Big Rigs 31 March 2023

THE Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has secured $19,000 in penalties in court against an Adelaide freight transport company and its sole director.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed a $16,000 penalty against BSH Transport Solutions Pty Ltd, based in Roxby Downs, and a $3000 penalty against company’s director Brenton Philip Smith.

Started in 2004, BSH provides freight services primarily between Roxby Downs and Adelaide, employing 17 drivers and five administrative staff.

FWO says penalties were imposed in response to BSH Transport Solutions failing to comply with a Compliance Notice requiring it to backpay entitlements to a full-time pay-roll manager it employed between January 2019 and May 2021.

Along with penalties, the Court has also ordered BSH to take the steps required by the Compliance Notice, including calculating and back-paying the worker’s outstanding entitlements in full, plus superannuation and interest.

When contacted by Big Rigs Smith said, “We’re a

family show and we’ve always prided ourselves on doing the right thing. We are seriously looking at appealing,” he said. Judgement documents reveal that on the day of the hearing, Smith filed an affidavit, in which he set out what he alleged were “circumstances which mitigated the seriousness of the contravention in question”.

The employee approached FWO, which appointed a Fair Work Inspector to investigate a complaint that she had not been paid her full termination entitlements, including personal leave for the period in which she supplied a medical certificate and her accrued annual leave.

On her termination of employment, the employee had

an accrued unused annual leave entitlement balance of approximately 225 hours and unused personal/carers leave entitlements of approximately 158 hours.

FWO says a Compliance Notice was issued in May 2021 after a Fair Work Inspector formed a belief that the worker was owed approximately $11,438 in personal

New fatigue exemption notice to assist flood-impacted WA region

A NEW fatigue exemption notice will enable drivers operating under the National Class 3 Supplementary Access (Western Australia Assistance) Exemption Notice 2023 (No.3) to legally operate under ‘Exemption’ work and rest hours instead of Standard Hours when transiting through South Australia; to help get supplies delivered to flood-impacted northern WA.

The notice comes after collaboration between National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), Main Roads Western Australia, and the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said drivers who work for an operator that holds current accreditation through WA Heavy Vehicle Accreditation (WAHVA) can use the new National Heavy Vehicle Western Australia Supplementary Work and Rest Hours Exemption (No.1) when operating under the National Class 3 Supplementary Access (Western Australia Assistance) Exemption Notice.

“In addition to the WAHVA requirement, to use this fatigue exemption, drivers must be delivering goods from southern Western Australia to the flood-affected Kimberley Re-

gion, and have had a medical check in the past three years if aged 49 or younger, or in the past year if aged 50 or older,” Petroccitto said.

The NHVR has also recently extended the National Class 3 Supplementary Access (Western Australia Assistance) Exemption Notice until June 30, 2023.

“The extension of this notice is an important step in supporting the ongoing recovery efforts in the flood-affected regions in the north of Western Australia, by authorising the continued access of Class 3 heavy vehicles that are road trains up to 53.5m in length to a specified network

from Western Australia to South Australia,” Petroccitto said.

“We ask that drivers of these vehicles please remember that the roads on this route are not

and annual leave entitlements, owed under the Fair Work Act’s National Employment Standards.

In imposing the penalties, Judge Stewart Brown noted that it took a year after the Compliance Notice, and only after the FWO commenced legal action, for BSH Transport Solutions to make a partial back-payment to the worker and that more was still owed.

Judge Brown found that there was a need to deter the company, and other employers, from similar future conduct, saying “the court needs to indicate that such non-compliance will be regarded as a serious matter”.

“Penalties must hurt so that others who are considering cutting corners, so far as the payment and protection of their employees are concerned, will be deterred from doing so,” Brown said.

“It is important that employers recognise that Compliance Notices are significant and are thus encouraged to manage their business so that errors, including innocent ones, can be rectified quickly and cheaply for the benefit of both business and employee.”

designed for these longer vehicles, and to exercise particular caution and drive carefully when travelling to and from the affected regions.”

The Fitzroy Crossing Bridge will need to be fully replaced after it was recently damaged by flooding. Photo: Main Roads WA

Fair Work imposed the penalties to the transport operator for failing to comply with a Compliance Notice requiring it to back-pay entitlements to a worker.

Telematics has trust issues: NatRoad

GREATER adoption of telematics could help the road transport industry meet the challenge of a growing freight task, but must be regulated fairly and transparently, the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) says.

In a submission to a discussion paper about telematics, NatRoad has told the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) it has concerns about the need to keep law enforcement and data collection separate.

“There is no doubt that telematics has the potential to make operators lives easier by

improving safety, efficiency and productivity,” said CEO Warren Clark.

“In fact, NatRoad has partnered with Teletrac Navman to promote the adoption of telematics by members across Australia. We are generally opposed to the use of telematic data, collected under the provisions of the HVNL, for any purpose other than one clearly authorised under the HVNL.

“Of course, that doesn’t include private arrangements that are lawfully and transparently done with the consent of all parties involved.

Clark believes a lack of trust

is a significant barrier to greater uptake of telematics.

“This impedes the significant advances in safety, efficiency and productivity that the widespread adoption could deliver,” he said.

Clark said labour shortages and recent significant weather events made the national freight task more challenging.

“The challenge is to drive the uptake of telematics with regulation and enforcement of mass and dimension access conditions that is transparent and fair,” Clark said.

The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Associ-

ation (ALRTA) also responded to the paper and said it generally views telematics related access conditions as an unnecessary cost to operators that generate little or no direct safety benefit.

“The presence of a telematics system does not override the immediate decisions of drivers, road conditions, weather conditions or the actions other motorists, pedestrians or free ranging animals,” the ALRTA said. “However, some operators are prepared to accept telematics as an access condition, provided that there are substantial access or productivity benefits.”

In its submission, the association also argued that evidence suggests that telematics does little to protect public infrastructure or to assist real-time compliance and enforcement.

An NHVR spokesperson said it conducted an 8-week

consultation with road managers and industry stakeholders, seeking feedback to help develop a policy and principles for the consistent use of telematics for risk management and to improve access and productivity.

How trucking could play its part to improve productivity

GARY Mahon, CEO of the Queensland Trucking Association, believes there was one major takeaway for industry from the recently-released five-year productivity report by the Productivity Commission.

Mahon says that the 1000page probe, which contains 29 reform directives and 71 specific recommendations, including a focus on workforce adaptability and creating a more dynam-

ic and competitive economy, reinforces the need to “elevate our ambitions” when it comes to PBS.

“I think we’re mired down too much in the technical procedures and the processes, and our ambition should be to change the composition of the fleet,” said Mahon.

“In a large country with a relatively small population where truck-trip efficiency is

paramount, we should have an ambition to have something like 30 per cent of the fleet under PBS combinations.

“Everyone knows that the elephant in the room is that to get the combination approved is one thing and then to get access is quite something else. Why aren’t the two things aligned and the ambitions of authorities are to open up and encourage and grow the composition of PBS in

the fleet?”

The report also reinforced for Mahon the need to improve elements of industry training.

“The need to promote apprenticeships and formal training, both to benefit the individual and also the benefit in terms of unquestioned correlation to productivity growth,” he said.

“Even with AUKUS, and the skilling of Australians and training and development and

their TAFE places, truck driving and logistics-type qualifications should be supported in that program.

“At the moment they’re not. We’ve got the apprenticeship over the line but it’s category two, so you do an apprenticeship at yours, or the employer’s cost, whereas if you’re an apprentice, plumber, carpenter, or mechanic, you get support from the government.”

QTA CEO Gary Mahon.

NatRoad believes a lack of trust is currently a significant barrier to greater uptake of telematics.

Truckies’ input is vital at Tiaro

BY JAMES GRAHAM

VENERABLE truckie Rod

Hannifey is imploring authorities to give drivers a louder voice when it comes to the design and make-up of proposed rest area facilities on the much-anticipated Tiaro Bypass in Queensland.

After lobbying for an input last year, the president of the National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) said he’d heard nothing further from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) about the $336 million project.

But now the detailed design phase has finally started with the contract recently awarded to Arup Australia and SMEC Australia, TMR tells Big Rigs that dialogue with the NRFA and the Queensland Trucking Association will resume shortly.

“We will have further discussions with these stakeholders over the next 12 to 18 months to finalise a design for the heavy vehicle facilities,” a TMR spokesperson said.

Hannifey said it’s imperative that TMR and designers follow through on that prom-

ise and open discussions with as many drivers as possible.

With a dearth of rest areas close to Brisbane, Tiaro, just 230km to the north, can plug a glaring gap in the fatigue management network if authorities get it right, he said.

“You’ve virtually only got the BP at Burpengary or you’re buggered, unless you can get to the Shell at Nudgee,” said Hannifey.

“But if they’re going to go and build something with the best of intent without talking to someone who is going to sleep in it, then they are likely to fail. They must open it up to more discussion with drivers. Unless they have the knowl-

edge of drivers, what they intend and what they supply could vastly miss the mark.

“Until they include us, we are failing truck drivers by not supplying what they need, and spending a lot of money on something people think we want.”

Hannifey said you only have to look at the Sleepy Hollow rest area just south of Chinderah which has five noisy truck bays that face the road, instead of being in the back, to see how badly it can go wrong.

When he tracked down the engineer responsible to ask why he’d opted for that design, Hannifey said he was told it wouldn’t have been more expensive to give truckie’s more peace, but the engineer hadn’t thought of it and didn’t know who to talk to.

“Yet here we are 20 years on having the same conversations. I’ve badgered nearly every person on earth who has anything to do with rest areas, and yet here’s Tiaro going up and they haven’t contacted me, I’ve had to go to them, and the same thing is happening elsewhere.”

Hannifey said he’d like to see northbound and southbound areas set up as parallel parking at Tiaro.

“We’re getting longer vehicles, and they will be running up there again soon. Herringbone is a problem unless it is very good drive-through and you can’t get any good shade with it.

“And if you’re the poor bugger who pulls up and a stock crate pulls up on one side and a fridge van on the other, and you’ve planned to have seven hours sleep, how’s that going to work?”

QTA CEO Gary Mahon was pleased to hear that the consultation process would finally be resuming after months of radio silence.

Mahon said it’s a relatively logical place to have your last break before a driver heads on down into the congestion of Brisbane.

“As Rod said he’s pulled up, or slowed down a lot of times at that BP at Burpengary and almost inevitably all spaces are filled,” said Mahon.

“The same heading out [of Brisbane], it makes a fair amount of sense to take a

bit of a breather after you’ve loaded, you’re out through the traffic and through the busy sections.”

Ideally, Mahon would like to see in the vicinity of 20 parking bays for trucks and is

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keen on the Herringbone pattern, although also sees merit in Hannifey’s parallel parking alternative.

“We were also saying showers and the like aren’t really necessary but toilets were.”

A concept design for the bypass has been completed, which shows a new four-lane section of the Bruce Highway.

UNTIL THEY INCLUDE US, WE ARE FAILING TRUCK DRIVERS BY NOT SUPPLYING WHAT THEY NEED, AND SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON SOMETHING PEOPLE THINK WE WANT.”

ROD HANNIFEY

Truckies pinpoint rest areas for Sydney

IT’S been labelled as the least friendly place to drive a truck on the east coast, perhaps in all of Australia.

Now truckies have stepped forward to let authorities know exactly where new rest stops are needed for Sydney drivers.

When submissions closed on March 13 for the Transport for NSW (TfNSW) Have Your Say campaign a number of truckies aired their views on where rest stops should be in Sydney, with over 100 responses received in total for sites across the state.

“Transport will now review and evaluate the feedback internally and continue to engage with industry as the project progresses,” a TfNSW spokesperson said.

Here’s just a few of the suggestions for Sydney, based on the TfNSW interactive map in which drivers were invited to drop a pin on their preferred location and outline their reasons for why they think it’s a good spot.

Chevrolet Place, Macquarie Fields

“Strongly advised a heavy vehicle rest area is assigned to the location, drivers are required to take regular breaks with no rest areas,” Tommmmmy.

Campbelltown Road, Glenfield

“An expansion of parking is required here before anymore development is in place. Un-

cle Leo’s is the last stop before you leave Sydney or the first as you come in, it also caters for trucks from Moorebank as there is no parking there either,” S-AM.

“Parking area needed to allow for more heavy vehicles to use the truck stop located nearby,” Kitsa200.

Western Motorway, Eastern Creek

Westbound:

“Improve and expand the existing parking area. You cannot apply Austroad ‘guidelines’ to Sydney they must be a pragmatic logical approach to upgrades and placements, a good knowledge of the industrial areas and number of

trucks using the areas not just interstate,” S-AM.

Eastbound:

“An upgrade of this area and additional areas to add additional truck parking and improve service centre amenities, to provide better showers, drivers lounge, restaurant, laundry facilities,” S-AM.

BP Eastern Creek, Walgrove Road

“Currently there is almost no parking facilities within Sydney. Drivers are forced to park illegally to sleep. If authorities are serious about truck driver fatigue you cannot continue to ignore the lack of facilities within Sydney,” Kitsa200.

“Has always had capacity issues. If drivers park in the street they get booked by Blacktown Council as busi-

nesses complain. The numbers used to forecast usage of an area don’t really show the actual,” S-AM.

Mamre Road, Erskine Park

“Due to expansion of and new industrial areas in this location - Kemps Creek, Erskine Park, Badgery’s Creek. It is essential for a MAJOR truck rest area with full facilities and 24-hour rest breaks,” S-AM.

The Northern Rd/Dick Johnson Dr, Oxley Ridge

“Somewhere in this area there is going to be a new workshop for Gilbert & Roach Kenworth, suggested other factories etc. Has anyone thought to have a look at this area for a smaller parking facility with drivers lounge and food and fuel?” S-AM.

Dunn Rd, Smeaton Grange

“There is nothing here. BP built a servo here where trucks can fuel up, you have a big Coles DC a lots of truck / trailer business and Sydney trucks. All these truck-related industries but major industry and no provision for interstates to park for 7-hour break. They could park informally up to 24 hours once on Smeaton Grange Road near Orielton Rd but that’s been used now by the business’s in that area,” S-AM.

Friendship Rd, Port Botany

“There are times in the terminal that the driver must have a rest break after loading that is unplanned. There is a need for a facility to take a rest for at least 26m B-doubles,” Anonymous.

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With BP Eastern Creek always full, truckies run the risk of being fined for parking in the nearby streets.

Photo: Google Maps

Most truckies who need a rest break at Port Botany are now out of luck. Photo: Google Maps

Electric tipper passes first big Qld test

BRISBANE-BASED Clover Hill Logistics (CHL) has just concluded the first of a threestep testing regime that could see a fleet of 10 Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) operating commercially in the bulk haulage sector by next year.

In what is believed to be one of the first trials of this type in the world, the burgeoning transport company – best known for its work in agriculture sector until now –teamed with Janus Electric to run a battery-powered Western Star tipper for Holcim around Brisbane for the last few months.

CHL operations manager Jordan Barratt said the initial results of the self-funded

Ground Zero project bode well for future expansion and uptake.

“We were really impressed with the truck,” said Barratt, who estimates that CHL has invested $90,000 so far.

“We were a bit uncertain at the start around whether it could perform comparatively to diesel, but we’re happy with the performance in terms of pulling power and on-road performance.”

Barratt said concerns around battery swap time were also dispelled during the first trial phase that started last November.

At the start, it took around 20 minutes to change the two batteries that are insert-

ed where the fuel tanks once were.

But by the end of it, that time had been halved at the Janus charge and change site at Hemmant, Brisbane, about 500m away from the Holcim sand plant at Lytton.

“Which worked out really well because they’ve got a heap of sand going from this depot to different plants around Brisbane so some of the runs are between 11km one-way up to 70km,” said Barratt.

“For the first part of the trial, we were just sticking on those really short runs, getting used to it, and then as we got more familiar with the truck and the battery swap, we’ve

extended out to those 150k round trips.”

Already, Barratt said the signs are encouraging in terms of cost, performance, driver feedback.

The next phase will reveal even more when CHL rolls out a truck and dog, something with a higher capacity to mirror what Holcim uses now. In the first stage, the electric tipper had a 21-tonne payload, whereas the truck and dog follow-up should be able to carry 10-tonnes more, said Barratt.

By the end of that second

leg, CHL also aims to have the truck combination on commercial parity, if not cheaper, than its diesel equivalent.

“The batteries are a bit heavier so it means we can’t carry as much payload which impacts the economics. We want to work with TMR and NHVR to look at a mass exemption for this one truck,” said Barratt.

“We also need to look at the energy side. How are we our charging, when we’re charging versus what the price is, and optimise that so we can reduce the cost of power that

we’re using.”

Other t’s to cross including speaking to TAFE Queensland around any potential training and skills gaps in the equation.

CHL is also working with the University of NSW to help analysis the data collected so far.

“There’s still a lot to learn around how to do it, even around how we operate. The operation models might change and we’re open to that and seeing if there is a better way to do it,” said Barratt.

Holcim Australia and New Zealand CEO, George Agrio-

The Western Star has been running sand and gravel around Brisbane for Holcim since November.

The converted Western Star passed the first stage of the trial with flying colours.

giannis, said the initiative is aligned to its Accelerating Green Growth strategy and a local example of the company’s commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050.

“This trial demonstrates Holcim’s commitment to reducing environmental impacts while delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers,” Agriogiannis said.

While the trial has exceeded expectations, Janus Electric general manager Lex Forsyth said that there is more to be done to enable greater adoption of this technology in Australia.

“The success of the Janus Electric trial highlights the potential of exchangeable battery technology in real-life operations, paving the way for a carbon-zero future.

“Despite this ground-breaking achievement, the lack of government support to adopt this technology is concerning and highlights the need for greater investment and incentives to accelerate the transition to sustainable transport.

“The trial proved the viability of this cutting-edge Australian-designed and manufactured technology.

“We look forward to the government engaging with Janus Electric, and like companies, to accelerate the clean energy transition.”

Meanwhile, Barratt is hoping to have the follow-up vehicle to the Western Star, a second-hand Mack Trident converted by Janus by mid-

‘Charge and change’ highways quickly taking shape

ALL going to plan, Janus Electric is hoping to have prime mover charge and change stations on all the major east coast freight routes by early 2024.

Earlier this month, Janus Electric general manager Lex Forsyth said he was aiming to have sites at Port Macquarie and Prestons at the south end of Sydney on the M7 by June.

year. The final phase of the project, fleet deployment, will see CHL buy and convert 10 prime movers for operation in south-east Queensland, making it the largest fleet of its kind in Australia.

“I think this [zero emission trucks] will be the biggest change for the industry in the next 30-40 years,” said Barratt.

“It’s definitely going to go this way.”

“And then we’ve got other facilities we’re just waiting on at Byron Bay and Grafton,” said Forsyth.

“We’ve got a customer at Grafton that wants to put a charge station in their own facility for their own trucks, but they’re looking at opening that up to the network.

“Then we’ve got a location with one of the energy providers on the highway at Byron Bay just off the interchange where potentially we can get the first charging stations up and going to complete that Brisbane to Sydney network.

By early January next year, Forsyth is also hoping to “roll out” the Hume Highway connection as well.

“We’re on target for that. We’ve got two charge stations going into Melbourne; one going into Port of Melbourne and one into Truganina so they’ll be operational by March and that completes the bottom end for Victoria.

“Then we’ve got two sites

on the Hume; one near Tarcutta and the other one’s going to be near Benalla, just on the outskirts of Melbourne.”

The other section of highway on Janus’s radar is the stretch from Adelaide to Port Augusta.

“We’ve got a customer in Adelaide in Gillman with 100-plus trucks on order that will be operating around Adelaide,” said Forsyth.

Forsyth said there are still a few red tape issues to surmount around ADR but it’s

slowly getting removed and it’s not hampering Janus in its sales and uptake.

“There’s a place for hydrogen but I don’t think it’s in road transport,” he added.

“There’s a lot of theoretical and potential data but nothing really in practice, and the big issue with hydrogen is that it does have range issues and with its pulling capacity as well so it’ll be interesting to see once that technology gets going.

“It’s going to be a challenging space.”

With Janus’s exchangeable battery solution, drivers are back on the road in just four minutes.

CHL started with jobs closer to the depot but quickly expanded the range.

CHL is now on the hunt for a Mack Trident to run in a truck and dog configuration.

Listen to truckies

EDITOR

JAMES GRAHAM

NEWS through earlier this month that Queensland is making code changes that will make it easier for motorists to tow heavier caravans didn’t, as you’d expect, go down too well with Big Rigs readers when we posted this announcement online.

Did anyone in power actually think to consult the truckies, the ones who are routinely impeded at their place of work by motorists woefully ill-equipped to tow something half the size before giving this the green light? Not likely.

Sure, as truckie Rod Hannifey says in our story on page 5 about the new Tiaro Bypass, the intent from bureaucrats when makinig decisions that impact on truckies is invariably honourable and done with the best of intentions.

But even if they do go to the trouble of trotting out a ‘Have Your Say’ campaign, it just smacks of lip service, because time and again the final delivery will be wide of the mark.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Truckie shares 13 reasons why there are so many accidents

A COLUMNIST asked as to why so many accidents are happening in a recent Big Rigs newsletter, well, I’ll tell you why....

1. Inadequate cooling systems in sleeper cabs Some batteries don’t last long. Bosses won’t buy certain units because of fuel prices and maintenance.

2. Having to sit around and waiting for loads Loads aren’t ready like they

should be or forklift drivers then go on a break.

3. No shade to provide an alternative cooling area over trucks No trees around to park under to help cool the trucks.

4. No decent meals to eat 24/7 and if you do get a decent meal, the prices are ridiculous Roadhouses are now turning into fast food junk. Hardly any decent roadhouses around that cook meals 24/7.

5. Nowhere quiet to sleep Sleeping at depots are noisy and so are truck stops but if you do find a place, you could either be fined or someone else will take that spot next time.

6. Inexperienced drivers What more can I say about this one. Think about it.

7. Cheap and nasty truck parts Imported parts that aren’t genuine can easily break or cause more damage.

HOT WEB TOPICS

Treacherous run strikes chord

READERS loved the story about veteran outback truckie Kym Mozol, 62, who makes the 1800km round trip to a remote Aboriginal community delivering supplies to its only grocery store.

Wrote Dave Wilson: “I absolutely admire this story. Thanks for being a huge part of our history mate.”

Tony Bulstrode could relate to the remoteness: “Yep, middle of nowhere. I used to take fresh water out to there when their desalination stopped working.”

Ian Melham said he worked at Lajamanu, Imanpa, Kintor and Mutijulu stores and have a great respect for these drivers,

which another reader described as True Blue Aussie truckers.

Shane Litzow wrote: “I saw at the end of his article that he mentions it’s a pity a few more

city people don’t get to the outback. Correction: it’s normally a pity when they do and bring their city ways with them. Leave ‘em in their fancy cities I say.”

8. Cheap and nasty tyres

Imported tyres that aren’t approved for Australian Standard or they’ve been regrooved or recaps are dangerous.

9. Having to unload/load then drive

You could be tired from exhaustion, heat, anger, not enough sleep or just different things going on throughout the day.

10. Lack of fluid (water) for your body

WOULD

Not many drivers drink enough water to keep their fluids up and some might drink too much milk, coffee or soft drink.

11. Not going to doctors for regular check ups

Recent studies shows that men in particular don’t get regular check-ups.

12. Rushing to get somewhere and not making sure you’ve done everything correctly Too many drivers don’t do proper load restraints, e.g.,

Tightening up straps, curtains, buckles. Not doing tyre checks, oil, water, etc. And not checking to see if the pin is locked in after hooking up.

13. Not pulling up if tired I have seen to many drivers all over the road because they are tired and when you try to call them up they either ignore you or abuse you.

Sonja White (truckie) Browns Plains Qld 4118

Special retirement for popular pair

KELVYN and Shirley Fuller may have recently closed the doors to K&S Fuller Transport, but the name carries on, with one very special truck, and an army of fans, judging by Danielle Gullici’s cover story on the popular couple.

Said Ian Thorogood: “All the best for your retirement you are true legends of the industry there are not enough words in the dictionary to describe what you have done. Been in the industry myself for 45 years in some way shape or form I take my hat off to you. Enjoy.”

Michelle Lo Surdo also joined the chorus of congratulations: “What a great story. Thank you for all your hard work getting

supplies moved around our big country. Enjoy your retirement. Love your new truck, it’s a beauty.

Dave Gilder, who worked in the Kenworth design office from 1972-2004, said it was only fitting that the Fullers’ parting gift to themselves was a Legend. “I’m just in awe of dedicated people like yourself. The SAR has a special place in my working life at KW Bayswater. I was the guy that laid out this original legendary icon on my drawing board way back in 1975 with the guidance from my chief engineer. To see this truck reintroduced as the KW 50-year anniversary truck is amazing for me. Enjoy your wellearned retirement, you guys are the real ‘LEGENDS’.”

The T604 is an ex-Cleveland Freightlines truck – one of the “Mack Munchers” – and it’s certainly been put through its paces.

Proud moment for doting truckie grandfather

Twins Jordan and Ethan, 22, couldn’t wipe the smiles from their faces when they got a first look at their grandfather’s new autism awareness truck and dog.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

BASED at Port Kembla, NSW, the Kenworth T610 truck and dog is owned by Ross Transport and driven by Billy Gaudie, 56, who has been with the business for nearly 15 years.

His grandkids were the inspiration behind the truck. “Jordan and Ethan are the main reason this truck was designed, in support for our driver Billy, his family and of course to create awareness,” said True Ross-Sawrey, manager at Ross Transport.

“There are quite a few people in the business who have children or loved ones with autism, so it’s something a lot of people are affected by and can relate to. We’ve chosen to support Autism Awareness Australia in support of Billy, because we know of some of the challenges his family has been through.”

The idea for the truck came from fellow driver Bryce Lambye, who saw an autism awareness truck while on a run into Queensland. When he suggested it to management, they loved the idea.

“We have quite a lot of unique trucks in our fleet and typically do a lot of cartoon trucks. When we rang Billy and

told him of the idea, he loved it and got a bit emotional on the phone,” said Ross-Sawrey.

Gaudie was previously behind the wheel of a superhero truck, which featured Jordan and Ethan’s names on it. Their names will also be added to the

new autism awareness truck too.

On hearing of the design of the new rig, Gaudie was ecstatic. “How good is that, it really made my day because I have two autistic twin grandsons,” he told Big Rigs.

The new truck and dog setup features the autism awareness ribbon and jigsaw puzzle, along with the words “Autism is my superpower”. Among its regular runs, it’s used to cart glass into Melbourne and bring steel back into Port Kembla. Gaudie also carts a lot of grain throughout NSW during harvest time.

Gaudie started driving professionally from around the age of 30, but as the son of a truck driver, was behind the wheel much earlier on. “I used to drive on the farm all the time

before I even had a licence, running wheat and that. Dad taught me to drive, he used to chuck me in the driver’s seat when I was only a young fella. I was driving cars from about the age of eight but he didn’t let me into the trucks until I was 14. I even used to do some runs into the silos without a licence,” he revealed.

When Gaudie spoke with Big Rigs, his new truck had hit the road just two weeks prior. “It’s only got 10,000km on the clock so far,” he said.

Wearing their Ross Transport t-shirts, which the company had made up with their names, Jordan and Ethan were so excited to see Poppy Bill’s brand new truck; climbing in and out of the cabin and beeping the horn. Gaudie also plans to take the boys for a ride in the

new rig very soon.

“They love the new truck. They were in it the other day blowing the horn and getting their photos done. Jordan kept pointing to the words ‘Autism is my superpower’.”

Jordan and Ethan were diagnosed with autism at around the age of just three or four, and continue to face daily struggles.

“Their mother Gaynor, who is my step-daughter, looks after them as they can’t do a lot of things for themselves. One of them is non-verbal, while the other one can talk and have a bit of a conversation with you. But they know how to work computers and iPads better than I do,” Gaudie explained.

“It is quite a struggle for Gaynor. Their father left when the boys were young. They were still only really little. Through

THEY LOVE THE NEW TRUCK. THEY WERE IN IT THE OTHER DAY BLOWING THE HORN AND GETTING THEIR PHOTOS DONE. JORDAN KEPT POINTING TO THE WORDS ‘AUTISM IS MY SUPERPOWER’.”

BILLY GAUDIE

NDIS, they now get to do things like going bowling, or visiting theme parks, or going out to lunch. They have carers that take them so that gives her a bit of a break, but you have to be really careful because they are runners, so can easily get lost. If you’re not careful, they’ll run away on you.

“Jordan has already been lost once when he was eight years old. It was for around 5-6 hours and it felt like forever. Police found him about 6km away from his school.”

Knowing firsthand how challenging it can be to raise children with autism, Gaudie is exceptionally proud to be given the opportunity to help promote autism awareness across the highways. He’s also thankful for the support shown by Ross Transport too.

“The company has always been great and even when I’ve been sick they’ve really looked after me. I had a heart attack about a year and a half ago and I was able to come back to work as a driver trainer until I was ready to get back into the driver’s seat.

“Jordan and Ethan like Ross Transport and they love my truck, which they know as Poppy Bill’s truck. True and Alan Ross have always been really good to them too.”

The boys loved having the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat of their grandfather’s truck.

Truckie Billy Gaudie with his twin grandsons Ethan (left) and Jordan (right).

The autism awareness truck and dog set-up is pulled by a Kenworth T610.

Ethan and Jordan with their mother Gaynor and Billy Gaudie, who they know as Poppy Bill.

Tributes flow for much loved transport legend

WELL known transport operator and director of Booth Transport, Brian Booth, passed away, aged 79, on Saturday March 11, surrounded by his family.

He is being remembered as a true gentleman, and an industry icon and pioneer, growing Booth Transport into the major transport player it is today.

On March 14, many hit the road with their lights on for Brian, to honour his memory.

Booth Transport was started by his father Lindsay Booth, with Brian joining the family business in 1958. His brother Devron had joined the family business two years prior.

Keen to grow the transport side of the business, during the 1960s the two brothers expanded the number of trucks to 12 and began doing interstate runs. Initially this was centred around transporting bulk wine from Adelaide, to Melbourne and Sydney. By the late 1960s, however, this diversified to include various forms of freight.

In 1968 Lindsay formed L.S. Booth Wine Transport Pty Ltd with seven shareholders (himself, his wife and five children); and then

retired from the day to day running of the business soon after.

The 1970s saw a rapid expansion of the busi-

ness. Trucks also got bigger and could transport bigger loads. In 1979, the company bought its first road tanker, which had a capacity of

22,750 litres – a big jump in efficiency compared to the previous 4500 litre tanks that had been used.

By the 1980s, an additional 15 road tankers were added to the fleet. Then in 1989, Booth Transport purchased a major competitor –and with it, 40 tankers and trucks and a depot and vineyard in Tanunda, SA. This move more than doubled the size of the business in an instant.

Growth continued through the 1990s, with the acquisition of a milk transport company based in Deniliquin, NSW, complete with another 15 tankers.

Then in 1998, the company expanded yet again, through the acquisition of the general freight division of a Brisbane based company.

By the end of the decade, Brian and Devron were the company’s sole shareholders. And then by the turn of the century, Devron sold his half of the business to Brian.

What followed was the company more than doubling in size, through

multiple expansions and acquisitions. During the 2000s, this resulted in the purchase of more than 200 pieces of equipment. It was also during this decade that the company name was changed from L. S. Booth Wine Transport to Booth Transport, and the company’s distinctive red livery was brought in.

Under Brian’s leadership, the company continued to grow and diversify. From 2010, it expanded into international shipping, transporting wine and other products around the world.

In 2014, the company built a milk transfer station in Strathmerton in Northern Victoria capable of transferring 2 million litres per day.

Then in 2019, Booth Transport established its Tasmanian operations focusing on dairy, wine and other food grade products.

With locations across SA, Victoria, NSW, Queensland, WA and Tasmania, Booth Transport came from humble beginnings, growing into a major national player in the transport game.

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Known as a true gentleman, Brian Booth has passed away, aged 79.

Scania’s superb two new Supers

Already a fan of the ‘Big Daddy’ 770hp Scania, our Victorian correspondent jumped at the chance to take the Super 460 and 560 for a spin.

BY GRAHAM HARSANT

THE last time I got behind the wheel of a Scania was to test drive their Big Daddy –the 770. That I was impressed by that truck is an understatement. Big V8 pushing out those 770 horses, huge torque (3700Nm), great sound, excellent auto ‘box, terrific dynamics in the cabin. And the steering. The steering was so good that I more or less based the article around it.

So, when Scania rang to ask me if I’d like to take their new ‘Super’ 460 and 560 for a spin, I was more than delighted to accept – even though these trucks were mere in-line sixes.

Now, I’m the type of scribe who likes to write about how a truck feels – its handling, ride, steering, environment and that certain je ne sais quoi that some trucks have in spades.

I usually skim over the numbers apart from the basics like horsepower and torque, figuring that the reader can easily look those things up online. But not this time. What Scania has done with this drive train deserves more than just a passing nod. So here goes…

The Super 460 and 560 that I drove denote the horsepower (there is also a 420 and 500 to cover most segments of the market).

What those figures don’t say is that those horses are put out by a 12.74-litre engine.

Yes, there are a number of engines out there that punch from 480-520 horses from that displacement, but there are none that can match that with the torque that the Scania Supers have.

I looked at other 13-litre donks on the market and they produce, for example, combinations of 480hp/2157Nm, 520hp/2500Nm, and also 510hp/2508Nm.

The Scania Super 460 has less power than all these but is twisting 2500Nm – equal to the best of the competition.

No other 13-litre is producing the 560hp the Super can, and none are producing anywhere near that versions 2800Nm. All those Newton Metres are on tap from a mere 950rpm and the curve stays flat right up to 1450Nm. There is no other 13-litre producing that sort of torque, which matches plenty of 16litre truck engines.

But that’s just the start of the story. The all-new Super engines are 75kg lighter than their predecessors and Scania has introduced twin overhead cams on them for the first time. They also have a 23:1 compression ratio which is huge when compared to others in the market segment which are around 17:1.

The Super engines have crossed the 50 per cent thermal efficiency barrier for the first time. If that doesn’t sound all that impressive, Scania’s director of sales, Ben Nye, pointed out that Formu-

la 1’s McLaren team has only recently broken this barrier.

The car industry gets pretty excited when they’re in the high 40s. To give more perspective, the average for the diesel truck industry is 30-40 per cent. The result is that more power is available to drive the wheels instead of disappearing in heat and noise.

Scania has done the bees knees with this engine without any real trickery.

“It’s basic engine design,” explained Nye.

“We don’t have a variable geometry turbocharger, we don’t have EGR. We clean up our emissions with AdBlue

only, using our Twin-SCR system where we inject the AdBlue just after the turbocharger where the gases are at their hottest and most turbulent instead of the muffler.”

So, therefore the AdBlue atomises correctly in the gases. Basically it does a bit of a sniff test and if it needs more it will do a second dose in the muffler. But we find the majority of it is done first up.”

Scania’s new platform is designed and produced with the latest technology and the technical life length has increased by 30 per cent compared to the previous generation despite extended maintenance intervals. This is

clever stuff.

So, we have a 13-litre mill pumping out up to an unmatched 560 horses and 2800Nm but Scania kept going by mating it to an all new Opticruise gearbox – also 7075kg lighter by dint of being smaller and cased in aluminium. The auto ‘box has 14 forward gears including crawler and overdrive gears and the method of oil delivery has been changed which results in a lot less inertia.

Then there’s two really big changes: Firstly there’s no synchromesh. This is effectively an automatic Roadranger. So how does it change gears without graunching them?

There’s electronics within the gearbox and the engine to make sure the revs are matched. There’s also three countershaft brakes in the gearbox to slow down the appropriate shaft to match it to other shaft speeds for seamless meshing. Also clever stuff. Secondly, this gearbox has no reverse gear! I can hear you all going, “What the…?” because that’s what I said. Instead Scania lock up the planetary gears at the back of the gearbox so it actually puts the whole gearbox in reverse. This is a really simple solution for reverse. Theoretically what you have going forward you could have going backwards.

The trucks feature a new fuel tank design.

Scania’s Electric assisted steering is the best in the business.

The Super 460 is just fine for singles.

All new from front and back.

You are going to get from Melbourne to Sydney just as quickly in this truck as you would in a 770.

Obviously, Scania have restricted it because who needs OD in reverse. Even more clever stuff.

So, the gearbox is shorter, lighter and since 2016 Scania have reduced change times by 115 per cent. It is certainly quicker than the excellent ‘box I experienced in the 770. This will make its way into the other V8s but needs strengthening for the 770 – something Scania is currently working on. It all adds up to make it a lot sweeter through the gear changes and takes away a fair bit of rolling resistance, and hence it’s picked up a couple of percentage points on fuel just out of the gearbox alone.

To finish it all off, Scania then looked at the final drives which are taller than in the past, meaning the engine is now working at lower revs. At 100km/h the engine is ticking over at just over 1100rpm in overdrive. To compensate for the tall final drives the lower gears are spaced relatively closely together to avoid any judder when moving off the mark.

Putting all this together has resulted in an 8 per cent improvement in fuel consumption. Indeed, Nye has seen up to 14 per cent. That’s massive but 8 per cent is a safe number so Scania has gone safe.

So, Scania’s new engine

platform offers more uptime, longer service law and reduced weight. There is much more in the Super Scanias, such as improved retarder performance which can give a maximum brake torque of 4700Nm.

There is the new Modular

Architecture Chassis (MACH) with dedicated holes for mounting parts both inside and outside the frame – the result being a more modular and predictable chassis layout, opening up greater flexibility which should be appreciated by both customers and truck bodybuilders. There is a new fuel tank design which carries a larger percentage of usable fuel without onboarding a greater volume of fuel, thus allowing a greater payload.

This is all wonderful stuff, but the proof of the pudding is in eating it, so it’s time to hop behind the wheel.

First up I am in the Super 560 B-double with 60-tonne of payload running from the BP at Calder Park to Bendigo and back, giving a nice mix of flat running, hills and drops.

Start ‘er up, twist the stalk mounted gearstick into drive and the brakes automatically disengage. Foot on the accelerator and away she goes smoothly and powerfully with not a skerrick of judder from the drivetrain.

Out onto the Calder, set the adaptive cruise to 100km/h, settle back into the seat and enjoy the scenery from the air suspended cab.

Have I got the power of the venerable 770? Of course not. Did I miss it? Not at all apart from that muted rumble of a powerful V8 which every would-be boy racer lusts after.

The fact is that you are going to get from Melbourne to Sydney just as quickly in this truck as you would in a 770.

That (standard in this truck) electric hydraulic

steering. Just wow! I’m lucky enough to get to drive a variety of new trucks and I’ve yet to find one as good as the steering in the Scania. It is simply superb.

The lane departure warning in this truck is pretty much superfluous because the fact is you can steer it with pinpoint accuracy. I had to keep reminding myself to use two hands on the steering wheel rather than just thumb and forefinger.

Seriously, the R-series cab – Scania’s biggest – seems to shrink around you. As I said in the 770 article I wrote, it’s bloody brilliant!

If I thought the gear changes in the 770 were good, the Super gearboxes have taken it to a whole new level. Super quick, super quiet, super refined. Uphill or down dale the truck finds the right gear for every occasion. Most of the time I only knew that I’d gone up or down a gear by looking at the tacho and that says a lot, not only about the gearbox but also the cabin which is beautifully insulated against noise from the outside world.

This is a truck that you could climb out of after your maximum logbook driving hours and do a Highland jig. It is aided and abetted by quality cabin fixtures and fittings with no rattles or squeaks. One of these trucks will make you want to come to work each day.

My lead-footed drive to Bendigo and back returned an average fuel consumption of 2.3km per litre – this with 60-tonne of ballast on board.

Back at the BP and I swap into the Super 460 with the mid-height G series cab – this time pulling a single with 40 tonne. The very first thing I noticed was the steering which was not up to par with the Super 560. I turn to Nye and say: “Are we on springs?”

“Yes we are,” he replies. “This is the poverty pack [note: Scania’s idea of ‘poverty’ is well above that of some competitors]. This is also hydraulic steering rather than electric. But bear in mind that you can order whatever you want in any of our trucks.”

Whilst definitely a level below the electric version, the steering was nevertheless superbly accurate and within a few minutes pointing the truck had slipped into my subconscious. Case in point is that not once during the trip did this sometimes, occasional truck driver set off the lane departure warning.

In the Super 460 of course 100 horseys have left us and gone out to pasture and we have 20-tonne less ballast on board. That’s 22 per cent less power and 33 per cent less ballast. Again, with the leadfoot the truck returned a very credible 2.7km per litre.

My mathematics is lousy, so I leave it to you as to whether you go for the 460 and a single, or the 560 and pull B-doubles.

Or you could simply buy one of each. If it’s the 460, make your drivers’ day by ticking the electric hydraulic steering box and the air ride. They’ll love you for it.

Uphill or down dale the truck finds the right gear for every occasion.

The Super 560 will pull this lot all day, every day.

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Globe-trotting truckie makes work an adventure

Now based in Canada, French truckie Julie Jacq has driven trucks all over the world and now has her sights set on one day returning to Australia.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

INSPIRED by her grandfather, Julie Jacq became fascinated in trucks from an early age. “My grandfather was a truck driver and brought me with him in the truck a few times when I was young –that was a revelation for me,” she said.

“When I was nine years old, I was already asking my grandfather to teach me how to drive his car and I was very good at it straight away. By the age of about 16, I got very interested in trucks. Driving a car was too easy. I wanted something bigger and harder and above all, I wanted to know how to back up the big trailers.”

Combining two of her greatest passions – trucks and travel – her 14 years of truck driving have taken her all over the world.

“After I finished my studies and got a diploma at the age of 23, I went and got my truck licence. I first started driving in France and also saw a bit of Europe, delivering refrigerated goods to Belgium, Holland and Spain. My first truck was

a Renault Premium 420hp with a semi trailer. I was doing reefer work, delivering to shops in different cities very early in the morning. It was small streets and small shops, so was very good for learning the size of the truck and how to back it up,” explained Jacq.

“But I needed more, so one day I packed a bag and flew to Australia. I wanted to drive there because I know Australia has the most impressive and biggest trucks in the world. I’ve always been fascinated by those big road trains and mining dump trucks. That’s why I came there.”

She arrived in WA in 2013, after securing a two-year Australian work visa. “Experiencing everything your beautiful country has to offer changed my life!”

When Jacq first arrived in Australia, she quickly found work, but it had nothing to do with trucks. With her French truck licence unable to be used in Australia, she needed the money to go for her truck licence. She secured her HC and headed straight to Newman, WA, in the hope of getting a job in the mines to

drive the big dump trucks –and tick another item off her bucket list.

“As I had no experience in mining and I was on a temporary two-year work visa, I couldn’t get a job there so went back to Perth. I worked in a quarry in Wilbinga, delivering limestone to construction sites in Perth and its surroundings, with a truck and dog. Then I did some tipping work, carrying corn from farms to factories, followed by a bit of curtain-sider work for the same boss,” Jacq explained.

She then spent her last six months here working for Toll in Perth, doing fridge van work, delivering to Coles Supermarkets.

With less than one month remaining on her Australian work visa, she secured her MC licence. “My visa finished just a few days later so very sadly, I had to leave and never got the chance to find a job driving road trains.”

But at the end of her visa, she didn’t want to go home, so she moved across the ditch to New Zealand instead. “I was so sad to leave this beautiful country that I decided to ap-

ply for a one-year visa in New Zealand and got it! I spent a year at the same company doing crazy logging with a truck and dog combination. After all those great experiences, I had another country on my mind – America,” said Jacq.

After applying, she secured a two-year work visa and jet-setted across to her next adventure. She has been based in Canada for the past five years and has travelled far and wide.

Her first truck-driving gig over there was transporting fresh produce. “I started in a great company,” Jacq said. “I was doing two-up, 10,000 kilometres a week in a brand new Peterbilt 579 UltraLoft, a very big and comfy truck. I travelled almost everywhere in the USA and Canada.”

After two years with that company, Jacq went onto car hauling, across eastern Canada and the USA. But when Covid hit, the company had to close, so she went back to what she loves, logging.

Based in a small town in the north of Quebec, Canada, these days, Jacq spends part of the year doing logging work

and the other part transporting race cars.

“From October to May, I work for a very small family company, transporting logs. This is where I probably increase my driving skills the most as I carry big logs on very icy, snowy and small forest roads. All winter it’s snowing and can drop to -35 degrees some days. Lots of fun and adrenaline.”

You’ll find her behind the wheel of a 2019 Perterbilt 379 with a Cummins X15 engine, Road Ranger gearbox and a 53ft trailer.

“I can carry 59 tonne of logs on main roads and unlimited weights on forest roads. The biggest I carried was about 79 tonne. The logs are picked up pretty much everywhere in the forest, within 300 kilometres. I usually do one or two runs a day, it depends on how far it is.”

In 2022, she began working for a NASCAR team, transporting their racing cars all around Canada between May and September. She is also part of the team, assisting with pit stops and organisation.

“When I do the NASCAR

race cars, I go to all of the races of the season that have been scheduled. It’s about 15 races all over Canada.

“I’ve had the chance to discover all of the USA from behind my steering wheel. The trucking industry is just amazing everywhere in the world. Driving all those different trucks and trailer combinations and seeing all those amazing sunsets gives me great joy and happiness,” Jacq said.

“What I love the most about this job is the challenge. I’m always looking to try a bigger truck on smaller roads with heavier weights. I love the fact that I get to operate such a big machine, being connected with my truck as I pass through each of the gears. I love hearing the sound of my engine and jake brakes. I spend hours trying to make my truck as shiny as possible.

“The freedom that truck driving gives me is very important too. Every sunset and sunrise are different and you get to see so many beautiful places all around the world. Truck driving is not only driving a truck, for me it’s a passion. It gives me joy, happiness and it makes me proud of myself.”

With a career that’s already spanned various continents and a diverse range of roles, Jacq has one thing that’s still on her mind. “I want to come back to Australia to finish what I started a few years ago, to finally get the chance to drive the biggest truck in the world in one of the most beautiful countries,” she explained.

“But immigration in Australia is very complicated as truck drivers aren’t on the priority skills list, which is crazy with all of the driver shortages over there – so fingers crossed!”

She worked in Australia for two years and got her MC licence just days before her visa was up.

New Zealand was where she got her first taste of log trucks.

From October to May, she transports logs for a small family company in Canada. Julie Jacq now divides her time between transporting logs and race cars in Canada.

Truckin’ In The Tropics

Owner-operator couple now in the driver’s seat

BY ALF WILSON

NIGEL Hoerler, 49, and his partner Kilarni Hyde, 45, are owner-operators who run Swes Transport based at Chinchilla, in the Western Downs Region of Queensland. While they each have their own truck, the couple will often travel together for many jobs.

Big Rigs unexpectedly saw them parked up under a shaded building beside the Bruce Highway near Cairns recently.

Now a rest area with toilets and covered shade, it had previously been a papaya fruit fly inspection station some years ago.

The area where it is located receives lots of annual rainfall and the covered area is great for trucks to park under.

The rest area is popular with drivers – and attracted many that day, as there had been some heavy rain between Cairns and Tully.

Kilarni was sitting in the driver’s seat of her 2003 Volvo FH12 and Nigel was nearby.

“This is Kilarni’s truck and I have a Globetrotter FH13. We brought up machinery from Ballina in NSW for Cairns and as a backload we have to pick up a body truck in Townsville for delivery to Brisbane,” Nigel said.

They have been partners for six years and owner-operators for the past four.

“I got my HC licence a year ago and love travelling with Nigel as we can take turns driving as well,” Kilarni said.

Nigel is of PNG descent, born in the city of Lae, while Kilarni is of PNG and Aboriginal heritage (Butchulla/Goreng Goreng Peoples).

“We have travelled all over

Australia except Tasmania and have recently done some road train work up to Weipa on Cape York,” Nigel said.

Nigel says he was always going to end up a truck driver as his dad Joe Hoerler drove rigs in the PNG Highlands for many years.

“Dad drove an old Mercedes and later came to Australia where he was also a truckie. He is now aged 74 and happily retired and living at Hervey Bay,” explained Nigel.

The couple said that Joe

would be excited to see them appear in Big Rigs, as it’s one of his favourite publications.

The couple are boilermakers by trade and have a sandblasting workshop at Wieambilla, not far from Chinchilla.

“I have been a qualified boilermaker for 23 years and Kilarni is a third-year apprentice,” Nigel added.

He had started off with a crane truck and people would come into the workshop “wanting things moved”.

“So I bought a truck and

Enjoying life on the farm as well as the open road

EXPERIENCED truckie Alan Byron, 57, had just pulled up in his flashy Mercedes on dusk when Big Rigs had a yarn to him.

He had stopped to pick up a bite to eat at the Ampol Hilltop Roadhouse at Singleton in NSW.

Byron has been a full-time truckie for 10 years and is employed by Tamworth Company Carey Freightlines.

The first truck he drove was a Leyland Hippo.

That day I saw numerous Carey trucks along the New England Highway.

“I carry groceries for Woolworths supermarkets and really enjoy the job. This roadhouse is a convenient place to stop at,” he said.

The Mercedes is powered by a 600hp motor. It has an

automatic transmission and Byron says it is very comfortable to travel in.

He nominated the worst road he has been along as the one between Goondiwindi and Moonie in Queensland.

“I used to drive cattle trucks on it and it was very rough,” he said.

Outside work Byron has

a small farm near Tamworth which has 12 cows. “I like being on the farm,” he said.

Looking to the future and the remainder of 2023 Byron says he hopes the cost of living doesn’t get any further out of hand.

“I hope my kids and other young people can afford houses,” he said.

that is how the business started four years ago and it has gone from there,” he said.

The rural town of Wieambilla made headlines recently after two police officers and a member of the public tragically lost their lives in an ambush, after attending a property in search of former school principal Nathaniel Train, who had been reported missing.

Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, and Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, were shot dead, along with Alan Dare.

Constable Randall Kirk and Constable Keely Brough escaped.

It was with extreme sadness that Nigel and Kilarni spoke about the tragedy as they were friends of Alan Dare, who lived on a neighbouring property.

“We sandblasted his swimming pool a few years back and stayed in contact ever since,” Nigel said.

He was the nicest man you would ever meet. Alan would do anything for anybody.”

I asked the couple about

the worst roads they have been along and Kilarni answered swiftly.

“It would have to be the Gregory Development Road between Charters Towers and Clermont. It has lots of rough shoulders and only one rest area at Cape River and a roadhouse at Belyando Crossing. There is not much else,” Kilarni stated.

That section of road is 350km long and very boring to negotiate as well as being narrow in some parts.

As for roadhouses they like stopping at the Puma Cluden on the outskirts of Townsville.

“The staff are so friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them,” Kilarni said.

Several hours later as I was driving back from Cairns to Townsville I spotted the Swes Transport Volvo parked outside Andy’s Roadhouse, just south of Ingham.

Nigel was walking in and no doubt yarned to owner Andy Barra, who also runs trucks, about the road transport industry.

Kilarni and Nigel have their own company uniforms and look smart in them.

This couple are so happy and comfortable travelling together and look set for a long career as owner-operators.

Life is also extremely busy for this road transport couple. But when they are not on the road – whether it be together or in separate trucks – or running the steel fabricating and sandblasting business, they enjoy going fishing.

“My favourite spot is at the Moreton Bay point and I recently caught a big dolphin fish which made great eating,” Nigel said.

Tree loppers hard at work

A 2000 model Mitsubishi

Canter is a common sight around the scenic Blue Mountains region of NSW where it is a vital part of a tree lopping business run by Daniel Holmes.

Holmes, 41, operates Glenbrook Greenery from his home base at the beautiful village of Glenbrook, off the Great Western Highway.

“The Mitsubishi has almost 400,000km on the clock and is going well. I do a lot of local work around the area and travel as far away as Lithgow,” Holmes said.

Big Rigs saw Holmes and his assistant Michael Robb after a hard day’s work.

“I run into the odd python and lots of spiders when lopping trees,” Holmes said. He also makes habitat hollows for animals out of some of the trees.

“I have had the Mitsubi-

shi for about eight years,” he said.

The pair like stopping at the Eastern Creek Roadhouse when on the job.

Holmes said that the worst road he has travelled

on is near Pittstown. Robb said he enjoys the work and living in one of the greenest parts of Australia.

“I don’t drive the truck but help with everything else,” he said.

with Alf Wilson

Big Rigs stopped to chat to Alan Byron near Singleton.

Nigel Hoerler has followed in the footsteps of his father, who was also a truck driver.

Kilarni Hyde and Nigel Hoerler run Swes Transport.

Kilarni was sitting in the driver’s seat of her 2003 Volvo FH12, when the couple stopped for a chat. Photos: Alf Wilson

Daniel Holmes (left) and his assistant Michael Robb.

Truckin’ In The Outback

A one-man show and his trusty old rig

BY ALF WILSON

VETERAN Darwin-based small fleet operator Ted Lalor, 62, parked his 1987 Scania at far off Tully in North Queensland and was delighted to talk about his long career on the road. His business is A Adam Ant Removals, Transport and Storage, with a depot at Coolalinga in Darwin. The theme of his business is “Big enough to cope, small enough to care”.

With him was his friend Jean and much loved pet shih tzu named Cactus.

“I have come down from Darwin with a load for Gladstone and then onto Brisbane and will have a backload to the NT,” he said.

It had rained cats and dogs that morning between Cairns and Tully and visibility was poor while travelling the Bruce Highway. “You have to be extra careful when there is rain like this around,” he said.

Lalor once had 16 trucks but these days just has the trusty old Scania and a 1992 UD.

“They are very reliable trucks for carrying furniture. The Scania has more than 500,000km on the clock,” he said.

Many of Lalor’s trips have been to remote locations in the NT, SA and WA. On the back of the Scania are the names of NT towns Tennant Creek, Darwin, Alice Springs

challenges facing the road transport industry and in particular small operators like him.

“The fuel cost is hideous –in some parts of WA, SA and the NT it is more than $3 a litre. It is killing so many people. But you have to have it like food and water,” he said.

A shortage of suitable drivers is another angst and that’s why Lalor is now a one-man operator. “You just can’t get drivers who do the job. But that is a problem everywhere,” he said.

Customers who don’t pay accounts on time or not at all is also a concern. “I had one client who I did a job for who wouldn’t pay and to get the money you have to take civil action or go to the small claims tribunal,” Lalor said.

He also spoke of which roads he has found most chal

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her pic snapped but is a wealth

“My son Mark is a truckie bourne run and I keep in touch

I asked Lalor for a final word which would be good advice for all drivers: “If you feel tired, pull

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Lalor rescued his beloved dog Cactus from the pound seven years ago.

Reader Rigs proudly supported by

Share your truck pics to win with Shell Rimula

SHELL Rimula has partnered with Big Rigs in a big way – so there’s 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 National Road Transport Newspaper Facebook page, calling

for your best truck photos and add yours in the comments, or email them to editor@bigrigs. com.au.

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 edition of Big Rigs Newspaper, with one winner announced each month. Keep those amazing truck pics coming!

TDH Transport shared this great photo, snapped by Dave, while the Kenworth T659 was parked in front of this Goondiwindi silo artwork.

Dave Hely snapped this incredible shot, while loading timber out of Gurnang Forrest, near Black Springs, NSW.

Rohan Findlater shared this great shot of an Emerald Carrying Company Kenworth, in between ethanol loads at Picton Road.

Dave Graham sent in this shot of the T610 he drives for a farmer in Galore, NSW, snapped while working hard at harvest.

Having done the hard yards, George Proctor is now enjoying retirement with his 1964 F600.

Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls Inc. shared this pic of their Mack with the Aussie Invader as it crossed the Great Australian Bight.

Michael Roels snapped this epic pic while hauling logs through the Glenwood State Forest, near Mount Canobolas, NSW.

Rail and Road Photography shared this great snap of Truckworks Adelaide’s incredible hulk-themed Kenworth T659 Heavy Wrecker.

Kelson Martin shared this great shot, taken a couple of years ago during harvest at Meandarra, Queensland.

Lachlan Harm waits out the storm to load at Surat, Queensland.

Tom Charlton got this shot at Forrest Beach, just out of Ingham, while “chillin’ by the waterfront”.

Sam Hill snapped this shot, leaving Mount Magnet, WA, with a pipe layer on.

Jarrad Symes shared this shot beside the Panna Bucket in the mining town of Pannawonica, in the Pilbara region of WA.

Wade Delardes snapped this awesome shot while heading westbound for Perth.

When the going gets tough, truckies keep everyone going

Revora to display Australia’s first refrigerated EV to fans

REVORA, an offshoot of Brisbane-based refrigerated truck assembler Eurocold, will showcase its first refrigerated electric truck at this year’s show.

The start-up will leverage the refrigerated transport industry knowledge of founder and managing director, Avraam Solomon, along with the expertise in the low-to-zero emissions space brought by general manager, Nathan Gore-Brown, who has an extensive automotive background with Aston Martin in the UK as well as launching Tesla’s initial flagship Brisbane outlet.

More recently, he has acted as a senior consultant to government and private sectors on transport decarbonisation with leading advisory agency, MOV3MENT.

Solomon says Revora will draw on Australian technology and ingenuity, with several key components (chassis, fridge, body etc) sourced from “best-of-breed” opera-

tors in Australia and internationally.

“Revora is a completely separate and new brand

to Eurocold – aimed at future-proofing the sustainability of the refrigerated transport industry,” ex-

plained Solomon. “Revora will be Australia’s first fully integrated, electric refrigerated truck fleet supplier.”

The program, being headed up by Gore-Brown, will assess fleet suitabilities to embrace electrification before assisting customers into the crossover. The trucks and energy solutions will be all on a long-term lease with Revora.

Revora’s offering will also include the supply of energy/charging stations, staff training, and on-call support.

To optimise efficiency once going electric, Revora is devising a technology-led process that will assist fleet owners to ensure they are maximising opportunities through telematic data tracking on the vehicles and software to monitor energy systems.

“Avraam has the vision to provide a sustainable future for the refrigerated transport industry through establishing a line of highly efficient, cutting-edge green transport solutions. Our customer base, partners and alliances

are in third-party logistics, broadline food services, along with the meat, seafood, dairy and produce industries,” Gore-Brown said. With the majority of refrigerated transport deliveries being ‘last mile’ deliveries and in urban areas, Gore-Brown says electric trucks are perfect for this duty cycle.

“EVs are particularly well suited to urban and stopstart tasks,” he said. “This is down to their ability to recapture energy through regenerative braking. Typically, the refrigerated transport industry has a large portion of the fleet running last mile delivery and that’s where electric trucks excel.

“In addition to this, as we move towards government-mandated net zero emission targets, electric trucks will provide opportunities for our customers to gain new contracts due to businesses wanting to reduce their carbon footprint.”

Covers come off Australian-designed hydrogen truck

HYZON Motors has unveiled its heavy rigid truck platform, an Australian-designed and built hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, ahead of showcasing the rig at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.

The company is developing the heavy rigid truck as a global platform, adaptable for international markets, with a multitude of vehicle use cases, such as garbage compactors, tilt trays and flatbed trucks.

Leading the development of the global heavy rigid program in Australia has allowed Hyzon to tap into the rich resources of highly skilled local engineering and technical knowledge

to build a team, process, and product for its global and domestic markets, the company says.

Last year, the US-based company announced development of a purpose-built assembly plant in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Noble Park, to locally manufacture hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles.

Hyzon’s team has designed and built the first three trucks over the past year, replacing the diesel engines in new Mercedes trucks with hydrogen gas tanks and a fuel cell.

The heavy rigid truck is expected to hit the road in a

number of commercial trials in Australia and New Zealand throughout 2023.

Hyzon already has three tilt-tray trucks on order from the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) owned towing company Nationwide Group, and discussions are under way with waste management groups and other potential operators.

President of international operations John Edgley says this week’s launch is a “real game changer” for Australia’s and New Zealand’s decarboni sation journey.

“We are building our ze ro-emission heavy vehicles

right here in Australia, using local skills, employing local people, and collaborating effectively with our colleagues across the globe,” he says.

“Our vehicle development process is following a path of design, build and validation to make use of resources that are available in Australia and provide an opportunity to train new engineers and technicians.

“Incorporating global market requirements and standards into our design philosophy has

key component of Australia and New Zealand fuel security strategy into the future.”

The Hyzon heavy rigid is expected to start trials this year.

Revora will be Australia’s first fully integrated, electric refrigerated truck fleet supplier.

Will Isuzu unveil the ELF BEV at Brisbane Truck Show?

IT’S a matter of not if, but when Australia will see Isuzu’s first factory produced zero emission vehicle (ZEV), the ELF EV, which was recently launched internationally, according to Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL).

Could that be as early as the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show on May 18-21?

Launched under Isuzu Motors Limited’s (IML) ‘choose your future’ banner, the new light and medium-duty product range includes a mix of technology to address localised market demand, regulation compliance, and geographic preferences, the company says.

The next-generation products feature an all-new cabin design with more space surrounding the driver’s position, safety technology upgrades including multiple drive-assist features, and new powertrain technology.

Utilising its product development platform

I-MACS*8, Isuzu will offer the models with various power source options, according to the IML reveal.

The battery-electric vehicle (BEV) model portfolio ranges from standard cab models of less than 3.5 tonnes in GVW to wide-cab models of up to 7.5 tonnes in GVW.

The standard-cab model houses two battery packs with a 40kWh capacity, the high-cab three battery packs with a 60kWh capacity, and the wide-cab five battery packs with 100kWh capacity.

Chassis with special rear body applications (eg garbage trucks and aerial work vehicles) and ELF EV Urban Transporter, a walk-through van model, will be launched internationally in FY2024.

IML says the BEV models will share as many operational components and layouts as possible with diesel models to provide compatibility with the rear bodies

of diesel trucks so as to allow customers to smoothly start using BEVs without sacrificing convenience.

While no local release date has been set, Isuzu Australia chief operating officer and director, Andrew Harbison, says customers can expect, when the new model is announced for the Australian market, “the same compelling operator and business case they rely on Isuzu to provide”.

“The Isuzu Elf EV is the culmination of intense research and development by Isuzu in Japan,” he said.

“In its first iteration, this battery-electric Isuzu truck is targeted at the built-up environment, fulfilling lastmile distribution duties.

“It will have an immediate and obvious impact in reducing urban transport emissions and contributing to greater quality of life through reduced noise and safety features protecting both the operator

and public.

“We look forward to setting out on this journey with our Australian customers.”

Harbison adds that with the “converging lines of increased road freight demand and the requirement for

ZEV”, it is essential Isuzu has a product portfolio that meets customers’ immediate and near-term needs.

SEA Electric primed for big show after landmark deals

SEA ELECTRIC is motoring towards the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show with a head of steam after signing two landmark deals to supply its proprietary SEA-Drive battery-electric power system to Mack Trucks and Hino.

Founded in Australia in 2012 and now headquartered in the United States, in

2020 SEA Electric partnered with Hino Trucks US for ‘Project Z’, Hino’s path towards zero-emissions for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks; and, in March 2021, launched two SEA-badged vehicles in Australia, the SEA 300 EV and the SEA 500 EV, which are built on Hino chassis and sold through a network of nationwide dealerships.

In the next step in its mis

sion to eliminate emissions from the transport sector, the company has become a Tier 1 partner to Mack Trucks in the US for the supply of its power system.

The five-year agreement will focus on the next generation of Mack’s popular MD range, which will see deliveries of the fully electrified models to Mack dealers across North America.

Specifically, the Class 6 and 7 Mack MD6 and MD7 models will be equipped with the SEA-Drive 120 and 180 power systems.

On top of the Mack partnership, SEA Electric has also

revealed a significant expansion of its existing business relationship with Hino Trucks.

The announcement paves the way for its SEA-Drive power-system to be fitted to Hino’s M and L Series.

“Hino Trucks’ products are renowned the world over for their dependability and reliability, and we are proud to be a part of the next chapter of that story,” Fairweather says.

For Hino Trucks, the announcement expands its range in a growing market.

Unveiled at Work Truck Week, held in Indianapolis March 7-10, Hino’s Class 5 M5e cab-over and Class 6 L6e

conventional models will come equipped with battery capacities of 138kwH and 220kwH respectively.

Hino Trucks’ President Glenn Ellis says the “strategic collaboration” with SEA is part of its plan to provide powertrain options to meet the needs for customers and markets throughout the United States.

“Starting in 2024, Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) mandates are starting to kick off in California which are growing the demand for electric vehicles (EV), and many of our customers want to add EV’s to evaluate operational capabilities,” he notes.

Hino’s Class 5 M5e cab-over will come equipped with a battery capacity of 138kwH.

The BEV model portfolio will range from two battery packs with a 40kWh capacity to five battery packs with 100kWh capacity.

Our advice is based on practical and proven knowledge of the needs and challenges facing the transport industry. We take the time to assess your individual risks and exposures, and deliver smart and uncomplicated insurance solutions that are tailored to your business’ needs.

We are a full-service brokerage. This means we can provide you with a full review of your operation, meet with you face to face, simplify the insurance jargon, and manage your claim.

INSURANCE. UNCOMPLICATED.

Whites shine bright at Kyabram event

BY DAVID VILE

UNDER clear sunny skies, the northern Victorian town of Kyabram has once again played host to the Australian White Truck Muster, with a variety of trucks bearing both the White nameplate, along with a myriad of White-associated brands, on show across the weekend of March 18-19.

Since the first White Muster in 2005, it has become a must-attend event for those who have an affiliation with the range of brands that fell under the White Motor Company banner prior to its demise in the US in 1980, which ultimately resulted in the brand name disappearing from Australian roads in favour of Western Star in 1983.

Ray Grima, organiser of

the White Truck Muster, and owner of a number of old Whites, was delighted with the turn-out of trucks and people for the ninth running of the event, which was back in 2023 after Covid saw the cancellation of the 2021 event.

“The numbers are up there and there a still a few more coming in... it’s a bloody good roll-up,” said Grima.

“There are a lot of trucks here that haven’t been here before. It can be an expensive weekend with the cost of fuel and so on, but if it wasn’t for all our exhibitors, we wouldn’t have a show.”

One of the standout trucks on display – and taking the honours for the longest-distance travelled to the event – was the beautifully

restored Road Boss of Cesare and Silvana Colli, who made their way across the Nullarbor from Perth to attend the event.

The range of White models on display was extensive, from very rare Indiana and 802 models through to the Super Mustangs and 3000 series cab-overs from the 1950s through to the 4000/9000 models, Road Commanders and Road Bosses of the 1970s and early 1980s.

Along with the obvious focus on White vehicles, all makes were welcome at Kyabram, and walking around the displays the diversity of trucks was for all to see, ranging from classic Mack B-Models and Super-Liners through to International ACCOs, MANs, Fords and current-day Western Star

and Kenworth models.

The event alternates each year with the Kyabram Mack Muster, with the next White Muster scheduled for March 2025.

With more White trucks still out there scattered around Australia, there’s no doubt there will be a few more making their way to Kyabram in two years’ time. For more information check out the White Truck Muster Facebook page.

The White Road Boss of Cesare and Silvana Colli came across from Perth and was one of the standouts of the show.

The Muster hosted some rare White models and special-use trucks such as this twin-steer Road Boss which was formerly a drilling rig.

This 1970 Diamond Reo hauled logs, sawn timber and machinery for 34 years before being retired in 2004.

Terry and Marg Whelan’s White 9000 kept in close company with a GM-powered 4000 model.

A Cummins-powered Diamond T sits alongside a GM-powered example.

Ashley Transport’s 1979 Detroit powered Road Boss is still an everyday working truck.

With all brands made welcome, the Kyabram Showgrounds also hosted a solid roll up of various makes and models.

Mal Adams (l) and Nick Dorahy (c) along with Mick Hayden (r) made the trip over from Cooma in NSW with Mick’s recently-retired Road Boss tipper.

A stable of beautifully restored Super Mustangs on show.

Scott Hough’s White 3000 heads a line of Road Commanders. Photos: David Vile

Clean results in ease of

AUSTRALIAN Pump is the country’s leading designer and manufacturer of high pressure cleaning equipment. Aussie builds machines that are designed for professional Australian users with a focus on big trucks and mobile plant.

“Every owner-driver and even big fleet operators know that running trucks is an expensive business! Key costs are regular maintenance and parts replacement. You tell us that keeping vehicles clean is a great way of minimising failures through regular maintenance,” said Aussie Pumps chief engineer John Hales.

He believes in the current economic climate that replacement parts and plant can be not only hard to find sometimes but also slow to source. Preventative maintenance is key in minimising costs and of course avoiding the disruption of breakdowns.

Easy cleaning

The team at Australian Pump approach the issue from two perspectives:

• Everybody likes the idea of driving a clean truck. It makes you feel good.

• Maintenance on a clean truck is more pleasant and more efficient.

Ease of maintenance can significantly lower costs.

Aussie’s market research indicates that nobody enjoys spending five or six hours cleaning a big rig. Anything that helps them get the job done faster is considered a benefit as after a certain period it just becomes boring.

Aussie’s ‘Truck Wash Special’ is designed to clean big equipment and long haul road gear.

Their unique Scud design, with stainless steel onepiece welded frame, big flat free tyres on steel wheels and heavy-duty ‘Big Berty’ Bertolini pump makes all the difference.

Yes, these machines come with Honda 13hp engine or in the bigger models, even up to 29hp industrial Honda petrol engines. They also make diesel versions.

The beauty of Aussie’s Truck Wash Special is its big flow and high pressure combination.

“We realised it wasn’t the pressure that got the job done

faster when you are talking about cleaning big gear,” said Hales. “It’s a combination of flow and pressure that works. That’s why we built machines that do 21 litres per minute flow and match that with a pump pressure performance of 2600 psi!”

For serious removal of baked on mud, dust or washing undercarriages, Aussie recommends a turbo lance that gives the operator an effective working pressure, allied to the big flow mentioned above, of almost 5000 psi.

The Aussie Scud machines all come with gearbox drive pumps that reduce the operating speed of the pump to 1450 rpm. That slow speed extends pump life dramatically. The Big Berty features solid ceramic pistons, forged brass heads and huge finned crank cases for cooler running.

Steam’s a dream

For automotive and machinery washdown of particularly greasy applications, the company’s unique steam cleaners and hot wash systems get the job done fast!

“You save water, save pow-

er, even save detergent by using steam to clear away grease and oily waste,” said Hales.

The company also offers a 4000 psi 130°C steam cleaner that is completely mobile. That’s right, no power cables!

The drive comes from a 13hp electric start Honda engine. It also runs the ignition system from its 12 volt circuit. It’s a unique combination of high pressure and steam that can be mounted on the back of a ute, service vehicle or trailer.

“We call it the Aussie HEATWAVE,” said Hales.

Free safety training

Aussie Pumps are big on pressure cleaner safety training.

Their training course is absolutely FREE and is made available to not only Australian users of pressure cleaning equipment but to Aussie’s worldwide export network as well.

“It’s great to see notifications of successful course completions coming from far

away countries, like Sudan, Kazakhstan, and even South America,” said Hales. For further information, including FREE safety training, visit aussiepumps.com.au.

The Aussie Heatwave mobile steam cleaner delivers fast efficient cleaning for maintenance.

Getting you back on the road sooner

WHEN a truck is involved in an accident, it can be an anxious time for any transport operator, but NTI aims to alleviate the stress of the situation by offering quality repairs with a faster turnaround.

NTI’s Authorised Repair Network extends nationwide, with over 50 repairers on hand, and counting.

“Having an Authorised Repair Network means in the event of an accident, our customers don’t need to worry about where to get a quote or who can do the repairs safely at a competitive price,” said Tim Pontifex, head of claims services at NTI.

“And if the vehicle is still

drivable, they don’t have to take it off the road or go around getting quotes. Once the vehicle enters the workshop, the network repairer has auto authorisation and can start working on the vehicle straight away.

With a 24-hour Accident Assist Service Centre, based in Australia, NTI customers are able to lodge their claims over the phone, anywhere and at any time. Using its heavy vehicle recovery network, NTI can organise for the vehicle to be towed straight to an authorised repairer, so work can begin straight away. “That takes a lot of pain and suffering out of the whole process after an accident. We strongly encourage customers

who have an accident, as soon as possible to call our Accident Assist line,” said Pontifex.

NTI has invested significant time and effort in understanding the key drivers to adequately assess and repair vehicles. “We partner with our repairers, which results in better service for our customers,” added Adam Craft, NTI’s national manager of Repairer Networks. “That quality and safety aspect is paramount, as is managing costs, which then helps to keep premium costs down for our customers.”

He continued, “Repairers in our network are required to meet a set of standards. Our Authorised Repair Network is not an exclusive club, but we do have a set of standards for our Premium and Local repairers in terms of their skills, knowledge and equipment levels. All our repairers are a one-stop shop. They have mechanics, auto electricians, spray painters, panel beaters etc – everything is under the one roof.”

NTI currently has 22 Premium Repairers and 29 Local Repairers in its Authorised Repair Network. The difference between the two is that Premium Repairers are able to carry out heavier work. They are specialists in major mechanical and structural repairs; and have large workshops with specialist equipment, to complete any job that comes their way.

Local Repairers on the other hand are specialists in light repairs for smaller trucks. These are generally smaller workshops and are often located closer to base.

“As our Premium Repairers do the heavier work, they have overhead cranes to lift the cabs off and onto the chassis and/ or engines and gearboxes out of the prime movers. We also expect them to have a chassis aligner or crushes as they are known in the industry,” Craft added.

Pontifex says that NTI’s Premium Repairers can also get vehicles back on the road sooner. “Independent research

has shown that our Premium Repairers are, on average, nine days faster than our competitors. Nine days might not sound like a lot, but when you ask any transport operator, especially an owner operator, how much it costs to have a vehicle off the road, nine days makes a huge difference.”

One of the keys to this efficiency is NTI Parts. “We have a relationship with the major truck manufacturers and dealerships nationally that enables us to get parts to repairers much faster,” Pontifex added.

“NTI is very unique in that aspect. No other insurer supplies parts to smash repairers. Our competitors don’t have that sort of control when it comes to parts – so if they don’t have the part, they just have to wait. At NTI, if we can’t get the part locally, we’ll source it elsewhere in the country.

“For example, the other day we needed a chassis ladder for a prime mover and the manufacturer took it off the assembly line for us – otherwise it would have normally been a four month wait.”

Adding to the fast repair turnaround, repairers in the network are given authority to begin working on a vehicle as soon as it enters their workshop, without having to wait for an assessor.

For light vehicles, NTI

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT OUR PREMIUM REPAIRERS ARE, ON AVERAGE, NINE DAYS FASTER THAN OUR COMPETITORS.”

TIM PONTIFEX

has also partnered with AMA Group. “They have the knowledge and equipment to just focus on light vehicles,” said Craft. “By reaching out to AMA, we’ve been able to expand our national footprint so we can make sure our high levels of service flow through, whether you drive a Kenworth or a Lexus.”

For repairers wanting to join NTI’s Authorised Repair Network, visit nti.com. au/claims/nti-authorised-re pair-network to register an expression of interest. “To join our network, repairers do need to meet the standards, have the skills and equipment, and share the same values as NTI. Interested repairers can answer a few questions online, before we assess their workshop,” explained Craft.

“We want the vehicles repaired in a timely fashion with quality and safety always being paramount.”

Premium Repairers carry out heavier work, and are specialists in major mechanical and structural repairs.

A 24-hour Accident Assist Service Centre means NTI customers can lodge claims over the phone, anywhere and at any time.

Repairers in the network have authority to begin working on a vehicle as soon as it enters their workshop, to get you back on the road sooner.

Benefits of digital tools for workshop maintenance

TAKE the guesswork out of workshop maintenance with advanced connectivity through digital tools and fleet management software. With streamlined workflows, you’ll fix problems before they arise, keep drivers and the community safe, and make money in the long run.

By upgrading to a digitally streamlined workshop, you can deliver regular and proactive maintenance, keeping your fleet and equipment in peak condition. Tools at the ready, your drivers can focus on delivering and not have to worry about delays in the workshop or serviced equipment.

Digital workflows streamline communication

For top-tier workshop maintenance, you need to start with the foundation – communication. Teletrac Navman’s fleet management software links your digital applications and tools. Every element of your vehicles, including trailers, is connected. This enables instant communication between your drivers, management,

and the workshop. With a streamlined, digital workflow in place, the workshop can efficiently cater to drivers’ needs, ensure ve-

hicle compliance and safety, and manage procurement. The team can check digital reports, pre-trip checklists and service information in re-

al-time, rather than relying on patchy communication with remote staff or out-of-date paper-based reports. The result? The workshop

can proactively maintain vehicles and fix small problems before they become bigger problems, avoiding costly breakdowns, and keeping the operation moving.

A connected fleet is a safe fleet

Well-maintained vehicles and safety go hand in hand; you avoid parts failing on the road and reduce the chance of dangerous breakdowns that can put other road users at risk. By connecting every part of your fleet, workshop staff will have access to the data they need to ensure trucks are in perfect condition, keeping drivers and the community safe.

Drivers can complete a digital checklist of the vehicle’s condition in real time. So, if anything fails or is cause for concern, maintenance staff can immediately ground the vehicle and fix the issue or order parts so the vehicle can be fixed quickly on return.

Teletrac Navman’s digital applications and fleet management software can store maintenance schedules, vehicle service histories, receipts,

and other important documents, alongside the vehicle’s essential data to create a single source of information. This comprehensive overview allows the workshop team to keep vehicles as safe as possible.

Make money with digital

The benefits for your business don’t stop with improved communication and safety. You’ll also increase profitability. Well-maintained vehicles are more fuel efficient, so you can avoid unexpected costs from failures. Drivers can make their deliveries on time – improving customer satisfaction and delivering future business opportunities, and future profits.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Getting connected now before the scheduled 3G network closure in June 2023 enables access to all the benefits of digital tools for workshop maintenance without you missing a beat.

In just two minutes, take a free online assessment to see how Teletrac Navman’s solutions can improve workshop maintenance in your business.

Streamlined workflows give you the opportunity to fix problems before they arise.

A tick for increased safety

Heavy Load Safety Mats come in two standard lengths of 2300mm x 600mm x 14mm; and 2300mm x 700mm x 14mm; allowing for easy storage across the deck or tray ensuring minimal space is taken up. Heavy Load Safety Mats can also be customised to any length required to suit your specific application.

Due to the rubber used for the Heavy Load Safety Mat, they are fire retardant and resistant to oil and fuel spills which creates a Heavy Load Safety Mat that will provide years of constant use which creates a positive return on investment.

ANDROMEDA

INDUSTRIES’

REUSABLE

RUBBER DIVISION PRIDES ITSELF ON RECYCLING AND UPCYCLING RUBBER CONVEYOR BELT USED IN VARIOUS MINING APPLICATIONS WHICH WERE BOUND FOR LANDFILL IN AUSTRALIA, INTO WIDE AND VARIED APPLICATIONS.

THERE is a need in the transport industry to continually improve safety and longevity of equipment and Andromeda Industries addresses such concerns with its new product.

Introducing the new Heavy Load Safety Mat by Andromeda Industries.

Andromeda Industries is an independently Australian owned local business located in the township of Moonbi, NSW (22km north of Tamworth). With many different facets to the business including Superflex steel cable and slings division, Reusable Rubber division and an Engineering division, Andromeda Industries can cover a plethora of customer demands and needs spanning a multitude of different industries including the transport and logistics industry.

Since its inception, Andromeda Industries has continued to offer new and innovative products to meet the needs and demands of the Australian public, transport and heavy machinery industries.

Andromeda Industries

Reusable Rubber division prides itself on recycling

and upcycling rubber conveyor belt used in various mining applications which were bound for landfill in Australia, into wide and varied applications, this includes our new Heavy Load Safety Mats.

The Andromeda Industries Heavy Load Safety Mat is designed to improve safety by providing an increased coefficient of friction during the transportation of heavy loads and OSOM including excavators, bull dozers, cranes etc. The Heavy Load Safety Mat provides friction and a non-slip surface which increases load safety and stability, and in doing so provides additional protection for your truck and trailer deck from the machinery grouser plates.

Made from heavy-duty 14mm thick rubber belt, which has been upcycled/ recycled from the mining industry, the Heavy Load Safety Mat includes the following key features which make it a must to use when transporting heavy machinery and equipment around Australia.

Machine punched in tegrated handles at both ends provides safe and easy

handling and allows for better manoeuvrability and functionality. Without the integrated handles this type of rubber can be hard to

handle, however due to the unique machined punched handles it makes the storage and use of the Heavy Load Safety Mats a breeze.

Functionality is a must in the transport industry and the Heavy Load Safety Mat has an alternate use as well. They can be laid over concrete, bitumen, asphalt and grass to protect these surfaces from damage by the grouser plate bars whilst machinery is being unloaded and driven over.

Andromeda industries also supply other reusable

Heavy Load Safety Mats

rubber products that include rubber mudguards and mud flaps for trailers and dollies along with ute mats, tailgate mats, Holeybelt20 and Split Belt rubber which can be cut to size all ranging from 3mm to 10mm thickness and wide-ranging widths suitable for so many different applications.

For further information or to see the complete range of products, visit andromedain dustries.com.au or call the friendly staff on 02 6760 3773.

The Heavy Load Safety Mat provides friction and a non-slip surface. Here the Heavy Load Safety Mats are used for dune access.

A popular stop for truckies

Popular fruit stall

For many years an old Ford Ecovan truck and a 2003 Hino have been integral to the operation of a highway fruit stall operated by Carol and Mick McNamara.

It is beside Putty Road at Glen Ridding near Singleton in NSW and has been there for about 30 years, selling fruit and vegetables.

But with work starting on the New England bypass of Singleton they fear they won’t be there for much longer.

The work includes the installation of fencing along the corridor, demolition of existing buildings and the re-

location of utilities.

I stopped off at the fruit stall earlier in the year and yarned to the friendly couple.

They were concerned that their fruit stand won’t be there for much longer because of the bypass. The land, including their farm, is to be requisitioned by the government.

Every day people pull up to sample the produce, including many truckies.

“Most of the fruit and veggies are grown on our farm nearby,” Mick said.

The Hino is registered for driving on the road whilst the Ford is not anymore.

“We display the produce on the back of the trucks and they are great. We bought the Hino at Newcastle 20 years ago,” Mick said.

Carol added that the most popular items were melons, strawberries, spuds, carrots and capsicums.

The major work on the bypass will start late this year and the 8km section should be open for traffic in late 2026.

It is expected to ease congestion on one of the Hunter region’s most notorious bottlenecks.

The NSW government advised the bypass will remove about 15,000 vehicles a day from the Singleton city centre, ease congestion, improve safety, decrease travel times by six minutes and bypass up to five sets of traffic lights.

When I spoke to Carol by phone in February, she said the family were to have a meeting with the RMS which was for mediation over the price of their farm from which most of the fruit has been grown since 1994.

“The price we have been offered is well under valuation,” she said.

Carol added that a near-

by house had recently been pulled down, with a fence erected around it.

Their son Chris, 55, has been involved in farming since he was 12 and has been dealing with the matter on behalf of the family.

Whatever the outcome I hope the couple find another place to continue to sell their fruit from the two old trucks.

Longford rest area

Reports continue to reach Spy from Tasmanian truck drivers about the lack of toilets at new rest areas.

The consensus amongst those who contacted me is simply “human body needs are not being met”.

One driver snapped some pics at the new Longford rest area which he says show the clear lack of comfort facilities that truckies need to keep good health.

“And even clean areas to park that aren’t a health hazard in themselves with people doing what they need to do somewhere. The bitumen is already badly stained with what are not coolant leaks,” he said.

Longford is a historical town in the northern midlands of Tasmania, 21km south of Launceston and a

15-minute drive from the airport.

It is just south of Illawarra Road, a road connecting the Bass and Midland Highways.

There is a big meatworks at Longford which employs many people.

Friendly worker

Many truck drivers stop off at the Raintree Tavern in Cairns where Jye Close is one of the friendliest workers you would ever come across.

In my travels I am always on the lookout for such workers at places like roadhouses, cafes, pubs or anywhere frequented by our drivers.

Close, 29, works in the Sports Bar where lots of off-duty truckies go for a coldie, a meal or to have a flutter at the TAB or pokies.

Drivers can park around the back as the tavern is on a busy road.

Close said he met up with a variety of people and found truckies great to deal with.

He moved from Lismore at age 14 and went to school at Kuranda which is a village about 20km from Cairns up a range.

“I always wanted to be in the industry and got my Cert 3 Certificate in Hospitality at

Kuranda. This is a great job. I was always taught to be nice to people,” Close said.

Parking area concerns

There is a popular parking area just outside Mareeba, which is a transport hub, home to depots of many major transport companies. A quick drive through the backstreets and industrial area will confirm that.

However the area is regularly policed by patrol cars which are active between Mareeba and Mount Molloy about 40km away.

There are noise restrictions, with no refrigeration allowed between 9pm and 6am, no cross-loading of stock or materials, no non-emergency maintenance repairs and zero public ablutions.

Now even though most truckies are well educated and learned, I don’t know how many would realise what ablutions are.

According to Google, ablution is the act of washing oneself and Spy can’t imagine truckies having a bath or personal wash down there.

To add to the concerns, numerous vans and cars pull up there and on occasion can stop decent parking by heavy vehicles.

Courteous worker Jye Close on duty in Cairns. No ablutions are allowed at this parking area outside Mareeba.

Carol and Mick McNamara at their fruit stall near Singleton.

A truck negotiates the Kuranda Range Highway as a low cloud makes visibility difficult.

SPY ON THE ROAD WITH ALF WILSON

hangs in the balance

Flashers save speeding breaches

During my travels in NSW, Victoria, through Queensland and even Tasmania I have seen truckies flash their lights to warn oncoming traffic of speed enforcement up the highway.

Now we all know that is an offence which the cops look down on and it can attract a heavy fine if detected.

But are these “flashers” heroes or villains. I suppose it depends who you listen to.

Some truckies tell me they have been nabbed for just a couple of clicks over the designated speed limit which results in loss of demerit points.

However several police I spoke to reckon this increases the risk of accidents because of speed.

Anyway I was travelling

along the Bruce Highway about 10km south of Cardwell recently when a truck could be seen in the distance flashing his lights.

I am sure he saved some motorists from speeding breaches as there was one of those detection vehicles beside the road.

So the debate will go on about whether it is the right or wrong thing to do.

Cassowary caution

A sign beside the Kennedy Highway in the far north advised drivers to be wary of wandering cassowaries.

It stated that three of the giant birds had been killed recently so caution was required.

Experts tell us these birds are an endangered species and we must be on the lookout.

But along the Kuranda

Range section heading towards Cairns there is always the prospect of a cassowary appearing on the winding road.

I have seen long queues of traffic held up because a cassowary had wandered onto the road and wouldn’t move.

Whilst on the subject of the Kuranda Range Highway, Spy was heading down towards Cairns and a low lying cloud appeared and caused visibility problems.

It was difficult to see even metres in front and to add to the angst it was raining heavily.

Around a bend, suddenly a Woolworths light truck appeared and negotiated it safely.

More trucks followed and it was a great relief to reach the bottom of the range.

Pardon the pun, but Spy ponders over a few coldies if the truckies were “on cloud nine”.

Penguin and the bins

Many Tasmanians are hoping the local council at scenic Penguin don’t remove and replace the iconic bins there.

These bins have penguins on their exterior and are genuine tourist attractions, which fit in with the name of the town, that sits on the Bass Highway between Burnie and Ulverstone.

Spy has received a baker’s dozen of calls from Apple Isle truckies who want the bins to stay.

There is even a ‘Penguin Makeover Community’ Facebook post about the Central Coast Council’s plans to remove the bins, which has attracted hundreds of comments.

As luck has it, Spy has a sub agent who lives at Penguin named Mark Bousen. He’s a retired and well respected journalist who owned five provincial newspapers in Far North Queensland.

So I asked Mark if he could snap a pic of some bins and he was happy to.

He photographed Penguin resident Marliese Streefland with one of the iconic bins. She said they are popular.

Locals reckon there would be few towns in the world where the garbage bins are a tourist attraction.

The first penguin-themed bin was installed in the town in 1980.

Some community members have raised concerns about the future of the bins after council announced it would be rolling out new infrastructure.

Residents of the coastal town have applied to the Tasmanian Heritage Council to have 12 penguin-themed rubbish bins, as well as the town’s Big Penguin sculpture, included in the Tasmanian Heritage Register.

In western Queensland at towns like Hughenden, Richmond, Winton and Boulia there are also dinosaur wheelie bins. These are very popular in

the region, where many dinosaur bones have been dug up.

Truckie to the rescue

A lack of paper at many toilet rest areas was touched on in a recent column.

Spy saw a perfect example when stopping at a popular rest area.

I saw an energy worker come racing out of the men’s facility with an urgent statement to people in earshot.

“I am busting for a number two and there is no paper. Has anybody got some,” said the man, who was in obvious discomfort.

A knight in shining armour who had just got out of his truck came to the rescue and quickly grabbed a toilet roll from his rig, handing it to the lad.

“You are a life saver,” the energy worker said.

Gone bananas Spy continues to be amazed about the information he receives from workmates of truckies.

This snippet certainly amused some lads. It involved a driver who left Tully in a B-double which was supposedly loaded with bananas for the Melbourne markets.

This driver was delighted with the smooth running of his rig as it cruised over the Cardwell Range section of the Bruce Highway.

But he was rather embarrassed when he got to Rollingstone about 150km south.

The vehicle was placed on a weighbridge and it was discovered that the second trailer was empty.

It must have been chilly at 13 degrees inside that refrigerated trailer.

From reports another full trailer of bananas was sent from the depot and the produce did arrive in Victoria.

But workmates have been letting him know about it, with humour, ever since.

“I think he must have gone bananas when he realised the trailer was empty,” one of his colleagues joked.

Penguin resident Marliese Streefland and one of the iconic bins.

Trucks cruise through Singleton’s main street.

Embrace the opportunity for lasting reform

freight operators have had in recent years when it comes to attracting, hiring, and retaining staff – especially drivers.

THE VTA was thrilled to host over 170 delegates at our annual State Conference recently for important discussions on the many issues confronting our industry.

In my opening remarks, the central message to delegates, along with the state and federal legislators, regulators and other stakeholders in the room, was that there is a unique opportunity for all of us to create lasting heavy vehicle reform that will help attract people to the Australian freight and logistics sector.

Our People First – Managing Transport’s Greatest Asset conference theme was inspired by the enormous challenges

Transport is a labour-intensive industry and people are our most important asset. People are also the hardest of our assets to manage, so it was only natural that our focus is directly on how to get the best from our people.

The Covid pandemic has caused labour shortages in numerous industries, but for freight and logistics, it merely added additional challenges to a sector that has experienced entrenched worker shortages for decades.

Why has this been the case?

Is it because transport workers aren’t paid well enough? Is it because of a perception heavy vehicle drivers live a rough lifestyle? Is it because people don’t see a career pathway in freight and logistics? Is the industry still shrouded in the stigma that driving a truck or working in a warehouse is just a job, as opposed to the profession it is?

The conference was a terrific forum to tackle these difficult questions head on and with the assistance of our speakers, some stimulating conversations were had about how to make our industry more appealing to future workers.

Labour shortages due to border closures and Covid’s close contact restrictions limited the availability of workers and played havoc with the industry last year.

With borders now open the situation will improve as the year goes on, however the transport industry can still expect shortages to persist because of structural issues the industry has long faced and is working hard to overcome.

An aging worker profile and state licencing regulations that limit our capacity to recruit drivers after leaving school, takes time to correct, underscoring the importance of planning ahead for operators’ labour needs.

Notwithstanding these shortages, our industry will

continue to grow, demand for goods and volumes to be moved will grow and it will require well trained and motivated employees to support this growth.

Labour shortages have underpinned the VTA’s work to develop training programs that deliver a pathway for new entrants to the transport industry to be trained as job ready workers in freight and logistics.

Our training-based graduated Driver Delivery program has delivered over 250 new heavy vehicle drivers directly into jobs that would not have previously been attracted. And our FIT (Freight Industry Training) is successfully attracting, training and placing women and other demographics into careers in freight and logistics.

What we need most, however, to attract workers to a career in freight and logistics is reform.

The election of the Albanese government last May, along with state elections that saw Labor win or retain gov-

ernment in SA and Victoria, means the ALP now occupies the treasury benches federally and in six of the seven Australian states and territories. That may grow if Labor wins the NSW state election as current polling suggests it will.

This opportunity presents in the context of state and federal transport policy-making that has generally been in a holding pattern for over eight years, particularly in the critical areas of heavy vehicle national law, licencing, industrial relations,

and productivity improvement.

With there now being general political consensus in place across the length and width of Australia there has never been a better or more opportune time to attain the reforms that have evaded the transport industry for years.

The results will be a safer industry that provides productivity, efficiency, and sustainability dividends for parties to every freight transaction including operators, customers, and consumers.

These companies must start taking responsibility

and we’re calling on them to sign up to six core principles: safety and fairness, transparency, collective voice, education and consultation, lifting standards, and disaster planning.

ON Tuesday, March 7, hundreds of transport workers around the country marched on Aldi stores, part of a nationwide campaign that’s taking the fight for a fairer industry to wealthy supply chain clients.

We served Aldi, along with 39 other of the largest and wealthiest retailers, manufacturers and agricultural companies, with a claim to make their supply chains safer, fairer and more sustainable.

That’s because clients at the top of the supply chain need to step up.

The devastating collapse of Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics, Australia’s largest cold chain operator, has shown us that action cannot wait. This industry cannot wait. Right now, other drivers and operators are looking on, many of them on similarly razor-thin margins. Scott’s is not the first. It will not be the last unless there is urgent action.

What we’ve heard from administrators is that the company ceasing operations can be attributed to “uncommercial customer arrangements”.

What we already knew to be true has been illustrated here in black and white: Scott’s has become yet another casualty of greedy clients raking in profits while squeezing transport contracts dry.

Transport workers have had enough of it. Hundreds of them joined the rallies at Aldi stores

around the country only recently. In NSW they hand-delivered the claim to the retailer, and they’ll be back again if the company doesn’t take action to raise standards in its supply chains. They’ll be back because they have no choice: their industry is on a dark downward spiral and it got there because of

the greed of wealthy companies like Aldi.

Aldi has history here. The company has proven itself to be against its workers, demonstrated clearly when it attempted to silence truckies speaking out on safety in their supply chain – a play that saw Aldi lose not one, but two cases in the Fed-

eral Court. Aldi has refused to sign a charter with the TWU on supply chain accountability, while Coles and Woolworths both came to the table.

The claim on Aldi and the other top clients is a call for fairness, safety and sustainability in supply chains. These companies must start taking responsibility,

It’s a sobering realisation that among the 40 companies to receive the claim, Scott’s was in the supply chain of 22. Based on the latest information, the 40 clients boast more than $160 billion in revenue a year – all the while, drivers and operators are under immense financial stress, piling on the pressure to delay maintenance, speed and drive fatigued to make ends meet.

This industry is already the deadliest in Australia. Over 50 have died on our roads in truck crashes. 13 of them truck drivers. A single death on our roads is too many – this is carnage. The destructive competition that’s driving down standards and destroying lives must end, and clients like Aldi can act right now to make that happen.

The federal government has committed to delivering much-needed transport reform that will set fair, safe and sustainable standards in the industry, and we urge Federal Parliament to back in those reforms once introduced. But the collapse of Scott’s is yet another example of just how urgent this reform is. Clients must act now to lift standards in their supply chains and save lives and businesses.

Is the industry still shrouded in the stigma that driving a truck or working in a warehouse is just a job?

and national secretary Michael Kaine joined hundreds of transport workers around the country to march on Aldi stores.

Find what you want and never settle for less

arms are too skinny to manage steering and gear changes. Others say there’s nothing sexier than a woman driving a semi.

“I thank all those who support and remind those who don’t, that it’s not about how you look, it’s about capability and competency.

“IT’S just something that’s in you. You get it. You hear I’m passionate about the sounds, the gathering of those 18 gears and the rumble of the jakes...”

Cockatoo-based HC driver Wendy Fox talks candidly about her journey into trucking and what it takes to succeed as a single mum in a male dominated sector.

“I blame my folks for my lifelong dream to become a truckie because we had the coolest dunny wallpaper ever –tricked up from floor to ceiling with Mack trucks!” she said.

“As a little girl, I’d sit on the big toilet, feet swinging, staring at those beautiful rigs knowing someday I’d be out there driving one!

“I’m often asked how I got to where I am today. Some say I’m too small or that my

“My Grandpa served in the war driving Jeep-trains hauling ammunition and my Dad drove a small removals truck. With him, I learned how to secure freight, use ratchets and straps and the importance of keeping a tidy shed and looking after my truck. No wonder I love trucking –it’s in my blood!

“My greatest childhood memories are of sitting on the petrol tank of Dad’s Suzukihanging onto the handlebar in between his hands – zooming up rolling hills on our Strath Creek property – checking fences, seeing dead cow skulls, dams I wasn’t allowed to swim in, twisted gums, the wind gushing past, the bumps, the holes, dodging hazards, the feeling of uphill versus downhill and the way it makes you trust your seat.”

She continued, “Someday I’ll be a gorgeous 90-year-old woman. I don’t wanna look back and wish I’d been brave enough to follow my dreams.

“When I look back I’ll smile; knowing I was the woman I wanted to be, not only for myself, but for my cubs!”

Fox got her MR licence in 2019 to move produce and

equipment around the farm she was working on. “This was finally the beginning of my coveted trucking career!” she said.

“In 2021, I upgraded to my HR road ranger and entered a revolving door of casual work; driving tippers, water trucks and delivering water tanks. It was a time of learning and excitement!

“In 2022, I got my HC license and a tipper gig in West Gippsland. Transporting heavy machinery to work sites was also part of the job. Here I learned chains, dogs, ratchets and driving plant on and off floats, which then led me to drop-deck work.

“Doing heavy haulage work flanked by pilot vehicles with flashing lights is sexy as

and awesome fun, but I still wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to go.”

Finally, she found Knox Transfer Station (KTS) and full-time work.

Based at their Yarra Ranges Recycling Station, she carts green waste to Bio Gro where it’s churned into compost. “I love working for a great company, being a part of the baseline for sustainability and watching the interstate B-doubles load,” said Fox.

“I’ve worked hard to get to where I am, I still pinch myself that I have my ‘own’ rig and love that I’ve earned my company’s trust.

“Will I upgrade to MC? If the call in my heart’s strong enough, absolutely. If KTS wants me to – it’s boots on and go!

“What can I say to women considering a trucking career? Know the woman you are or want to be. Find what you want and never settle for less. Know that no question is a dumb question. Don’t be shy to ask, it’s how you learn. Overthinking is acceptable and finally, trust yourself –you’re a Wonder Woman!”

DENNY CEO, Women in Trucking Australia

HC driver Wendy Fox had dreamt of driving trucks since she was a little kid.

Raft of improvements to access management

ACCURATE heavy vehicle route planning is critical to ensuring the safety of drivers, productivity of freight movements and sustainability of road infrastructure across Australia.

One of our priorities at the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has been to work towards a safer and more efficient heavy vehicle industry. We know that there is a significant opportunity to enhance how our government and industry manage and access road assets.

The Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP), as a federally-funded initiative, is assisting local government road managers to perform assessments of their bridges and culverts.

This project feeds directly into the enhancements being made to our NHVR Portal, where we are introducing a suite of changes to improve access management holistically.

The NHVR is working to help councils and industry across the country make safer decisions. To give you some examples, below are a list of just some of the projects that have been delivered so far with SLGAAP:

• Establishment of a national local government bridge database, to assist councils with storing their data securely and operators in planning their journey better.

• Education to more than 200 council road managers to increase understanding of heavy vehicle interactions with bridges through webinars, online courses and toolkits on a dedicated knowledge hub on the SLGAAP project website.

• Development of a methodology and establishment of a local government priority heavy vehicle route database, consisting of 1986 routes nationally to provide a focus for assessment that delivers best return on investment.

Through SLGAAP, you can make quicker and informed decisions around access based on bridge assessments, with a clearer understanding of local bridge capability to better inform heavy vehicle access.

We are also working tirelessly to transform the NHVR Portal into a heavy vehicle business centre – this means one location for both government and industry to access the information and tools they need, including road networks, assets and accreditation.

This year, the NHVR is

transitioning ACT and Victorian network maps onto the portal. This means for the heavy vehicle industry, drivers and operators will be able to access a single and authoritative location for all ACT and Victorian network maps.

By the end of 2023, the NHVR will have also completed the transition of South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales network maps to the portal. These changes will bring about huge wins for drivers and operators. The improvements

to the portal will allow our drivers and operators to access one platform with all the information needed to plan routes for entire fleet, with a single enforceable network map.

You may be wondering when can government and industry expect to see these changes?

Work is already underway. As each state and territory is onboarded this year, drivers and operators will have access to more comprehensive and consistent routing and network data.

THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PORTAL WILL ALLOW OUR DRIVERS AND OPERATORS ACCESS TO ONE PLATFORM WITH ALL THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO PLAN ROUTES FOR ENTIRE FLEET, WITH A SINGLE ENFORCEABLE NETWORK MAP.”

Witness the future unfold at the Brisbane Truck Show

BY HEAVY VEHICLE INDUSTRY AUSTRALIA

THE Brisbane Truck Show has many good reasons for existing, and with 56 years under its belt, it is clear that the trucking industry agrees.

So when you make a claim that this year’s show is like no other before it, you have to be pretty assured that you aren’t just getting caught up in the pre-show hype.

But this year’s show is like no other before it. It really is.

While the experience walking in the door will feel comfortably familiar, and the layout isn’t doing anything unexpected, there is something drastically different.

I’m not talking about

where you’ll get your coffee, burger or beer. That will all live up to your expectations too.

Chances are that you’ll run into an old mate or three, as you take two hours just to make your way down an aisle of the show; that is also something that we’ve all laughed about together many times before.

What is fundamentally different, to any previous show, is the arrival of a whole new breed of vehicle that will – in time – inevitably change the way you go about almost every aspect of your business.

For those lucky enough to have made the pilgrimage to Hannover for the IAA Transportation event last

September, the experience was equally overwhelming, probably incrementally more so.

That is because Europe had already shown a much greater commitment towards de-carbonising their transport fleet, both heavy and light.

Their heavy vehicle industry had been making obvious progress, laying out plans for low- and zero-emissions vehicles, but until the Hannover show the vast majority of it had just been announcements, concept vehicles and testing programs. Then the show itself became a statement. Virtually every exhibitor had something to say about how they

are ready to partner with you to help you make the transition.

We had expected that they would have taken a fairly sophisticated approach to addressing the total cost of ownership conundrum. Without that being resolved, how do you make a business case to make this sort of commitment?

The Europeans had gone much further than that. They had suppliers able to talk through every aspect of the transition from an operational perspective. It is one thing to say you want to do it. It is another to implement the changes to infrastructure, systems, maintenance and support,

rostering, vehicle use, scheduling, and so much more.

The Australian landscape is unashamedly different; it is very unlikely that any of the largest vehicle manufacturers, showcasing their wares in Brisbane, will not display diesel internal combustion engine (ICE) powered trucks as part of their offering.

But even for the ICE vehicle’s most ardent supporters, and the electric vehicle’s most strident critics and sceptics, the arrival of these vehicles on the scale that will be present in Brisbane makes it hard to avoid indulging in a little bit of “what if” thinking.

There is no illusion that

this will take longer for some sectors than for others. But the commitment from all corners of our industry towards this shift now has an unstoppable momentum.

It is no longer what if. It is when

This is your invitation to witness the biggest revolution in road freight transport since… well, what? The road train or the B-double?

That would be a reasonable argument to make, but still not as big a shift at its core.

It is your chance to watch the future unfold. Because by the time we get to the next show in two years’ time, this is all just going to be business as usual.

Through SLGAAP, operators can make quicker and informed decisions around access based on bridge assessments.

THIS article is the ending of an era for the transport industry with the demise of this magazine under the restructure and rationalisation of News Corp

It is a sad day for all of us in the industry as Big Rigs magazine has been a part of our lives for almost 30 years.

For some, their entire careers so far.

It will leave huge gap as the editors and staff have supported the industry, provided fair and rational debate and given everyone a fair say in industry doings to all, as well as stories, pictures and news of our people, our trucks and our unsung heroes.

Our lives will be the poorer for its demise; being a columnist for Big Rigs for the past year and half has allowed me to fulfil yet another childhood dream, to write, and it has given me great pleasure and I hope it has at least been enjoyed by some.

While so many are focused on the negatives of the industry, I have tried to focus on the

positives aspects or those issues about which I am most passionate and have a chance of making a contribution to change.

I began writing column when I was returned as Transport Women Australia Limited chair in November 2017.

In the interim, TWAL has had many successes and achievements.

It has expanded the relationship with Girl Guides Australia and been involved with several successful projects with them, the Victorian Snoozefest in April 2018, the “Great Bag Migration” for the International Jamboree in Sydney in October 2018 and other interactions that are expanding the knowledge of the transport industry.

We launched the Women Driving Transport Careers initiative with our partners Wodonga TAFE and Volvo Group at the 2018 TWAL Creating

Across

4 Eighteen Mile Point was the former name of which NSW town (6)

7 What is the culture, traditions etc, preserved from one generation to another (8)

8 Baked dinners are commonly known as what (6)

9 What is a formal drawn-up request, signed by many people (8)

11 Which colloquial term describes an accurate marksman (7)

13 In which place are hides converted into leather (7)

15 What is a Russian metal urn (7)

17 What are dark patches in the sky consisting of interstellar gases and dust (7)

20 The Cape of which NSW town is the most easterly point of the Australian mainland (5,3)

23 What is a member of the second order of angels (6)

24 To be meant for the select few is to be what (8)

25 What can it mean, to be worthless and despicable (slang) (6)

in Melbourne.

In November 2019 we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the organisation (TWAL) with a fabulous gala dinner at The Windsor Melbourne where we also presented our first four winners of the Driving the Difference scholarships with our amazing sponsor, Daimler Truck and Bus Asia Pacific.

We also presented the inaugural Trish Pickering Mem-

orial Award, sponsored by the wonderful Wes Pickering.

This was awarded for longterm outstanding contribution by a female to the road transport industry, the inaugural winner was Pam McMillan the longest serving director and chair of Transport Women Australia Limited.

This is an annual award and the recipient of the 2020 Trish Pickering Memorial Award

Down

1 What is the unit of inheritance (4)

2 Name another term for sight (6)

Sad day for all in transport

3 What were the three wise men known as (4)

4 Name the capital of Switzerland (5)

5 Kampala is the capital of which E African republic (6)

6 What is a pool into which card players place money (5)

9 What is a supporter of a cause, art or enterprise (6)

10 Name a Greek epic poem, ascribed to Homer (7)

12 The joule is the unit of which capacity for doing  work (6)

14 What is the number of members of a body required to be present at a meeting (6)

16 What are snow leopards called (6)

18 Which term describes “relating to morals” (5)

19 What is another name for a monastery (5)

21 In chess, which piece is also known as a castle (4)

22 Upon which line does the earth turn (4)

will be announced later this year at an event still to be determined.

We have also launched our Learning Initiatives Breakfast Series with several partners so far, including NTI, MOVE BANK and rt health.

In early 2020 the Creating Connections Mentoring program was finally ready to commence with both mentors and mentees signing up to the pro-

gram. I would like to thank the fantastic team at Big Rigs newspaper for their incredible support and wish them ongoing success.

I hope that I get the opportunity to continue to work with some of them and so work towards making the trucking industry a better appreciated, and a safer place for our people.

Fighting to end the inequality: Big Rigs and TWU played their parts

policy that should be keeping safe one of the most dangerous industries in Australia.

To quote one truck driver turned Australian senator, Glenn Sterle, “a death at work or on the road should not be the price of doing business”.

losing their contracts and the ability to support their families.

It appears the government does not care.

A final reminder to all Big Rigs readers: now is the time to unite, now is the time to ensure equality in this industry.

THIS is the end of an era, the last TWU column in the trusted transport industry publication Big Rigs

Over the years the TWU and Big Rigs have played their parts in the role of keeping the top end of town accountable and doing our bit to look out for the rights of the little guy. It’s still about the voice that speaks out for the truck driver,

long way to go – we have been through countless road, freight and transport ministers and nothing changes.

Truck drivers are still dying at work.

It’s a pretty safe bet to say this is due to the lack of strong government policy in place,

The TWU puts it to governments that we must stop the inequality that exists between truck drivers and clients.

Drivers must be paid proper rates, owner-drivers must be able to trust they will be paid properly for the work they do and on time. Families depend on this.

Many of the ongoing problems that occur are down to the big clients squeezing our

industry as dry as they can.

They want operators to meet their unrealistic deadlines and take on more freight for less or they face the risk of

There are unsafe vehicles, dodgy licences, poor payment times, wage and superannuation theft – just a few of the many things we have called for to be stopped.

A reminder to governments and the transport industry clients: the industry that has kept Australia moving during the pandemic is facing an uphill battle.

Employer groups should be standing alongside transport workers to unite for a safer and fairer industry.

Together we can stand on common ground working to ensure the government continues to support transport workers and the industry they support.

The TWU will continue to voice the needs of transport workers to the employers, their industry bodies and the clients.

Better standards mean job security and ultimately a safer and fairer industry for all. We can lift the standards we need together – our lives depend on it.

Jacquelene Brotherton (far right) enjoys

with (from left) Rachel Hesse, Paul Fleiszig and Coralie Chapman.

Newcastle truckies give Cascadias the thumbs up

FOUR Freightliner Cascadias have exceeded the expectations of a Newcastle container hauler.

Tony McGrath, who runs McGrath Newcastle, hadn’t considered running Freightliner trucks until a supply issue with another brand meant he bought his first Cascadia through Daimler Trucks Newcastle.

It performed so well that McGrath ordered three more.

McGrath Newcastle now has four 126 Cascadia models in the fleet, which feature the range-topping 600hp 16-litre DD16 engine, teamed up with the latest generation 12-speed automated manual transmission (AMT).

Having had a positive Detroit experience previously, McGrath thought the engine would perform well – and he was correct.

Two of the trucks running as 79.5 tonne A-doubles between Sydney and Newcastle are returning best-in-fleet fuel economy of 2km per litre despite the high drag pro-

file of the two 40ft shipping containers on the back.

“The fuel is good,” said McGrath. “It is better than the other trucks in the fleet.”

The Cascadias have also been well-received by the McGrath Newcastle drivers, many of whom were fans of

other trucks in the fleet before the Freightliners arrived.

“They have been very, very positive about the Cascadias,” he said.

“Once they drive a Cascadia, they are asking if they can stay in them, which is certainly a good sign.”

McGrath thinks the comfort of the 126 Cascadia is one of the major reasons it is winning over the drivers.

“It is a lot of more comfortable than the other trucks we have in the fleet; that is clear.”

McGrath knows a lot

about customer service.

In fact, he still delivers for one of the two customers he had when he first started his business all the way back in 1980.

So, it makes sense that the excellent service from Daimler Trucks Newcastle is

another reason he is happy with his Freightliner ownership experience.

“We need to be supported so that we can deliver for our customers,” he said.

“So far, the guys at Daimler Trucks Newcastle have been excellent.”

The 126 Cascadias also deliver when it comes to safety and Cascadia is the only conventional truck in Australia with a driver’s airbag.

It also has a raft of active safety features including an Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Adaptive Cruise Control as standard, while customers can also select the Side Guard Assist (SGA) system, which ‘looks’ down the left-hand side of the truck and warns a turning driver of objects that may be difficult to spot.

McGrath prides himself on customer service and the Cascadias help him deliver.

Tony McGrath’s first Cascadia performed so well that he promptly ordered three more.

McGrath Newcastle now has four 126 Cascadia models in the fleet,

The Cascadias have also been well-received by the McGrath Newcastle drivers due to the comfort levels.

Young truckie kicking goals

BY ALF WILSON

WHEN young driver Lorna Cunningham parked a UD truck in the main street of Herberton, it was evident that she is quite a popular local identity.

Aged 24, Cunningham lives at Herberton on the Atherton Tablelands and works as a driver for Followmont, from its depot at Mareeba about 50km away.

Before she could drop off some goods to a local eatery a woman just across the street asked her to come over and then gave her a big hug.

As I was snapping her photos at least 10 people driving past in cars in the normally sleepy town gave her a big wave.

“Everybody knows me around here and I love the people and the job,” she said.

Cunningham delivers goods around the region and has been in the job for 18 months.

I asked what inspired her to become a truck driver.

“My father Tony Hill was a truckie and he told me to become one as it is a stable job and he was right,” she said.

Cunningham thanked Followmont for giving her a

start in the industry and was glowing in her praise of boss Travis Keel.

“I get treated very well and the drivers are good,” she said.

When on the job, she likes stopping at the Wondecla Roadhouse near Herberton and the Tolga Bakery.

Many drivers have told Big Rigs they enjoy a break at that Wondecla establishment.

Herberton is a historical town with strong links to the past with the road transport industry.

One of the most famous drivers was the late legend-

ary Darby Camp who is depicted standing in front of his old 1948 Morris Commercial truck on a mural which is on the side of a building beside the main street.

Camp also has a local park named after him and is honoured at the Herberton Historical Village and Museum.

“I know of Darby and what he did. He is still talked about,” Cunningham said.

Camp lived in Herberton all his life, apart from his wartime service overseas, and passed away at the Her-

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berton Hospital at the age of 85 in 2001.

Quietly spoken Camp bought the truck, affectionately known as the ‘Old Girl’, from a Malanda farmer in 1956 and used it for general cartage around town.

It would transport bags of mail for the Post Office, kegs of beer for the hotels, papers for the newsagent, and merchandise for general stores like Jack and Newell’s, and Armstrong, Ledlie and Stillman (A.L&S).

He would often use it as a removal truck carrying furniture and household goods

to the railway station when people were transferred out of town.

When the rail link from Atherton closed, the truck regularly transported goods up the steep Herberton range from Atherton.

His Morris Commercial had a four-cylinder OHC 2.2 litre petrol engine and was licensed to carry 25cwt.

It was restored by Herberton local Luke Schuch and is now on display at the Herberton Historical Village.

I fondly recall doing a feature story on Camp and his Morris about 30 years

ago in the now defunct magazine ‘Aussie Post’. Camp used to give drinkers at Herberton’s Royal Hotel – who would have been over the limit – a lift home in the back of the Morris.

I reckon that if Camp was watching from the Truckies Happy Hunting Ground up above he would be proud of young Cunningham.

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Lorna Cunningham drives a UD for Followmont.

She likes to stop at the Wondecla Roadhouse.

I GET TREATED VERY WELL AND THE DRIVERS ARE GOOD.”

LORNA CUNNINGHAM

A Jill of all trades

BY ALF WILSON

MOTHER of four Anita Skrzeczek, 35, works for Followmont Transport in Cairns and is normally a leading hand at their local warehouse, however as a great team player is willing to chip in to make sure they deliver for their customers.

The day Big Rigs saw her and her Hino light rig at

Beaurepaires Tyre Depot at Portsmith in Cairns, she was a jill of all trades.

“I have my licence for the smaller trucks and also a HR for the bigger trucks,” she said.

Of Polish descent, Skrzeczek was driving the forklift at Beaurepaires to unload tyres and lift some empty pallets.

“I handle between 150 and 300 tyres a day and part of it

Former farmer hits the road

is driving a forklift. They allow me to do my thing and I just love the road transport industry. I do local runs and have carried small freight like pharmaceutical items,” she said.

One of the Beaurepaire bosses Damien said that Skrzeczek did a great job.

“She really knows what she is doing and is well liked,” he said.

Skrzeczek added that males

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treated her very well there, as well as when she gets back to her leading hand duties at Followmont.

“I have about 20 males under me and they all respect me,” she said.

Skrzeczek’s children are aged two, nine, 11 and 17 and after the birth of her youngest child, she took time out from work.

“But the industry is in my blood and Followmont took

I HAVE MY LICENCE FOR THE SMALLER TRUCKS AND ALSO A HR FOR THE BIGGER TRUCKS.”

me back immediately.

“I have been with them for eight years. They are great to work for,” she said.

FRIENDLY truckie Gurvinder Singh, 27, drives a heavy rigid truck for NWFS, based at Tamworth.

Big Rigs saw him parked at a pull over area beside the New England Highway, near Uralla.

“I have beds from Tamworth to deliver at Inverell and travel around this area,” he said.

Gurvinder used to be a rice farmer in India and has been in Australia for nine months.

“I love living in this area and get treated very well by the company and other staff,” he said.

When off work, he enjoys playing volleyball in the Tamworth competition and is a genuine sports lover who also follows India in the cricket.

Gurvinder Singh made the move to Australia nine months ago.

Unloading tyres at Beaurepaires in Cairns.

Anita Skrzeczek works for Followmont Transport at the Cairns warehouse.

ANITA SKRZECZEK