Big Rigs 11 Jun, 2021

FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021

ONLINE www.bigrigs.com.au

EMAIL info@bigrigs.com.au

TOLL SLUGS SUBBIES AT DC Page 3

TRUCKIES’ WIN AT GATTON Pages 4-5

SMART POWER

ROAD TESTING VOLVO’S TECH-LOADED TITAN IN THE PILBARA: PAGES 20-22

2 NEWS CONTACT US Address: 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Phone: 9690 8766 Email: editor@bigrigs.com.au Web: bigrigs.com.au Accounts: Ph:9690 8766 Subscriptions: 9690 8766 Classifieds: 0403 626 353 Circulation and distribution queries: 9690 8766 info@bigrigs.com.au EDITOR James Graham: 0478 546 462 james.graham@primecreative.com.au REPORTER Danielle Gullaci danielle.gullaci@primecreative.com.au MANAGER Peter Hockings: 0410 334 371 peter.hockings@primecreative.com.au MEDIA SALES CONSULTANT Marie O’Reilly: 0403 626 353 marie.oreilly@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS Katharine Causer: 0423 055 787 katharine.causer@primecreative. com.au CONTRIBUTORS Tassie Truckin: Jon Wallis, 0414 797 513 Truckin in the Topics: Alf Wilson, 0408 009 301 Brent Davison; David Vile; David Meredith; Ian Lee Big Rigs National Road Transport Newspaper is published by Prime Creative Media. It is the largest circulated fortnightly truck publication in Australia with 26,023* copies per fortnight. *12 month average, publisher’s claim November 2018

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Concrete company fined $450k after driver’s death

BORAL subsidiary Concrite has pleaded guilty and accepted responsibility for a 2017 incident that led to the death of a fuel tanker driver.

On September 20, 2017, tanker driver Peter Lees, who was employed by Caltex Australia Petroleum, was fatally struck by a concrete mixer at Concrite’s Alexandria, NSW site.

The experienced tanker driver had attended the site to deliver diesel fuel approximately 56 times in the course of his employment.

The NSW District Court heard that Lees had arrived at the site to fill the fuel station with diesel.

Two concrete mixing trucks

entered and were required to manoeuvre past each other.

Lees inadvertently walked into the path of one of the trucks and was hit.

The driver was unaware he had hit Lees, who was dragged approximately 20 metres. Lees sustained serious injuries and passed away two days later in hospital.

While Boral oversees Concrite’s governance framework, day-to-day operations of the site are managed by Concrite.

The concrete production and supplies company was charged with and pleaded guilty to exposing workers to a risk of death or serious injury.

Concrite applied the Boral Group WHS policies and pro-

cedures developed by Boral which were relevant to their operations, including traffic management. However, it did not have an adequate system for managing the risk of pedestrian and vehicle interaction or a means of protecting pedestrians from vehicle collisions.

Following the incident, SafeWork NSW issued an Improvement Notice to Concrite requiring them to review and revise control measures for traffic management where necessary.

A new system was implemented where diesel deliveries by large tankers were ceased, and concrete mixer drivers were issued with fuel cards to refuel off site.

Post-incident traffic management plans have been developed for several different vehicle types. Photo: concrite.com.au

Post-incident traffic management plans were also developed. Each of the new traffic management plans contained provision for new colour-coded yellow and green pedestrian walkways.

The initial fine for the offence was $600,000 but reduced to $450,000 following a guilty plea.

Concrite was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of $43,000.

Queensland directors face charges over fatality THE National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has filed primary duty charges against the directors of a Queensland mining company which was operating as a prime contractor of drivers of heavy vehicle combinations.

The NHVR initiated an investigation following a fatal-

ity that occurred in May 2019 involving a heavy vehicle rolling on an incline.

The NHVR will allege that the directors failed to exercise due diligence to ensure the company fulfilled its duty under section 26C of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), with the matter list-

ed for a first mention in the Biloela Magistrates’ Court on June 30.

The regulator says it has not published details of the company or its directors because it is prevented from releasing information that could identify a person or company.

In other enforcement

news, the NHVR has accepted an Enforceable Undertaking (on behalf of Transport for New South Wales) from YF Water Services Pty Ltd, in line with section 590A of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

YF Waste proposed the Enforceable Undertaking fol-

lowing failure to comply with mass weight requirements.

The proposal consists of enhanced driver education and training, with an aim of leading to improved compliance in the future.

The Enforceable Undertaking has a minimum expenditure of $18,000.

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

Toll slugs loyal subbies with double blow at Brisbane DC

BY JAMES GRAHAM

BUY a new Euro 5 or 6 prime mover within 21 days or don’t bother coming back.

That’s the distressing new directive one Brisbane sub-contractor says he’s received from his employer of 10 years, Toll Contractor Logistics.

An Australia-wide Toll Grocery standard came into effect on February 1 this year demanding sub-contractors on the Coles contract update all equipment to modern standards.

But the despairing subbie, who runs one older truck out of the busy Parkinson DC, says he was only given three weeks to comply, despite Toll’s policy saying subbies have 90-days to update their gear.

“I was told, get a new truck or get out, you’re finished,” said the small fleet operator, who didn’t want to be named for fear of jeopardising a resolution for himself, and the other subbies also impacted by the order.

“When I rang to ask why I was given 21-days [to become compliant] when others got three months, I was told ‘don’t’ care, not our problem’.

“These guys don’t give a rats arse.”

The operator said he was trying to do the right thing by Toll and upgrade his truck but says he hasn’t been given fair warning.

“I have made numerous attempts to talk to site managers, but only once has he returned my call and said he would get back to me.

“That was about three weeks ago, and I have left five more messages since with no reply, in an effort to clarify whether my truck was under a 90-day notice. The only reply was this email I received [pictured] to comply to their new demands.”

To compound the issue, the operator says there has also been a dramatic reduction in payment to contractors recently, from between 20-45 per cent, he says.

“I would have approximately $1400 less pay [each week], but am still expected to fund a new truck,” he said.

When Big Rigs tried to contact Aaron Louws, Toll Global Logistics national compliance manager – Coles, for some answers, he palmed us off to head office.

The busy Coles Parkinson DC in Brisbane where many subbies are impacted by the new Toll directive. Inset: The redacted email our source received from Aaron Louws. Main photo: Google Maps

They told us via email that the 21 days wasn’t a deadline for implementing changes (or replacing a vehicle) but rather for contractors to share their plans for complying, “within a mutually agreed timeframe for implementing the changes”.

“This fleet renewal program is one of the many initiatives Toll has underway to improve road safety and improve our environmental footprint for the benefit our employees, customers and the broader

community,” the statement adds.

“Recognising that achieving these outcomes is a shared responsibility with Toll and our valued partners, these new standards will apply to both company-owned and subcontractor fleet.

“We are working in partnership with our subcontractors through this transition, including working through reasonable time frames to undertake any upgrades to fleet

that are needed to meet the new standards.”

But another operator we spoke to who operates three trucks at Parkinson said the compliance order combined with the recent pay cuts have made fleet upgrades unworkable, and he’s walking away this month after almost 13 years at the DC. “With the rate cuts I’m down $3000 per week doing the same work, and they want us to buy new trucks;

it’s just a joke,” he said.

“All I can see is that they want us out. You can be waiting around now on some shifts for five hours before a second run.”

The operator said he had asked for an extension of the compliance deadline to see how the new rates impacted his bottom line, but he said he was given a firm no from management.

“I’m not sticking around to get screwed over.”

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4 NEWS

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

TMR listens to issues, fixes Gatton decoupling bungle

BY JAMES GRAHAM

THE initial design flaws in the newly-opened Gatton Heavy Vehicle Decoupling Facility have been fixed after truckies voiced their concerns about its shortcomings.

A spokesperson for Transport and Main Roads (TMR) tells Big Rigs that the entrance was widened, and the size of the traffic island reduced to ensure comfortable entrance and exit to the facility by Type 1 road trains up to 36.5m.

“During works on the Gatton Heavy Vehicle Decoupling Facility, we received several enquiries specifically relating to the size and location of the traffic island at the entrance,” said the spokesperson.

“Heavy vehicle operators were concerned AB-triples would be unable to enter the facility due to the width of the entry lane.”

The changes are a big win for truckies after Transport Minister Mark Bailey and the TMR initially saying there had been more than enough consultation with industry on the initial design, despite Big Rigs reporting evidence to the con-

A spokesperson for Transport and Main Roads (TMR) tells Big Rigs that the entrance was widened, and the size of the traffic island reduced.

trary in a March issue.

The facility was officially opened last month after five months of work, giving drivers the option to break down and reconfigure heavy vehicles on either side of Toowoomba Second Range Crossing before continuing their journey.

Some readers, however, still aren’t convinced the money has been well spent, despite the recent changes.

“Could have saved some money by listening to truck drivers before they started building it,” said Tony Stephens on our Facebook page.

“So if it was full on Saturday night it’s a sure sign it’s not big enough and highlights what drivers have been saying for ages: there is not enough parking facilities on the highways to accommodate all the trucks.”

Added Clem Wheatley: “Good that they finally listened, but that should have happened before they started, as many have said, there needs to be toilets at the very least, and a loading ramp, oh well, situation normal, city based chair warmers thinking they know more than those actually doing it.”

Brad Hartwig reckons “the numpties” have missed a mas-

sive money-spinner.

“Should have paved the whole corner block , put in a servo and truckies lounge and showers , mechanic and tyre bay, wash bay and a load ramp.”

Queensland Assistant Regional Roads Minister Bruce Saunders, however, said the facility was an important project to support the heavy vehicle industry and make the road network around Toowoomba safer and more efficient.

“With 30 bays for decoupling and no time limits for trailer parking, drivers will be able to choose either side of Toowoomba to break down and reconfigure,” Saunders said.

“The acceleration lanes onto the Warrego Highway have been lengthened to make the highway merge safer.

“The roundabouts and overpass between the Gatton facility and Warrego Highway have also been widened and strengthened to accommodate the additional heavy vehicles expected to stop.”

The facility will be monitored by CCTV and users are advised to comply with site

instructions, with penalties for dumping livestock effluent or waste and any other breaches.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the new facility would mean more efficient deliveries to and from Brisbane.

“Heavy vehicle drivers will benefit from using the Toowoomba Bypass and can avoid paying a second toll to reconfigure at Charlton,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“This will improve efficiencies for our essential heavy vehicle industry, cutting business costs.”

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the new facility would be a boost for the freight industry, which had been vital to the state’s COVID-19 recovery over the past year.

“The Palaszczuk Government recognises the hard-working heavy vehicle drivers who have been the unsung heroes over the past year, transporting goods and products across the state to keep our economy going,” Bailey said.

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 “The new facility at Gatton will make it easier and more efficient for drivers to break down and reconfigure their trucks as needed

before continuing over the Toowoomba Range or into Brisbane.”

The Australian Government funded the Gatton

Heavy Vehicle Decoupling Facility in partnership with the Queensland Government, as part of the Toowoomba Bypass project.

Our story in March that highlighted the issues and the TMR’s initial stance.

The facility has 30 bays for decoupling and no time limits for trailer parking.

Notice gives road train prime movers more access A new Notice for road train prime movers will ease pressure on the road network, improve fatigue management and increase the efficiency of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet, said the NHVR. The National Road Train Prime Mover Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2021 came into effect yesterday, following widespread consultation between the NHVR, road managers and industry groups.

The Notice gives road train prime movers access to more networks when operating in combinations other than a road train, such as B-doubles and single semitrailers, or on their own.

The Notice will apply in all states and territories operating under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, except Tasmania.

NHVR chief regulatory policy and standards officer Don Hogben said the Notice resolved several long-standing issues faced by road train operators, while also enhancing road safety.

“This is a great example of stakeholders from across the industry – road managers, operators, industry associations and the NHVR – working together to improve consistency of regulation across state and territory borders,” Hogben said.

The NHVR says the Notice paves the way for more investment in prime movers with larger sleeping cabs to improve driver comfort and better manage fatigue.

The Notice impacts decoupling, steer mass limits and combination lengths.

Decoupling: The Notice provides flexibility for operators when decoupling their road train to continue their travel. The additional length and mass limits allow larger road train prime movers to be used in smaller combinations, such as B-doubles, single semitrailers or on their own (operating ‘bob-tail’). This avoids operators having to use a different, smaller prime mover after decoupling and will reduce traffic movements.

Steer mass limits: To date, road train steer mass limits have been restricted to prime movers being used in a road train configuration.

The Notice enables road train prime movers to operate at road train steer mass limits when used in all eligible combinations listed in the Notice.

Longer combinations: The Notice allows longer total combination lengths, including the 20m prime mover and semitrailers, 27m B-doubles, and 26m prime mover semitrailer and unladen converter dolly combinations. The increase in combination lengths is to accommodate the additional length of road train prime movers. The Notice does not provide any increase to trailer dimension limits.

The Notice allows 27m B-doubles on road train networks, but not B-double networks.

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6 NEWS

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Quarry truck battle still on rocky road

THE long-running protest from Sunshine Coast hinterland residents over the number of quarry trucks on their roads appears still no closer to a resolution since we first brought you the story last December.

At that stage, Noosa councillors voted to start legal proceedings against the operators of the Kin Kin Quarry, Cordwell’s Concrete, because of what they believed were on-going breaches of the haulage plan.

The management requirements include staggered departures from the site of five minutes, keeping a minimum of 60m between trucks and no overtaking of other vehicles, among many others.

But it looks like Noosa Council hit a dead-end with that strategy with Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart once again calling on the state government to act on Kin Kin residents’ safety concerns about quarry trucks using Pomona Kin Kin Road.

“This is about preventing an accident or a fatality,” the Mayor said in a statement.

“Based on the feedback from our community, there is

a genuine likelihood of that occurring in the foreseeable future.”

In letters to Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, Mayor Stewart says the community is at “breaking point”, with the quarry operation having “catastrophic repercussions” for local residents.

Hinterland residents told council they fear the worst with up to 69 quarry trucks driving in and out of the quarry every day.

“Kin Kin residents are increasingly frightened for the safety of their loved ones, especially their children who regularly have to crossroads used by quarry trucks travelling at significant speed,” Stewart said.

Provisions in the Transport Infrastructure Act allow the state to restrict the use of its roads in order to prevent damage to road infrastructure or to ensure the safety of road users.

“We have advised the state government that Pomona Kin Kin Road is not fit for purpose for handling quarry trucks and passing cars, especially buses,” the Mayor said.

“The school bus shares the same route at the same time as

many quarry trucks and we’re hearing reports about the school bus nearly being run off the road, as well as near misses involving students on the roadside.”

The state can apply temporary restrictions based on vehicle class, time of day and load weight.

“I call on the Minister to act as legislation allows him to limit the impact of truck movements. Please Minister, act now before there is a fatality rather than acting after a major accident occurs.

“Instigating this legislation will help to safeguard against an accident, or even worse – a fatality,” the Mayor said.

“We owe it to our community to avoid a foreseeable loss of life, particularly in relation to children on school buses. I call on the Minister to step in.”

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey tells us in an emailed statement that he’s met with the Member for Noosa, Sandy Bolton, a number of times and understand the community’s concerns regarding the Kin Kin Quarry.

“My department has been working with Sandy and

TOUGH TRUCKS FOR TOUGH SITUATIONS

Residents say there are too many quarry truck movements along these hinterland roads.

Photo: Facebook

Mayor Stewart to look at solutions, and is continuing to investigate options,” he said.

“I’m pleased to confirm that TMR will be installing heavy vehicle advisory signs, in consultation with the

Member for Noosa and Noosa Shire Council.

“Concerns around the frequency of quarry trucks fall under Council’s Quarry Management Plan.

“TMR will continue to work with Sandy and Council

to try and reach a resolution.”

Since our last story, Greens Senator Larissa Waters has also joined the residents’ fight to reduce truck movements.

Big Rigs has approached Martin Caldwell at Caldwell’s Concrete for comment.

www.offroadtrucks.com.au

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NEWS 7

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

Popular Mackay business closes transport division

MACKAY-BASED M&P Services has announced plans to cease its general transport operations and place all its focus on the Transportable Building (Manufacture, Hire & Sales) division.

The last day of operation for the transport and logistics division is June 15.

Director Max Lamb Jnr. said it was a regrettable decision but with 80 per cent of the company turnover coming from the transportable building division, it was the right way forward.

“We are a long established, locally owned business with a growing market share in

the manufacture of transportable buildings, being the largest manufacturer of portable buildings in the Central and North Queensland,” said Lamb Jnr. “The closure of our transport division will provide us with a significant expansion of product capability and capacity in the sale and hire of transportable buildings.”

He added that the focus on the manufacturing division will provide increased value for customers as M&P continue to seek more innovative, cost-competitive and compelling solutions to match customer needs.

“For all our long-standing transport clients we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for placing their trust and confidence in our ability to transport their freight and we will endeavour to work with them to facilitate a move to an alternate transport supplier.”

Lamb Jr. said that M&P Services, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2021, is excited for the future growth opportunities that this change will bring and is looking forward to continuing to provide high quality transportable solutions and mobile crib rooms.

With the added benefit of

more production space, including plans for modernising

existing facilities, M&P Services said it is also on the look-

out for talented employees to join the team.

The last day of operation for the transport and logistics division is June 15. Photo: Facebook

Freightlancer platform buys Loadshift site for $7.7m

FREELANCER’S 53 per cent-owned subsidiary Freightlancer.com has bought Loadshift for $7.7m.

Loadshift was founded by entrepreneur Phil Callaghan in 2007 and has since grown to have 85.8 million kilometres of freight requested in 2020 with more than 73,000 loads posted in the past 12

months.

“After a 15-year journey as the director of Loadshift, this represents the ideal next step,” said Callaghan.

“The moment is right, the family timing is perfect and the opportunity to see Loadshift’s successful model brought to the global stage by Freelancer irresistible.”

Callaghan said there will be no disruption in operations.

“This will be a seamless transition,” he promised.

“Our carriers have always meant the world to us and continuous service to them has always been our first priority.”

Freelancer chief executive

Matt Barrie said Loadshift aligns with Freelancer’s mission.

“The acquisition of Loadshift builds on Freightlancer’s momentum and continues to deepen our global pool of liquidity for the freight logistics industry, around the world,” Barrie said.

At the same time, Freight-

lancer also received a $3.7m investment from Wes Maas, CEO and founder of Dubbo-based Maas Group Holdings, a diversified industrials group, Tom Cavanagh, CEO and founder of EMS Group, a specialist in machinery hire, sales, repairs and rebuilds to support underground mining and tunnelling and others.

Startive Ventures, a venture fund focused on global technology and Internet startup opportunities also participated in the round.

Cavanagh, an experienced executive in the mining and equipment industries as founder and CEO of EMS group is also joining Freightlancer as chief executive.

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FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

A $16.5m bill to track us

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

SO, apparently we now have a thing called a National Freight Data Hub, or a prototype for one at least.

That was the latest big back-slapping industry launch by the pollies post-budget.

The cost? An eye-watering $16.5m of taxpayers’ money to tell us where we’ve been and how clogged we made the roads while we were there.

Don’t they know there are already free apps out there for this kind of thing?

They’re also banking on voluntary buy-in from an industry notorious for shunning national initiatives.

We can’t even launch a mental health/well-being program without resorting to a memberhsip model, yet Canberra thinks operators will upload their sensitive freight data into a shared portal for the greater good.

The hub does give us pretty 3D overviews of our most popular rest areas so they’ll know where to build more, but wouldn’t it just be a whole lot cheaper and smarter to ask truckies instead?

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10 NEWS

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

IN BRIEF CBD truck safety woes After a truck crash on May 6 that injured five people on the notorious City Road and Power Street intersection in Southbank, Melbourne, authorities are still looking for a long-term safety fix.

A short-term safety solution has been decided on in the interim. The first phase of works will include the installation of bollards to better separate the road and pavement, as well as warning signs about turning trucks and technology to minimise waiting periods for pedestrians.

The first phase of improvements will be completed before the end of June.

Livestock compliance blitz SafeWork SA will run a compliance campaign in South Australia during June, focusing on the risks associated with livestock handling and transport.

SafeWork SA inspectors will be auditing feedlots, saleyards, abattoirs and livestock exchange facilities to determine if adequate safety control measures are in place to protect workers from injury, including training, manual handling techniques and the provision of appropriate plant and systems of work to separate workers from animals.

Mavin wins dealer prize The family-owned Mavin Truck Centre has won the coveted Daimler Dealer of the Year Award for 2020.

Daimler boss Daniel Whitehead, presented the award to Mavin Truck Centre dealer principal, Dean Mavin, at a special event in Brisbane.

The Daimler Dealer of the Year award recognises the best dealership representing the Daimler Truck and Bus portfolio of Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Fuso and Alliance Truck Parts brands.

“Dean Mavin and the team at Mavin Truck Centre look after their customers like they are family,” said Whitehead.

Former truckie fights to fix crash investigation process FORMER truckie Darren Delaney is channelling his trauma, frustration, and passion for making trucking safer into action as he pursues a study into truck accident investigation.

Too often, the CQUniversity Associate Lecturer and Doctor of Professional Studies candidate has seen his workmates die on the job – and too often, investigators can’t say what caused the death.

“More than 20 years ago, I lost my closest friend and mentor, Frank, to a truck accident.

This became the foundation of my research,” Delaney said.

“There are currently 200 fatalities a year. Truckies are 15 times more likely to be killed at work, than any other industry in Australia. I want to help bring these statistics down.”

Delaney recently featured on How to Change a Life, CQUniversity’s podcast that helps listeners transform their lives, as guests share stories of taking a life-changing plunge.

After 13 years behind the

steering wheel of a road train and 1.7m kilometres under his belt, Delaney wants change to start with better crash investigation processes for the transport industry.

“In Australia, there are nine

different investigation models, which produce nine different results. Every time you cross a state line, it changes,” he said.

“There are so many discrepancies in the current models, that sometimes, there are no

Darren Delaney encourages current truck drivers to get involved in his research, by completing the online survey before August.

investigation outcomes.”

Delaney hopes to introduce a holistic investigation framework, as a result of his worldfirst research project.

“The approach includes interviewing key stakeholders within the industry – current investigators, drivers on the road, and operational aspects,” he said.

“By gaining insight into the industry, I can ensure that I generate an informed holistic framework to investigating truck accidents.

“The ultimate goal is to introduce an independent investigation agency that uses the framework [and accompanying legislation] to inform next-generation practice.”

Delaney encourages current truck drivers to get involved in his research, by completing the online survey before August.

“The anonymous survey will help me understand their view of the current accident investigation process,” he said.

“It is also an opportunity

for them to provide suggestions into what can be improved; what components need to change in order to discover the true cause of the accident.”

“This research has never been tried anywhere else in the world, so I’m starting from scratch – there’s no international model.”

Delaney hopes ‘driver error’ will soon no longer be a term used in the investigation process.

“This research needs to happen. The term ‘driver error’ is a cop-out,” he said.

Delaney said his extensive driving experience is rare in the world of transport safety research, and gives him a unique perspective.

“In the words of my former operations manager [of a larger trucking company], I am the only one smart enough, dumb enough, and mad enough to pull this off.”

To take part in the survey, or for more information, email d.delaney@cqu.edu.au.

PBS trucks in fewer major crashes, finds report

A new report reveals that Performance Based Standards (PBS) vehicles are involved in 60 per cent fewer major crashes than conventional vehicles.

The joint report – from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Australia (CILTA) and the National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) – looks at the reduced crash rates, fewer kilometres driven and lives saved by using PBS vehicles.

Results of the report are a significant improvement over the results in a 2018 report which found 46 per cent few-

er major crashes compared to the conventional fleet. PBS vehicles are also forecast to save 143 lives over 20 years.

NHVR Chief Engineer Les Bruzsa said PBS vehicles were achieving safety gains beyond what was originally anticipated.

“PBS articulated combinations had the lowest rate of crashes per distance travelled with 5.4 crashes per 100 million kilometres travelled, compared to 17.6 crashes for their conventional counterparts — almost 70 per cent lower,” he said.

“Not only are these vehicles equipped with the latest

in braking and safety technologies to help prevent crashes, but they are also productive – delivering more goods with fewer vehicles in a safe manner.

“Over the last five years, PBS vehicles travelled 1.6 billion fewer kilometres on Australian roads compared to conventional vehicles to transport the same freight task.

“This huge reduction in distance travelled means improved safety benefits to our drivers, the community and reducing damage to our roads.”

There has been significant

There are now more than 12,000 PBS-approved combinations operating across Australia.

acceleration in the uptake of the PBS scheme, with a compound annual growth rate close to 43 per cent.

“There are now more than 12,000 PBS-approved combinations operating across

Australia,” Bruzsa added.

“Further growth will deliver greater safety and productivity benefits, supporting a strong and prosperous Australia, and the saving of more lives on our roads.”

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12 FEATURE

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckie shares top fatiguesteps to busting workouts First fitness at work

BY JAMES GRAHAM

BRISBANE-BASED linehaul driver Ian Houghton is the first to admit that he’s had his fair share of mental health issues over the years.

He didn’t get off to the greatest start in life as a child, then things spiralled down from there as his addictive personality sought solace and an escape in substance abuse.

But becoming a father for the first time nine years ago finally gave Houghton the wake-up call he needed.

“I knew I couldn’t be a good role model for her with that sort of thing in my life, and that was my substitute, training,” said Houghton, who drives overnight from Brisbane to Hervey Bay for MJ Mahon Transport.

“I have an addictive personality, and now I’m addicted to the gym.”

With support from partner Jessica Vaka, and encouraged by the difference fitness has made in his life, Houghton is now sharing those lessons with his fellow drivers on his Facebook blog Fullnoisefitness.

Launched in June last year, Houghton regularly posts video clips of his gym workouts and quick-fire, truckie-friendly routines anyone can do in their 15-minute breaks on the road.

“A lot of people bag out on truck drivers for being fat and lazy, so I thought, why not try and motivate a few people and show them different ways we can stay fit and healthy on the road, and it’s good for fatigue management and mental health,” said Houghton, 36.

Houghton says the triedand-true, old-school techniques like lunges, rope-skipping, burpees, push-ups, sit-ups and running the length of his B-double has made the world of difference to his own energy levels and sleeping patterns.

“Even on a day run, if you’re feeling weary, get on the skipping rope, run the truck a few

times, it gets the blood pumping and off you go. You’re alert again.”

Houghton knows that the hardest step for most will be taking the first one. He also cautions against trying to do too much too soon, or you’ll end up too sore to try again.

“I know lot of people are set in their ways but if I can help a few it’ll be worth it. People need to see consistency and I enjoy it, and it gives me something to do as well.”

We asked Houghton to devise a routine that might help truckies get back on the road to a healthier lifestyle.

Here’s what he suggests:

Every week Ian Houghton uses his 15-minute fatigue breaks to share routines and tips with drivers on his Facebook page.

1.

The first thing I do is stretch. Something for the legs, arms and back. I will do a segment on fullnoisefitness on stretching in more detail.

2.

Depending on your own fitness level, either walking, jogging or running the length of your tuck with simple exercises at each end e.g. alternating between sit-ups, which I find easier to put my feet behind my steer tyre.

3. Push-ups again, depending on fitness level. If you can’t

do them from your feet position, try it from your knees.

4. Standing squats and star jumps are very easy and simple to do. Starting with 5 reps and working your way up to as many as you feel comfortable with is good.

5. For the more experienced and fit I would suggest lunging the length of your truck and throwing burpees in as they are one of the harder movements that work your whole body.

6.

Again a quick stretch to cool off, catching your breath and a drink of water.

Get the blood pumping, get home safe.

Houghton doesn’t need any fancy gym equipment when he’s out on the road.

Before any driver starts on a new fitness regime, however, Houghton says his best advice is take a look at the fuel you’re putting in your body.

“One of the first things that’ll make you feel better is not eating that Maccas and KFC; that’s what weighs you down and makes you feel like shit, and that’s what can create fatigue, rather than avoid it.

“Starting to eat better and working your way into exercis-

es is going to be the best way to go about it – 90 per cent of it is diet.”

Houghton plans to do more posts about diet on Fullnoisefitness, where he’s also doing his bit to help his fellow drivers with their mental health.

Knowing what a difference a good listener can make when you’re out on the road alone, Houghton wants any driver to call him to chat. Just DM

him through Fullnoisefitness and Houghton says he’ll get in touch from there.

“Whether it’s to help with your fatigue management, or mental health, or maybe you just want to have a chat to get something off your chest, I’ll try to be there for you,” Houghton promises in a recent Facebook clip.

“I’ve never been in a better place so I’d like to share the love and do my little bit.”

Always start every routine with a series of stretches.

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FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Secrets to communicating with your boss at work

COMMUNICATING effectively with your boss is critical to your job satisfaction, performance and safety.

Not all managers are good listeners, and not all drivers are great talkers, so here are some tips on how to get your messages across so that they’re heard and acted on.

With a good working relationship, you can effectively disagree and solve problems. The key is to be respectful and constructive; working together is easier than working against each other.

The number-one factor is honesty. If you’re not truthful with your bosses, then you’re taking a big risk. Telling the truth is always the best option, even if it lands you in trouble.

“I think if you’re courteous and factual, you can talk about anything,” said Martin Corry, former driver and head of transport at a national dangerous goods operator.

Now NTI’s customer and industry relationship manager, he says the three most important things to get right about communications are: • Think about what you want to say and why you want to say it • Be courteous and kind when you’re speaking • Pick your time to send your message or approach your boss

Think about what you want to say It’s never a good idea to go in hot, Corry said. If you’re angry or frustrated, you don’t want your emotions to get the better of you.

“I think if there’s an issue, and you’ve got an emotional attachment to it, my advice is always to wait,” he said.

The best thing to do is cool off, go home and jot it down. Read your note in the morning, and if you still feel the same way, then go and have a chat about it with the boss. You want a proper

solution to whatever’s got you wound up; the best way to make that happen is to be calm and rational.

“Things get taken out of context when people go at it full tilt,” Corry said.

“And if it’s something serious, the message can get lost in the emotions.”

Try not to complain – instead, be constructive and go with solutions or ideas.

Be courteous and kind When you’re in the right frame of mind to talk with your boss, don’t forget to be polite. Good manners will take you a long way because if you’re polite, the person you’re talking to will listen rather than getting defensive and dismissing what you’re saying.

“Just be honest and courteous. That’s it,” Corry said.

For example, if you can’t do an extra shift because you’ve got commitments, “you’ve just got to voice that. Say ‘look, this is what I’ve got on’ and tell them straight.”

you’ve got their back, they’ll have yours.

Rather than fire up about an issue on the phone, the best thing to do is is cool off, go home and jot it down.

Suppose the person you’re talking is on the defensive.

In that case, they won’t be

listening to what you’re saying and thinking about how to help fix the situation.

Good manners will take you a long way when meeting with the boss, says NTI’s Martin Corry.

Pick your time Timing can play a big role in the success of your emails or conversations. You want to pick a time when the manager can pay attention and properly consider what you’re saying.

“There’s no point in trying to have a conversation in the first hour of a Monday morning or the last hour on a Friday,” Corry said. “The head’s just not in the right space.”

“Always ask, ‘What’s the best time to catch up? When are you free? Can I come in a bit early or stay a bit late?’.”

Respecting other people’s time helps make sure you get a fair hearing from your manager. They’ll be concentrating on your message rather than trying to keep up with what you’re saying while they’re doing something else.

If your boss lacks experience or skills, then offer your help. Without being threatening or overly critical, ask them what they want from you. It’ll build a strong relationship, and if they think

Managing difficult conversations Not every conversation is great. If you’ve made a mistake or are in strife, the same rules apply: be truthful, think about what you say, and be courteous. If you’ve got control over a conversation’s timing, consider the other person’s schedule too.

Sometimes we have to hear things we don’t like or want to hear, such as feedback on our work performance.

Don’t avoid problems, suck up, manipulate, hide things or play politics. You don’t have to roll over either; everyone is entitled to a view.

As someone with first-hand experience of the job and the road, your perspective can help your boss understand.

Getting and giving feedback can be tough, but in the long term, it’s worthwhile.

It’ll help your relationship with the boss and help you both improve.

Honesty is the best policy “Any time there’s a communication, there’s an opportunity for something,” Corry said.

“Whether it’s selling something, whether it’s improving something, whether it’s giving some feedback, whether it’s taking some reflection and review on your own performance, every time there’s a communication, there’s an opportunity for improvement somewhere.”

So, make the most of your opportunities for improvement by always being honest, then keeping Corry’s three tips in mind. Thinking about what you’re saying, being courteous and getting the timing right are the best ways to be heard.

It’s not always easy, but if it gets the results and responses you’re looking for, then it’s well worth the effort. nti.com.au/better-business-hub

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FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Never late with the Scania V8

BY DAVID VILE

FROM its beginnings in 1954 to becoming part of the Toll group of companies in 1998, the bright yellow trucks and trailers of IPEC (Interstate Parcel Express Company) were a familiar sight on Australia’s roads.

Along the way many truck brands featured in the IPEC fleet, and with tight deadlines to meet, high-powered and reliable trucks were a necessity.

Among the trucks IPEC used on the various express routes across the country was the bonneted V8 Scania 143 - better known to many as a Scania ‘Gumboot’, and today Jeff Cozens has a Scania truck and trailer outfit which stands out as a reminder of the heady days of IPEC’s express freight services in the 1980s.

Having recently driven the

IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST BONNETED 142 SCANIAS AROUND - A CUSTOMER OWNED IT WHO WAS A PLUMBER AND HAD BOUGHT A MACK, HE GOT ME TO PULL THE TIPPER BODY OFF THE SCANIA AND TOLD ME TO KEEP THE TRUCK.” JEFF COZENS

truck and trailer from Melbourne to Albury as part of the 2021 Crawlin’ the Hume event, Cozens had the Scania on display at the Albury Racecourse and shared some detail of his IPEC tribute truck.

“It’s not an original IPEC truck, this is a 1984 model and was probably a bit early

for them as it’s a ‘142’ and not a ‘143’ but it is the same spec as the ones they had - it has a 430 horsepower V8 and a 15-speed Roadranger and goes really well, of course back in 1984 this was a big truck,” he explained.

Running a mechanical workshop in Campbellfield in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Cozens acquired the Scania off a customer a number of years ago, and thought the truck would be put to good use as an IPEC tribute.

“It would have to be one of the first bonneted 142 Scanias around - a customer owned it who was a plumber and had bought a Mack, he got me to pull the tipper body off the Scania and told me to keep the truck,” Cozens explained.

“I converted it back to a prime mover and just used it for five years or so pushing trailers around the yard. I

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Jeff Cozens with the Scania ‘Gumboot’ in Albury at the completion of Crawlin the Hume.

came across the ex-IPEC trailer so I thought I would paint the truck yellow to put it up as to how they were as you don’t see them around anymore.”

Of the prime mover itself, Cozens doesn’t have the full picture of its history but believes it was an interstate prime mover before having the tipper body fitted, and the original white paint colour was swapped out for the bright yellow and black detailing, which was a standout feature of the IPEC fleet.

“We got the yellow as close as we could get, over the years there were a so many different IPEC trucks, there was no exact ‘IPEC yellow’, back in the day people would see a yellow truck and know it was an IPEC unit.”

The trailer behind the Scania is the real deal, first hitting the road as part of IPEC fleet in 1986, before Cozens found it for sale in central Victoria and other than keeping it up to scratch mechanically has no plans to overhaul the original

paintwork and signwriting.

“The trailer looks like it was found out in a paddock and that’s the way its going to stay,” he said with a smile.

“I had to scrub all the black paint off where they had painted over the Toll/LPEC logos, so that took some doing, I just use it mainly as a storage trailer for parts and every now and then I get it out and take it up the highway for trips like this.”

Cozens runs his own business, JC Diesel Service, and reckons he is ‘a diesel mechanic who drives trucks for fun’.

Starting out with Kenworth in 1980, he moved across to Freestone’s Transport in 1986 before setting up his own operation in 1991. Along the way in addition to the Scania he has a restored Kenworth, another one undergoing an overhaul and a D-Series Ford also waiting its turn.

Cozens is a member of the American Truck Historical Society and runs the Scania on club registration. The run

up the Highway 31 was the first trip for the truck and trailer outfit and Cozens reckoned the V8 had no dramas making its way up the old sections of the old Hume.

He has a trip to Alice Springs for the annual Road Transport Hall of Fame in his sights as its next major outing, but in the meantime he was heading back to work to help pay for the next project, he said with a laugh.

But for the time being, Cozens’s truck and trailer outfit serves as a reminder of a vehicle that was a familiar sight, and one that could handle the challenges of express freight and do it well.

“They had plenty of horsepower, they rode better than a Kenworth and they could go quick….back in that era of the 1980’s we were always chasing them in Freestone’s Kenworths.

“They would have to get from Melbourne to Sydney in eight hours on the old road – and do it every night.”

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20 COVER STORY

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Power, safety and comfort in new 700hp workhorse A 1500km drive from Perth to Karratha flies by for our WA correspondent aboard the feature-packed 16-litre Volvo.

BY DAVID MEREDITH NORTH of the Overlander and then anywhere beyond Carnarvon, it’s easy to gaze through a wide windscreen and deep side windows and think you’re the last person rolling across the planet.

Maybe Covid really has wiped everyone out and it’s just you, your 700hp Volvo FH16 prime mover with a 64-tonne B-double full of water tanks, and the seemingly endless Australian desert scrub stretching away in every direction.

Particularly as the Dynamic Steering system insulates you against road irregularities, and the big 16-litre Volvo engine keeps you rolling with less than a hint of diesel rumble getting into the cab.

Wind and road noise only thank you.

Suddenly there’s a beep as the lane keeper ticks you off, followed by Volvo’s projects and communications manager, Matt Woods in the passenger seat: “It’s watching you ALL the time Dave.”

Yeah, well I’m used to that close attention from new truck digital systems, and they nearly always have lane systems that get confused with road seams and tar lines.

That’s my story anyway.

I had accepted the invitation to partner Wood in relocating the big Volvo from Perth to Karratha for some Pilbara demonstrations.

This one was special though. Apart from being the new model, it included the new I-SEE topographical navigation system that has been in operation in Europe for several years already.

More on that later.

Early last year, the entire Volvo truck range was renewed with fresh styling and features, but the release was restricted to a technical preview in late February, before test models of the range arrived in Perth two weeks ago.

So, my first run in the

Volvo’s biggest at The Overlander.

The XXL Globetrotter cab presents an imposing face.

new 700hp FH16 was this two-day drive with an overnight in Carnarvon, sharing the driving with Matt, who’d

Volvo’s Matt Woods checking air lines.

highlight the new features of Volvo’s latest as we rolled north.

I’ve done several interstate

runs in the FH range, mainly along the east coast, so the comfort and driver-centric cab design, although completely refreshed was a familiar place to me, as was the market leading I-Shift 12-speed transmission.

The new features of the latest model were also of interest, but I was mostly interested in the new digital systems embedded in Volvo’s driver aid tech. Additionally, this truck had a key feature I hadn’t spent much driving time with - Volvo’s unique Dynamic Steering system VDS. The system places a computer controlled electric motor on top of the steering box, insulating the driver against road shock and allowing low steering wheel loads. It auto self-centres when manoeuvring and the level of assistance can be adjusted by the driver.

I’d first heard of VDS during a visit to Volvo’s engineering section in Sweden a few years ago. I got to meet with the fellow who designed it from the ground up.

He told me it started out as a lunchtime chat with the most outlandish ideas tabled for exploration. A steering system that reduced driver effort quickly evolved into a safety improvement that you wouldn’t want to be without after the first few kms.

At one stage I drove a 45-tonne rigid tipper along a Swedish quarry ridge with a 50-metre drop on one side.

The track was only wide enough for one truck, but had alternating undulations, just the job for twisting a truck chassis and shifting you off-line.

I aimed the truck at the place I wanted to end up, engaged third gear and allowed the truck to idle along

the ridge without touching the steering wheel. The VDS system kept me on track and safe.

Since then, I’ve spoken to a WA long distance road train operator who had a steer tyre blow at 100km/h and credits the system with allowing him to stay on course and ease his truck off the road safely.

As a bonus, the rim was undamaged and able to be re-fitted with a new tyre, so I knew the system had some serious safety advantages.

Like most manufacturers Volvo doesn’t like to talk about prices, they prefer to leave that to dealers.

But as a rule, VDS will add around $10,000 to the truck purchase price – around an extra four per cent. For some contracts that might be a

I AIMED THE TRUCK AT THE PLACE I WANTED TO END UP, ENGAGED THIRD GEAR AND ALLOWED THE TRUCK TO IDLE ALONG THE RIDGE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE STEERING WHEEL.” bridge too far, but if you drive a Volvo with it installed, that won’t matter anymore.

The test truck also had Volvo’s CRUIS-E combined with I-SEE. In short, CRUIS-E softens throttle and auxiliary brake assistance to allow a margin around the set cruise speed. That margin can be set by the driver.

Continued on page 22...

The impressive FH16 I-SEE dashboard display.

Despite the large cab, the FH remains relatively compact.

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22 COVER STORY

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Optimising diesel efficiency

...From page 20 ON my drive I set the system at 100km/h, the under-speed limit at 95km/h and the overspeed at 103km/h. The FH moved within this range as the terrain allowed, maximising fuel efficiency as well as maintaining road speed.

Optimal use of CRUIS-E is best found in undulating territory. The largely flat plains of the north-west don’t stretch the system much at all, but there is no doubt that a conventional cruise control with a blinkered, rigid view of set speed will be less fuel efficient. CRUIS-E actually mimics a good driver’s rollercoaster skills.

The I-SEE system is best described as data preparation, albeit full of smarts. It knows from topographical data when a hill is coming and increases speed to prepare. Near the crest, it backs off the throttle when it knows the downhill gradient on the other side and allows the overrun margin to take advantage of momentum.

Key to Australian use of the system is the ability to adjust the length of the rig in the software as the European default assumes a single trailer.

Without that, a B-double or road train could have at least one tri-axle set still on the uphill while the prime mover and first trailer are on or over the crest, causing an excessive loss of momentum and more fuel to recover.

VOLVO’S SYSTEMS ARE A MAJOR PART OF SQUEEZING MAXIMUM ENERGY FROM EACH LITRE OF DIESEL, SAVING BIG DOLLARS AND DRILLING DOWN CO2 EMISSIONS AS A RESULT.” The terrain data itself is centrally stored in Volvo’s cloud server and constantly accessed by Volvos globally. The information is used to alter fuel mapping and gear change points to maximise the fuel efficiency of CRUIS-E. However, the leg from Carnarvon to Karratha wasn’t in the cloud database, so as I engaged CRUIS-E, the system started recording the terrain and uploading it for the next Volvo that takes that route with I-SEE on board. Over repeated drives, the system refines the data and updates any changes from road realignment or storm damage.

With all that new tech on board, Volvo’s biggest cab, the XXL took a back seat. I was so engaged utilising the systems I took little opportunity to stand up and move around in the cab during stops.

In short, for an operator used to long distance work, this is a great place to park your body when the driving is done.

The fridge deserves special

Key to Australian use of the system is the ability to adjust the length of the rig in the software as the European default assumes a single trailer.

mention. It’ll freeze things easily and kept everything else cool and crisp. Cab lighting options and climate control are as good as any premium luxury car.

Ultimately though, a truck is a piece of plant, and has to earn its keep. Volvo’s systems are a major part of squeezing maximum energy from each litre of diesel, saving big dollars and drilling down CO2 emissions as a result. The business case can only be stronger as a result.

Until hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks are the norm, optimising diesel efficiency will continue to be a primary focus of all truck engineers.

Cab lighting options and climate control are as good as any premium luxury car.

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24 FEATURE

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckies fined $700 at unofficial breakdown pad

TRUCKIN’ AROUND OZ ALF WILSON contributors@bigrigs.com.au

FOR decades truck drivers were allowed to hook-up and unhook their trailers on a former airstrip along the strategic Woodstock to Giru Road in north Queensland.

It was never officially gazetted by Transport and Main Roads as LEADER a breakdown pad, REFORM but in the words GARY MAHON of numerous Queensland Association CEO agreedrivers, Trucking ‘a gentlemen’s ment’ had always existed between authorities and drivers in regards to its use.

Whatever the description, it worked well for the road transport industry and authorities; and it was common to see numerous trailers there.

But all that changed about six weeks Scalies began LIFE WITH ago.

KERMIE warning drivers GRAHAM HARSANTand even contributors@bigrigs.com.au breaching them for leaving trailers there – with some drivers fined $700.

Big Rigs ventured out to the area, which is 500m from the small rural hamlet of Woodstock. It connects with the Bruce Highway near Giru, along a 63km route also known as the Major’s Creek Road, an important route for trucks travelling from south along theLEADER Bruce Highway.

REFORM Long-time local SAL PETROCCITT O small fleet National Heavy Vehicle CEO who operator NickRegulator, Roberts, runs Nix Freight, was there with his wife Alicyn Roberts and one of his drivers Adam Meers.

“I don’t know what changed but about six week ago the scalies started warning us not to park there and then issued fines,” he said.

Nick pointed to a small amount of gravel at the area and said trucks never got in the way of road-fill material when upgrade work was being done.

Woodstock owner-operator Lindsay Cavill expressed strong feelings about the issue too.

INDUSTRY ADVOCATE BEN MAGUIRE

WA CAMPAIGNER CAM DUMESNY

COST CUTTER CHET CLINE

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE

TRUCKIN’ IN VICTORIA GRAHAM HARSANT

I SPY ON THE ROAD ISPY@BIGRIGS.COM.AU

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT JACQUELENE BROTHERTON

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

TASSIE TRUCKIN’ JON WALLIS

TWU NEWS RICHARD OLSEN

LEGAL EAGLE ROWAN KING

Australian trucking Association CEO

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

Western Roads Federation CEO

AIR CTI founder/owner

Chair of Transport Women Australia

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

A full view of the pull off area which truckies want gazetted as a breakdown pad.

WELCOME MESSAGE MARK BAILEY

INSURANCE GURU MARK BROWN

LEGAL CORNER SARAH MARINOVIC

TELEMATICS EXPERT SHANNON KYLE

Qld Minister for Transport and Main Roads

Armstrong Legal

Manager, TBI Insurance Services

Safety solutions specialist, Teletrac Navman

Owner-operator Lindsay Cavill gives the thumbs down.

“It was common to see six sets of trailers there. There used to be a breakdown pad on the Flinders Highway near the shop until about 25 years ago and then it became a gentleman’s agreement we could use

this – until recently when scalies started fining us,” he said.

Local resident Ken Manser isn’t a truckie but has shown his support for the truckies who use the breakdown pad.

“It doesn’t bother anybody

and it is so big an area that truckies could use it without a problem,” he said.

A list of some of the transport OZ companies THE TRUCKER that would make regular MIKE WILLIAMS use of the contributors@bigrigs.com.au breakdown pad if permitted was emailed to Big Rigs and we contacted the Department of Transport and Main Roads for a response.

“This site, which is about 500 metres along Woodstock Giru Road from the intersection with the Flinders Highway, is a dedicated stockpile pad for road maintenance and upgrade materials, and is not a truck breakdown pad.

LOBBYIST Close to the Flinders HighSTEVE SHEARER SA Road Transport Association way and Woodstock Giru Executive Director Road intersection, there are four dedicated truck breakdown facilities available to heavy vehicle operators,” said a spokesperson.

“These facilities are provided along the Flinders Highway (one of the sites is four kilometres further west of the Woodstock Giru Road intersection, while the others are closer to Townsville) and on the Port Access Road.

“Due to these reasons, we will not establish the material stockpile site on Woodstock Giru Road as a truck breakdown pad.”

The department also cited

TWU NSW State Secretary

Principal Lawyer RK Law

Local resident Ken Manser is in support of truckies using the breakdown pad.

dimension and weight restrictions along Woodstock Giru Road that prevent vehicles over 19m or over 43.5 tonnes from travelling on it.

Another truckie said the Woodstock to Giru Road proved an important route for heavy vehicles in the event of the 50km stretch of Bruce Highway being closed be-

tween Giru and Townsville.

“A few months back that section was closed for 13 hours after a fatal accident and trucks were able to use the Woodstock to Giru route,” he said.

The message to Department of Transport and Main Roads is loud and clear: If it isn’t broken, why change it.

Here’s how our readers reacted to the news online

WHEN we recently published a shortened version of the story online and shared it on our Facebook page, many truckies were quick to react.

Jeffrey Dukes summed up his thoughts about the issue in one brief statement, “Another kick in the guts for a truckie just trying to make a livin,” he said.

Many others echoed this sentiment. “Got to be more of these for trucks to pull up.

Bloody hard-working truck(l-r) Small fleet owners Nick and Alicyn Roberts and one of their drivers Adam Meers.

ies do not need $700 out of their pay for anally pedantic pricks with some power,” wrote Poddy Alan Thompson.

“And the government can’t figure out why nobody wants to come into the industry and why everyone is leaving it. I’m glad I drive in the west. You blokes over east, I don’t know how you put up with all the shit you get,” commented Dave Chapman.

“There is prior history for this site being used as a breakdown area over many years, even this article acknowledges the facts. Contest these fines. Money grabbing pricks,” added David Gehan.

While Pete Hughes said, “Until they build a designated breakdown area I’d just throw the fine in the bin.

They keep mouthing off how government is all about road safety...”

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26 FEATURE

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Livestock truckie is living the dream

Lured by his thirst for adventure, Zeb Cremers made the switch from the city streets of the Netherlands to the outback roads of WA.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI FOR some, the thought of steering a road train loaded up with cattle through the middle of nowhere might seem daunting, but for Dutch truckie Zeb Cremers, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

Originally from a small village in the south of the Netherlands, close to the German border, Cremers moved down under in October 2019, settling in Perth. He went from the busy city streets of Europe to the deserted Aussie outback roads; from automatic European cabovers to a gutsy 2007 Kenworth T904 with a Roadranger gearbox; from general freight to live cattle and sheep – and all this on top of starting a new life in a country so far from home. So what was the attraction?

“Well, Australia is a beautiful country to start with. When I was a child I always knew I

He has been driving trucks for over 10 years.

wanted to go somewhere away from home. I thought I’d go to Canada but never did and then in 2017 my mum bought me a ticket to Australia for a holiday. Once I came here, I knew I wanted to come back and drive a road train,” Cremers said.

Cremers and this T904 travel the open road, with some round trips being up to 4500 kilometres.

“It’s the trucks, the dirt roads, the real adventure. Driving a truck in Europe, it’s all Mickey Mouse and easy going.

If you break down, you just give the company a ring. Here, if you break down in the middle of nowhere, you need to try and sort things out yourself first, so I guess it’s more back to basics. And the truck I drive now is bigger, older and has a lot more grunt.”

Once Cremers hit his teenage years, he already knew he was destined to become a truckie. He got his truck licence as soon as he turned 18 and has pretty much been driving them ever since.

When he first arrived in Australia, he did his obligatory farm work stint for a few months, choosing to work at a cattle station to help further his knowledge and set him in good stead for the career he hoped to pursue. He then flew to Queensland and obtained his MC licence, before returning

Zeb Cremers drives this 2007 Kenworth T904 for Road Trains of Australia.

to WA and working on a crop farm, which also involved tipper work.

Before long he approached Road Trains of Australia and scored the sort of job he had hoped for – driving road trains loaded with cattle and sheep.

Based in Perth, his usual runs

are between southern Western Australia, Carnarvon and South Australia, sometimes even going further north into Broome.

When Cremers spoke with Big Rigs, he was actually in the truck, bound for Kalgoorlie.

“This is why I came to Aus-

“It’s the trucks, the dirt roads, the real adventure,” he said.

tralia, to drive the dirt roads,” he said.

Sometimes a round trip can be up to 4500 kilometres, but every day is different. I asked Cremers if it was all just as he had expected. “I knew Australia was big and wide, but it’s freaking huge. You drive sometimes for hours without seeing anybody. It’s not exactly what I first expected, but after a while I realised I could definitely get used to this.

“I love being free, being away and being on the road.

I already loved the trucks but being here I love it even more. Back home, the roads were quite crowded and full and there were heaps of traffic jams. You couldn’t really overtake the other trucks so just drove in a convoy, which was a bit of a challenge. Here, you have these empty, wide roads – it’s just so free, so relaxed.

I can enjoy my own company and somehow it never gets lonely.”

Travelling far and wide, Cremers loves the freedom that comes with his work.

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28 FEATURE

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Derham family hits the gas for Crawlin’ the Hume A beautifully restored ’84 Kenworth takes pride of place for a father and son duo from Lara in the classic truck convoy to Albury.

BY DAVID VILE AS part of the many and varied trucks that made their way up the Hume Highway in March in the 2021 Crawlin’ the Hume convoy, the 1984 Kenworth owned by the Derham family also saw the Aftrans’ fleet name and colours once again take to Highway 31.

The 37-year-old Kenworth, with matching tanker trailer was once again rolling along the Hume having covered the trek between Melbourne and Sydney on the old Hume many times over in its working life.

Having been sold in the mid-1990s the truck was re-purchased by the family a few years ago and fully restored to as-new condition, with father and son David and Andrew Derham sharing the driving duties in this year’s convoy.

In its first incarnation the Kenworth rarely stood still, with David working the truck hard and its Detroit ‘Silver 92’ proving to be a solid performer hauling both gas tankers for Aftrans and overnight express freight.

“It was the first Kenworth I had bought new, had a few others prior to buying it, from memory it was around $105,000 out of Kenworth in Footscray,” David explained.

“It was very reliable with the 8/92 in it, we had it tricked up a bit and breathed a bit of extra power out of it, so it was up around 500 horsepower and used to go very well. In the summertime when the gas job dropped off a little bit, we worked out of IPEC as casuals doing a lot of Adelaide running with one of their express trailers.”

Of course, back in the 1980s in terms of trucks on the highway the Kenworth/Detroit combination was a pretty handy weapon to have, and with the Aftrans work taking David from ICI at Deer Park in Melbourne to Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide on a regular basis the Kenworth was able to set a good pace.

“It was very quick, back in the day there wasn’t much better around - they were right up there…probably the V8 Macks and trucks like that were probably a bit quicker up the hills but we lived on plenty of momentum and plenty of speed at the bottom of the hill,” David said with a smile.

Having worked the truck for just over a decade and putting 1.3 million kilometres on the odometer, the truck was sold to FCL where it was put to work on shutting containers around metropolitan Melbourne.

The Derhams always knew where the truck was working so when seeking it out to buy

back it was a simple process to locate, and once back in the family workshop, Andrew took on the rebuild project.

“It worked for FCL for about 20 years and only did about another 500,000km so it’s only got about 1.9 million on it. When we got it back a few years ago it was painted in the FCL colours, and we fully stripped it back-it had only done the container work, so it was pretty good. It’s still all original with the 8/92, thirteen speed Roadranger box and Ryco rear end.

“We just wanted to get it back to how the old man had it, it was a big job tidying it up, but it came up well, about nine months solid all up. Steve Thomas who is good mate of mine did it, he’s a bit of a perfectionist so he did the bulk of it and has done a great job.”

Once a regular sight on the highways around the country, the Aftrans name has long disappeared having been absorbed into the Chemtrans group, which itself is today part of the

The Derham Transport team in Albury (L-R) David, Tahlie and Andrew Derham and Tate Ramsey.

The Derham Kenworth in its Aftrans paint colours shines in Albury.

K & S Corporation. Having worked on a variety of transport roles including running an Atkinson on fuel transport for Knights at Kilmore, it was the purchase of another Atkinson in the early 1980s that got David into the Aftrans’ colours.

“I bought Frank Webb’s truck and contract off him - at the time Aftrans had six sub-contractors in Wodonga, and they were going to start carting a lot more LPG out of Melbourne interstate.

Frank had an Atkinson with an 8/71 Detroit in it and it was mechanically like new as he was a very good operator, so I bought that truck off him with the job. It was a 24-hours/seven day a week job, as long as you could keep your eyes open you would keep going.”

And keep going David did, building up his fleet along the way eventually running eight trucks with Aftrans, and later

under the Chemtrans banner.

“Back in those days - Aftrans had basically all the gas tankers running up and down the highway, they were there before the likes of Cootes and Stephensons . When I started

in 1983 on the gas about all you would see at night was Aftrans tankers - you could tell by the two lights on the tankers at the back, and the orange and white were a good colour,” David said.

The Derham family was undertaking the Crawlin the Hume event for the first time with both Andrew and David enjoying the experience of steering the Kenworth up the old stretches of the Hume once again, and for Andrew his first opportunity to go for a longer run in the truck from the driver’s seat.

“I loved it yesterday, I had done plenty of time up and down the highway in it as a kid. I was 18 when we got rid of it so only drove it once with the ‘Driver under Instruction’ plates on it and I had to wait 25 years to drive it again,” he said with a grin.

For his father, the trip bought back the memories of how the Hume was back in the era before today’s freeway which connects Melbourne and Sydney and allowed him to give an old mate a ride up the Hume for old time’s sake.

“It used to be pretty horrific on the old Hume. You had

David Derham purchased this Atkinson off Frank Webb from Tallangatta with the Aftrans contract.

to be on the job all the time with a lot of trucks, especially at night and for years and years we put up with the roadworks when they were doing the duplications, so they were hard days. I drove it from Kilmore up to Winton - my first driver I had back in 1978, Phil (Tiger) Merry had a stroke, but we were able to get him up into the passenger seat and I took him from Kilmore to Winton for a run which made his day,” David said.

With the Derham family based at Lara today running a sand quarry and a large fleet of tippers covering south-west Victoria, the event provided a good chance to get away and take in the nostalgia of the event.

David reckoned his Kenworth would still be able to hold its own with a lot of today’s trucks, along with illustrating how it used to be out on the road with the ‘Silver 92’ strutting its stuff.

“It’s really good to have these 2-strokes out and about.

A lot of the younger generation have never heard these engines running and see them blow a bit of smoke, it’s really good fun. It’s still an excellent truck to drive, you could still be doing interstate in it if you wanted to, she purrs along beautifully.

But it’s just great to come to an event like this and see some of the old original trucks that were up and down the highway and the people that were with them.

“You can switch off from worrying about customers, and so forth, and just think about changing gears and relax.”

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30 FEATURE

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

A sketch full of memories

A horrific accident cut Kristopher Mullins’ driving career short.

Now a drawing by his bed serves as a reminder of what once was.

Kristopher Mullins with the drawing of the two trucks he used to drive before the accident.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI AS a kid, all Mullins wanted to do was drive road trains – and he did for almost eight years, until the night that changed his life.

Mullins drove road trains for his parents’ company Niarton Transport, which sub-contracts to Mainfreight, carrying general freight from Brisbane to Cairns. You’d find him either behind the wheel of a blue Kenworth T908 or steering a white Freightliner Argosy.

On ANZAC Day 2015, Mullins was travelling through the rural town of Macalister, Queensland in the Kenworth. “It was about 10-11pm and there was a truck coming towards me.

He had his spotties on and I kept flicking mine back, then when I realised he was in my lane, he was only about 100 metres in front of me. I didn’t have time to do anything. I swerved to try and miss him, but we hit each other head on, on both passenger sides.

I was doing about 80km/h and they reckon he was still at 100km/h on impact,” recalled Mullins, who was lucky to survive the crash.

He was trapped inside the wreckage for about five hours before being cut free and air-lifted to hospital.

“It happened in the middle of nowhere. I don’t remember the impact, but I remember seeing a truck coming past. He stopped and I was banging on the window. My Dad was in another truck just ahead of me, so I told the truckie to call him.

My Dad came down and he was the second person on the scene,” said Mullins.

His injuries were significant. He suffered a shattered pelvis, broken ribs and a broken arm. Mullins was placed into an induced coma for two weeks, but as a result, his kidneys shut down, requiring dialysis. “They didn’t think I was going to wake up, so they told my wife to bring the kids to say their goodbyes,” he said.

But, overcoming the odds,

The Kenworth T908 before the accident.

The Kenworth T908 after the crash that changed Mullins’ life.

Mullins pulled through, though the scars – both mental and physical – run deep.

Unable to walk, he spent two and a half years in a wheelchair, on top of a number of other obstacles. “I had a couple of operations in my arm, but the screws came loose, then I got an infection. It was looking like I could lose my arm, but luckily they stopped it in time,” said Mullins.

“I’ve also got a perma-

with artist Sam Gerry, after seeing her ad on Facebook.

Gerry has been drawing for many years. After selling the hotel she owned with her husband, she found herself with more time to devote to drawing. One day a friend asked Gerry to draw a truck as a gift for her husband, and she says she’s been drawing trucks ever since.

“I got a message one day from Kristopher, asking if

nent foot drop out of it, and PTSD, as you do. And they took my licence off me too, which is a shame, because all I ever wanted to do was drive road trains, and that’s what I was doing. It’s put me into early retirement because I can’t work. I’d love to go back to driving trucks but can’t see it happening.”

Determined not to let the memories of his time on the road fade, he got in contact

Artist Sam Gerry with the very first truck she drew, for locals Ross and Blair Harris. Her truck drawings take around 30 hours to complete.

I could draw two trucks, although he didn’t have a photo of them together,” said Gerry. “I said I looked forward to drawing them, especially the blue one because it was a beautiful truck. He asked if I wanted to see what it looked like now and I was blown away.

“Most of the stories behind the trucks I draw are because the driver is retiring or a father wanting a truck drawn with their son – often they are really happy stories, but when Kristopher told me this story, it was just shocking. It’s unusual for someone to go through so much grief in their life and then have a reminder of it hanging on their wall.”

The two trucks in the drawing are the Kenworth T908 involved in the crash and the Freightliner Argosy, which Mullins’ father was driving when the incident happened.

“I told Sam that I wanted the two trucks together, and it turned out to be a masterpiece,” said Mullins.

“When I get older, they reckon my memory will go and I’ll eventually end up in a wheelchair again. I want to remember those trucks and what happened, I don’t want to forget it. That’s why the drawing is hanging in my bedroom, right beside my bed. It’s the first thing I see in the morning – apart from the misses of course.”

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32 CHARITY CONVOY

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Big turnout for Townsville convoy

MORE than $82,000 was raised from the Convoy For The Cure in Townsville last month thanks to the generous support of local truckies.

Convoy director Todd Martin said it was a great success with 183 trucks and 50 motorbikes taking part.

REFORM LEADER Some other GARY MAHON road transQueensland Trucking Association CEO fleet port companies, small operators and owner-drivers could not participate due to contractual agreements on the day.

But they generously still donated money to the worthy ‘The Cure Starts Now’ charity.

Funds raised funds go for research into children’s brain LIFE WITH KERMIE cancer and the convoy organGRAHAM HARSANT contributors@bigrigs.com.au iser is Ren Petersen who lost his daughter Amy to childhood brain cancer in 2009.

“It never ceases to amaze

me how people are so generous and good people in our community come together with one aim to find a cure for a disease that doesn’t stop during Covid and neither will we in our efforts to beat INDUSTRY ADVOCATE cancer,” Pedersen said.

BEN MAGUIRE Australian trucking Association Nortrans was CEO the Large Fleet winners raising $4987.

Manager Seaton Battle told Big Rigs it was the fifth Convoy For The Cure his company had supported.

“We have 18 trucks in the convoy it is great to be part of it,” he said.

The Small Fleet Winners was DrainIN Transport.

TRUCKIN’ VICTORIA The lead truck was a GRAHAM HARSANT contributors@bigrigs.com.au 1985 Scania owned by Ross Gofton and it raised over $10,000 with thanks to Honeycombes and Scania Australia.

The trucks travelled along a revised 2021 route starting just after at 9am from Webb Drive the Bohle, then along Duckworth Street, along Dalrymple Road and WELCOME MESSAGE Thuringowa Drive to then MARK BAILEY Qld Minister forup Transport and Main Roads proceed Riverway Drive finishing at Ross Dam Park in a turnaround finish point.

The distance of the route

REFORM LEADER SAL PETROCCITTO

LEGAL CORNER SARAH MARINOVIC

TRUCKIN’ AROUND OZ ALF WILSON contributors@bigrigs.com.au

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, CEO

Armstrong Legal

WA CAMPAIGNER CAM DUMESNY

COST CUTTER CHET CLINE

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE

I SPY ON THE ROAD ISPY@BIGRIGS.COM.AU

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT JACQUELENE BROTHERTON

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

TASSIE TRUCKIN’ JON WALLIS

Western Roads Federation CEO

AIR CTI founder/owner

Chair of Transport Women Australia

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

Owner-operator Ross Gofton and Teresa Nieminen with his Scania which was the lead truck raising the most money.

INSURANCE GURU was about 42km.

MARK BROWN

THE OZ TRUCKER Tens of thousands MIKE WILLIAMS

TELEMATICS EXPERT SHANNONDarren KYLE Wales, CEO

LOBBYIST STEVE SHEARER

This year the trucks travelled in several different convoys a few minutes apart and the bikes were at the rear.

Manager, TBI Insurance Services

Safety solutions specialist, Teletrac Navman

of contributors@bigrigs.com.au men, women and children watched the convoy and waved to the drivers, passengers and sick kids who went

TWU NEWS along for OLSEN a ride.

RICHARD

In return the truck drivers honked their horns in response.

Naming rights partner

TWU NSW State Secretary

LEGAL EAGLE radio station ROWAN KING

Power 100 broadcast the convoy advising spectators along the route where the trucks were.

Continued on page 34...

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SA Road Transport Association Executive Director

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CHARITY CONVOY 33

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

The impressive array of convoy trucks make an imposing sight as they head along Ingham Road.

Organiser Ren Petersen with Tony Kavanagh at the marshalling area along Webb Drive.

Director Todd Martin organises the placement of trucks before the start.

Organiser Ren Petersen at the sign-in area with volunteers before the start.

Kent Battle, the manager of Nortrans, which had the most trucks in the convoy.

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34 CHARITY CONVOY

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckies dig deep to help ...From page 33

Robert Roveglia from Long Pocket Earthmoving of Ingham at the marshalling area.

Truckies from all sectors of the industry turned up to show their support.

Big rigs on Ingham Road.

Light-duty trucks were also well represented in the convoy.

Lots of spectators at the end of the convoy area near Ross River Dam.

A young passenger waves to the spectators.

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36 READER RIGS

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

A stunning sunrise shot taken by Matt Manning, near Wycheproof, Victoria.

Drew Nobby Smith shared a great shot of these two Kenworth T900 Legends, hanging out by the beach.

Share your truck pics THE trucking game is as diverse as the terrain on which our truckies travel.

If there’s one thing we know many of you love, it’s a good looking rig – and sometimes life on the open road brings some golden photo opportunities.

The Big Rigs #PicOfTheDay competition is a chance

to share your best snaps through our Facebook page (@BigRigs). We’ll choose a weekly winning shot to feature as our Facebook cover photo and a selection of the best pics will be featured in the next edition of Big Rigs Newspaper.

So get snapping and keep those great pics coming!

Interstate livestock truckie Shaun Wood shared this great shot of the 685hp Mack he drives. Photo was taken in Loxton, SA, while waiting to load lambs.

Terry Washo stopped to snap this shot in front of the Devil’s Marbles while bound for Harts Range, NT.

Kev Cameron sent in another amazing shot of his Western Star, this time taken at Lake Boga, Victoria.

John Parry shared this pic of an Emerald Carrying Company 2018 Kenworth Legend 900.

Mark Scott is ready to roll after a morning coffee and tyre check.

Shane Bankier was in Rowena, NSW, being loaded with chickpeas bound for the Port of Brisbane.

READER RIGS 37

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

Check out that sky. Cameron Russell snapped this shot south of Mount Magnet, WA.

What a backdrop for this Kenworth pic sent in by Hayden Chevalier in Telfer, WA.

Kevin Bemrose shared this great shot of a Hawkins Haulage Kenworth, enjoying the sunset while travelling the Eyre Highway.

Jas King, who drives this 2010 Western Star 4800, snapped this shot at Bingara Gorge, near Wilton, NSW.

Graeme Walker shared a pic of two Australian legends, racehorse Winx and this Kenworth Legend at the Dunedoo silo in NSW.

Brody Brazel sent in this pic of the Western Star he bought last year.

Darren Walters sent in this great pic of the 2003 Kenworth K104 he drives for Thurwoods Transport.

Aaron Griffiths shared this great pic of a Bellini Bulk Haulage Scania at sunrise, in Bruce Rock, WA.

Glenn Seabrook shared this shot of the 2020 Western Star he drives, taken south of Lismore, Victoria.

Another ripper shot sent in by Jakob Batchelor. This one was taken at Bon Bon rest area in Mount Eba, SA.

38 SAVE THE DATE

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

What’s on

SAVE the date for these events in 2021.

July LRTAQ 2021 Annual Conference July 16-17 Roma, Queensland Visit: lrtaq.com.au/conference-2021/ The Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Queensland (LRTAQ) will celebrate its 40th anniversary at this year’s annual conference event, returning to the location of the very first meeting in 1981 – Roma. The event will discuss the latest industry developments and the future of the industry.

August QTA NQ Women in Transport & Logistics Breakfast August 4 Townsville, Queensland Visit: qta.com.au/ event-4254645 At this event at The Ville Resort & Casino, guests will hear from inspiring women who are thriving in their careers. It is open to both men and women and will be based upon the theme ‘Choose to challenge for change’.

Casino Truck Show August 7 Casino, NSW Visit: casinotruckshow.com. au From 10am the truck parade will roll through Johnston and Centre Streets in Casino. Registrations will be open from 6am and take place at the Casino industrial area on the town’s east side. Other highlights include live music, amusements and markets, and over $12,000 in cash and prizes. For further information, email info@casinotruckshow.com.au.

NatRoad Conference August 19-21 Gold Coast, Queensland Visit: www.natroad. com.au/events-networking/2021-conference/ The NatRoad National Conference aims to provide an opportunity for freight operators to get together and reconnect after what has been a very difficult year. Event highlights

will include the ‘NatRoad Parliament’ where attendees can debate pressing issues; and the NatRoad Awards which will be presented at the Gala Dinner.

National Road Transport Hall of Fame Reunion August 23-29 Alice Springs, NT Visit: www.roadtransporthall. com The National Transport Historical Society and The Old Ghan Historical Society has announced the inaugural Festival of Transport, with new events to be held alongside the usual reunion activities, including introducing the newest members to the Rimula Wall of Fame.

National Skills Week August 23-29 National event Visit: nationalskillsweek. com.au National Skills Week is dedicated to raising the status of practical and vocational learning. Over 500 events are set to take place across Australia.

The Casino Truck Show will include a parade, live music, amusements and markets. Pic: Casino Truck Show Facebook page

September MEGATRANS September 8-10 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Visit: megatrans.com.au MEGATRANS is Australia’s leading industry freight and logistics trade exhibition and conference, showcasing multimodal transport solutions. For the first time, MEGATRANS will be held in conjunction with the specialised bulk handling expo, Australian Bulk Handling Expo 2021, with both events taking place sideby-side.

Australasian Road Safety Conference September 28-30 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Visit: australasianroadsafetyconference.com.au The 2021 Australasian Road Safety Conference will combine in-person and online delivery to ensure people can be involved regardless travel restrictions that may be in place.

It aims to align with road safety efforts across Australia, New Zealand and globally, and assist in building road safety capacity.

The largest truck and motorbike convoy in the Southern Hemisphere will return in November. Pic: I98FM Illawarra Convoy Facebook page

Trucking Australia 2021 September 29 – October 1 Gold Coast, Queensland Visit: new.truck.net.au/ta/ The date is set for the Trucking Australia Conference, presented by the Australian Trucking Association, with further details and VIP conference packages to be released soon.

October Lights on the Hill Memorial Convoy October 2-3 Gatton, Queensland Visit: lightsonthehill.com.au The memorial convoy gives drivers and their families an opportunity to get together

with other truckies in a social environment whilst making the public aware that truckies are the backbone of the country.

TWAL Driving the Difference Conference October 22 - 24, 2021 Hyatt Place, Melbourne After being postponed due to the COVID situation in Victoria, the eighth Transport Women Australia Limited Conference has a new date. The event will be emceed by Melissa Strong of Lindsay Australia and will feature various speakers.

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Brisbane Convoy for Kids and Truck Show November 6 Redcliffe Showgrounds, Queensland Visit: brisbaneconvoyforkids. com.au Raising money for Hummingbird House, the truck and bike convoy will run from Forest Lake to Redcliffe Showgrounds, where there will be a truck show, awards presentation and a spectacular fireworks display.

• Have you got an event you’d like included in the next Save the Date? Email all the details to editor@primecreative. com.au.

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40 TRUCK SHOW

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Defying the odds at Sorell

BY JONATHAN WALLIS NOW a major fixture on the Tasmanian Trucking calendar is that excellent truck show held annually at the Pembroke Park at Sorell on the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend on June 13.

Originally organised and arranged by those tireless workers Rick Sutcliffe, the co-ordinator, and Emma Bygrave, the chairperson, to

raise much needed funds for the South East Suns Women’s Football Club; sadly, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic last year’s show had to be cancelled.

But after much effort and frustration, obtaining the necessary permissions and permits from both Council and the Department of Health, Bygrave and Sutcliffe have again managed to get this fourth

The hugely popular Royal Australian Navy Band is part of the entertainment.

Organisers Rick Sutcliffe and Emma Bygrave are looking forward to another big day.

truck show up and running, virtually against all odds.

Organised as a major family day as well, the show will start at 10am and be an all-day show offering something for everyone. Refreshments and hot food will be available and, there will again be excellent live music from the hugely popular Royal Australian Navy Band.

There will be a full competition wood chop, the PCYC are arranging events for the kids, there will be heritage displays and other entertainments on the day.

“The main thing we want

to emphasise this year is that the tickets for general entry must be purchased online at Eventbrite,” said Bygrave.

They are $2.50 each and are sold in timed sessions of 1.5hrs. Any vehicles entering the show must fill out an entry form and pay their entry fee prior to the day.

“Working trucks are $20, restored trucks are $15 and cars are $10. The entry forms can be found on our Facebook page or by using the QR code on our flyer. Vehicles will be allowed, the driver and one passenger able to stay all day, any

Trucks of all shapes and sizes will be on show at Sorell, like this classic Mack from the 2018 event.

extra passengers must purchase tickets and cannot enter the site in the vehicle. There will be no ticket sales or entries on the day.”

“All of our restrictions were set by the Department of Health and we have to abide by them. Fingers crossed things will be relaxed in the future and we can get the show back to normal. But, for now, we are

doing everything we can to get things up and running again, and to put on a good day for the guys and girls that enter their vehicles and those that come to have a look around.”

Further information can be found on the Southern Suns Facebook page, www.facebook.com/sunstruckcarshow, or by phoning Sutcliffe on 0499 169 229.

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42 FEATURE

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

From the pedal to the metal

When he’s not on the road, you’ll most likely find interstate truckie Kev Harley in his shed, working on his custom metal creations.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI WHAT started as a small side hobby is now gaining a lot of traction and interest. Harley’s handcrafted metal letterboxes, which resemble everything from Mack and Kenworth trucks, to animals and cartoon characters, have been turning many heads.

Based in Bundaberg, Harley has been driving trucks for about 20 years. He runs from Bundaberg to Adelaide each week, loaded with sweet potatoes, bringing carrots to the Brisbane market on the return leg.

“My only run is to Adelaide, so that’s four days on the road and then three days at home, and those three days are spent in the shed,” he said.

For Harley, trucking is in the blood. His father was a truckie and his older brother is a truckie too. When he first left school, he did a mechanic apprenticeship, while also driving trucks here and there.

But after injuring his back, the mechanical work wasn’t a great fit so he turned to solely truck driving instead.

Harley works for a farming business called Shoobridge & Sons, which mainly grows sweet potatoes from its Bund-

Harley was lucky enough to get behind the wheel of this brand new Kenworth T610SAR earlier this year.

aberg and Childers farms.

Though the business has more recently branched out into growing macadamias too, having just planted 20-30 acres worth of macadamia trees.

When the time came for Harley’s truck to be upgraded, his boss asked him what sort he wanted – and a brand new Kenworth T610SAR fit the bill nicely. “It’s only a couple of months old now,. It was picked up at the start of the year. It’s a really nice truck to drive,” he said.

He’s made letterboxes that resemble Macks and Kenworths, and is about to start working on Western Star and Peterbilt ones too.

Harley began making some metal sculptures for his mancave about 18 months ago and now that’s managed to progress into a side business. “A couple of mates said I should try selling some of my work. I thought no-one would be interested but one day I made something to see how it’d go and I haven’t stopped since,” he said.

To start with, it was mainly metal animals and flowers made of spoons. More recently though, Harley’s creations have become much more detailed.

He ventured into letterbox territory when someone in Adelaide asked if he could produce one for him. “He asked for an Australia Post truck so that was my first truck letterbox. I also made a B-double letterbox for myself. Now I’ve done six or seven truck letterboxes.

“That B-double letterbox took over 100 hours to make – and that’s not including the time spent going to scrap yards and looking for materials.”

Harley relies on recycled metals for his creations wherever he can. “I go to the scrapyard every Monday, load the truck up, then go home and start welding. I try not to manufacture too much of it.

The wheels on my B-double

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for example are old bearings from a Holden Commodore.

I prefer to use pre-loved stuff wherever I can. The hardest bit though is finding the bits and pieces I need.”

Harley has so far made a few Kenworth and Mack truck letterboxes and when we spoke with him, he was about to start on an order for a Western Star, with a Peterbilt also coming up.

“I can make them with semis, B-doubles, road trains, whatever tickles your fancy,” he added.

“Being a former mechanic, I’m used to building stuff – it used to be cars but now it’s letterboxes. I’m not big on television, I’d rather be in the shed doing something. Sometimes I do get a bit carried away. I think I’ll just quickly go and do something and before I know it, I’m out there until 3am.”

Through word of mouth and his Facebook page ‘One of a Kind Metal Art’, Harley’s letterbox work has been gaining quite the following.

“They’re going all over the place now. I sent a sheep and a fire truck letterbox to Victoria and have sent some letterboxes to Adelaide too. Because I travel from Bundaberg to Adelaide, I offer a delivery service too if it’s en-route.”

He made this letterbox for himself, based on the Kenworth T610SAR he drives, pulling a B-double.

Harley’s first truck letterbox was this Australia Post truck.

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44 NEWS

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

INSTRUCKTA educational truck to roll out in WA

WESTERN Australia is launching its own version of the Australian Trucking Association’s SafeT360 educational truck later this year.

With the help of $560,000 from the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative and another $120,000 from the WA Road Safety Commission, Transafe WA will introduce INSTRUCKTA – a truck and customised semi-trailer which expands into a cutting-edge education space.

Much like the SafeT360 Volvo in the east, INSTRUCKTA will travel to schools and community events around the state from November, engaging the general public with learning opportunities that utilise augmented and virtual reality.

Primary school age children will learn about truck drivers, what they do, and the size of trucks relative to them, said Transafe WA. “Our programming includes fun interactive, consequence driven games. We then build on these programs for secondary school age children and the community, adding experiences that explore truck

blind spots, overtaking and road courtesy,” explained Transafe WA executive officer Ana Stachewicz.

“We’re taking road safety up a level in WA and using the awesome technology available to us to put the general road user in the truck driver’s seat and generate behavioural change on our roads.”

According to data from the National Truck Accident Research Centre, 80 per cent of fatal accidents involving cars and trucks in Australia are deemed to be the fault of the car driver, not the heavy vehicle driver.

Stachewicz said there is a critical need to educate current and future road users on how to share the road safely with trucks in WA – something not currently being met in the state’s education system or road safety strategy priorities.

She added that this issue is not confined to WA’s regional roads. Between 2015 and 2019, half of the people killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one heavy vehicle were in the metropolitan area.

Cam Dumesny, CEO West-

An artist’s rendering of the truck that will roll out on WA roads from November.

ern Roads Federation, says INSTRUCKTA is an exciting and necessary initiative in Western Australia, which is going to fill an enormous gap in road safety education.

“The state government of Western Australia has more

than $2.39 billion committed to creating and upgrading roads around the state, to make our infrastructure safe for everyone,” said Dumesny.

“But this is only part of the solution. It’s our shared responsibility as the WA com-

munity – the trucking industry, all the industries that rely on us, the not-for-profit sector, government and every Western Australian on the road – to learn how to safely and confidently share the roads with heavy vehicles.”

Transafe WA said it is now seeking corporate safety partners and a long-term commitment from the WA State Government to ensure the future of INSTRUCKTA. It is also still shopping for a prime mover safety partner.

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DRIVER PROFILES 45

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

Tassie Truckin’

with Jonathan Wallis

Greg Wylie

Jamie Shelton

WE recently caught up with Greg Wylie from Nubeena on the Tasman Peninsula when he stopped for a hot cuppa and a refreshment. He was driving a Hall Earthmoving 2003 Kenworth T604 with a 550hp C-15 Cat up front and towing a loader which he had picked up from Hellyer on the north-west coast early that morning. He was taking it to the depot at Stoner, meaning he had a very long day ahead.

IT is always satisfying catching up with people we have known for some time, and the last time we ran into Jamie Shelton, from Hadspen, he was over picking up a heavy load from Zeehan on the far West Coast. So, it was a great pleasure to catch up with him again recently.

We caught Shelton when he was stopping for a break.

He was driving a Gradco 2015 Kenworth T950 Legend with a 600 Cummins up front, and he was on his way from Launceston to Fingal with a load of mining equipment at the time.

Shelton reiterated that Gradco are a top outfit to work for, really good and well looked after trucks and gear, and they look after their drivers as well.

“I have been here for five good years now and it’s the best job I have ever had. Prior to Gradco I had been about 20 years on the road, including a couple of years running between Brisbane and Cairns, but it is so much better down here home again,” he said.

“Tasmania is such a pleasure compared with the traffic and hassles of working on the big island, even the winters aren’t too bad.”

When he isn’t working, we asked what he likes to do.

“After polishing the truck, you mean? Well, I enjoy

It’s always nice to see Mick Hall’s trucks out and about. “I did my trade as a plumber, but I had already got my licence, and I wanted a bit of variety and then the opportunity came up, and I started driving machinery for Mick about five years ago, and happily I am still here and it is a great job, with tons of variety,” Wylie said.

“We work all over Tasma-

nia, from one end of the state to the other and including sites out in the backblocks.

In fact there is hardly anywhere we haven’t been now. I like the truck too. I’m happy all round at the moment.”

When he’s not behind the wheel, Wylie enjoys heading over to his bush property down at Nubeena, where he does odds and ends, but really enjoys the opportunity to go out fishing.

Raj

WITH a deep rain depression threatening, we made our way north to the Caltex at Epping Forest the other day, being pleased to note the number of trucks back on the road again.

We were happy to catch up with Raj from Burnie when he stopped over for a refreshment break. He was driving a recent model Zam Haulage CF DAF at the time, and towing a drop deck curtainsider.

He was on his return leg from Hobart back to Devon-

spending time with the family, and generally taking it easy,” Shelton said.

“I finally spent the night at the Waratah pub over on the West Coast recently, and have to mention the great food they serve up there,” he added.

“By the way, can we give a shout out to Mick Reeves who has left to go back driving his own T909. That conspicuous dark green one.

He keeps it immaculate and it’s in just about brand-new condition, only done about 300,000km.

Richard Harvey

port. “I have the permanent daily run from Devonport to Hobart and return, and that suits me fine as I really enjoy it.

I have been here for six months or so now, and I have been happily living in Burnie for a year now, having moved down to Tasmania from Melbourne, where I had been working locally,” he said.

“I must say it is a joy to drive in Tasmania after Melbourne, where the traffic is very heavy and trying. It is much quiet-

er and nowhere near as much stress here, and the scenery is better too.

“I like the DAF and they are really looking after me and keeping me busy, so all up I am very happy with the job. I am originally from New Zealand and I am finding Tasmania very similar, even the weather.”

We asked him how he spent his time off and he said he liked to spend time with family and friends, and also enjoys looking around Tasmania.

IT was great to catch up with Richard Harvey from Deloraine recently when he pulled up in a very neat Orion Tanks 2021 Fuso 1227 rigid, towing a trailer.

He was on his return to Deloraine after delivering and installing tanks in the Hobart area. Obviously very happy with the job, Harvey told us he has been with Orion Tanks for four good years now, adding, “It’s just a great job and I don’t ever intend leaving it. The

Fuso is a great rig and perfect for what we do, comfortable and manoeuvrable, and they really look after me as well.

Only drawback is these 3 or 4am dark morning starts as winter closes in, but we deliver tanks from one end of Tasmania to the other so I get to see some great scenery, much of it off the beaten track,” Harvey said.

“I deliver them on-site then install them to the client’s satisfaction, and I’d have to say you

meet some very nice folk out there too. I’ve been on the road now for 20 years and have never had any regrets about taking it up as a career, as I enjoy the work, and also, where else would you get a chance to see Tassie like this? And you really get to understand why we get so many tourists down here.”

We asked him what he likes to do in his spare time and he said, “All the usual, you know, hunting, shooting and fishing.”

46 DRIVER PROFILES

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckin’ In The Tropics Mark Dunlop Wayne Lavarini

YOU have to be versatile to be a truckie and such is the case with owner-operator Mark Dunlop.

Based on the Gold Coast, his company is Maxx Haulage. When we saw him deep in the tropics, he was preparing to place a tarp over his load.

It was spread out on the ground next to his 2008 Kenworth T408 and each gust of wind proved difficult.

But Dunlop, 40, got on with the task and had a smile on his face.

“I have been an owner

operator for more than three years and it is a good truck,” he said.

Dunlop was transporting panelling between Sydney and Townsville and had an oversized backload to pick up at Mount Isa for Newcastle.

He likes stopping at the Moorland Roadhouse, not far from Taree in NSW. “My favourite meal is steak and vegetables,” he said.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Dunlop had a second truck, a Western Star 4900, but ended up selling it.

“Things were quiet then

but have picked up and now I could use another truck,” he said.

Although Dunlop said there was a need for more rest areas, he added that some new ones along the Pacific Highway catered for trucks.

The worst road he nominated was between Dalby and Jandowae in Queensland.

His Kenworth had been through a plague of insects between Clermont and Charters Towers.

Outside work Dunlop is into hot rods on the Gold Coast.

OF Italian descent, Wayne Lavarini is the Operations Manager for Neal Bros, based at Bohle in North Queensland.

The 44-year-old was tending to his Volvo when Big Rigs saw him at the Townsville Port Access Road. “I am helping out today and the Volvo is carrying poly pipe from Toowoomba,” he said.

Born at Ingham, which is 110km north of Townsville along the Bruce Highway,

Lavarini enjoys stopping at the Bohle Puma Roadhouse.

I asked him what’s the worst road he has been along and he revealed a special name for the Rolleston to Springsure road, which he described as challenging.

“I refer to it as the Rolleston-coaster,” he said in obvious reference to a rollercoaster.

Lavarini has been a truckie for 24 years and worked with this company for two decades.

with Alf Wilson

Living in an area of the tropics which abounds with creeks and rivers, Lavarini enjoys camping and fishing when he gets time off.

“I also get out to the Great Barrier Reef fishing sometimes and have caught coral trout and red emperor,” he said.

The first truck he drove was a Kenworth K100 and he barracks for the local team, the Cowboys, in the NRL.

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DRIVER PROFILES 47

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

Truckin’ In The Tropics Keith Patten WHEN Big Rigs saw driver Keith Patten, he was waiting beside the Port Access Road in Townsville for a tyre to be replaced.

Initially I saw angst on his face as he checked out all the tyres on his Western Star 4800 towing two trailers.

However when I did ask Patten, 52, if I could take his pic for Big Rigs he was more than happy to oblige.

Indeed, he was a very friendly chappie who was enthusiastic about his employment in the road transport industry.

Patten has worked for Daryl Dickenson Transport based at Yatala for some time and was carrying steel and pilon casing to the far north from southern Queensland.

“I have been a truckie for 30 odd years and with this company for six months and they are good to work for,” he said.

Patten doesn’t reckon there is enough good rest areas for truckies in the land down under.

“I travelled through America but never worked there as a truckie, but the rest areas over there are generally much better and more frequent,” he said.

I HAVE BEEN A TRUCKIE FOR 30 ODD YEARS AND WITH THIS COMPANY FOR SIX MONTHS AND THEY ARE GOOD TO WORK FOR.” His worst road is the highway between Charters Towers and Clermont, which is echoed by many other drivers.

“No toilets except at the roadhouse along the way and if you have to pull off you are on dirt shoulders,” he said.

There is one rest area he doesn’t mind though as he told me. “It is at Waverley Hills in central Queensland and south of Marlborough,” he said.

His preferred roadhouse is at Charlton along the Warrego Highway in Queensland and his favourite food is crumbed steak, chips and vegetables.

Outside work Patten is a motorbike enthusiastic in a big way. “At home I have a Harley, a BSA and Triumph,” he said.

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with Alf Wilson

48 BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW WRAP-UP

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Daimler deems Brisbane Truck Show a great success

DAIMLER Truck and Bus has reported great success at the Brisbane Truck Show, with strong interest from the customers and trucking enthusiasts who visited the stand.

The biennial truck industry celebration ran from May 13 to 16 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, along with a series of events held alongside it, including the South Bank Truck Festival and a display at the nearby Reddacliff Place. Organisers confirmed that more than 30,000 attended the show.

Daimler Truck and Bus brands Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso all reported a high volume of enquiries for the duration of the show.

“Our teams experienced a high level of interest from customers and enthusiasts across all four days, including a massive day on Saturday,” said Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific president and CEO Daniel Whitehead.

“We sold a good amount of trucks on the stand, but were also able to connect in-person with our customers and others in the industry who have kept Australia moving despite all the recent challenges.”

Whitehead added that the ability to come together with others in the industry was immensely important.

“Relationships are central to the trucking industry in Australia, so to be able to meet in person at an event like the Brisbane Truck Show is really important,” he said.

Daimler also used the Brisbane Truck Show to launch important new models and features, along with celebrating key milestones.

Freightliner presented the full Cascadia range and announced the availability of a new head-protecting side airbag and a high-resolution Digital Dash system. Mercedes-Benz announced a local validation program for Level 2 automation and an upgraded 8x4 rigid model.

Fuso introduced the Shogun

The fully electric eCanter production model was on show for the first time.

Freightliner showcased the full Cascadia range and announced the availability of new features.

360 and the Fighter Euro 6, while also showing the fully electric eCanter production model for the first time and celebrating 50 years of the iconic Canter model.

A Freightliner Cascadia was also part of the Truck Push for Kids fundraising activity that included strongman Troy Conley-Magnusson successfully undertaking a world-record truck push to raise money for children’s charities Little Wings, Ronald McDonald House and the Sydney Children’s Hospital.

The Truck Push event

lasted about two hours, but the truck push itself took just under two minutes. Conley-Magnusson successfully completed the truck push, with the Guinness World Record now pending official certification.

For the world record attempt, he pushed a 12-tonne Freightliner Cascadia for a back-breaking 100 feet along Little Stanley Street in South Bank, Brisbane, with a massive crowd cheering him on.

To donate to the cause, please visit brisbanetruckshow.com. au/news/truck-push-forkids-he-did-it.

The stand attracted a lot of inquiries from show visitors.

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50 BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW WRAP-UP

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Red represents tested, proven and trusted

THE colour red is synonymous with passion, energy, excitement but in the case of Meritor’s new range of brake drums it also represents: Tested, Proven, Trusted.

The distinctive red colour was chosen by the global braking leader to differentiate their new aftermarket drum offering in a crowded marketplace with unknown and often dubious levels of quality.

The Meritor red paint (Meritor’s signature bull logo is also red) is a sign that the product has passed Meritor’s stringent product approval process.

In this case that process included rigorous testing in the same Dyno laboratory that validates Meritor’s original equipment. The tests confirmed compliance with the US government’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 121 mandate for reduced stopping distance requirements.

Final approval to release the new drum range came only after further evaluation

by Meritor Australia’s local engineering team so customers in Australia and New Zealand can have peace of mind that they are fitting a quality

THE MBD190L IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR US AS THEY ARE QUALITY BRAKE DRUMS TARGETED DIRECTLY AT THE AFTERMARKET SPACE WITH THE BACKING FROM A TRUSTED OE SUPPLIER.” PATRICK JOSE, MERITOR AUSTRALIA

product suitable for their needs.

The first drum in the range; MBD190L in the pop-

ular 16.5” x 7” brake size, (285mm PCD, 10 Stud) suits many truck and trailer applications and was launched at the Brisbane Truck Show.

This steel shell drum uses a manufacturing process similar to that which Meritor pioneered with its X30 original equipment drum and which encapsulates the iron friction surface in a single piece of steel.

The result is in an extremely lightweight drum that does not compromise on strength and durability. The weight reduction of up to 20 per cent when compared to standard

The new range uses a manufacturing process similar to that which Meritor pioneered with its X30 original equipment drum.

cast drums, translates to increased payload capacity and reduced fuel consumption for the customer.

The MBD190L is also machine balanced eliminating the need for balance weights and this, combined with no weld seam due to the single piece design, delivers superior concentricity and better road handling specifically with the person behind the wheel in mind. It also comes with Meritor’s 1-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

“The MBD190L is the beginning of a new era for us as they are quality brake drums targeted directly at the aftermarket space with the backing from a trusted OE supplier” said Patrick Jose, brake drum product manager, aftermarket for Meritor Australia.

Other steel shell sizes

Meritor Australia DriveForce team attending the Brisbane Truck Show 2021.

such as 16.5 x 5”, 16.5 x 6”, 16.5 x 8.625” will be joining the line-up in the coming months.

Meritor’s experienced customer service and technical support teams are based in Australia and backed up by local field representatives; its DriveForce coverage is one of the most extensive in the industry.

Personal customer attention is a top priority, says Meritor.

“Our DriveForce team members are ready to assist and support your product and service needs, covering Australia, New Zealand and the ASEAN regions.”

For further information please contact your local Meritor representative or visit meritorpartsonline.com.au.

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52 BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW WRAP-UP

REDARC spreads the safety message

THE team at REDARC enjoyed a very successful Brisbane Truck Show, with the brand’s mining and industrial sales

manager Scott Montgomery highlighting that the team enjoyed assisting visitors with a range of enquiries, including those concerned with safety issues.

“The team were consistently engaged in conversations and product demonstrations which also gave us an opportunity

to provide advice. One visitor had experienced an incident where the isolator had failed internally, meaning his vehicle had not been properly isolated. It was still live when work had commenced. I was able to present our Hummingbird Isolation Verification Control, which creates a safer work en-

The Battery Master Isolation Switch is designed to safely isolate the vehicle batteries in both 12 volt and 24 volt vehicles.

vironment by providing a simple, visual readout of the vehicle’s true isolation state, so he could be confident that these incidents can be avoided in future,” explained Montgomery.

OEM light and heavy vehicle sales manager Sascha Heib said that REDARC’s next generation Battery Master Isolation Switch (BMIS) was another popular demonstration.

“We demonstrated how the BMIS works with the roll over sensor and visitors were also interested to know that it fulfils the requirements of the new Australian Dangerous Goods Standard AS2809:2020.”

Heib added that isolation switches are assessed as part of the full vehicle safety system under these standards, and therefore REDARC has ensured that the BMIS meets the criteria and enables vehicles to operate safely in those conditions.

“Owners and operators of road tank vehicles rely upon the manufacturers of safety components like REDARC to assure compliance and reliable safety. REDARC has been working for over 30 years with the truck original equipment

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

The Hummingbird Isolation Verification Control gives a visual readout on your vehicle’s true isolation state.

THE TEAM WERE CONSISTENTLY ENGAGED IN CONVERSATIONS AND PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS WHICH ALSO GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE ADVICE.” SCOTT MONTGOMERY

manufacturers, supplying products they can rely upon,” he said.

The Battery Master Isolation Switch is designed to safely isolate the vehicle batteries in both 12 volt and 24 volt vehicles and will ensure reliable performance when the vehicle is operating. Designed and tested to meet stringent indus-

try standards, the REDARC BMIS reassuringly exceeds the requirements for large diesel engines. It also features an ISO 26262 rated dual redundancy system to avoid false triggering.

REDARC says plans are already underway to return to the Brisbane Truck Show in 2023.

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Fresco 3000 Low profile, light weight, DC powered, rear mount Air Conditioning.

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All products are supplied with a 2 year warranty

BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW WRAP-UP 53

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

A perfect fit for Richers Transport

WITH hundreds of trucks and trailers on the road, wheel and tyre maintenance is critical for Richers Transport – and now the company has found that a small investment in equipment is slashing its maintenance time and costs.

Workshop manager

Hayden Burton says the company’s investment in Ravaglioli wheel aligners is already paying for itself.

Based in Maryborough, Queensland, Richers Transport is a family-owned and operated company servicing the Australian eastern sea-

board, from Bundaberg and Brisbane down to Sydney and Melbourne.

Since it started in 1935, it has continued to grow in strength and reach, and now sits among the leading interstate commercial haulage and general freight transport

Implementing the Ravaglioli wheel alignment package across the fleet is already paying for itself for Queensland business Richers Transport.

companies in Australia.

Recently, Burton consulted Repco about the issues the company was experiencing with the wheels and tyres in the fleet. In conjunction with equipment partner Alemlube, the Repco team came up with a solution based around utilising a modern Ravaglioli wheel alignment package.

It’s proven to be a perfect choice, with Burton reporting it’s had an immediate positive effect on reducing Richers Transport’s extremely high tyre replacement bills each month and ever-increasing general maintenance costs.

“With over 3200 trailer tyres to look after at any one time and with a set of steering tyres costing over $1000, you would be correct in assuming that our tyre replacement costs have a significant impact on the business and anything we can do to reduce this is great news and very much welcome,” said Burton.

Four months down the track and with about 120 alignments under the belt, Burton has already noticed savings to the business that

In conjunction with equipment partner Alemlube, Repco came up with a solution based around the Ravaglioli wheel alignment package.

extend beyond better tyre life and wear. The feedback from drivers has been positive too, with reports that their B-double sets are towing much more easily and straighter.

To add, Richers Transport has noticed that the tyres are no longer showing signs of scalloping – they are wearing evenly and not fighting each other.

STOP UNNECESSARY BRAKE MAINTENANCE!

Prior to using the Ravaglioli wheel aligner, tyres were noticed to be out. By using the Ravaglioil wheel aligner, this is now a thing of the past for Richers Transport.

Burton also added, “Other areas of saving will include reduced bearing and other costs as well as savings in diesel usage as the trucks now run truer.”

From $350 per trailer

lasts the life of your trailer

A list of new products in development that will be on display at the Brisbane Truck Show – Mezzanine Stand 175

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54 BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW WRAP-UP

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Reconnecting with industry

MAXITRANS managing director and CEO Dean Jenkins summed it up best for most exhibitors when the curtain came down on the four-day extravaganza.

“It was fantastic to see the overwhelming number of customers and visitors that came to the show in support of our industry,” said Jenkins.

“It was great to connect with so many people across the four days. Particularly as some of us have not been able to see one another for over 12 months and in some cases since last show.

“Interaction with the wider public during the show certainly highlighted that people are recognising how essential transport is in getting goods to where they need to be.

The resilience of everyone involved in the transport industry to push through the challenges and help keep the country moving is something we should all be very proud of.”

From a brand perspective, the chance to showcase Freighter’s 75th anniversary was a stand-out highlight.

The story of Freighter was vividly told through customer videos, imagery and a visual timeline of the Freighter’s history. This was combined with a crowd drawing display of a 1951 Freighter Strap trailer displayed proudly on top of its counterpart used today, a 2021 Freighter Drop

The MaxiTRANS stand showcased the company’s complete solution capability featuring all of its leading trailer brands and national parts brand, MaxiPARTS.

Deck semi-trailer.

Jenkins says Freighter owes its longevity to its customers, many of whom are second and third generation Freighter loyalists.

The MaxiTRANS stand this year also showcased the company’s complete solution capability and its commitment to providing reliable support throughout its national dealership network featuring trailer displays from Freighter, Maxi-CUBE,

Lusty EMS, Hamelex White, Trout River and AZMEB. Among the highlights were a Freighter Drop Deck T-Liner with a SafeADJUST Mezz Deck courtesy of KS Easter Transport, an AZMEB heavy duty side tipper that belongs to Boral Australia, a Maxi-CUBE Reefer van from Multiquip Transport, a Hamelex White Chassis Tipper and a Trout River live bottom trailer.

Creating a comparison be-

On display was a 1951 Freighter Strap Trailer on top of its counterpart of today, a drop deck semi trailer.

tween new and old, on stand was a Freighter Drop Deck Semi that had a 1951 ‘Strap’ trailer on top of it to showcase Freighter’s evolution.

Coupled with a history wall timeline, the display allowed customers to experience the Freighter journey and see in person what a trailer from the early years of semi-trailers looked like compared to the latest model. This historic workhorse normally sits on display at MaxiTRANS’ Ballarat manufacturing facility but made its way to Brisbane especially for this year’s show.

MaxiTRANS also invited customers to discuss PBS solutions for their business with its in-house PBS specialists.

“We invited all visitors to come to the MaxiTRANS stand to talk with one of our in-house PBS specialists. We had great feedback from previous shows and this year was no different. Many of our customers took the opportunity to discuss specifics about their freight task direct with our experts on stand who were readily available to offer advice,” Jenkins said.

MaxiTRANS yet again demonstrated its end-to-end

capability by showcasing MaxiPARTS on the stand.

One of Australia’s largest commercial truck and trailer parts companies, MaxiPARTS has an inventory of over $20 million parts available at over 20 locations throughout Australia, or online via its dedicated website.

Customers were able to get a feel for some of the OE parts available through the retail network that were on display during the show.

Also a great success was the South Bank festival, where visitors were able to get up close with a Maxi-CUBE road train and a Freighter T-Liner B-double featuring 75th year curtain livery, which MaxiTRANS had proudly on display.

“We feel this year’s event was a great success not only MaxiTRANS, but for the industry,” said Jenkins. “It was a time to celebrate and support our industry that’s supported our brands over 75 years, and we look forward with great excitement for the bright future ahead.”

Crowds flocked to the show, checking out the full range of trailers on display on the MaxiTRANS stand, including a Lusty EMS Stag B-double.

The South Bank festival was in full swing over the course of the show. MaxiTRANS had a Maxi-CUBE Classic Refrigerated Road Train and a Freighter B-double proudly on display for the wider public.

REDARC ROLL OVER SENSOR

When a truck driver’s life is on the line you want to install a product you can trust, you want a REDARC Roll Over Sensor (ROS). In the event of a vehicle roll over the ROS signals the isolation switch to disconnect power to the truck system.

Developed and extensively tested by REDARC, it has been designed for high reliability and

TRUSTED FOR ROLL OVER DETECTION.

durability, undergoing thorough environmental and lifetime testing.

For more information visit redarc.com.au/ros

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56 BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW WRAP-UP

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

New Ultra One Wheel is a showstopper

THE prominent “lightest wheel in the market” statement by Alcoa Wheels drew in a lot of interest and some great questions from visitors to the stand at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show.

Weighing in at just 18kg, the new Ultra ONE wheel

proved to be a real showstopper for Howmet Wheel Systems Australia, distributor of Alcoa Wheels.

So, what does speccing the lightest wheel mean for your business? In order to meet carbon emission regulations at truck OEMs, fleets are switch-

ing to lighter weight wheels more and more to offset the weight of technologies needed to remove air pollutants from diesel engine exhausts.

Lighter weight, lower maintenance wheels also help trucks improve fuel economy to help make up for rising fuel prices

The Brisbane Truck Show was a success for Alcoa Wheels, which showcased the new 18kg Ultra ONE Wheel.

The new Ultra ONE Wheel weighs in at just 18kg, while maintaining its showstopping load rating of 3355kg.

and move goods in a cleaner, more fuel-efficient way.

With the Australian Government extending the Instant Asset Write-off incentive recently, truck and trailer OEMs, together with owner operators are taking advantage of being able to spec premium wheels like Alcoa Wheels, and even up-spec to a Dura-Bright finish, because they are able to make the best wheel investment decision comfortably and do it right, first time.

If cost is a serious consideration for your business, this is how the numbers stack up.

The average forged aluminium 22.5” x 8.25” wheel weighs 23kg, which is 25 per cent heavier than the new Ultra ONE Wheel. Put that into a payload calculator and you’ve got some serious savings over the lifetime of your equipment.

Because of the strength and durability of Alcoa Wheels, they perform well in the harshest of conditions and are chosen by leaders in the mining

industry, as well as for long haul applications, where payload and fuel efficiency are important considerations in the trailer build process.

The new Ultra ONE Wheel is currently available in standard US fitment on 10285, so you’ll see it on tippers, tankers, skels and tautliners – in fact, any trailer seeking to be lightweight will benefit from this durable, light wheel that’s trusted by some of the biggest OEMs in the world.

The Dura-Bright finish is widely used on the Ultra ONE Wheel where maintenance down time is a cost factor to operators.

The new 18kg wheel improves on the previous version of the Alcoa Ultra ONE Wheel in important ways. Its new hub bore groove technology reduces the metal to metal contact area between the wheel and the hub wheel end by half.

This reduces the opportunity for corrosion to form, thus allowing for easier wheel removal during maintenance.

The exclusive to Alcoa Wheels patented MagnaForce Alloy is 17 per cent stronger than the industry standard for forged aluminium wheels, which means that while the new Ultra ONE wheel is 600 grams lighter than the previous version, the load rating is the same at 3355kg and payloads are thus improved further.

In terms of aesthetics, the wheel face, hand holes and rim profile all look the same as the previous version, with minor changes that aren’t easily visible. The only visible change you will note is the new enhanced hub bore with less metal present to reduce contact with the wheel hub. Once mounted this hub groove is hardly noticeable. The difference is visible in the part number. On the wheel roll stamp, you’ll see ULT39 in the part number, indicating the new 18kg wheel.

The new wheel is offered in the same leading finish options: LvL ONE, Mirror Polish and Dura-Bright.

The New Lightweight Champion!

• Better Fuel Efficiency • Easier Maintenance* • More Payload • Lower Owner-Operator Costs

Alcoa Ultra ONE ®

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CALL 1800 955 191 TO TALK TO A WHEEL SPECIALIST TODAY.

• Now Standard Fitment^ * New Hub Bore Technology reduces hub-to-wheel contact ^ 10-285 US Fitment

ultraone.com.au

Let’s clear the air over illegal engine remapping

Remapped engines release 60x more pollutants To ensure the heavy vehicle industry does its part to minimise impact on the environment, all new trucks sold in Australia since 2010 must meet Euro V Vehicle Emission Standards.

The illegal practice of engine remapping means the vehicle will not comply with these standards, putting truck drivers and the public at risk of harm.

Exposure to toxic diesel emissions in the workplace, our communities, schools and the environment causes major health risks.

The NHVR’s priority is to protect the safety of drivers and the community, helping to ensure a productive and sustainable heavy vehicle industry.

To find out more on the risks and penalties visit nhvr.gov.au/engineremapping

58 BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW WRAP-UP

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Powerdown’s new environmentally friendly solution well received The above graphic shows the lifecycle of Enveero.

AT the Brisbane Truck Show, Powerdown took the opportunity to officially launch Enveero, Australia’s first ultra high performance, environmentally friendly shock absorber fluid.

Designed by Powerdown, it has been specifically developed for Australian conditions.

Historically, the transport industry has been portrayed as a large contributor to global pollution.

With more and more companies becoming increasingly aware of their environmental footprint, they are making a conscious effort to reduce their impact.

Powerdown’s Supershock with Enveero inside is the perfect fit for environmentally conscious mechanics, owner drivers, fleets and companies who refuse to compromise on performance and reliability.

Enveero helps transport fleets to make their way to a greener, more sustainable future.

With a very high viscosity index of 210, Enveero has excellent heat conductivity, delivering optimal damper performance in hot and cold conditions.

A high flash point, exceeding 185°C (higher than traditional shock absorber oils), with anti-foaming properties, reduces fade or

RIB SC IN B SU O W T

loss of damping, thus maintaining vehicle control even on the warmest days on Australia’s harshest roads, increasing safety and minimising damper related tyre wear.

Enveero has excellent shear stability; it has a higher resistance of changing vis-

Powerdown’s Supershock with Enveero inside brings together years of experience in the design and development of shock absorbers for Australia’s harsh operating conditions, with the added advantage of the innovative Enveero technology.

Enveero’s thermographic testing.

cosity when the oil is under mechanical stress.

This is due to the longer synthesised hydrocarbon molecules which forms a strong chain. This leads to less mechanical wear on the damper valving components, giving them a longer life span.

Supershock with Enveero inside has multiple features that set it apart in the market: • A large bore size of 45mm diameter; • Enveero inside; • Low pressure gas to keep the unit operating at lower temperatures;

E

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• Steering Boxes, Pumps & Rams - New, Exchange & Repair • Large Range of Parts and Seals

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•A dvanced low friction seals to keep the dust out, providing longer shock absorber life; • Increased body size for extra fluid capacity to aid in cooling; • An exclusive on vehicle ride height indicator (only available on some applications); • High tensile strength; • Hydraulic stop/recoil cut off, to help increase longevity and reduce fatigue on the shock absorber; and • DU bush in rod guide, which helps to reduce friction and wear when side loading occurs.

Powerdown’s Supershock with Enveero inside will go beyond helping drivers and fleets drive safer for longer, with benefits for mechanics working with the product as well.

Many of the chemicals and oils that mechanics are exposed to every day are hazardous and can be dangerous if overexposure occurs; most commonly through either breathing in fumes and/or vapours, or via the direct contact with their skin.

This most likely occurs when worn truck parts are being replaced.

The ingredients in Enveero are highly biodegradable, measured by its ability to decompose by naturally

POWERDOWN’S SUPERSHOCK WITH ENVEERO INSIDE IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS MECHANICS, OWNER DRIVERS, FLEETS AND COMPANIES WHO REFUSE TO COMPROMISE ON PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY.”

occurring bacteria or other living organisms in the environment.

The quicker it decomposes, the lower the environmental impact, resulting in less pollution.

Testing has shown that Enveero reaches biodegradation greater than 60 per cent in 28 days.

This environmentally friendly shock absorber fluid will not only help to minimise the negative impacts on the environment, but on mechanics as well.

To find out more information about Enveero, please visit powerdown.com.au/ products/enveero-shock-absorber-range/ or call the sales office on 02 4949 0000.

Powerdown’s Supershock with Enveero inside.

Thanks to Nightcap Hotels when you become a Big Rigs Subscriber during the month of April, May or June you are in the running to WIN one of 3 x Nightcap Hotels Giveaway including: 2 nights accommodation Welcome drink for two Express boxed breakfast for two 60+ Nightcap Hotels to choose from Big Rigs Hotel Group of Choice Visit www.bigrigs.com.au/NightCaps competition for full terms and conditions. The promoter is Prime Creative Media (ABN 51 127 239 212) 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Promotion Period 01/04/ - 30/06/2021. Competition drawn 07/06, 05/07 & 05/08/2021. The winners will be published in Big Rigs 25/06,23/07 & 20/08/2021. Total prize value is up to $2,202 GST inc.

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BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW WRAP-UP 59

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

Capacity is the key to completely balanced

THERE are dramatic benefits to be gained in tyre life, fuel consumption and driver comfort when a truck wheel is permanently and completely balanced.

Different forms of balancing include using lead weights, liquid balancer or in-tyre beads, but they all have their downfalls and either can’t change with tyre wear, or capacity is insufficient.

A half-balanced wheel may feel smooth to the driver at the steering wheel but if not completely balanced the unfelt out of balance tyre pounding is still prematurely wearing the tyre.

Centramatic believes it has the key to the most cost-effective solution to permanently balance all steer, drive and trailer wheels, with more capacity than the average counteraction weight needed to balance any wheel.

On average it takes 6-8oz/180-240g to balance a 22.5” truck steer wheel/hub assembly on the vehicle, and

Centramatic also has laser measuring system toe gauges available.

worn brake drums can require more. This is why Centramatic steer balancers have 12-20oz/340-750g of counteraction media to be able to completely handle the above average balance problem.

Centramatic Australia markets a range of vibration/tyre wear reducing solutions for truck, bus and trailers. These consist of automatic balancing rings, which mount onto wheels to continuously bal-

CENTRAMATIC BALANCED WHEELS RUN COOLER BY REDUCING THE UNBALANCED POUNDING EFFECT CAUSING SIDE WALL FLEX HEAT BUILD-UP IN TYRES, ADDITIONALLY THEY ACT AS COOLING FINS TO DISSIPATE HEAT.”

Centramatic’s balancing rings mount onto wheels to continuously balance the tyre/wheel assembly while you drive.

ance the tyre/wheel assembly while you drive. They work by utilising centrifugal force and deflection to automatically distribute moveable weights precisely where needed to remove imbalance of wheel/

brake assembly.

Centramatic balanced wheels run cooler by reducing the unbalanced pounding effect causing side wall flex heat build-up in tyres, additionally they act as cooling

Australian designed US steer balancers.

Never balance your wheels again!

Centramatic explained

tyre life up to 35%+ • Increase vibration • Reduce Reduce • Smoothertyreridecupping wear • Tyres run cooler: 5 - 10% • Extend suspension life • Environmentally friendly US, Centramatic balancers are available for European and large Japanese trucks •

CIRCULAR TUBE DURAMETAL SPHERES OUT-OF- BALANCE POINT IN DAMPING FLUID

The Centramatic on-board balancing system is a patented harmonic device. The balancer uses centrifugal force and to automatically distribute balancing media precisely where needed to remove imbalance.

The balancer consists of a mounting plate and circular tube, with small Durametal spheres and damping making up the balancing media.

Automatically balances your wheels while you drive

fins to dissipate heat.

By continuously balancing all wheels on the vehicle, road friction resistance is reduced, resulting in less horsepower/ fuel being used.

Centramatic balancers are a once-off purchase and the savings add up to a considerable amount over a truck’s life compared to their initial cost.

Centramatic Balance rings have almost two million users worldwide and have been proven over a period of 28 years on heavy vehicles for over 3 million kilometres.

They come in different stud patterns and sizes to suit large US/European/Japanese trucks and most trailer stud patterns and rim sizes.

Centramatic also manufactures Truck Laser Line portable/workshop truck alignment equipment featuring non-computerised, cordless lasers, bubble/digital gauges, for precise measurements for wheel alignment angles of all axles of vehicles.

Additionally, Centramatic has a mechanical toe gauge for the owner operator/workshop to cheaply and accurately set the toe setting on front axles after changing tie rod ends or for regular maintenance.

MOUNTING PLATE

Unbalanced wheel Balancing weights move automatically opposite out-ofbalance point while balancing the wheel.

1300 822 765

Balanced wheel Evenly distributed spheres show an already balanced wheel.

Scan the QR code with your smart phone reader and visit our website

www.centramatic.com.au

60 PRODUCT TEST

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckie review: Testing the Narva Ultima LED 215 MK2

Out on the road late at night, the Narva Ultima LED 215 MK2 impressed this operator.

BY KERRY VOIGT ON opening the box, I was pretty excited to see if these driving lights were everything the box said they would be.

Armed with tools, I removed the old lights on my rig and began the process of fitting the Narva Ultima LED 215 MK2.

The box came with a wiring harness and full set of easyto-read instructions to refer to but having lights and wiring previously fitted made them a breeze to install. If you’re not the hands-on type, there is always the auto electrician.

Absolutely love the mounting, no more single bolt fittings. The Narva MK2 lights have a sturdy Die Cast aluminium mounting bracket with three fixing points. Included in the kit was a rubber mount that can be placed over the bullbar to eliminate rubbing and movement; while a special tool for fitting and tightening makes them secure and fiddle-proof.

But just in case someone gets any ideas about them looking better on their truck,

I went a step further. For a few extra dollars, I added some anti-theft nuts to the bolts at the bottom of the light to be extra sure they weren’t going to go walkabouts.

The light adjustment on the Narva MK2 is as simple as a twist – move it to the desired height and tighten. Job done! Took me back to the annoying era of trying to find a deserted road to adjust a set of driving lights, twisting and bending to get it right, then travelling a couple of hundred kilometres, only to find they had vibrated and needed to be set up again. This is not the case with the Narva MK2. I have done thousands of kilometres and no vibration or needing to readjust the setting. All round, it’s a wonderful set up.

The LED position light pipe looks like a mini light bar built into the bottom of the driving light that connects to the park lights, adding to the look but doubling in providing extra light on low beam.

Narva has thought of everything. Who doesn’t want to give their truck a little ex-

Narva Ultima LED 215 MK2 offers 30 per cent more light and a 20 per cent longer beam.

tra bling?

The kit comes with a set of light surrounds: red, black, yellow and blue for your pre-

ferred look. I opted for the blue that came standard. You will need the special tools supplied to make these changes.

In my 38 years of driving I have had numerous sets of driving lights on nearly as many trucks and to say I was im-

U LT I M A L . E . D M K 2 HIGH POWERED DRIVING LIGHTS

30% BRIGHTER

*

For more information visit

ultima

.com.au

Distributed by Brown & Watson International Pty. Ltd. www.narva.com.au National Toll Free: 1800 113 443 *Compared to the equivalent sized first generation lamps.

pressed was an understatement.

The Narva Ultima 215 LED MK2 would literally be the best set of driving lights I have used to date.

The box stated 30 per cent more light, 20 per cent longer beam, and it’s a very accurate description – the beam is so much wider, the light clearer and brighter over a longer distance. I was expecting the light to bounce back off the reflective road signs but there really isn’t a lot of flashback.

I am impressed, and that’s not easy to do. I have been called finicky on more than one occasion.

I drive mostly night hours and probably use driving lights more than the average truck driver and I can seriously say overall I am pleasantly surprised at the performance.

Check out narva.com.au for full details on the upgraded performance of the Narva Ultima LED 215 MK2.

Narva has gone one better than I thought would have been possible with a set of driving lights to give you the clarity and extended night vision needed to turn nighttime to daytime.

We Guarantee To Get Your Rig Steering Like New g the Servicin for industry years over 45

Power Steering & Alignment Specialist

EXCHANGE BOXES & PUMPS BOXES FROM

$1,450 PLUS GST *Conditions Apply

Kenworth | Mack | Western Star | Volvo | Nippon A Correctly Aligned Truck Can Reduce Fatigue…..

ASK US HOW Servicing of Boxes & Pumps Wheel Alignments

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* Conditions Apply

23 BLIVEST STREET OXLEY QLD

07 3375 8233

admin@bakerpowersteer.com.au

0413 151 516

www.bakerpowersteer.com.au

U

avman

62 COLUMN

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Covid rollercoaster ride isn’t over yet for anyone

COST CUTTER CHET CLINE AIR CTI founder/owner

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE

economy and these new outbreaks would not occur. We cannot seem to successfully manage the Covid virus or to ensure that no Covid-positive person leaves quarantine or inEDITOR fects anyone else while they are JAMES GRAHAM james.graham@bigrigs.com.au in quarantine. The alternative of course to closing our international borders is using dedi-

cated quarantine stations outside the cities where the people undergoing quarantine have no contact with anyone else until it is ensured they’re Covid-free.

We keep blaming everybody TASSIE TRUCKIN’ that WALLIS the vaccine is not rolling JON contributors@bigrigs.com.au out fast enough and not enough people are getting vaccinated but seriously, from what I have

TWU NEWS RICHARD OLSEN

LEGAL EAGLE ROWAN KING

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT TRANSPORT WOMEN IN JACQUELENE BROTHERTON JACQUELENE BROTHERTON Chair of Transport WomenWomen Australia Chair of Transport

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

Australia

JUST when we thought the carnival was over, the rollercoaster started all over again with a Covid-19 outbreak in Victoria. Allegedly the outbreak was caused by a person exiting hotel quarantine in South Australia while being Covid-positive.

If hotel quarTHE OZ TRUCKER antineWILLIAMS is to work, surely we MIKE contributors@bigrigs.com.au shouldn’t be letting people out unless they supply a negative test result before they can exit into the public domain. Now we have the situation again, where the cases are increasing but instead of just closing down the hot spots or Greater Melbourne, they’ve decided to lock down the entire state of Victoria and put businesses and jobs in jeopardy once again.

Surely common sense LOBBYIST would SHEARER show that if we close STEVE SA Road Transport Association our international borders Executive Director completely, we will not have to continue to stop/start our

TWU NSW State Secretary

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

read, it’s a vaccine that doesn’t stop you from getting Covid, doesn’t stop you from transmitting Covid, and it doesn’t stop you from carrying Covid.

It doesn’t really convince you to subject yourself to rushing in to get the vaccination unless you are in a high-risk situation.

It has been rushed through

testing, and we still live in a country that has freedom of choice, just barely.

This continued rollercoaster of opening and locking down and Covid/no Covid caused the postponement of the long-awaited Transport Women Australia Limited Driving the Difference Con-

Principal Lawyer RK Law

ference that was to be held in late May. It has now been rescheduled for the October 22-24, 2021. TWAL is promising that, Covid-permitting, it’ll be back bigger and brighter than ever.

The sponsors, supporters, members and attendees have been very supportive, and Hyatt Place Essendon Fields allowed us to postpone with no loss of funds, which enabled us to change things very quickly and reschedule.

TWAL is going ahead with a Learning Initiatives Breakfast in Perth in July. We will announce the date next week.

This will be followed up by Learning Initiatives Breakfasts in other states too.

We are also calling for mentees and mentors, especially mentors for our Creating Connections Mentoring Programme, as there is a great need for this programme in these uncertain times.

For further information regarding the conference or any of TWAL’s programmes, please contact chair@transportwomen. com.au or phone 0417 422 319.

Covid-19 testing ramped up in Melbourne once again, as the whole of Victoria entered into its fourth lockdown.

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COLUMN 63

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

New ramp standards are a big industry safety boost SAFETY EXPERT MELISSA WELLER Australian Trucking Association Safety, Health and Wellbeing Director

LOADING and unloading animals can be the most challenging part of the livestock handling task, and hazardous situations can place farmers, agriculture and transport workers at risk.

These high-risk situations can occur anywhere from farms, roadsides and saleyards, to feedlots, abattoirs and depots. That’s why strong practices that support driver health and wellbeing play a crucial role in making sure all workers remain safe.

To support livestock handlers and keep workers safe, Standards Australia has released the Australian standard for livestock loading/unloading ramps and forcing pens. The standard is the first of its kind and provides the missing guidance about safe design and practices

that livestock transporters and agricultural businesses across Australia need.

This standard is a major step forward in fostering better and safer conditions for agricultural and transport workers and livestock and aligns closely with the animal welfare standards that exist within the TruckSafe accreditation scheme.

TruckSafe members that are animal welfare accredited already meet high standards that ensure the suitability of vehicles, equipment and materials.

Our animal welfare standards meet and exceed all requirements of the land transport standards, and this new ramp standard reinforces what is best practice to ensure drivers, animal handlers and livestock are well protected from injury.

TruckSafe director and transport manager of Shanahan’s Transport, Peter Callanan, said the release of the new standard is a crucial development for all those involved in livestock handling and is enthusiastically welcomed by the TruckSafe community.

“The new standard will see shorter loading and unloading times, reduced risk of injury for

Standards Australia has released the Australian standard for livestock loading/unloading ramps and forcing pens.

handlers, especially those who work alone, and less stress on animals,” he said.

“The ramp standard compliments TruckSafe animal welfare standard for holding, loading and unloading, and a requirement that equipment be properly designed, constructed and maintained.”

Not only does the new standard reduce loading and unloading times, it also supports handlers who are often loading and unloading on their own, and fosters an environment where there is less stress placed on animals during the transport task.

So many of Australia’s trucking businesses are small and family owned, so it can be hard to keep up with the latest requirements. That’s where TruckSafe and the new Australian standard come into play, making it easier for businesses to improve their practices and develop a positive safety culture.

With these strong standards now released and comprehensive TruckSafe animal welfare accreditation available to all participants in the industry, there are now real and effective solutions to reducing the safety risks in the livestock han-

dling task. The new standard includes measures promoting liaison between parties within the livestock handling chain, resulting in safety expectations being reinforced.

“Loading and unloading animals can be the most high-risk part of the livestock transport task,” said TruckSafe director and group fleet and maintenance manager at Martins Stock Haulage Graham Emery.

“In recent years we have seen transport industry safety improve tremendously and the focus remains on continuous safety improvements throughout the supply chain. Vehicles are subject to Australian standards, with regular internal and on-road inspections by regulatory authorities.

“Operating under TruckSafe ensures driver practices and vehicle maintenance are of an extremely high standard, and this new ramp standard will help bring livestock ramps into line with modern safety expectations,” he said.

Strongly supported by TruckSafe and the wider transport and agriculture industries, the standard promotes consistency and highlights the need

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to invest in safer and more productive equipment.

TruckSafe director and compliance manager fleet operations at Frasers Livestock Transport, Athol Carter, said now more than ever, it is crucial for businesses and their staff to step back and assess their procedures.

“Safety by design is now industry standard. In today’s world, safety is paramount.

Adopting proper safety practices makes perfect sense for businesses and is money well spent,” he said.

“We want even more people to see the agriculture and transport industries as somewhere that they want to work.

“Without a ramp, your income stops. That’s why operators should take all steps to ensure their procedures align with best practice and high safety standards.

“The new standard ensures the entire supply chain has a shared responsibility to consider not only animal welfare, but the safety of the person performing the task.”

For more information about TruckSafe or to join, visit trucksafe.com.au.

RT ERTON

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

64 COLUMN

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE contributors@bigrigs.com.au

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

We’re part of the industry conversation at every level

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

TWU NEWS

TWU NEWS RICHARDOLSEN OLSEN RICHARD TWU NSW State Secretary TWU NSW State Secretary

HERE’S a story for you to consider, the union working with drivers and winning a first time Enterprise Agreement.

Visa Global Logistics, now Mondiale, they pull containers for the ports and spent some time last year trying to reduce the rates drivers got paid.

Visa Company Executives wanted drivers’ wages to go backwards. An email kick in the teeth, was sent on a weekend, letting drivers know they were being reduced to award wages, no conversation, just being told.

Drivers at Visa came to the TWU to try and sort the problem out, joined the union and collectively saw back in the original rates and then took it further. After a management written, inferior, Enterprise Agreement was voted down by the yards, TWU Drivers took

TASSIE TRUCKIN’ JON WALLIS contributors@bigrigs.com.au

LEGAL EAGLE ROWAN KING

Principal Lawyer RK Law

At the TWU last month delegates heard an update on the industry negotiations to take back to members in their Linfox yards.

action which brought the company properly to the negotiating table. Visa was a company who said they would never do an enterprise agreement with the union and has now completed one.

It’s the first Enterprise Agreement the yards have had, This Agreement is about work-

ers having the ability to hold Visa and Mondiale accountable. That means safety, and good working conditions in a yard.

The TWU is providing a united voice for drivers about the issues on the road and in your yards. We can negotiate for you, we like you are looking

for the guarantee of secure and safe work in yards and on the road, whether you are an employee or an owner driver.

It’s these issues the TWU takes a stand on every day.

With all the issues faced in our industry, we remain a part of many conversations, and we encourage you to join those

conversations with us. A strong voice will continue to bring in the attention this industry needs.

There is a lack of truck rest stops, parking bays and unusable rest areas, the financial targeting of the driver on the road is relentless. How often are you fined at work for issues you

have very little control over?

As an example of how the fight is on-going, we are looking into an issue at Tarcutta, the “truckie town” and a fight that’s developed over parking bays for trucks.

We are aware that residents are split over whether your heavy vehicles should be allowed to park on the main street, outside the Caltex and the Police Station.

Tarcutta is a busy place and getting busier, yet the changeovers have been taking place in the town for decades. In the meantime, according to the local paper, some locals are presenting the current parking situation as a hazard for kids and other people in the community.

The local community benefits from transport workers and the TWU is looking into a range of issues raised about parking. We know that you need somewhere to pull up, use a bathroom, get food, rest.

Watch this space.

Come and join the conversation our industry is having, call 1800 729 909 to talk about how you can be a part of that conversation.

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

Chalk and cheese budgets VTA COMMENT PETER ANDERSON CEO, Victorian Transport Association

LAST month was a tale of two budgets, with the Federal and Victorian state budgets released within days of each other. Yet, despite their proximity on the calendar, they were about as similar as chalk and cheese.

Victoria sits at a pivotal moment in its history. We are emerging from the pandemic battered and bruised, but optimistic (although, as this recent lockdown has proven, we are by no means out of the woods yet). Snap lockdowns aside, recent forecasting suggests Victoria is on track to experience the strongest economic rebound of all states and territories during the next financial year.

The optimism felt by many in Victoria was echoed in the Federal budget. Released early in May, it invested heavily in a range of major infrastructure projects designed to create jobs and kickstart the economy. But even more importantly, these

projects represent a $15.2 billion investment in our nation and its future freight needs.

Victoria received $4 billion of that spend to ensure its infrastructure grows alongside its population. In addition to a number of significant road upgrades to reduce congestion, the Federal budget allocated $2 billion towards creating a new Melbourne Intermodal Terminal.

Capable of accommodating the Inland Rail Project and its double stacked, 1800-metre trains, this will play an integral role in connecting the state’s port, road and rail networks.

All in all, it was a forward-thinking and prudent budget that gave freight and logistics operators confidence that they’ll be able to operate safely and efficiently into the future as they deliver an invaluable service to Australians.

And so, when the Victorian budget launched just over a week later, many of these operators were wondering what it would have in store to build on the optimism and momentum of the Federal budget.

And what did we get? A budget that was more shrug than shout, and that left many in the transport and logistics industry feeling deflated.

The intermodal terminal will play an integral role in connecting the state’s port, road and rail networks.

This in not to say the Victorian budget was irredeemable. In fact, it contained some very welcome items for road users – namely $386 million to reduce the state’s road toll through a new Road Safety Strategy.

But while it was not unequivocally bad, it was certainly disappointing and seemingly lacking the grander vision of the Federal bud-

get. This was particularly true when it came to infrastructure spend, with just a handful of conservatively funded freight projects slated.

With Victoria’s freight needs predicted to double over the next 30 years, now is the time to prepare and invest in our future. With roads already congested, we need to ensure we’re getting on with projects designed to address

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key choke points, streamline freight movements, and ensure our precious supply chains are protected from disruption.

Let me be clear here; we’ve seen some significant and very-welcome investment in Victoria’s road, rail, and freight networks over recent years and I commend the state government for their commitment to these various

projects. But now is not the time to take the foot off the gas.

The Victorian Transport Association will continue to advocate for smart, sensible and infrastructure projects that will not only benefit freight and logistics operators, but every Victorians.

After all we’ve been through, we cannot afford to go backwards.

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66 SPY ON THE ROAD

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Business picks up for many during Covid-19 recovery SPY ON THE ROAD WITH ALF WILSON

Times have changed HOW things have changed for many of us since Covid-19 hit the world.

Though things are returning to some form of normality, decisions made during the early days of the virus remain and also affect those who made them.

Spy has spoken to around 10 owner-operators who sold a truck when things quietened down for them.

“Now I wish I had held onto the truck as business has picked up and I could do with it,” said one lad who has just the one vehicle.

That was a comment echoed by others I’ve spoken with too.

Lost licence returned near border WHEN South Australian

Auburn McIntyre and her husband Dewie with the licence they found and returned.

Lynton Bruce whose licence was returned.

owner-operator Lynton Bruce misplaced his truck driver’s licence while working between SA and WA, he never thought he would see it again.

But thanks to a good samaritan caravan traveller and Big Rigs, that wasn’t the case.

Bruce’s business is J&C Meaney Transport and his pic was snapped by Big Rigs

drivers are calling on authorities to provide more user friendly rest areas, it’s good to receive a thumbs up about the good ones.

Spy has been told by lots of drivers that the Kenna Rest Area beside the Hume Highway at Pheasants Nest in NSW is in that category.

The rest area commemorates Private Edward Kenna who was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) in World War II. “There is plenty of parking for heavy vehicles and a good place for us to stop and have a break,” one told Spy. Overall, NSW rest areas have received the best reviews Spy has heard in recent years.

during an interview at the BP Cluden in Townsville.

It appeared in a recent edition of the paper and soon after Bruce misplaced his licence.

“I went through the SA/ WA border check. Dealing with the police and the quarantine officer, getting my credentials back, I failed to put

my licence in my pocket and left it on my trailer and it must have fallen off,” Bruce said.

A lady named Auburn McIntyre, who was travelling in a caravan with her husband, found his licence and wanted to return it. When she googled his name, the Big Rigs story popped up, so she contacted us so I could advise Bruce of the good news.

Upon having his licence returned, he wanted to thank her. “What popped up when she googled my name was me, in Big Rigs. Bugger me with a fish fork ay! I spoke to her and thanked them very much for their efforts to return my ID, which she posted. Wonderful to have such people still in this crazy world,” he said.

As a bonus it was also his birthday. “Best present from lovely people,” added Bruce.

NSW rest area popular AT a time when many truck

Victim scammed $6000 A WELL respected neighbour of Spy was in a sad state when he warned people of a scam which cost his 21-year-old son $6000.

Somebody claiming to be from the ATO phoned his son advising he owed $6000 and would have a warrant issued for his arrest if it was not paid.

The con artist scared the youth so much that he talked him into purchasing 12 vouchers of $500 value which would be electronically sent to him.

Now to most readers it would seem that the victim was naïve and foolish. However he does suffer from mild autism and feared the police would come around and take him off to jail.

Dad came home from work and took the boy to police and was told there was little they could do.

The bank would only refund $4, which was an amount not cashed on one of the vouchers. The scammers were also given a copy of his driver’s licence but the Main Roads Department would not

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SPY ON THE ROAD 67

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

The Kenna Rest Area sign on the Hume Highway, with plenty of parking there.

officially cancel his driver’s licence and issue him with a new one. Apparently the number on your licence is issued to you for life.

So the poor boy has lost all of his lifesavings, earned from a part time job while he studies at university.

We have all heard of such scams but until they affect somebody we know, we often don’t take much notice.

The family wants to issue a warning to people.

A bad example IT wasn’t a good look when a uniformed officer in a marked police patrol car spoke on his mobile phone while stopped at a red traffic light.

That occurred at around 2.30pm at a busy intersection in a big country town, in clear view of Spy and several truck drivers who were in the vicinity.

One of them didn’t have a pen and paper in his vehicle to write down the rego number of the cop car.

He was going to report it to the traffic branch and tried to remember the registration number.

However when he pulled up a few minutes later, he wasn’t 100 per cent certain he had all the numbers correct.

People around the country face heavy fines if caught talking or texting on a mobile phone while driving.

Free mud crabs MUD crabs are a delicacy for most seafood connoisseurs but are very expensive, especially for customers at markets in the southern states.

Old Spy doesn’t mind a feed of these and was surprised to hear of “free muds crabs” at a remote Queensland community.

A contractor who drives a light rig had some work at Pormpuraaw and told Spy that hundreds of giant male crabs were being found on beaches there near a creek.

It has something to do with too much mud in the water, which was disturbed by high winds.

A couple of locals picked up some muddies and cooked them for the man who was most grateful.

Beware though if you ever are at Pormpuraaw. Many saltwater crocodiles frequent the waterways and you don’t want to end up a meal for one of those.

Good samaritan TWO football supporters are appreciative of an owner operator who gave them a lift from beside a remote NT road so they could watch their beloved football team.

Kevin Bailey from Strahan in Tasmania has a humorous message on his answering machine.

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The lads barrack for the Lake Nash Young Guns Australian Rules team which competes in the five club Mount Isa competition in Queensland.

They live at Alpurrurulam community in the NT and had to travel on a 230km road, of which 170km is red dirt, to get to the “Isa” along the rough highway.

When their car broke down they were overjoyed when the truckie pulled up and gave them a lift in time to see the Young Guns play.

Ben Olschewsky has lived in the community for 11 years not far from the football oval.

“The players have pride in their community and passion in games which are all away at Mount Isa. I see them kicking the ball around the oval to prepare for games,” he said.

Progress prevents parking FOR several years a well known truckie was able to park his 1978 Isuzu across the road from his house in a huge paddock.

It was all very convenient and each morning he had a short walk to take off in the rig.

But all that has changed since the area has been turned into a major residential suburb with houses being built.

So now the lad has to park 1km away to get to the Isuzu and the four tonne Airman excavator he operates.

Tasmanian sense of humour LOTS of truckies possess a great sense of humour, none more so than a veteran small fleet owner from Strahan in south west Tasmania.

If you phone small fleet operator Kevin Bailey, who is based at Strahan in the southwest, and he is not available, you will hear strange words on his answering machine.

“Granddad is climbing up a tree and catching drop bears,” his grandson says.

Bailey is a real legend in the area and although aged in his seventies is still super fit.

But Spy just couldn’t imagine him actually climbing up a tree.

Later I managed to contact him as he was loading trucks and asked him what a drop bear is.

“It is just a name he made up and that message was done long ago by my grandson who is now aged 19 and studying to be an architect,” he said proudly.

Bailey’s business is KJ & C Bailey Earthmoving and Kevin has two trucks and three excavators.

He is still a quality wood chopping man who has won several major events in his age category.

Bailey is also an Anglican Church Priest who does a lot of community work in south west Tasmania.

Since 2007, Bailey has been the minister in charge of the West Coast Parish. He shares this role with his wife, the reverend Colina Bailey.

They both minister at Holy Trinity Church Strahan and at St Martin’s Church, Queenstown, which is 41km away.

Scenic Strahan is 300km from Hobart along the Ly-

ell Highway and in normal years is visited by thousands of tourists.

Bacon and eggs FOOD is a subject often discussed in this column.

Long retired NSW man Graham Hunt, who hails from a road transport industry family, enjoyed a breakfast of bacon and eggs recently in a manner for him which was a bit different.

“My wife hosted a work event in Brisbane and I went along for the ride. We stopped and had a quick breakfast (bacon and eggs) at a Rocklea depot, which has to be the epicentre of the road transport industry in Queensland. All the major trucking companies have their depots and distribution warehouses there. I jumped on my pushbike and had a good look around for about four hours. A couple of smaller trucking companies have their depots there,” Graham told me.

Graham sent me a pic which I enjoyed seeing.

Graham Hunt enjoys a meal at Rocklea.

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40 PUZZLES PUZZLES 68

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Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 18 19 1 to 9. box contains the digits

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18 Which number is one thousand times one thousand (7) 21 What is used for preventive inoculation (7) 22 What is the official proving of a will as authentic (7) 23 To be staggering, is to be doing what (7) DOUBLECROSS CROSSWORD 24 Name the final course of a meal (7) 3

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Down 1. Jail (8) 2. Initially (5) 4. Paddle (3) 5. Abstinence (5,7) 6. Dare (7) 7. Informant (colloq) (4) 8. Feeling, atmosphere (12) 12. Happen (5) 13. Leans (8) 15. Free time (7) 19. Punctuation mark (5) 20. Competent (4) 22. Low (3)

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18 5x5 R E E D S

ALPHAGRAMS: LEASE, MYRIAD, NEARING, ORGANIST, PATRONESS.

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amir amrita aria arum atria atrium attar aura auric carat cart Across: 1 Sap, tart 3 Falter, cram curt marc maria mart raita rata rimu tarmac tiara8 Reel, 9 Ale, 10 Ripple, 11 Engine, 14 Nests, 17 Added, Ridges, 24 Antler, 26 See, 27 Gift, 28 Stress, 29 Elm. tract trait tram trauma TRAUMATIC20 trim

TODAY: Good 13 Very Good 18 Excellent 24 P M O S P T E E N L A D D I R

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QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 1. Iffy 3. Forgiven 9. Partner 10. Inner 11. In the long run 14. Owl 16.

Cacti 17. Eon 18. Hierarchical 21. Brute 22. Maudlin 23. Election 24. Ants.

Down: 1. Imprison 2. First 4. Oar 5. Going without 6. Venture 7. Nark 8.

Undercurrent 12. Occur 13. Inclines 15. Leisure 19. Colon 20. Able 22. Moo.

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DOUBLECROSS

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Down: 1 Save, 2 Prig, 3 Fern, 4 Alien, 5 Tapes, 6 Ell, 7 Reeks, 12 Nod, 13 Ice, 15 End, 16 Tie, 17 Amass, 18 Deter, 19 Dregs, 21 Iris, 22 Gate, 23 Sham, 25 Net.

GK CROSSWORD Across; 1 Pottery, 4 Conga, 7 Warp, 8 Monrovia, 10 Steve Davis, 12 Edison, 13 Slaves, 15 Clark Gable, 18 Anteater, 19 Pall, 20 Yonks, 21 Tetanus.

Down: 1 Pawns, 2 Turmeric, 3 Yeoman, 4 Cardiology, 5 Nova, 6 Amadeus, 9 New Orleans, 11 Eva Braun, 12 Estuary, 14 Argent, 16 Ellis, 17 Eton.

C A

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How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter. There is at least one nine-letter word.

No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb.

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17

SOLUTIONS

Across 1 Footwear item 4 Assumed attitude 8 Vigour 9 9 Baking chamber 10 Fly upwards 11 Rate of progress 12 Fasting period 14 Female deer ALPHAGRAMS 15 Faucet Solve the anagrams. Each solution a one-word 17 isBeverage anagram of the letters beside it, 19 and the fivescore solutions Perfect are sequential. For example, if the five-letter solution 21starts Dashwith K, and so starts with J, the six-letter solution 23 Use money 15 16 on.

26 Dreadful EASEL 27 Ireland (Gaelic) DIM RAY 28 Clamour 20 29 Examine GRANNIE 30 Repose ROASTING 22 TRANSPOSE Down Insert letters 1 the missing Divide into twotoparts 5x5 make2ten words — five reading

Egg-shaped 26 across the grid and five reading A G R down.3 Weary 4 more Mild explosion Note: than one solution I G Not concealed may 5 be possible.

6 Bishop’s territory S A E 7 Finish R E 11 Metal 30 13 Famous All puzzles © T S S The Puzzle Company 16 Powerful 18 Affirms with confidence 20 Lowest point 22 Numeral 23 Become firm 24 Filled pastry 25 Fish trap

4 24

8

Across 1. Uncertain (colloq) (4) 3. Absolved (8) 9. Associate (7) 10. From inside (5) 11. Over time (2,3,4,3) 14. Night bird (3) 16. Succulent plants (5) 17. Immeasurable period of time (3) 18. Arranged by rank (12) 21. Violent person (5) 22. Tearfully sentimental (7) 23. Poll (8) 24. Colony insects (4)

HARD

2

N I T R E

Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

19

A S S E T

SUDOKU

EASY

Find a finished crossword by deleting one of the two letters in each divided square.

1 What is the dead10 body of an animal (7) 2 Which term describes the boundary of something (5) 3 Name the loss of the sense of smell (7) 4 Which 12 spirit is distilled from the fermented juice of grapes (6) 13 5 What, in India, are kings or princes called (5) 16 17 6 To be free from variations, is to be what (7) 7 Which fabric is woven from flax yarns (5)

9

22

EASY

7

MOORE

QUICK CROSSWORD

10

6/6 DOWN 1 Which chess pieces are most numerous? (5) 2 What bright yellow powder is used for flavouring in Asian cookery? (7) 3 In early England, what was a small landholder between gentry and labourers? (6) 4 What branch of medicine is concerned with diseases and abnormalities of the heart? (10) 5 13 A starNthat brightens thenfor gradually fades(7) is amesuddenly an alternative term a scaffold called what? (4) 15 W hat are Parisian gangsters called (7) 6 Which film, 1984’s Best Picture Oscar winner, was 16 WPrague? hich term filmed in (7)relates to a large allotment of rural land 9 Where was Louis Armstrong born? (3,7) (7) 11 Which woman was married on 29 April 1945, and died 17 To turn upside the following day?

(3,5) down, is to do what (6) 1218 What theiswidening of a river where saltwater Wishat a light, channel low-powered motorcycle, equipped mixes with freshwater? (7) with pedals (5) 14 In heraldry, what is the colour silver? (6) 1619 Millions of angry, recordsis from which US(5) immigration entry To be to be what island are accessible on the internet? (5) 20 N ame some flightless birds (5) 17 Which English college was founded of byNew HenryZealand VI in 1440? (4)

SOLUTION

7

ACROSS 1 If you are a collector of Clarice Cliff, what do you collect?

(7) 4 What Latin American dance is performed by several people in single file? (5) 7 What are lengthwise threads on a loom? (4) 8 What is the capital of Liberia? (8) 10 In 1982, who made the first televised 147 break in snooker? (5,5) Across 12 Which inventor (Thomas ____) took out more than a 4 Name an item used in weightlifting (7) thousand patents in his lifetime? (6) 8 Which social worker is“Rule attached to a hospital (7) 13 What is the last word of Britannia”?

(6) 15 Misfits into 1961 was the last film starring 9 ToThe postpone a future meeting, is to doMarilyn what (7) Monroe and which other actor? (5,5) 10 Which known the bends (7) is 18 Nativedisease to Centralisand Southas America, a tamandua what typeanother of animal?

(8)for a garbage can (7) 11 Name term 19 What cloth is spread over a coffin? (4) 12 What or word an indication 20 Whatisisaantoken, informal for “a very (6) long time”? (5) 14 Name pieceisofalso photographic apparatus (6) 21 What adisease known as lockjaw?

(7)

L L I R N E I N

5

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Across: 4 Barbell, 8 Almoner, 9 Adjourn, 10 Caisson, 11 Dustbin, 12 Signal, 14 Camera, 18 Million, 21 Vaccine, 22 Probate, 23 Reeling, 24 Dessert.

4

R A C R N E A N G E

3

B A R B E R A Q A D J O U A A N D U S T B Y L C A M E I P A K N V A C C I H W E R E E L I S S T

2

C A A A L M O N E B O R C A I S S O T M A I S S I G N A L A M I L L I O L R O P R O B A T W T E D E S S E R

1

Down: 1 Carcass, 2 Ambit, 3 Anosmia, 4 Brandy, 5 Rajas, 6 Equable, 7 Linen, 13 Gallows, 15 Apaches, 16 Acreage, 17 Invert, 18 Moped, 19 Irate, 20 Kiwis.

G E N E R 1A L 8 K N O 10 W L E D G 12E

FRIDAY JUNE 12 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

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EXPERT ADVICE 69

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021

Our roads are killing our drivers COST CUTTER CHET CLINE AIR CTI founder/owner

OUR government wants us to be more careful, to fill out endless paperwork, to create huge procedures all aimed at ‘zero road deaths’ without any repercussions or responsibilities for them. They seem to think that we cause all the suffering WOMEN IN TRANSPORT and trauma.

But what about JACQUELENE BROTHERTON their Chair of responsibilities?

Transport Women Australia I’ve driven and owned trucks for the best part of 50 years.

My AIR CTI business needed a full size truck and the Brisbane Truck Show was a great place to display our product. Hence, we drove the 2000km to Brisbane via the Cann River, up the Monaro Highway, through the ACT, onto the M1, past THE OZ TRUCKER Sydney to Coffs for the Waste MIKE WILLIAMS Management contributors@bigrigs.com.au Conference.

Then onto Brisbane via a horrible connecting road to the A1 highway.

My back was painful. The increased height and stiffness of my T350, and the horrible roads, especially in Victoria, and in the lesser NSW and Queensland roads, caused the cab to shake violently side to side. It felt like I was in a washing machine.

LOBBYIST The return trip was equalSTEVE SHEARER ly painful.

Toowoomba SA Road TransportFrom Association Executive Director to Goondiwindi was horrible.

The Newell has improved but is only ‘just’ a road. We wobbled and shook down past Wagga, Albury, Healesville and finally home. It was all I could do to get out of bed the next morning. A week later and I’m still hobbling around.

I have been writing about the damage of high vibration for years. Whole body vibration is a serious issue in the northern hemisphere. Both the EU and the USA have halved the road roughness standards. The EU even fined one European country for ex-

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

Chet Cline at the Air CTI stand at the Brisbane Truck Show.

EDITOR

cessively rough roads!

JAMES GRAHAM But our great Australian james.graham@bigrigs.com.au government refuses to accept that our roads are our workplace. The Chain of Responsibility (COR) laws say they are responsible. Rough roads are killing our drivers. Rough roads are damaging our drivers’ health, causing huge suffering.

When are our governments going to realise that safe roads are TWU NEWS essential?

RICHARD OLSEN roads suck. DependTWUOur NSW State Secretary ing upon the source, 35 to 42 countries have better roads.

Swaziland has better roads.

What is going on here?

There is an Australian Road Roughness Standard, but it is a lot rougher than world standards. And 80 per cent of Victorian roads don’t even meet our poor road standard requirements. What is going on?

I attended a conference in Scotland over ten years ago, where the Rodex III report on ‘Health Issues Raised by Poorly Maintained Road Networks’ proved the damage that rough roads and whole body vibration does to truck drivers. The damage starts at the eyes and goes through to the brain, the skeletal system, the stomach and the circulation system.

This seems pretty important to me. My trip in a full size prime mover drove this point home.

Work Safe Australia even has a whole body vibration info sheet that is two pages long.

My company wrote a 120-page white paper on the subject several years ago too. I constantly

TASSIE TRUCKIN’

present this information to our JON WALLIS politicians and the NHVR, contributors@bigrigs.com.au with little to no interest.

I’m fed up. Where are our trade unions? Where are our trucking associations? Where are our health experts? What are they doing? Do they care about our essential employees, friends and family?

There should be a class action to force our governments LEGAL EAGLE into providing decent safe ROWAN KING roads.

COR laws should apply Principal Lawyer RK Law to our governments too. Road safety is also their responsibility.

All we get are excuses. Or, as with Victoria, they only care about Melbourne roads. Or they use fancy financial details to increase our fuel taxes and our rego.

Good roads benefit every Australian. Every Aussie travels on our roads. Every Aussie eats food, uses toilet paper, lives in buildings and enjoys all the goods that we truck people distribute. Every Australian benefits from good roads. Charging big trucks for road costs is simply thievery. Not providing good safe roads is criminal.

Killing and hurting people because their work involves travelling on our poor roads is simply disgusting.

Bad roads damage our trucks, increase the costs of transport, increase fuel use, increase maintenance and damages our drivers. Bad roads are bad business. Why aren’t our big fleets pushing more for better roads to lower their costs?

Bad roads increase CO2 emissions, damage our environment and potentially damage our world. Where is the ‘green’ industry? Bad roads increase fuel use by 6 to 8 per cent. That is a lot of CO2. Bad roads shorten the life of tyres and trucks. A lot of electricity and raw materials are wasted because of bad roads. Does the green industry care? I don’t hear them.

They tell us we are a big country. “We can’t afford decent roads.” Bull… Ninety percent of Aussies live within a couple of hundred kilometres of the ocean, a few hundred kilometres covers Perth and Adelaide, and then from Melbourne up past Brisbane. That is where 90 per cent of our trucking is. That is affordable.

In fact, we can’t afford to not fix our roads. The suffering, the shortened life expectancy and the loss of employment and income is creating havoc throughout our industry. We can’t get drivers. Who would want to be shaken to pieces and harassed by every government inspector, fined for tiny infringements, put off the road or worse?

And inflate your tyres to suit the load. Over inflation simply amplifies road roughness. AIR CTI should be on every truck.

We need decent roads interconnecting our major cities and areas, not goat tracks.

Write to your politicians.

Contact your unions. Stir up your transport associations.

Demand that our roads meet international road standards.

We are not third world. We should not put up with the suffering and shortened life.

Let’s make truck driving safe

and more efficient. Demand that your representatives prioritise roads and road safety.

Tyre pressure is the only suspension system you can control. Fit AIR CTI to dial in the correct pressure for the load and the road to reduce vibration.

Optimizing Tyre Pressures is Essential if Profit is IMPORTANT AIR CTI WILL SAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON EVERY TRUCK ON EVERY ROAD. • 30% LONGER TYRE LIFE • Doubles Diff and Tranny Life • Doubles Suspension Life • 50% Longer Truck Life • Less Downtime

• More Uptime • Safer • Greener

Optimize Your Tyre Pressures with AIR CTI Match Tyre Pressures to the Load and the Road 100 psi in all tyres is simply WRONG

AIR CTI 03 51276128 | www.aircti.com Ring now for more information. Aussie Made

70 CAREERS AND TRAINING

FRIDAY JUNE 11 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

120 MC drivers in 12 months

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

IN response to the widely publicised driver shortages in Western Australia, Qube has taken the issue into its own hands, with a series of intensive 10-week MC operator trainee programs running over 12 months.

The MC Road Train Operator training program began in February 2021, with the first intake of drivers having successfully complet-

ed the program and gone into roles at Qube Bulk sites across the state – predominantly in the mid-west and north-west.

Since the trainee program was first launched earlier this year, Qube has received over 700 applications.

Qube said the programs provide MC licensed truck drivers with training, hands on skills and knowledge to become professional MC road train operators, with a

guaranteed full-time position within Qube Bulk’s Western Australian operations upon successful completion.

Qube Bulk handles over 85 million tonnes per annum of various bulk ores, concentrates, mineral sands, salt, coal and dangerous goods.

Servicing both on and offroad haulage needs, its fleet is as diverse as the products it carries – from pneumatic tankers for cement and lime; bulk liquid tankers for fuel

Qube’s first all-female intake began the program on April 26.

The second trainee intake at the Qube Ports and Bulk head office in West Perth, wearing blue shirts to help support and raise awareness for prostate cancer.

Easter Group Pty Ltd 73 Formation St, Wacol Easter Group, located in Wacol, provides time sensitive road transporting solutions to many companies throughout Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. .

We are a family owned business, operating since 1976.

We currently have the following positions available:

and sulphuric acid; to side, end and bowl tippers.

In recent times, the struggle to find skilled drivers to service the company’s growing needs has been further exacerbated by ongoing Covid interstate travel restrictions.

Through its MC programs, new trainee intakes have been commencing each month, with plans to train and deploy 120 MC road train operators within the year, with a 30 per cent female output.

To achieve the latter, the intake which began the pro-

You will be required to work on a rotating roster including Days-Nights-Weekends Previous Operations experience preferred.

MC LOCAL & LINEHAUL DRIVERS WANTED

REACH A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE IN PRINT, ONLINE AND SOCIAL

FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021

ONLINE www.bigrigs.com.au

EMAIL info@bigrigs.com.au

TOLL SLUGS SUBBIES AT DC Pages 4-5

On offer are permanent full time and roster positions including paid leave entitlements and public holidays. Drivers will need to be available to be scheduled for work falling across the 7 days of the week.

The successful Applicant will: • Hold a current MC licence (minimum two years) • Have knowledge of the HVNL and Load Restraint • Be professional • Be reliable

To apply for the Operations/Driver positions please contact Operations Manager or by emailing your resume to

WORKSHOP MECHANICS & TYRE FITTERS WANTED

FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021

ONLINE www.bigrigs.com.au

TRUCKIES’ WIN AT GATTON

SMART POWER

EMAIL info@bigrigs.com.au

TOLL SLUGS SUBBIES AT DC

Pages 4-5

Pages 4-5

TRUCKIES’ WIN AT GATTON FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021

FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021

ONLINE www.bigrigs.com.au

EMAIL info@bigrigs.com.au

ONLINE www.bigrigs.com.au

EMAIL info@bigrigs.com.au

TOLL SLUGS SUBBIES AT DC Pages 4-5

ROAD TESTING VOLVO’S TECH-LOADED TITAN IN THE PILBARA: PAGES 20-22

PagesWIN 4-5 TRUCKIES’ AT GATTON

TOLL SLUGS SUBBIES AT DC

ONLINE www.bigrigs.com.au

EMAIL info@bigrigs.com.au

TOLL SLUGS SUBBIES AT DC Pages 4-5

TRUCKIES’ WIN AT GATTON

SMART POWER

TRUCKIES’ WIN AT GATTON

SMART SMART POWER POWER

Pages 4-5

ROAD TESTING VOLVO’S TECH-LOADED TITAN IN THE PILBARA: PAGES 20-22

Pages 4-5

CONTACT

FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021

Pages 4-5

Pages 4-5

(Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Based) Come and work for us as we are committed to: • Training and further education • Your safety • Maintaining an impressive Fleet

hensive road train driver training, all program participants learn maintenance skills such as changing tyres, receive front-end loader training, and receive dangerous goods license training, which provides multiple options for them once they begin their permanent roles.

At the completion of the course, further onsite training is provided, specific to the freight being carried, along with the client’s needs.

Progression is staged to help ensure safe and competent operations throughout their employment.

WHO COULD YOU REACH IF YOUR AD WAS HERE?

OPERATIONS ALLOCATORS (Brisbane based only)

gram on April 26, was exclusively open to females.

According to Qube, this intensive HR to MC operator trainee program was aimed at females wanting to kickstart a career as a professional MC road train operator across the mining and resources sector.

“We are committed to working to encourage female participation and career opportunities within Qube to build a diverse and inclusive workforce that empowers each and every person to achieve,” added Qube.

In addition to compre-

SMART POWER

ROAD TESTING VOLVO’S TECH-LOADED TITAN IN THE PILBARA: PAGES 20-22

PETER HOCKINGS - 0410 334 371 ROAD TESTING VOLVO’S TECH-LOADED TITAN IN THE PILBARA: PAGES 20-22 peter.hockings@primecreative.com.au ROAD TESTING VOLVO’S TECH-LOADED TITAN IN THE PILBARA: PAGES 20-22

MARIE O’REILLY - 0403 626 353 marie.oreilly@primecreative.com.au

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