the towns as in urgent need of an upgrade.
“It is pretty bad in places and great care has to be taken on it,” one Brisbane based driver said.
There are also speed cameras along the way and drivers have to be wary and have knowledge of laws in the two states.
Warwick is a hub for road transport business whilst
Tenterfield is a pretty town which was the home of the late entertainer Peter Allen. His most famous song which was popular with truckies was “I still call Australia home”.
Drill rig to remote WA mine
A long time WA small fleet operator based at Perth regularly transports drill rigs to isolated mining sites.
He was driving a Volvo FH16 and the oversized load came from Gingin 80km north of Perth and was tak-
en on the 1600km journey to a Rio Tinto Mine near Tom Price.
It didn’t require an escort and travelled mostly along the Great Northern Highway.
“After this one is delivered I have to go back and pick up another to come here with,” he said.
The journey took more than a day, taking into account fatigue breaks.
This rig weighed about 22 tonnes.
Incident on a WA highway
Still on the subject of WA, several truck drivers were going along Perth’s Roe Highway and reported an incident involving a car towing a trailer carrying pipe.
Suddenly the car veered across the road and collided with a barrier.
It was a traffic stopper and it was fortunate that there was no oncoming traffic which could have resulted in a head-on collision.
“I have no doubt that the car trailer became unbalanced and that resulted in what happened,” a truckie told Spy.
He said it is common for truck drivers to see cars with unstable loads.
Roe Highway is a 35km long limited-access highway and partial freeway linking Kewdale with Perth’s north-eastern and south-western suburbs.
Business plans for NSW driver
A young NSW truckie with a good knowledge of the industry and a high IQ is looking at setting up a consultancy business to assist drivers who require help.
He would assist owner-operators to recover slow invoices for work completed a mongst other things.
This would include any other problems they may encounter in the day-to-day operations.
With more than a decade as a driver behind him, this lad said he has heard of many of the problems small operators in the road transport industry face.
He said that he had seen instances of small operators who had purchased another heavy vehicle and then hired a driver.
“Often they have good intentions but don’t know what is involved when they have to hire somebody. So I could help out,” he said.
During the past few weeks
Spy has been contacted by 10 truck drivers from around Australia who have come down with a nasty flu.
Invariably some discussions with them have focused on vaccination which is a subject of varied opinion.
Seven of the flu victims didn’t receive the flu needle beforehand.
Mostly because they simply forgot to have a jab or were blasé about going to a doctor.
However, three of the lads indicated they had been vaccinated.
A n owner-operator who is based in Deniliquin NSW told Spy he had been in bed for a week and was as “sick as a dog” with flu.
“I had the flu needle,” he said.
Personally, I don’t have any genuine opinion on the debate for or against vaccination.
I received a smallpox vaccination when I was at primary school and have received them ever since by habit.
Touch wood I haven’t come down with flu this time and did have a jab.
But my wife who is against
vaccination didn’t have a jab and has been sick with flu for over a week.
Tendonitis concerns
On the subject of medical conditions, Spy has spoken to a handful of drivers who have been diagnosed with tendonitis.
This is a condition involving the inflammation of a tendon resulting in pain, swelling, and the loss of joint function.
It is most often caused by repetitive motion injuries but may also be due to an infection or inflammatory disease. The treatment may involve rest, ice application, overthe-counter painkillers, and steroid injections.
I saw a truck driver with his arm in a sling and asked him jokingly if he had been involved in a fight.
“Oh no, I have been lifting cases of drinks for years in my job as a truck driver and now will be off work for some time,” he said. His tendonitis was in a shoulder.
Fog impairs visibility
Truckies from three states have reported to Spy about the dangers of travelling early in the morning when there’s fog across the road. One driver said visibility was poor as he went along the Murray Valley Highway in Victoria.
Further south in Tasmania the 25km stretch of highway between Spreyton and Sheffield also regularly has fog. On the east coast of Tassie there is regular fog on the range road to the beautiful town of St Marys.
with traditional spices and Pumpkin Dumplings (made from pumpkin and coconut cream).
In Queensland, those who travel on the Gillies, Palmerston, Captain Cook Highway and Kuranda Range roads often experience fog issues.
NHVR team feasts on bush tucker
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Townsville team enjoyed a special First Nations workshop in celebration of NAIDOC and National Reconciliation Week which included a feast of traditional food and a bush tucker demonstration.
Big Rigs was invited and saw team members enjoying the event.
It was facilitated by First Nations chef, Evelyn Billy, owner of Bina’s Kitchen in Townsville, and accompanied by qualified agriculturist Titom Tamwoy.
Evelyn showcased Torres Strait Island cuisine, including Sarbi Barramundi (fish poached in fresh coconut cream and bush herbs), Vermicelli Chicken cooked
In his first official presentation of Torres Strait botanical collections, Titom launched his bush tucker and medicine program named ‘Arpau Lag’ or ‘Garden Place’, sharing how many locally sourced plants are used for traditional tucker and healing.
This included the ‘Vomit plant’ or ‘Dog fruit’ also known commercially as ‘Noni’.
Noni roots, stem, bark, leaves, flowers and fruit are all used for health conditions including cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes to name a few.
A proud Torres Strait Islander, Evelyn was keen to share her passion for cooking.
“It’s something I grew up with and everything I’ve learnt has been from my mum. She was my inspiration.”
Evelyn will soon be building on the success of her Townsville restaurant with a second Bina’s Kitchen opening in Cairns shortly.
Evelyn was pleased to see the NHVR’s meaningful and proactive approach towards reconciliation.
“It’s much needed to educate coming generations. We want to encourage a cooking culture not just for the next generation but for everyone. That’s why we do school kitchens. It’s fun and rewarding seeing people learn something new. “
According to NHVR Executive Sponsor for Diversity and Inclusion, Michelle Tayler, the Townsville event was part of a series where the NHVR established localised partnerships with First Nations organisations and peoples.
“The workshops were designed to give our workforce a hands-on experience focusing on traditional bush tucker and its influence on traditional and modern medicines.”
Fortunate NHVR employees in Brisbane, Adelaide, Launceston and Melbourne have already gained valuable insight into how different First Nations peoples used complex problem-solving to create unique, practical and sustainable ways of life in harmony with differing landscapes and wildlife. The last workshop was scheduled for Parramatta.
Michelle said this is one of many examples of the NHVR’s journey towards reconciliation, formalising a commitment to strengthening connections with First Nations peoples.
Bridge cameras increase revenue Cameras on the giant Tasman Bridge which spans
the mighty Derwent River at Hobart, Tasmania, have been doing a roaring trade according to some of my contacts in the Apple Isle.
Truck drivers have been amongst those who have received a nasty surprise in the mail after being snapped by a camera for a speeding offence.
The bridge is busy on a daily basis with trucks entering and departing Hobart.
These cameras are owned and maintained by the Department of State Growth but operated and accessed by Tasmania Police.
Along the highway towards Sorrell there are also speed cameras which have reportedly been doing quite well to increase consolidated revenue.
Romeo returns from Japan
There is a popular South Australian truckie who has been dubbed “Romeo” by mates since returning from a few weeks in Japan.
Aged in his early thirties and with blonde hair, the lad has never stopped bragging about his popularity with attractive ladies whilst there.
He claims to have been swamped by women of a similar age or a bit younger every time he visited a bar.
“Especially at Osaka where every time I went into a bar for a drink ladies wanted to chat me up and I was very overwhelmed,” he said.
However, friends are not so sure and one dubbed Romeo with another title, “Believe it or not”.
WHEN truckie John Arthur makes deliveries or gets time off work, people often come up to him and ask if he’s former Australian cricket fast bowler Merv Hughes.
“I was in the tackle shop the other day and they thought Merv Hughes had walked in to film his fishing show. I get asked about Merv all the time,” John said.
The 60-year-old truckie drives a Freightliner Cascadia for NSS Logistics based at Townsville.
“I am empty now but normally carry zinc concentrate f rom our depot near the
port to Sun Metals which is nearby,” he said. I saw John as he checked his trailer along the Port Access Road.
John says he doesn’t stop at many roadhouses for food when away, preferring to take pre-packed meals with him.
“I like steak and eggs and cook it in my truck microwave,” he said.
John’s nightmare road is between Malbon and Merlin Mine out west.
“It is dirt and seems to take forever to travel 150 kilometres and it is unfenced and you have to be careful be-
cause there are camels, cattle a nd giant roos which can be on the road,” he said.
John revealed his main hobby is fishing and camping. I asked about his favourite spots. “I go fishing on Cleveland Bay and have caught blue salmon, barramundi and grunter,” he said.
Like many others, John gets annoyed by the dangerous habits of some van d rivers.
An avid Canberra Raiders supporter in the NRL, John hopes they can maintain their position up the top of the NRL ladder as the finals series looms.
A driver for the past five years, Garreth Paul, 35, upgraded to his MC licence earlier this year.
He currently drives a Volvo Euro 5 for Morgan Transport, based at Bohle in North Queensland.
When Big Rigs saw him around noon last month, Garreth was checking his trailers while parked outside NHVR headquarters.
I asked if he had business at the NHVR but that was not the case.
“I am ready to deliver locally to Woolworths supermarkets and the trailers have come south from Brisbane with others drivers,” Garreth said.
“I really like the job and mainly deliver around Townsville,” he said.
“Without a doubt my favourite is chicken and rice,” he sa id.
He’s
WHEN I asked truckie Pete Lysaught if he was a gladiator, he was at first puzzled.
However, when I mentioned that he looked like Hollywood actor Russell Crowe, who starred in the ‘Gladiator’ film, he didn’t mind that at all.
Pete was driving a Volvo 500 for Brisbane company Queensland Road Constructions and had brought up a sphalt.
“It is being used to fix up roads which people are happy about,” he said.
Constructions.
hang around greens at the club.
Before working for this company, Pete drove interstate for years.
especially his four-year-old daughter.
When he does get away Garreth said parts of the Bruce Highway needed work.
Though he doesn’t stop at many roadhouses, Garreth is a connoisseur of fine foods.
A sports fan, Garreth barracks for the Saint George Dragons in the NRL and loves golf when he gets time.
I a sked about his favourite roadhouse and Pete nominated the BP Cluden.
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“But they are freshwater crocs and aren’t dangerous. There are also some on the other side of town at the Willows Club greens,” he said.
“It has clean facilities, staff are friendly and food is also good,” he said.
But he also enjoys a glass of wine or several when he snares time off.
“I also like Stone and Wood lager beer and a good feed of chicken pad Thai,” he said.
be described as a clone of Russell Crowe who is an owner of NRL club South Sydney Rabbitohs, he did think that his mates and colleagues may well enjoy it even more.
“My handicap is not bad at around 16 – I have a game when I can at the Rowes Bay Golf Club,” he said.
Then Garreth mentioned that several crocodiles often
Born in Australia, Garreth has New Zealand heritage and gets across the ditch when he can. “I have been there a few times and hope to go again very soon,” he added.
He rates the road between Injune and Roma as amongst the worst he had been on lately.
Outside work Pete loves spending time with family,
Most drivers I yarn to mention their truck is dirty but Pete’s was shiny.
“I cleaned it at Yatala yesterday but have travelled a bit since,” he said.
Whilst Pete was happy to
“I think they will give me plenty about it,” he said. I told Pete that some years ago I snapped heaps of pics of Russell Crowe when he was on Palm Island after filming ‘Master and Commander’.
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y unscrupulous supply chain partners. Even those who had criticisms still had great ideas. So… I thought we should continue the discussion and move owards what such a scheme might look like.
dence detail). It’s about ensuring operators are financially stable and capable to operate safely (that is, they allow for employee entitlements and are able to meet the servicing needs of their fleet).
Big Rigs flames of those who agree or disagree with a road freight li censing system!
It was actually very humbling to receive so many phone calls and emails from those who had constructive comments, feedback and support, especially from those who have been hit the hardest by under-cutting and dodgy op erators who are encouraged
This article provides a peek into a white paper I’ve developed. Is it perfect? Ha! Far rom it! But is it a start? YES! And I want your feedback to help design what a good system would look like.
I need to be clear – this is NOT just about driver licensing or training, although these form very important parts of such a scheme, it’s much broader than that.
This is about ensuring everyone who enters our industry understands their costs and the expected costs of operators
It’s also about ensuring those who engage operators have a solid understanding and responsibility in relation to operator instructions or contractual requests. Telling someone they need to trim their rate by 3 per cent due to “productivity gains” (whatever that means!) is not acceptable or sustainable.
The solution proposed in this draft white paper is a national Road Freight Licensing Scheme (RFLS), underpinned by a new regulatory framework combining the investi-
(ATSB) and the legislative authority of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC).
This model ensures it is a federal system, not able to be watered down by states intent on inflating their own egos.
It also ensures the investigative powers of the ATSB are used for serious road freight crashes, which the Australian Trucking Association has lobbied for over a decade to achieve.
This scheme isn’t about enforcing current on-road activities like speed or fatigue breaches, that would still be managed by police and the NHVR. But we all know that road crashes are often not a
factors. Police, however, often only investigate to find if they can charge someone (for example: “Driver claims they swerved for a kangaroo”), rather than the deep root cause of an incident (“Evidence shows no witness marks, indicating driver was potentially not conscious/asleep at the time of the crash”). And that’s assuming they even attend.
At the heart of the scheme is a tiered licensing system for operators, proportionate to the size of their fleet and their exposure to public risk.
This allows small businesses to enter the market with achievable obligations while placing greater expectations on largescale fleet operators who have a significant impact on road safety outcomes.
in the heavy vehicle supply chain, not just operators. This includes consignors, consignees, freight forwarders, logistics companies, subcontractors, and third-party schedulers.
date registration for all parties
Each party will be assigned a risk profile and required to meet baseline registration requirements such as identification, insurance, safety documentation, training, and confirmation of Chain of Responsibility (CoR) awareness – not just a tick and flick exercise, actual, deep understanding of CoR and how what they do impacts the operator.
Higher-risk entities will be subject to more stringent documentation, audit requirements and inspections of their systems and contracts to ensure they are not flouting the system.
Driver licensing needs to be a national system. Currently, each state and territory has its own system, and there is no single source of truth for anyone to verify a driver’s work history, offence history, or licensing status, particularly across borders.
This gap in transparency prevents informed hiring decisions, limits regulator effectiveness, and leaves the industry vulnerable to hidden risks.
The work done in South Australia to address the issues in relation to management of international licences and training required to manage road trains is outstanding, and it should be expanded to cover all heavy vehicles, not just road trains.
A national driver register will be established that con-
solidates licence status, work history, and offence history across all jurisdictions. This is not dissimilar to how drivers are managed in USA.
Drivers will retain the right to control who accesses their records, but employers will be empowered to make informed hiring decisions based on verified data. This not only enhances safety but supports the professionalisation of driving as a career.
Importantly, the scheme includes a national offence registry for both drivers, corporate entities, and individuals who operate within those corporate entities.
This registry will be used to monitor compliance, identify patterns of recidivism, and support targeted regulatory interventions.
Evidence of pressure from supply chain partners (such as our 3 per cent rate cut example) will be a red flag for investigation.
Repeated offences or deliberate breaches will trigger licence suspension, downgrading, or cancellation, meaning the person or party cannot operate within the industry.
The system is designed to reward compliance and reform, while eliminating those who consistently demonstrate risk
what currently occurs.
Implementation of the scheme will be phased, starting with the highest-risk sectors.
These sectors will be prioritised for licensing and audit of both operators and supply chain parties, followed by expansion into other, lower risk areas.
The benefits of this model are extensive. It will reduce the financial and social cost of road trauma, support good operators, and expose those who undermine industry credibility.
Critically, it will provide the community and industry with confidence that the people who manage, direct, and profit from freight movement are properly authorised, accountable, and monitored. That’s not the case now.
The system as it stands relies on a patchwork of goodwill, voluntary schemes, under-resourced regulators, and a fter-the-fact enforcement that doesn’t even scratch the surface of why an incident occurred.
The time for incremental reform has passed. The white paper I’ve created outlines a scalable, nationally coordinated system of licensing and versight that puts safety,
a copy. But is it a start? Yes, and with your feedback, we can find the right balance.
I’m not claiming to have all the answers, I certainly don’t, but we have to start the discussion somewhere, so why not here?
Why not you, the readers of Big Rigs, providing actual input into a scheme that can support you?
Why not you, who sees or hears about the customers telling you or your boss to lower freight rates, because apparently there have been some unidentifiable invisible productivity gains?
Why not you, who see the inexperienced or fatigued drivers drifting into your lane in the middle of the night, not able to navigate simple driving tasks, and completing unsafe manouvres like overtaking into oncoming traffic?
Why not you, the drivers who have worked hard in the industry to provide for your families, risking your lives by sharing the road with incompetent others?
W hy not you, who experience these issues every day?
If you’d like to have a read of the white paper for a Road Freight Licensing
JACQUELENE BROTHERTON Chair of Transport Women Australia Limited
THIS month marks 55 years in the industry for me and in a large country with a small population, you would think that we would have national uniformity by now, in 2025.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has been with us since its inception in 2013 and while much progress has been made, we still have a long way to go. With too many layers of government, with each wanting to make their own rules and too many egos, there will never be uniformity in our time. It is like hoping for world peace.
We should have a national registration system with the same rules and regulations throughout the country without having to worry about here the equipment will be domiciled but where the ope should also have a national commercial drivers’
licence so that if you move interstate you just have to change your residential address rather than going through the rigmarole of changing your licence to the new state. Not much use calling it a national licence when it is state based.
I know why we are not lobbying for these things as fighting for full uniformity is like flogging a dead horse and gets the same results.
However, other subjects that surface from time to time should also not get the time of day, like operator licensing.
Why should we be putting up barrier to entry to the industry? Who made those in the industry, God, that they could squash the enterprise and dreams of others.
We need more people in the industry, not less. Imagine if Lindsay Fox or Ron Finemore had been barred from the industry by not being able to meet operator licensing requirements, the industry would be a much poorer place. If we succeed, we may be stopping the next generaion of iconic leaders.
What we really should be doing is fighting to get laws in place to prohibit the practice of phoenixing of companies.
Once they are under ad-
WHAT WE REALLY SHOULD BE DOING IS FIGHTING TO GET LAWS IN PLACE TO PROHIBIT THE PRACTICE OF PHOENIXING OF COMPANIES.”
ministration, liquidation or wound-up with unpaid driver and staff entitlements, with suppliers out of pocket, sometimes owing millions; they should not be allowed to own businesses or become directors of companies for 5 or 10 years unless all debts are paid.
But they are starting up again within a matter of weeks with a new, often similar name, same/similar logo and the same equipment. This should be outlawed. How they get people to supply them or work for them defies logic but then again I guess back-door shonky deals are done every minute.
Stopping this practice is something worth fighting for, other than that let’s continue to press for uniformity and fight for equal rights for everyone.
OVER the past month, the Victorian Transport Association proudly hosted a series of Regional Forums in Shepparton, Mildura, and Traralgon, each drawing strong attendance and engagement from local transport operators, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
These forums were more than just information sessions – they were a celebration of the resilience, innovation, and critical importance of regional freight to Victoria’s economy.
Each location brought its own unique strengths and challenges. Shepparton, with its powerhouse agricultural and food processing industries, showcased the scale and sophistication of regional logistics.
Mildura, a key player in citrus, wine, and almond production, highlighted the importance of freight in connecting remote regions to domestic and export markets. And Traralgon, with its diverse energy and industrial base, reminded us of the infrastructure pressures facing
freight operators in Gippsland.
The common thread across all three forums was the theme: “Reducing the Risk Around Heavy Vehicles.”
This focus on safety resonated deeply with attendees, many of whom operate in environments where infrastructure has not kept pace with the demands of modern logistics.
Narrow roads, ageing bridges, and long distances to major freight hubs like Melbourne and Adelaide present daily challenges that impact not only efficiency but also safety for all road users.
We were fortunate to have presentations from key agencies including the Transport Accident Commission, Vic-
toria Police, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, WorkSafe Victoria, Transurban, WHG Telematics, and the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.
Their insights into compliance, infrastructure planning, and risk management were invaluable, and we thank each speaker for their time and expertise.
A special mention goes to the Victorian Waste Management Association, which hosted a dedicated session at each forum to address the unique challenges faced by regional waste and recycling operators.
These sessions were further enriched by presentations from Russell Kennedy Lawyers, who provided
AS
legal insights into contract preparation and compliance, and Bucher Municipal, who shared practical perspectives on equipment and operational safety in waste transport.
W hile recent policy changes – such as payroll tax relief for small businesses – are welcome, they do not address the core infrastructure issues that affect freight efficiency and safety in regional areas.
Investment in fit-for-purpose roads, bridge upgrades, and better connectivity is essential if regional Victoria is to continue growing as a freight powerhouse.
Regional operators must also be included in broader infrastructure planning efforts, such as the West Gate Tunnel, which will improve access to the Port of Melbourne. Without regional input, such projects risk overlooking the needs of com-
munities that rely heavily on freight transport.
The forums also reinforced the importance of technology and data in enhancing safety and performance. From telematics to predictive analytics, operators are increasingly turning to smart tools to manage risk and improve decision-making – especially in regions where resources may be limited.
Perhaps most importantly, these forums celebrated the resilience and dedication of regional freight operators.
Despite the challenges, these businesses continue to deliver – connecting farms to supermarkets, manufacturers to markets, and communities to essential goods. Their work is often behind the scenes,
but it is foundational to the health of our economy and the wellbeing of our state.
As freight volumes grow and supply chains become more complex, regional communities must be equipped with the infrastructure, support, and recognition they deserve. These forums are catalysts for change, ensuring that regional voices are heard and considered in future planning.
The Victorian Transport Association remains committed to supporting regional freight operators and advocating for the improvements that will help them thrive. Together, we can build a safer, more efficient, and more resilient freight network for all Victorians.
AT the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), we are incredibly proud to reflect on the successful wrap-up of our latest road safety campaign, “It’s Black and White: We All Need Space”.
This initiative was a key cornerstone of our efforts to educate motorists about heavy vehicle safety and aimed to alert drivers to the critical need for staying safe around Oversize and Overmass (OSOM) vehicles - some of which are dubbed “superloads”.
The campaign was born from growing concerns from industry and our NHVR Safety and Compliance Officers about driver behaviour near OSOM loads.
Our team have observed motorists failing to follow escort instructions, attempting unsafe overtakes, and even abusing officers.
With past tragic incidents involving OSOM vehicles and a projected increase in their movements due to major national infrastructure projects, investing in this educational space was imperative.
Collisions or near-misses with these enormous loads carry the potential for catastrophic consequences.
Our creative approach captured drivers’ attention by comparing “superloads” –from wind turbines to tunnel boring machines – to other “huge” things.
Imagine a load weighing as much as 583 giraffes (up to 700 tonnes), stretching 120 metres, or being as wide as 10 AFL players lined up, sideby-side.
Our core message was clear: just as you wouldn’t want to confront 500-plus giraffes, you don’t want to get on the
wrong side of an OSOM vehicle.
Ensuring these critical safety messages reached as many people as possible was paramount.
Our partnership with the Collingwood Football Club was a highlight, chosen for the alignment of our campaign colours and the powerful visual of 10 AFL players representing a superload’s width.
This collaboration significantly amplified our reach, further educating drivers with important safety messages across Victoria and the country.
The campaign came to life
through social media, online videos, digital advertising, and particularly our gameday activations at Collingwood home games.
From the bustling Pies Fan Hub to our popular photobooth and engaging guessing ga mes, these activations pro-
vided invaluable opportunities for our Safety and Compliance Officers and broader team to engage directly with fans and industry members.
Attendees eagerly participated and walked away with vital information: slow down to 40km/h when passing ve-
hicles with flashing magenta or yellow lights (a legal requirement in some states), move as far to the left as possible, be patient, and only pass when instructed by pilot or escort teams. The enthusiasm shown was incredibly encouraging.
This campaign underscores the NHVR’s renewed focus on targeted safety advice for both light and heavy vehicle drivers, and we are please to share it has now reached more than 8 million impressions on our social media channels.
By educating drivers on safe actions around heavy vehicles, we achieve better safety outcomes for everyone – the industry, the general public, and our dedicated Safety and Compliance Officers who escort these crucial movements.
The success of “It’s Black and White: We All Need Space” is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated teams, the support of industry in getting this campaign off the ground, and the public’s commitment to road sa fety.
As more superloads continue to move vital equipment across Australia, it remains up to all of us to slow down, follow instructions, and ensure everyone makes it home safely.
We are proud of the impact made and will continue our efforts to keep Australia’s roads safe for all.
FROM epic truck convoys and show ’n’ shines to heritage displays and major industry conferences, there’s something for every road transport enthusiast in the coming months.
Wondai Truck Show
August 23
Wondai Showgrounds, QLD wondaishow.com
Held on the final day of the Wondai Show weekend, the popular truck show boasts an array of categories and has an impressive prize list up for grabs this year. The Truck of the Show winner receives $1000. Powered and unpowered camping sites are also available at the showgrounds with shower and toilet facilities. For more information, call 0418 916646 or email secretary@wondaishow.com. au.
National Historical Machinery Association
National Rally
August 23-31
Kingsthorpe Park, QLD susci.com.au
Transport enthusiasts can look forward to 10 days of heritage displays and activities – expect classic and vintage cars, trucks, motorcycles, antique engines, tractors and machinery along with antique earthmoving equipment and heritage steam equipment such as traction engines and road rollers. For more info, email Warren Buckley at secretary@susci.com.au or call 0414 334 006.
Festival of Transport 2025
August 28-31
Alice Springs, Northern Territory roadtransporthall.com
Held at the National Road Transport Museum’s hometown of Alice Springs, the four-day Festival of Transport 2025 will host various events including the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame Induction,
Transport Women Dream Maker Award, Truck Drag Racing and a street parade.
NatRoad Connect 25
September 11-12
Shepparton, VIC natroad.com.au
NatRoad’s annual conference gives you the opportunity to connect with industry representatives, operators, NatRoad members and partners to receive practical operational information and advice.
QTA Industry Awards and Gala Dinner
September 13
Royal International Convention Centre Brisbane, QLD qta.com.au
Heralded as the ultimate night of celebration for Queensland’s road freight industry, the gala promises to bring together leaders from government and industry, fleet owners, suppliers, and professionals from across the sector to recognise and reward the outstanding contributions shaping the future of freight.
Road Freight NSW Conference and Awards
September 19
Dockside
Sydney, NSW roadfreightnsw.com.au
Road Freight NSW is returning to the Dockside venue at Cockle Bay Wharf, right in the heart of Sydney. Key topics will include economic forecasts, regulatory reforms, and workforce trends with a spotlight on how businesses can prepare for growth.
Young Show Horsepower Show
September 21
Young, NSW youngshow.com.au
The 2025 Young Show Horsepower Show will be held at the Young Showground. The Horsepower Show includes
trucks, cars and motorbikes. Everyone is welcome and there’s plenty to see. For more information visit the Facebook page @youngshowsociety or call 0417 200 353.
Yesteryear Truck and Machinery Show
October 4-5
Wauchope Showground, NSW
The show will feature historic and late model working trucks, tractors, machinery, stationary engines, draught horses, working chainsaw display, vintage cars and motorcycles. Camping is available for exhibitors at only $10 per night per site. Admission is $10 per adult for non-exhibitors. For more information about the truck component of the show, call Kirby Maxwell, 0407594149.
October 12
Perth Hockey Stadium, Bentley Camp Quality’s Convoy Perth is a fun way for anyone who drives a truck to show their support for kids facing cancer and their families. Supporters will cheer on our Convoy, as we travel a 53km route around Perth City and Osborne Park, starting and finishing at Perth Hockey Stadium. The event venue
will host a free Family Festival packed with entertainment and experiences catering for kids and adults alike.
There will be food vans, kids’ rides, face painting, roving entertainment, live music, fundraising awards ceremonies, and the chance to cheer on the returning Convoy. Plus, you can check out all the trucks and vehicles at the Show ’n’ Shine after the Convoy returns.
Technology and Maintenance Conference
October 14-15
Victoria Pavilion, Melbourne Showgrounds, VIC new.truck.net.au/tmc
The TMC Conference brings together technical profession-
als, fleet and workshop managers, technical regulators, mechanics and service technicians. For 2025, the event moves to a new venue – delivering bigger exhibition spaces and a larger workshop area. The venue will also provide greater space for workshops on trucks and trailers, and expanded networking areas. The program will focus on key industry priorities, including safety, productivity, environmental sustainability, cost efficiency, and workforce career development.
Sydney Convoy for Kids
October 26
Sydney Dragway to Hawkesbury Showground, NSW convoyforkids.com.au
Convoy For Kids Sydney Inc. was started in 1992 by a small group of dedicated people from the transport and associated industries who had a desire to help sick children.
Today, 31 years later, we are still a volunteer committee who spend time to put together one special day, not only as a fundraiser but a family day for all. Drivers and owner drivers, travel from all parts of NSW with their families to participate in this great event each year. Funds are raised on the day by truck entries, sales of food and merchandise, major raffle, donations and our giant auction. Taking part
means you are helping raise funds for the NETS Ambulance Service and Kidzfix.
Brisbane Convoy for Kids
November 1
Brisbane, QLD brisbaneconvoyforkids.com. au
The Brisbane Convoy for Kids is back on November 1, travelling from Larapinta to the Redcliffe Showgrounds. Once it arrives, a family fun day will take place, with a wide range of activities on offer including live entertainment, auctions, food stalls, free kids’ rides, face painting, animal petting, magic shows, and a night lights display. Convoy participants will also compete in a range of categories, with awards handed out on the day.
Ulverstone Truck Show
November 1
Ulverstone Showgrounds, Tasmania
Held as part of the Thank You Day Show, a fundraising event to raise money for Beyond Blue and New Mornings, this year’s truck show component will feature a Kenworth focused show alongside the usual truck show. There will be prizes for both shows and lots of giveaways. The event starts at 9am.
Mullumbimby Truck Show
November 8 Mullumbimby, NSW mullumbimbyshow.org.au
Held in conjunction with the annual Mullumbimby Agricultural Show on the second Saturday of November each year, you won’t want to miss the Mullumbimby Truck Show!
This event will feature a truck parade through the town, sideshow alley, kids’ rides, food vans, full bar facilities and live music. For further truck show info see the registration form at mullumbimbyshow.org.au.
TRANSPORT management technology specialists Microlise has announced a new executive roadshow to take place this month in Melbourne (August 19), Sydney (August 22), and Auckland (August 26).
Microlise said the free events, titled The Road Ahead, aim to drive industry conversations around digital transformation, safety, compliance and operational efficiency in the fleet and supply chain sectors.
The timing is critical as the sector navigates increasing regulatory pressure, rising environmental expectations and growing customer service demands, all while contending with persistent gaps in safety communication and training, the company said.
According to the latest Heavy Vehicle Industry Safety Survey, just 50 per cent of drivers agree that relevant safety training is provided on an ongoing basis, compared with 83 per cent of managers.
Microlise said this signals a stark gap between the way drivers and fleet managers feel
about safety in their organisations, highlighting the need for improved communication and training starting from the executive level.
The Road Ahead is aimed directly at decision-makers responsible for shaping the future of fleet operations, and will bring together senior leaders across transport and supply chain management.
Attendees can expect a halfday program featuring panel discussions and insights from fleet safety experts, strategic networking opportunities, live product walkthroughs and more.
Participants will gain practical insights through real-world case studies that demonstrate how leading organisations are accelerating ROI and achieving measur-
able operational improvements. Live demonstrations led by Microlise’s Pre-Sales and Product teams will showcase the latest innovations in transport technology.
“We’re thrilled to connect directly with the senior leaders driving transformation across ANZ’s transport and logistics ecosystem,” said Luke Olsen, Managing Director of Microlise’s APAC operations.
“The roadshow is not just about showcasing our technology. It is about bringing people together to share ideas and talk about what really works when it comes to running safer, smarter fleets.
“This is especially relevant given recent Heavy Vehicle Industry Safety Survey findings, which reveal that one in four respondents have
limited or no understanding of Chain of Responsibility. This is a critical gap that puts both businesses and frontline workers at risk.”
“At the same time, operators continue to face challenges such as driver shortages and change management, to the complexities of digital transformation, disconnected technology ecosystems and the need to embed consistent safety practices across diverse fleets.”
The panel discussions and expert keynotes will address a range of key challenges facing the industry, such as the increasing time pressure on both drivers and fleet managers to transport goods faster.
Twenty-seven percent of general freight workers report that work is not scheduled in
a way that reduces time pressures and only 57 per cent of drivers receive safety induction training.
These challenges will be a key element of the events, focusing on the real-world pressures facing fleet operators and how the industry is working together to build safer, smarter and more resilient operations.
Microlise is joined by a strong line-up of event partners and speakers, including representatives from Austroads, Logmaster and the Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA).
To register, or learn more about this month’s roadshow, visit microlise.com/ au.
THERE’S still time to nominate a young workshop star for one of the nation’s top prizes –but you’ll have to hurry.
The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and Cummins South Pacific are calling for nominations for their Cummins Young Tech Award as part of this year’s Technology and Maintenance Conference (TMC 25) on October 14-15.
Sponsored by Cummins since 2013, the award – for-
merly known as the Cummins Scholarship – was renamed to recognise and celebrate the next generation of talent in Australia’s heavy vehicle workshops.
“We thank Cummins for their continued support of this award. It is a valuable stepping stone for young service technicians to grow their industry skills and knowledge,” said ATA Chair Mark Parry.
“The three award recipients
will have the chance to attend with their career goals, whilenology, service and maintenance sectors.”
The Cummins Young Tech Award is open to apprentice or qualified heavy vehicle service technicians aged 18-25.
Prizes include:
• Full registration to TMC 25 providing access to all sessions, workshops and social events including the Castrol Gala Awards Dinner.
• Return airfares and accommodation (if relevant).
• Guided tours of two Cummins Melbourne facilities.
• A Cummins merchandise pack.
To find out more, and to nominate yourself, or a member of your team, visit new. truck.net.au/ntia/cumminsyoungtechaward/.
The deadline is Sunday, August 24 at 11pm (AEST).
The winners will be announced in the ATA’s weekly newsletter on September 26.
IT is helpful to understand what you are lawfully required to do and what you must answer if a National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) compliance officer interacts with you on the roadside.
There is an important difference between what police officers can do and what the NHVR officers can do. This article is only focused on what the NHVR officers may or may not do.
What must NHVR officers do before they exercise any powers?
Before exercising any roadside powers, officers must produce their officer’s identity card for your inspection or have the identity card displayed so it is clearly visible to you. If they cannot comply with that, then they must produce the identity card at the first reasonable opportunity.
I think the officers may have acted unlawfully?
If you have had an interaction with a NHVR officer and you believe they have exceeded
their powers then you may be able to challenge any infringement notice or charge.
Can they use force and arrest me?
NHVR officers cannot arrest or search individuals. They cannot use force against you or your property.
Do they have the power to stop me and enter my vehicle?
Officers may signal or direct a heavy vehicle to stop for compliance inspection. They may also direct the driver to move the vehicle to a different location, for example an inspection bay, or weighbridge. Once stopped, an officer may:
• Enter the vehicle (including trailer or container);
• Start and stop the engine;
• Inspect, measure, test, or photograph any part of the vehicle or load;
• Check load restraint, dimensions, and mass;
• Open compartments or remove panels if reasonably necessary;
• Inspect documents or devices kept in the vehicle (e.g. work diary, permits, route maps, EWD).
Can they require me to give them information and answer their questions?
Officers may require you to state your name, address and
date of birth. They can also require you to provide evidence of that, for example to show them your licence. They may require you to produce documents including copies of permits, your work diary, consignment notes and mass declarations. They can copy or take photos of the documents.
As a practice, NHVR officers will ask you a series of questions, it is a matter for you whether you answer their questions.
Unless they are exercising a specific power to require your answers, you do not need to answer their questions about your journey, load or operator. If you are not sure, you can ask the officer “am I required to answer your questions.”
What directions can they give me?
Officers may use weighing equipment to check mass compliance, they also may require the driver to submit to weighing at a designated location.
Officers may issue defect notices for mechanical issues or unsafe vehicle conditions. They may issue Improvement notices, to remedy unsafe practices and/or grounding or prohibition of a vehicle if it is unsafe or overloaded. They may also issue embargo notices if they seize an item and it cannot be physically seized or removed.
Officers may provide you with directions to rest immediately or to work for a shorter period if they believe you have contravened a work requirement, you do not have a work diary or its unreliable or you are impaired by fatigue.
Can they search me or the vehicle?
Officers cannot enter a private vehicle (if not a heavy vehicle) or private dwelling at the roadside without the driver’s informed consent, or without a search warrant. Inspections must be connected to compliance with Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). Officers
cannot conduct searches or inspections unrelated to the HVNL. Officers cannot demand access to a driver’s mobile phone, personal laptop, or other private data unless it contains required records such as an electronic work diary and the device is being used in that capacity.
Final Thoughts
If you have received an infringement notice or a breach from the NHVR, it is worth examining the powers that were used as well as the actual offence.
A myth is that to challenge an infringement notice or a breach report, means that
you have to attend court. NHVR accepts written representations, so you can always write to them asking for them to review your case. Alternatively you can engage legal representatives to do that for you.
This advice should be considered as general guidance. Each case may present differences that impact this advice. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
• Belinda Hughes is a former National Director of Prosecutions with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.