Big Rigs 23 Jul, 2021

FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021

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2 NEWS CONTACT US Address: 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Phone: 03 9690 8766 Email: editor@bigrigs.com.au Web: bigrigs.com.au Accounts: 03 9690 8766 Subscriptions: 03 9690 8766 Classifieds: 0403 626 353 Circulation and distribution queries: 03 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 GENERAL 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 Truckin in the Topics: Alf Wilson, 0408 009 301 Brent Davison; David Vile; David Meredith; Ian Lee; Jon Wallis 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 JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Removalists pack up shop ICONIC removalist WridgWays Australia has been placed into liquidation, leaving customers and drivers in the lurch.

The writing had been on the wall since at least December when related company Relocation Logistics Australia collapsed owing creditors around $15.8m, including $9m to WridgWays Australia and WridgWays Pty Ltd. Just a few weeks later subsidiaries WridgWays Pty Ltd and WridgWays People were placed in liquidation.

Then late last month freight provider Pacific National lodged a winding up application in a bid to recover a debt.

At the time, WridgWays countered with a statement from CEO Kobus Fourie that said it was in the latter stages of a bid to sell the business, with more details to be revealed in coming days.

“While there has been some local acquisition of assets we have been unable to secure a strong long-term solution for the business, and have entered into voluntary

administration,” added Fourie following a damning story

by A Current Affair.

“As with many other iconic Australian businesses, WridgWays has been significantly impacted by Covid-19, particularly some substantial non-payments by international removalists.

“This has resulted in difficulties within the WridgWays supply chain with some customers experiencing delays in fulfilling their delivery.”

Fourie’s bid to salvage the company, however, appears to have been short-lived with a subsequent media statement announcing that Blair Pleash of Hall Chadwick Chartered Accountants was appointed court liquidator of SFG Relocations Pty Ltd, formerly known as WridgWays Australia Pty Ltd. The liquidator is currently reviewing the affairs of the company, which changed its name on July 9, including its asset and liability position with a view to realising any assets available for the benefit of creditors.

“A further update will be

WridgWays has been in operation since 1892, providing local, interstate, and international removalist services. Photo: quarterdeck888, Flickr

provided to creditors once the liquidator has completed further investigations into the company’s affairs and further information is available,” the statement read.

A Current Affair spoke with many customers left without their furniture, and two driver contractors who said they were also shortchanged, including Sydney grandfather Shane Dowsett who had worked for WridgWays for 30 years.

He claimed he was chasing the company for a $62,500 debt.

“I’ve been there nearly half my life and this was money I was hoping to eventually retire with,” Dowsett said.

Western Australian sub-contractor Grant Milentis said the company owed him more than $200,000.

On its website, Melbourne-based WridgWays boasts of being in operation since 1892, providing local,

interstate, and international removalist services.

WridgWays had five sites in Queensland, four in Western Australia, three in New South Wales, Two in Tasmania and one each in South Australia, Victoria, the ACT and the Northern Territory.

Should any creditors have any liquidation queries, contact the office of Hall Chadwick on (02) 9263 2600 or via email at sfgrelocations@ hallchadwick.com.au.

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Truckies rally to fight fines in NSW

BY JAMES GRAHAM

IMAGINE for a moment that you’ve just started a new job where all seems perfect in every way, asks truckies’ lobbyist Trevor Warner of the Drivers Advocate group.

Then one day, out of the blue, all your hard-earned money disappears from your bank account in one life-changing hit.

Unbeknown to you, Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has a court order in its favour for 90 outstanding fines for driving an unregistered vehicle and a truck with a defective speed limiter.

The truckie is totally blindsided, and his life turned upside down – all the notices were going to an old address and the business he drove for at the time has long since folded.

But according to Revenue NSW – the fine issuer and debt collect for TfNSW – he’s on the hook for $113,000 and they’re not budging.

Sadly, however, this isn’t a fictional scenario, says Warner, the Queensland delegate of

the National Road Freighters Association.

This very real case, and a similar one in which a driver racked up $38,000 in fines, are now the inspiration for a new crowdfunding campaign to fight back.

The Drivers Advocate group is asking truckies to help raise $3000 needed to fund a legal challenge by the Highway Advocates.

“Drivers have been screaming about this for a long time [Safe-T-Cam fines] and once they get this across the line, it will be a carbon copy template for every other driver who has just shut up, paid the fine and moved on,” said Warner.

“We believe there must be compensation for these unjust fines paid back to all drivers. If we can get 600 drivers throwing in $5 each, we can get this job done.”

Warner said the issue starts because some Safe-T-Cams are not picking up the rego plates correctly.

In the case of one driver impacted, Warner said he was doing express freight between Brisbane and Sydney for months, oblivious to the pen-

Campaigner Trevor Warner said the issue starts because some Safe-T-Cams are not picking up the rego plates correctly. Inset: Highway Advocates’ lawyer Adam Cockayne, left, and paralegal Robert Bell.

alties he was racking up.

“Now if you had an unregistered vehicle and it was supposedly speeding every night of the week wouldn’t you issue an enforcement order or an intervention order to pull that truck up?

“But they didn’t, they just let it go, and also why wasn’t he getting infringed at every single camera?”

Warner is also adamant that under the chain of responsibility laws, the registered owner of the vehicle should have received the infringement notices, not the truckie.

“It’s an absolute money-spinner for TfNSW,” he

said. “They know that if we go to court to fight, we’re up for $2000-$3000 in lost wages and for travel, and we have to pay for a lawyer on top of that, and we believe TfNSW plays on that.”

Highway Advocates’ CEO/ director Robert Bell, a former truckie-turned paralegal, is confident that he and lawyer Adam Cockayne are building a solid case for the campaign.

The pair has already had success with this offence, having similar matters withdrawn and dismissed at court.

“It is a ludicrous, revenue-raising offence, that apart from all the other legal issues,

raises a Constitutional issue of some significance,” Bell said.

To illustrate, he cites the wild penalty discrepancies in each state. A Victorian driver infringing in NSW would trigger a $1449 fine, along with four demerits, yet if that same vehicle was captured in its home state, it would not be deemed unregistered.

The penalties are also a lot lower for NSW registered trucks - $686 and three demerits. NSW trucks are not “deemed” unregistered in NSW. They are charged with having an obscured or illegible number plate.

“This triggers the Consti-

tutional issue,” Bell said. “Section 117 of The Constitution provides that you cannot be discriminated against, or suffer a disability, as a resident of one State as opposed to a resident of another State when operating in that State.”

“Put simply, NSW have simply created this offence, which now heavily punishes drivers, not registered operators, whilst they are passing through NSW.” Go to bigrigs.com.au to read TfNSW’s full response.

To contribute to the legal challenge, visit chuffed. org and search for Truckies Lament.

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4 NEWS

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Commanding lead for Kenworth

THE Covid-factor was in full effect last month with bumper sale figures for heavy-duty sector leaders Kenworth.

With operators racing to claim the instant asset write-off before the end-of-financial-year deadline, sales for the Bayswater badge boomed to 325 in June.

That was 179 more units than the nearest challenger Volvo, which only bested thirdplace Mercedes Benz by seven trucks in June, 146 vs 139.

Scania finished fourth with 122 sales for the month, followed by the Japanese trio of Isuzu (118), Fuso (88), and Hino (79).

Figures from the Truck Industry Council (TIC) show that overall heavy-duty sales are tracking above the five-year average (2015-2019) and are up by more than 18 per cent on 2020 numbers.

But the TIC also said some brands continue to report supply chain shortages and this may be affecting production, both in Australia and overseas.

“Though this appears to be easing as we move through the halfway point of the year,” a spokesperson said.

“Japanese truck imports ap-

pear to be less affected by these supply chain issues.”

The most intriguing sales battle is in the medium-duty sector with Hino topping Isuzu in June with 293 sales vs 283, although the latter is still clear on the year-to-date tally, 1336 vs 1249.

The result helped boost Hino to its best-ever single month of sales and capped off a record first half of the year for the Japanese manufacturer.

“The truck market continues to go from strength to strength, particularly in the light and medium-duty segments,” said Brian Wright, general manager of sales and supply chain for Hino Australia.

“We have been well positioned to capitalise on this market performance by virtue of the new products we have introduced over the last three years.”

The delivery of 761 trucks in June marginally bettered last year’s record June result of 752, and continued a run of record sales results in April and May. The strong sales results in the second quarter was a key contributor to sales of 3208 units in the first half of the year, which is a 6.9 per cent improvement

over the previous record of 3001 sales in the same period in 2008.

“Almost a year after its launch, the numbers tell the story for the new 300 Series – we achieved a national market share of 23.8 per cent.”

The TIC said that the medium duty sector appears to be improving, though weaker than other segments.

“This weakness cannot be attributed to supply issues, as truck imports from Japan remain solid,” said a spokesperson.

“Weak sales in this segment indicate other market forces are at play and that government Covid-19 financial incentives are not proving to be particularly effective in incentivising operators in this segment to purchase new medium duty trucks.”

Meanwhile, a source familiar with the SAR Legend campaign tells us that the PACCAR team was humbled by the response to its one-day sale of the anniversary edition.

More than 700 orders were placed on July 8, smashing the previous one-day mark of 276 for the Legend 900 in 2017.

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Truckie appalled at lack of parking for interstaters

EXPERIENCED long-distance truckie Sonja White has had enough of being fobbed off by service stations and local councils failing to police truck parking policies.

The latest servo in the truckie’s crosshairs is the busy Epping BP in Melbourne where the jostling for slots has got so bad, White and her two-up partner Craig Brumpton, were recently forced to detour 15km away to the Bunker Hill Shell for a shower.

They then had to go even further up the road to another parking bay for their 10-hour fatigue break under two-up BFM laws because that spot was too noisy to park up their B-double for the night.

“It’s just bull shit and no one is doing anything to stop it,” said a frustrated White, who drives from Brisbane to Melbourne each week.

“BP Epping is full of local trucks and large work vans blocking interstate truck drivers from parking up for our rest breaks because they have parked up and gone home.

“In the mornings, they come back to the BP to get

their trucks and vans, then park their cars in the same spot while they are work leaving us, the interstate truck drivers with nowhere to park.”

White said when she confronted one tipper driver about the issue, he told her his boss had an arrangement with the BP for parking.

“This isn’t just happening here, it’s all over Australia.

How are we supposed to have our fatigue breaks when this is going on?”

The local Whittlesea council has an agreement with the BP to enforce the two-hour and eight-hour parking restrictions at the Epping site.

City of Whittlesea manager compliance and environmental health, Andrew Mason said that under these types of agreements, the property owner decides on the restrictions and installs relevant signage.

“Council is working with the BP to update the existing eight-hour parking signage on the site because it is not currently enforceable,” Mason said in a statement.

“The two-hour parking bays on the site have the cor-

rect signage and council is enforcing these restrictions. Vehicles caught overstaying these two-hour parking restrictions are issued with a $91 infringement fine, in accordance with the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 (Vic).

“Drivers can be assured that all vehicles parked at this location, regardless of the state they are registered in, are treated equally.”

He added that council is aware that some interstate truck drivers are finding ac-

cess to free parking difficult in Whittlesea, and other builtup areas where space is limited.

“We are also aware that the issue is heightened by some local truck drivers parking vehicles overnight in free parking areas such as the BP service station on Cooper Street in Epping.”

BP tells us it is aware of the parking challenges at some metro truck stops nationwide and is working with local councils and parking compa-

nies to find a solution to local trucks parking at these locations overnight.

“We recognise that our network and facilities are incredibly important to the Australian transport sector,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

“We appreciate the importance of parking for interstate customers facing long drives and managing fatigue and we are working with industry partners to ensure we find suitable solutions.”

When we first raised this issue online, readers were quick to concur with White.

Others also reiterated how widespread the issue is.

“Every city has the same problem, local trucks lining streets, parking fines being dished out by local councils. A good night’s rest is a constant battle in my game!” added Nigel Rutley on Facebook.

Big Rigs also approached BP’s national truck stop manager Kade Pargeter for comment.

Night or day, every time interstate driver Sonja White shows up at the Epping servo parking is at a premium. Photos: Supplied

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6 NEWS

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Union unimpressed with app response from Lindsay

LINDSAY Transport has released a new truck safety training tool to further comply with a long-standing enforcement undertaking (EU) from SafeWork NSW. The deal was struck in 2015 after the tragic death of a staff member engaged in the coupling and uncoupling of A- and B-double trailers using a tug truck at a western Sydney depot.

During the procedure, the tug truck and trailer combination moved and the worker was struck and crushed by the wheels of the B trailer.

The new app is the latest in a long list of safety-related undertakings totalling $1.496m.

“Lindsay Australia deeply regrets that the incident on 10 October 2015 occurred,” it said in the EU. “The fact that a worker attended work and did not return home has had a profound effect on workers at the depot and across the business. Lindsay Australia is committed to ensuring that this type of accident does not occur again.”

But the Transport Workers’ Union says a substandard workplace agreement and the

death of another driver three years ago, who was left dead for 10 hours on the underpass of a Brisbane motorway without the company even knowing he was missing, shows Lindsay has not changed its attitude to safety.

TWU assistant national secretary Nick McIntosh said Lindsay must start taking driver safety seriously.

“This is a disgraceful response to the death of a driver.

A phone app showing drivers how to get in and out of a truck isn’t going to fix the problems in Lindsay Transport,” McIntosh said.

“In a separate fatality, Lindsay didn’t even know one of its drivers was lying dead in his truck on the underpass of the Logan Motorway for 10 hours.

This is a company which has been refusing to put in place an enterprise agreement to ensure drivers are paid a fair, safe rate.

“Lindsay is a perfect example as to why we need an independent tribunal to investigate the risks to safety in road transport. Here we have Safe Work NSW trying to wrangle with Lindsay on one level, meanwhile the TWU is trying

to wrangle with them through the Fair Work Commission on pay and conditions which go to the heart of safety.

“There is no regulator looking at all of these issues and determining a solution in the form of a federally binding

order. As a result, trucking remains Australia’s deadliest industry and far too many other road users are killed along with them.”

McIntosh added that the federal government is nowhere to be seen and is refusing to en-

gage to protect drivers at work.

“Companies like Lindsay and the wealthy retailers, manufacturers and oil companies which hire them to transport their goods are let off the hook while the families of truck drivers are left to pick up the

pieces,” McIntosh said.

The EU with Lindsay Transport also included a three-month radio media campaign targeting driver fatigue, speeding, use of mobile phones and uncontrolled movement of vehicles.

TWU assistant national secretary Nick McIntosh said Lindsay must start taking driver safety seriously. Inset: Lindsay released a new safety app as part of a SafeWork NSW deal.

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Empowering truckies as first responders

The pilot involved five training sessions, held in Darwin, Alice Springs, Port Hedland, Perth and Brisbane.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI WHEN a road accident occurs in a regional or remote area, truckies are quite often the first on the scene. But if faced with an emergency situation, would you know what to do and how to best respond?

The NT Road Transport Association (NTRTA) and Western Roads Federation (WRF) recently ran a first response training pilot program

and have now launched a truckie survey to help quantify the anecdotal evidence that nearly half of all regional and remote area truck drivers will be first responders at accidents during their careers.

It’s hoped that the survey will provide concrete data that can be used to support the NTRTA and WRF in their efforts to offer a funded national rollout of the program.

“The survey will help us get a better handle on the propor-

tion of the truck driving population that have been first responders at the scene of a road accident, including how they dealt with it and if they were confident in dealing with the situation,” explained NTRTA executive officer Louise Bilato.

“Truck drivers spend most of their work time on the road and yet there is no Australian data on the numbers of truck drivers who have been first responders. Because there have been no studies on the subject, we do not know how truck drivers who have found themselves in that situation coped at the time.

“Nor do we know how they may have been impacted by their experience as a first responder later on. Most of what we know is anecdotal, but the fact of the matter is that a portion of our truck drivers, especially those working in remote and regional Australia do provide critical care and assistance at road crashes at some time in their career.”

Funded under the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, the pilot program involved five training sessions held in

Darwin, Alice Springs, Port Hedland, Perth and Brisbane, each with 10-15 truckies in attendance.

Bilato says the program was very well received by all involved. “The training for truck drivers was very specific and their feedback has been phenomenal. We employed Real Response, a company that deals with these sorts of scenarios, to deliver the training, which included relevant information on managing bleeds, such as how to tie a neck bleed, packing wounds and how to check for broken ribs or a collapsed lung.

“The course teaches participants how to correctly fit a tourniquet and how to make a tourniquet if you are forced to improvise on the side of the road to save a life. It teaches how to provide immediate care, including haemorrhage control, with the primary goal to keep people alive until professional help arrives,” she said.

“Preparation and training for traumatic events can substantially modify the emotional impact of the trauma and protect individuals from developing psychological symptoms.

NEWS 7

The Truck Driver as First Responder training teaches skills centred around providing immediate care, including haemorrhage control.

The program is short, sharp and to the point, teaching practical skills. We’re hoping the program can better equip truck drivers and improve resilience if they happen to be the first responder at the scene of an accident. The more information we can get from the broader trucking community

through our survey, the better.”

Participation in the ‘Truck Driver - First Responder Survey’ is confidential, with results to be used in helping to make a case to push for funding of a national first responder program for truckies. The survey can be accessed at surveymonkey.com/r/ZZ5S928.

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8 OPINION

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Warning about freight load terms

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

THIS issue is missing a very important story we had hoped to bring you about a delivery gone wrong.

Long story short, an owner-driver was contracted online to take freight from Sydney to Victoria. But when he got there, the client cried foul because the driver had turned up in one truck instead of two.

The driver claims he still arrived with the same cargo, and that an office worker had signed off on the two-to-onetruck change. Instead of resolving the dispute amicably on the spot, police were called and the driver ordered off the property accused of trespassing, with the load still on board.

For the next two weeks the truckie parked up outside the gates in a heated stalemate.

As I write this, there was still no sign of a settlement. The only new element a 43-page legal letter threatening an injunction if we ran with the story.

Watch this space.

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO READER CORNER? EMAIL US AT EDITOR@BIGRIGS.COM.AU

ROAD Freight NSW (RFNSW) is doubling down on its fight for truckies’ basic rights after fielding reports that some service stations were now barring them from rest areas and other facilities. In a strongly worded newsletter, CEO Simon O’Hara promised RFNSW will name and shame any business or individual who tries to deny drivers their usual access.

“The trouble is the service stations prefer to close their amenities rather than cleaning is calling out service stations refusing truckies access them to a covid safe standard. RFNSW to facilities.

So drivers are left with no toilet or shower facilities,” Brett Seager said, when we shared the story on Facebook.

Cam Jay added: “Happening everywhere unfortunately, lots of businesses closing off basic hygiene facilities to staff only. Some due to the pigs that walk amongst us that haven’t learnt to sit on the seat rather than stand on it, and others that just leave a mess for the maids.”

IN our last edition we shared the story of three truckie mates embarking on a 3000km trip from Geraldton to Mt Augustus and then on to Uluru, driving restored WWII military trucks, to raise money for Parkinson’s WA. The recovery of two abandoned military trucks from the Great Sandy Desert was aired recently on Outback Truckers.

Many of our readers wished them well via our Facebook page.

“Great restoration job. Watched you on Outback Truckers the other And they’re off: John Marriott, Jamie Morrison and day. Good luck guys,” wrote Pat Tay- Kingy began their trip earlier this month. Pic: Facebook lor.

“Travel safely and hopefully raise some good money for Parkinsons,” said Ellenor Otley.

“Bloody good bunch of people involved. Watched them retrieve the trucks on Outback Truckers, then snap here they are ready to roll,” added Graham Whitby.

“I cut my teeth in a Studebaker in the Simpson Desert many moons ago and it is a great vehicle to drive. Good luck guys and have fun,” said Lindsay Wagener.

Name and shame servos

Fraudster Fred

FORMER Crane Trucks R Us director Fred Mohammed was found guilty of three counts of fraud and sentenced to imprisonment. A former employee shared an insider’s look at what went wrong for the Queensland company left owing $6.2 million to 198 creditors.

“This is a classic example of what is so wrong in Australia’s legal fraternity today; rip honest people off to the tune of The Range Rover Fred Mohammed bought just $6,000,000.00+ and the legal system says before Crane Trucks R Us collapsed. your crime is worth 6 months behind bars.

Crime pays in Australia,” commented Harry Butler on Facebook.

Grant Baines also shared his frustration. “Problem is he’ll be back as governments won’t bar these sorts of idiots from having a business again. He probably skimmed bulk $$$ to family and friends to start up in next to no time with boggie directors, owners names etc. Scott Morrison (ScoMo) needs to change laws to make people more accountable.”

Judith-Anne Nichols agreed, “He will start again under another name.”

Rock to Rock convoy

NHVR on AFM THE NHVR says its recent campaign to promote Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) is about highlighting the added flexibility it provides, not a licence for operators to work truckies harder.

The regulator said studies show that drivers working for an AFM accredited company actually work less hours and have less crashes.

Readers took to social media to share their views. “The best part of AFM is being able to split your rest break. The 7 hour rule doesn’t work for everyone unfortunately,” commented Damian Martin.

Luke Anthony Prime said, “Should be able to split your rest on standard hours instead of the book making you race the clock, WA an NT have the best systems, only problem is it won’t generate enough revenue for the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.”

David Sinclair added, “It’s about time they started to think outside their bubble.

I’ve always been a strong believer that more The recent AFM campaign is to highlight the flexibility doesn’t mean more hours, it just flexibility options it gives drivers to manage their means you can use your hours better.” own working days.

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10 NEWS

IN BRIEF Three out at ATA Following the surprise resignation of Australian Trucking Association (ATA) CEO Andrew McKellar in late June, after just five months in the job, another two directors have called time on their roles with the association.

Member services and corporate partnerships director Dean Seeley; and safety, health and wellbeing director Melissa Weller; have both resigned from their roles at the ATA. “Andrew initiated the development of a new strategic plan and a governance review; Dean put in place the Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders’ Forum and the Teletrac Navman Driving Change Diversity Program; Melissa created the SafeT360 education program,” the ATA said in a recent newsletter.

Improving truck access The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator will receive $12.1 million in funding over three years to deliver better engineering assessment of road assets across rural and regional Australia as part of the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP).

“This program is vital for helping road managers better understand their local infrastructure capacity, bringing opportunities for new heavy vehicle networks to move freight efficiently – which will in turn bring significant boosts for local economies,” said Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz.

VB truck goes green Victoria Bitter is going green, with Australia’s most iconic beer now being transported in a new Volvo FL all-electric truck, which is the first-ever electric vehicle in the Linfox fleet.

The VB truck is the first mass-produced electric truck of its size in Australia and one of over 50 Volvo FL all-electric trucks delivered globally to date.

It will deliver beer like a regular diesel truck but in a sustainable way, transporting 100,000-plus cans and stubbies each week from Asahi Beverages’ distribution centre in Melbourne’s west to bottle shops and beer lovers across the city.

Bitumen bandits Roving bitumen traders offering driveway repairs and bitumen laying services are back in Central Queensland.

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman says this is the latest iteration of a long-running scam. “Bitumen layers, also known as bitumen bandits, are complete scammers,” he said. “The left-over bitumen story is a common tactic but they do vary their approaches. Sometimes watered-down bitumen is laid on ungraded or poorly graded ground and consumers find themselves further out of pocket as they later have to pay another trader to have it removed and replaced.”

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Resolute pensioner digs in for s**t fight

Protester Wes Walker has been on site for 10 hours a day for more than a month

BY JAMES GRAHAM TRANSPORT and Main Roads told us that they didn’t build a toilet for truckies at the new $18m Gatton pads because it would be a biohazard to the adjoining University of Queensland agriculture fields.

Campaigner Wes Walker, who is fighting to have that decision overturned, wants to know how they then explain the unlined retention pond he’s been watching fill up ever since he began his sit-in protest at the decoupling facility more than a month ago.

“That’s a bio disaster, that holding pond – they’ve forgotten to line it,” said Walker, who is now bringing in two donated portable toilets from Lockyer Valley Waste Management each day as a stopgap measure for our essential workers.

“It’s a big cock-up – there’s no way that’s not leaching into the university fields next door.”

When we showed the aerial shots of the pond’s proximity to the adjoining fields taken by

Gotcha By Karl Photography to Transport for Main Roads, they were quick to respond with an explanation.

A spokesperson said the Gatton Heavy Vehicle Decoupling Facility (GHVDF) has a water quality system to manage storage and treatment in line with the Biosecurity Site Management Plan.

They said the rocks photographed are part of a mesh cage which is used for erosion control at the entrance to the water quality and overflow basins.

“These are being monitored and operating appropriately. The system includes the use of a water quality basin, which collects water running off the asphalt surface.

“Water is released from this basin by evaporation and infiltration.

TMR said the basin is lined with sand, which collects any oil or fuel spilled on the pad and allows the water to infiltrate into the soil.

“This basin is suitable for rainfall up to a one-in-200year event. If it does overflow, the additional water running

off the basin is clean as any debris on the site has been removed by earlier rainfall.”

The basin is monitored for debris and the sand will be replaced as required, they added.

Lockyer Valley Waste Management has donated the use of two portable toilets.

“This basin is not lined with plastic, as that would impede the filtered water from soaking into the ground.”

The second basin is an overflow basin, which col-

Walker believes the holding ponds are a bio-disaster.

lects any rain that falls on the grassed areas within the site.

“Overflow from this basin is diverted to the nearby table drain.

“The water quality system is typical for a site such as this and was reviewed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lockyer Valley Regional Council and the University of Queensland during the project’s design phase.”

An undeterred Walker, meanwhile, isn’t buying any of it and is digging in for the long haul.

“How long is a piece of string?” the 57-year-old disability pensioner responded when asked how long he intended to stay on the site campaigning to give truckies their basic rights.

Walker has also started a parliamentary petition in protest, which can be signed by Queensland residents on site, or by visiting parliament.qld. gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions.

University of Queensland was approached for comment but at deadline for this issue had not responded.

Sterle back behind the wheel for WA charity

FORMER full-time truckie-turned WA Labor Senator Glenn Sterle hit the road to deliver donated mattresses and furniture as part of his second Waste to Wages charity road trip.

Sterle was joined by fellow driver for the 3000km trip Nick D’Adamo, CEO of KEYS – The Moving Solution, which is a partner of Waste to Wages. There were two trucks involved in the charity trip from Perth to Kununurra in WA’s far north earlier this month, carrying five trailers between them.

They first delivered a shipping container full of mattresses and bedding (donated by Bedshed and the Ocean Beach Hotel) to Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley and surrounding areas on the way to Kununurra; before heading to Kununurra with four shipping containers full of donated furniture items for a recycling

store named Revive.

Waste to Wages began last year after Sterle met with East Kimberley Job Pathways (EKJP), a local organisation in Kununurra that provides training and employment programs throughout the East Kimberley.

After identifying the training and employment opportunities possible through recycling ventures, EKJP created a program called Waste to Wages which trains and now employs Aboriginal youth to collect and repair recyclable items (which would otherwise be destined for landfill) for Revive.

All money raised from the sale of repaired items at the store goes directly back into training local Indigenous people and providing meaningful employment.

Sterle asked EKJP if Revive was happy to receive used and unwanted furniture from Perth – and the

answer was yes.

He put out a call for unwanted furniture and was blown away with the response.

Following a chat with site manager at Revive in Kununurra, Paige McLachlan, Sterle learned that all of the furniture he delivered in October had been sold, which led to the second charity road trip, which is now underway.

After putting a call out for furniture donations, 46 collections were made last month from residents across Perth and as far south as Margaret River, which filled four shipping containers.

Don Bantock, who is the owner of Bedshed in Osborne Park, Perth, also got behind the program, donating over 100 brand new mattresses.

As there is currently a severe shortage of beds in various communities, this donation will make a huge difference to many families.

Nick D’Adamo, CEO of KEYS, left, and Senator Sterle share a laugh before they hit the road to Kununurra.

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12 COVER STORY

Shining bright like a ‘Diamond’

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Blenners Transport welcomes its 300th Kenworth – a Brown and Hurley Diamond Edition T659.

The company’s first truck was a Kenworth T650, purchased in 1988.

Les Blennerhassett, JJ Hurley, Judy Blennerhassett and Clare Hurley at Brown and Hurley’s 75th anniversary dinner, where Blenners Transport was presented with its ‘Club 300’ plaque.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI TRUCKING wasn’t always on the cards for Les Blennerhassett. Actually, he fell into it quite unexpectedly.

Les’ family was involved in cattle farming, and after a stint in carpentry, he returned to his farming roots – though he chose bananas instead of cattle and developed a successful banana growing business.

“I started life as a banana farmer. I was using a local contractor to carry my bananas and got tied up with an owner operator who was selling a fridge van,” said Les. Though his initial response was, “I’m a farmer, not a trucker,” he bought the trailer anyway.

Without even realising it, that marked the start of what would become a highly successful transport business.

He needed a truck, so he turned to Kenworth dealer Brown and Hurley and bought a brand new T650 in 1988.

The salesman who sold him that truck was Tony Burton, who is now dealer principal at Brown and Hurley’s Townsville branch. “The staff at Brown and Hurley are a bit like family, there’s a long relationship there,” said Les, who runs his transport operation with his wife Judy Blennerhassett.

They’re also joined by their sons Roger and Ben who have

been part of the family business for over 10 years.

Though growth was slow and steady in the early days, business was still picking up.

The couple purchased a truck a year for the first five years or so. “It was just something that happened. I had the one truck, then more growers wanted to come on board so I needed to add to the fleet. As more and more customers wanted to come online, I had to buy more trucks,” said Les. “It was slow growth in the first 10 years but once we got to a size where we could take on major clients and be able to supply trucks every day, that really ramped the business up.”

Over time, transport overtook the company’s farming interests and Les sold off the banana growing side of the business in 2009. Though he’s still involved in cane farming up to this day.

Blenners has many longterm customers that have been with them from the start. “Service and servicing our customers are the number one in our business,” said Les. For many years, Blenners was focused almost entirely on transporting bananas. Though in 2010 when a cyclone decimated banana supplies, Les and Judy realised they needed to diversify and add other products into the mix. The business went from carting

around 120 loads of bananas a week to just four, meaning much of the fleet grinded to a halt.

But by adding mangos, avocados and citrus fruits into the mix, Les and Judy quickly bounced back.

Today, Blenners Transport is the biggest banana, mango, avocado and citrus carrier in Far North Queensland, transporting fruit Australia-wide.

It provides freezer, chiller and dry freight services and also transports various food products from the south and into Queensland.

There are now around 160 trucks in the fleet. They’re all Kenworths, and that’s the way it’s always been at Blenners.

The recent purchase of its 300th Kenworth, a feat only ever achieved by a select few, called for a special truck. With Brown and Hurley celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the Brown and Hurley 75th anniversary Diamond Edition T659 fit the bill perfectly. It has been painted in Blenners’ original green colour scheme.

The ‘B&H Diamond’ text laser-cut into the chromework hints that this is no run of the mill T659. Only 75 of these limited-edition trucks will be produced, in celebration of the dealer’s milestone anniversary – with all of the orders snapped up within hours and the vast majority already delivered.

With the delivery of its 300th Australian made Kenworth from Brown and Hurley, Blenners Transport now

Les Blennerhassett and JJ Hurley with the milestone truck, a Diamond Edition Kenworth T659, which is painted in Blenners’ original colour scheme.

joins the dealership’s ‘Club 300’ – and they’re only the second company to do so, behind Lindsay Transport, which has now surpassed the 400-mark.

Les and Judy were presented with a special plaque during Brown and Hurley’s 75th anniversary dinner in Townsville on Friday June 25.

“Les bought his first Kenworth from us in 1988 and the business grew from there.

Blenners is now running about 160 linehaul trucks,” said long-time Kenworth dealer at Brown and Hurley, Jim (JJ) Hurley.

“As I have said many times, a lot of Brown and Hurley’s growth has been driven by the growth of our customers, and the need to service them.

Blenners started with one truck and now they’ve just purchased their 300th. We have so many customers like that which have gone on to become major fleets.”

Les was chuffed to be able to purchase his 300th Kenworth. “I guess it’s a bit of an achievement. We’re quite proud that we’ve got to 300 Kenworths. There’s not many in that category, so it’s a great achievement for a family-owned business,” he said.

As part of Brown and Hurley’s recent 75th anniversary celebrations, the dealership held various events throughout June. At the Townsville branch open day, Les Blenner brought along one of his first Kenworth T650s, which has been fully restored. “He’s done a marvellous job of it too,” said Hurley.

The 1993 model T650 was the fifth Kenworth to be purchased by Blenners and Les has had the truck in his possession since brand new. “The first truck I ever purchased was sold and involved in a roll-over and got written-off, so we couldn’t get the first truck, but this one is the same

model and has similar specs to that first one,” said Les. “It was restored in-house with our workshop and paint team. We started from brand new chassis rails from PACCAR and then lots of new stuff was put back into it. It took about 18 months to restore.”

The restored T650 was at the Brisbane Truck Show in May, at the Townsville Brown and Hurley branch in June and will head to the Kenworth Dealer Hall of Fame in August, before returning to Blenners.

Looking ahead, Blenners has more Kenworths that will soon join the fleet, with the business purchasing about 20 new trucks each year.

Catering to its growth, the company’s eight Queensland depots will also soon increase to 10, with new facilities in Cairns and Mackay on the cards, as well as an extension of the existing Brisbane depot.

The newest Kenworth (right) sits alongside a restored 1993 Kenworth T650 at Brown and Hurley’s recent Townsville branch open day.

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14 FEATURE

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Albury operator carries on proud family tradition

When it came to buying a new truck, there was only one brand on Tommy Carr’s shopping list.

Kenworth fan Tommy Carr, of Albury, with his daughter Mila and dog Coop.

BY DAVID VILE IN a lot of situations, particularly in road transport, the connection to a brand or product can be forged over a number of years and in the case of Tommy Carr of Albury, the association he has with the Kenworth brand extends back three generations to his grandfather David Findlay.

With his father and uncle also running Kenworths over a number of years the link has been maintained with Carr buying his first truck, a T401, last year as part of his TC Steel fabrication business.

Inducted into the Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2011, David Findlay was active

in road transport for just shy of four decades.

“He started out in old trucks, with an ACCO then a MAN which was the first truck he bought new. He reckoned MAN stood for ‘Many Adjustments Needed’” Carr said with a smile.

Hauling everything from potatoes to roller doors and steel, a Detroit powered Kenworth joined the Findlay fleet in 1978, with everything from one of the first Aerodynes in Australia through to a 1986 Gold Nugget W-Model all wearing the Findlay name in the years following.

Carr, now 31, spent his younger years on the family farm near Narrandera and with

The Findlay W-Model Gold Nugget in the 1980s.

a move to Albury helping foster the interest in trucks he had been exposed to by his grandfather.

“My dad Rick got into trucks with my uncle here in Albury, moving agricultural machinery around and then got into subbing with his own truck with McColl’s and Mainfreight. He had a Kenworth T404 which was the truck I leant to drive in,” he said.

“As a kid, from about 10 through to 14, I used to ride my bike down to South Albury with the keys to the yard in my pocket and wash my uncle’s trucks. My uncle, Steve Beaumont had firstly a K100E cab, then a 104 Aerodyne and he now runs a couple of T909s out of Albury in the Mainfreight colours,” he explained.

While the connection to road transport was there, Carr was not planning on taking up a career behind the wheel but always reckoned trucks out feature at some point along the way. Having qualified as a boilermaker and establishing TC Steel, road transport was soon on his radar.

“I did my trade and started my own business. We do so much structural steel work here and having used subbies for such a long time it was a perfect opportunity to get our own truck and trailer for moving our own steel around. Having the truck out and about it’s got to the point where we need another truck because we are knocking work back,” he explained.

When it came time to buy a truck there was only one main consideration for Carr - it had to be a Kenworth. Having long favoured the T4 range for the late 1990s as his favoured style of Kenworth truck Carr soon found himself the owner of a 1997 T401 which he purchased from Shackell Transport of Pottsville on the northern NSW coast.

The TC Haulage T401 still looks immaculate despite being 24 years old.

“I knew I wanted a 404/401. My uncle’s first bonneted one was a T401, I fell in love with it, and I learnt to drive in my dad’s T404. I looked on the Internet and I hadn’t even heard of Shackell Transport, they were having a bit of a clear out of trucks and I made my mind up. I bought it sight unseen and went up and drove it home.”

Powered by a C-12 Cat the T401 pushes out just over 400 horsepower and with a 15-speed Roadranger is well set up to tow Carr’s 45’ drop deck trailer. The Kenworth had been thoroughly maintained

by its previous owner and despite its age still presents well.

“Shackells had it from brand new with full printout of everything they had done to it mechanically. It had done a lot of tanker work and general freight but the way they looked after it is a real credit to them. I love the old school colours too which are similar to pop’s old W-Model Gold Nugget,” said Carr.

Having purchased the T401 in 2020 and running it under the TC Haulage banner, the Kenworth was soon put to work hauling steel and fabricated framework and clocking

David Findlay, Carr’s grandfather operated trucks for 39 years.

up the kilometres across a wide reach of the country.

“We have done Broken Hill and plenty of running to Melbourne. We did three buildings in a row down there which seemed like load after load after load, for three months there it was flat out. The 45 ft drop deck trailer with ramps can fit on a lot of stuff. We have done heaps of ag equipment and so forth, virtually anything you can just roll up on the back,” he said.

With the increase in the workload Carr has recently expanded the fleet, with another ex-Shackell Kenworth, this time a T404, about to head south to join the operation.

“We are subbing loads out to Brisbane and Sydney, and we are knocking work back the problem is I need a truck here on the ready in case I need to shift steel out of here. We have now had the T401 for 12 months and are just in the process of buying another 404 off them - a bit newer with the C15 at and an 18 speed in it.

They do everything we want to do with a single trailer and the Cat motors pull so well.”

As the transport requirement grows, Carr is also fortunate to have a few people close by to call on for advice, including his grandfather who is now enjoying his retirement on the Sunshine Coast.

“Dad has a lot of involvement in our truck decisions. If I’m not sure of anything I will just call him, or my uncle or my pop.”

Loaded with steel, David Findlay’s Aerodyne was one of the first to hit the road in Australia.

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16 FEATURE

Above: Wendy Boyle passed away last month after a long and courageous battle with brain cancer.

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Farewell ‘Mother’: A touching tribute

At Boyle’s Livestock Transport, Wendy was known as Mother by many of the drivers.

The entire fleet of Boyle’s Livestock Transport trucks joined the funeral procession.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI AFFECTIONATELY known as ‘Mother’, Boyle’s Livestock Transport matriarch Wendy Boyle was well known for her generosity and compassion.

She was farewelled after losing her long and courageous battle with brain cancer on June 19 at the age of 69.

The Boyle’s Livestock Transport fleet of 24 trucks, led by a 1980 model Atkinson restored by her husband and company founder Kelvin Boyle, joined the funeral procession on June 26.

They began at the company’s depot near Warrnambool and headed to the funeral home. Following the service, they followed the hearse back to the depot, where the drivers stood by their trucks, forming a guard on honour and paying their respects.

Her son Anthony Boyle, who has served as the company’s director for the past decade, said “she would have been absolutely chuffed”.

Wendy had a profound impact on so many who knew her. She became a help-

Wendy with her grandson Jefferson.

A rainbow forms over the Boyle’s trucks.

ing hand whenever it was needed, a shoulder to lean on and a friend to the many people who had the pleasure of working with her.

Known for her generosity and warmth, she was very involved in the community. She started a junior tennis club for Allansforest and would umpire and take kids to tennis matches every weekend.

When her sons began playing footy, she joined the committee as secretary and then president. She was also a lifeline

kids Anthony, Darren, Rodney and Wendy had grown up, that she joined her husband and helped to steer the business on a trajectory of great growth.

That was the same year that Anthony joined his parents as a driver. “They had three trucks by that time, then added another. When they purchased a local business, the fleet grew to eight trucks.

I eventually took over more of the operations and Mum was in the office, helping to orga-

councillor for nearly 10 years.

Wendy was given the nickname Mother and it’s not hard to see why – it didn’t take long to catch on either.

Most of the drivers at Boyle’s called her Mother, and their kids knew her as Nan. Kelvin started Boyle’s Transport in 1957, using his father’s Ford truck to transport livestock around Victoria’s western districts for local farmers. He eventually added a second truck, though it wasn’t until 1994, when their

The full truck fleet formed a guard of honour in the Boyle’s Livestock Transport yard.

nise the operations,” he said.

Boyle’s Livestock Transport predominantly services Victoria, South Australia and NSW, but also travels further afield as seasonal conditions require.

It transports approximately 5000-6000 cattle and 10,000 sheep and lambs each week.

Anthony attributes the company’s growth to the way his mother managed their staff. “She always treated them as part of the family.

Even before her active role in the business she would al-

ways cook a meal or make the drivers a thermos of coffee, and as we grew up, we always had staff around the kitchen table joining us for a meal and sharing stories. Many of them probably spent more time around our kitchen table than their own. She used to go out and help the drivers unload before we started to grow the business. She always fed them and helped them.

“She was the voice behind the scenes and she was doing that up until nine years ago when she got sick and was diagnosed with brain cancer,” Anthony added.

“She retired to try and get her health right. She was able to get back to looking after herself and the home, taking up pilates and joining the local swimming pool. She had a few small trips, came with myself and my family to Fiji and would often visit my younger brother in Queensland.”

A huge Elvis fan and avid traveller, Wendy had the opportunity to visit Elvis Presley’s Graceland home. She travelled to Egypt, China, Vietnam, Italy, London, Africa and the United States.

“Mum had six months of treatment and went into remission and did really well until about 18 months ago, when the cancer came back.”

Wendy will be fondly remembered for her contribution to her industry and for the generosity and warmth she showed to her family, friends, staff and customers.

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18 NEWS

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Winners announced in virtual charity truck show Warren Aitken was a popular winner of the Euro prize with this stunning shot of a blue Exodas Volvo.

ENTERPRISING Queensland truckie Katherine Glover – founder of the Young Aussie Truckies support group – admits she was expecting a modest number of entries in her first virtual truck show for charity.

But Glover, 20, was “blown away” when around 50 stumped up with a fiver and put forward their big rigs for judging by their peers on Instagram, with many other generous donations coming in without a shot attached.

All proceeds go to the Brisbane Convoy for Kids, which raises money and awareness for children’s charities, but

like a lot of others, had to postpone their 2020 event due to the pandemic.

This year’s popular event is scheduled for Saturday, November 6.

The winners of the first Young Aussie Truckies virtual truck show are: Best Kenworth (sponsored by Kenworth Australia) 1st: Shantelle Mattei (TNM Road Services blue SAR) 2nd: Rhys Bartlett (Bartlett SAR) 3rd: Skye Dorling (light blue 909)

Shantelle Mattei’s SAR won People’s Choice and Best Kenworth.

Best Western Star (Sponsored by Western Star Australia) 1st: Blake Earle 2nd: Thomas Farquhar (heritage) 3rd: Tyson English (4900) Best Mack (Sponsored by Volvo Australia) 1st: Matt Lawrence (black and white) 2nd: Dale McDonald (blue superliner) 3rd: Jess Moyse (front on bullbar) Best Euro (Sponsored by Volvo Australia) 1st: Warren Aitken (blue Exodas)

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2nd: Shane Smith (white Freightliner) 3rd: Damon Awhitu (white Scania)

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Best Rigid went to Jess VanAgtmaal.

Best Rigid (Sponsored

by Brisbane Convoy for Kids) 1st: Jess VanAgtmaal People’s Choice (Sponsored by Truckers Toy Store, Tones’ Truckin Stories, Young Aussie Truckies, Aitken Automotive Photography & Kendall Trucking Co) 1st: Shantelle Mattei 2nd: Jess VanAgtmaal 3rd: Matt Lawrence

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Blake Earle’s Best Western Star winner.

Matt Lawrence got the nod for Best Mack.

AD FEATURE 19

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Invisible protection has your trucks covered

TRUCKS are a big investment for any transport business so it’s important to ensure they are protected; but cruising the nation’s highways can wreak havoc on a truck’s paintwork, from stone chips and scratches, to bugs that stick in the summer heat. That’s where Protect Group comes in.

A national paint protection film specialist, Protect Group is a distributor of Premium Shield, an optically clear polyurethane product that protects your vehicle without impacting the look of your truck. It’s effectively invisible.

Based in the Melbourne suburb of Tullamarine, Protect Group has access to a national application service and can come to you. “We have a network that services every state and offer a mobile service, so can apply Premium Shield onsite at a customer’s detailing bay,” said Andrew McPhee, director at Protect Group.

Computer-cut patterns are used to ensure the perfect fit every time. “We have patterns for the major long-haul truck models and we’re always adding to that, so can have patterns made up for any truck.

Our list is always growing.”

McPhee says Premium Shield is the most technologically advanced film in the world. “In its current form, it’s been in the market for about two and a half years. It’s a totally self-healing product. That means, if you get a scratch, the product will repair itself and go back into its natural form within a few days.”

Interestingly, Premium Shield has its roots in the sky.

McPhee says it was originally designed to protect the tip of military planes to protect them from sand blast damage. While this was designed solely for protection, not aesthetics, the product being produced today is optically clear, so it’s perfect for use on trucks and cars.

Transport operator Leon Thorpe has been using Premium Shield on his trucks for the past eight years or so. He’s been so impressed with it that his entire 26-strong fleet of recent model Kenworths have now been wrapped with the product.

Based in Laverton, he runs two separate businesses. Thorpe’s Transport runs overnight

express B-double freight from Melbourne to Sydney; while Thorpe’s Custom Trucks (or the “bling shop” as he calls it) customises trucks inside and out – so it comes as no surprise that Thorpe takes great pride in the presentation of his fleet.

He’s been in the transport game for the past 48 years and started the custom workshop in 2005.

Thorpe first came across Premium Shield when he realised it had been applied to a Viking Mafia Volvo he purchased that had been done up in Brisbane. “I had seen it was on the truck and didn’t think much of it at first. Then one of my trucks had some damage from stone chips, so I rang Andrew and said I wanted to try it on my truck – and it worked,” he said.

“I’ve sold trucks that are four or five years old and there’s not one chip, they still look brand new. The bugs don’t stick in summer either because of the coating. We even put Premium Shield on the stainless grille, and it stays shiny and doesn’t mark.

With everything I buy now, I get Premium Shield put on

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before the truck even hits the road. And after seeing my trucks, a lot of my customers have decided to get it on their

own trucks too.”

With Premium Shield, Thorpe says the proof is in the pudding. “Everybody has

a story and everybody will tell you something different, but at the end of the day, my trucks always look immaculate.”

Thorpe’s Transport uses Premium Shield on every truck it purchases – before they even hit the road.

20 READER RIGS

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Kyle Bailey’s beautifully restored 1977 Atkinson T3868 shows age is no limit.

Nathan Freund sent this shot of his first truck, which he bought a few months back, under the red sky.

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!

A great shot captured by Paul Mcbeath with Stirling range in WA as the backdrop.

Zach Blucher and this 2011 Mack Trident brave the snow to haul a Cat 336 excavator from Bathurst, NSW to Ormeau, Queensland.

Kev Cameron’s vibrant blue Western Star pops in this shot, taken at an export grain yard in Melbourne.

A truck carrying a truck – Dave Sykes snapped this shot in Brewarrina, NSW, at sunrise.

Aldo Gasperini took this pic on his way back to Melbourne from Strathdownie, Victoria.

David Macdonald and his 2004 Sterling enjoyed this great view while parked near Goondiwindi, Queensland.

READER RIGS 21

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

A ripper shot of this Western Star captured by Daniel George Legge at the Great Australian Bight.

Sebastian Wheldon snapped this pic of his boss’s immaculate T909 at Fremantle, WA.

This Scania R450 was stopped just east of the Nullarbor Roadhouse at sunset when Jamie Coyte saw a perfect photo opportunity.

Nothing but dust and dirt in sight. Brad Train shared this pic taken between Boulia and Bedourie in outback Queensland.

Mick Debenham shot this great pic while at the silos unloading stockfeed.

This Browns Stock Feed set-up was enjoying the winter sun in western Victoria. Thanks for sharing Ashley Gorton.

Russell Oppermann captured this sunrise shot while travelling the 90-Mile Straight on his way home from Perth to Brisbane.

Lee Hayter snapped this glorious sunrise in Red Cliffs, Victoria.

Morgan Transport driver Chris Moore sent this impressive sunrise shot of the Kenworth T659 he drives, pulling three trailers of lime powder for Dugald River mine.

The sunshine after the rain. Great photo taken by Ben Faulkner at a truckstop in Lovely Banks, Victoria.

22 AD FEATURE

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Superfoam brings out the beauty in your beast

FOR over 20 years, CHEMTECH has built up a reputation for providing a range of vehicle care and protective products that work.

From its famous CT18 Superwash to its Diesel Power fuel additives, it has built up a range of products specifically developed with truck and four-wheel drive users in mind.

CHEMTECH understands that Australia is a large, diverse place, from muddy creeks to sandy and salty beaches, from grimy city streets and freeways to those long hard drives across the driest, dustiest continent

on earth. And that’s why CHEMTECH products are developed and made locally in Australia, designed to perform well in all of the Australian environments you might come across while out on the road.

CHEMTECH has various applications covered including vehicle washes, detailing products, degreasers, fuel additives, wheel and tyre care, metal and aluminium cleaning and polishing products.

Used extensively by the professional detailing, heavy vehicle trade, and car, fourwheel drive and truck en-

thusiasts, the CHEMTECH range is well known as a gutsy, no nonsense, down to earth, value for money, quality product that consistently works.

To continuously improve its products, its chemists have spent a lot of time developing and testing a new truck wash to make it even easier to clean your vehicle faster, while also leaving a first-rate finish. Introducing CHEMTECH CT18 Superfoam, a heavy-duty, fast foaming wash that easily removes the toughest dirt and grime to keep your rig in tip-top condition.

There’s no sponging or rubbing. With the easy pressure washer application, CT18 Superfoam totally blankets your vehicle with a rich, dense foam that loosens and lifts off the toughest Aussie dirt, mud and grime.

It leaves you with a vehicle that’s sparkling clean, with no risk of the micro scratching or swirls that a dirty mitt can cause.

Here’s how to do it: • Before you start, make sure your truck is out of direct sunlight and the panels are cool to touch.

• Now, grab any pressure

CHEMTECH CT18 Superfoam coats the vehicle with a rich, dense foam that loosens and lifts off the toughest dirt, mud and grime.

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washer or foam gun that has a standard detergent tank.

• CT18 is a powerful concentrate, so for a deep clean on heavily soiled surfaces, dilute one-part Chemtech CT18 Superfoam with four parts of water.

• Starting at the rear, apply the foam in long sweeping motions from the bottom, right up to the top, making sure it clings to every nook and cranny.

• Now leave it to sit for about five minutes but don’t let it dry. This will enable the active ingredients in CT18

to get down to work, loosening and dissolving the dirt, and releasing it from the paintwork.

• Grab your spray gun, and with the pressure washer nozzle attached, rinse away the foam and grime.

CT18 Superfoam is safe to use on any vehicle and almost any surface, including modern finishes, polished wheels, plastic trim, fibreglass, all metal types, rubber, vinyl and glass.

CHEMTECH CT18 Superfoam can be found at all leading truck retailers and suppliers.

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24 NEWS

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

More than $31m of gear sells in two-day auction

TESTAMENT to the strength of online equipment sales in the transport sector, the recent Ritchie Bros. National End of Financial Year auction on June 23-24 was an outstanding success.

Over two days, the auction resulted in over $31 million in equipment sales. More than 2200 equipment items were inspected and sold from seven Ritchie Bros. locations in five states – including Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales – to online buyers across Australia and around the world.

In excess of 3700 online bidders from 30 countries registered to bid in the EOFY auction. Approximately 96.2 per cent of the equipment was sold to Australian buyers, with international buyers from New Zealand, Egypt, the US, Austria and more purchasing the remaining 3.8 per cent.

Ritchie Bros. is one of the most prominent machinery auction services in the transport industry. It continues to leverage online technologies to keep machines moving.

The Covid-19 pandemic has continued to accelerate acceptance of large-scale online equipment sales and purchases. Since the pandemic shut down in-person events, Ritchie Bros. has continued to set new records for total sales, registered users, bids per item, and overall sales prices.

“We continue to attract record online bidder registrations – up 18 per cent compared to the previous event,” said Cody Watson, regional sales manager at Ritchie Bros.

“Leading up to the sale, our yards were busy with customers inspecting items and asking questions of our equipment experts, but on auction day everyone was bidding online. We saw a 70.6 per cent increase in online pageviews and a 55 per cent increase in items added to customer watchlists, demonstrating growing online opportunities for both buyers and sellers.”

The two-day auction attracted over 275,000 unique website pageviews and over 35,000 items were added to watchlists, a 55 per cent increase in watchlists per item.

A 2015 Kenworth T950

Ritchie Bros. National End of Financial Year auction was an outstanding success.

Legend sold for $315,000, setting a new company price record for a prime mover with over one million kilometres.

“As a limited-edition model, with only 75 manufactured, it’s clear to see why this highly collectable truck was a show-

stopper,” said Watson.

“Our transport assets sold exceptionally well with items like the 2018 Kenworth T909 selling for $355,000, a 2015 Drake 3 row of 8 sold for $257,500, and two 2018 Gippsland Body Builders sell-

ing for $104,000 each. Due to delays in OEM supply as a result of the pandemic, we’re seeing record-high demand for used equipment across the transport sector.”

Regional sales manager at Ritchie Bros, Dale Sped-

ding, added that 2021 online events for Ritchie Bros. continue to deliver incredible returns for sellers, with another record-breaking sales result.

“By combining equipment from our sites in Brisbane, Geelong, Perth and Adelaide with our new regional sites in Mittagong and Dubbo we are able to attract a much larger buying audience and achieve strong price performance for consignors. We are driving record demand and encourage interested sellers to contact us and take advantage.

“Our new yards, in particular Dubbo and Mittagong, have performed extremely well in our End of Financial Year Auction. We’re seeing more sellers from regional areas like Cole for Cranes and A-Civil embracing our new yards and looking to tap into our national sales.

“We have adapted to make sure our customers are confident they can get the equipment they need easily and efficiently. We offer inspection reports, photos and service records so our buyers feel comfortable prior to bidding online.”

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Adding a personal touch to your insurance needs

T&G Insurance Brokers has been in the game for close to 30 years. While some insurance providers have turned to online models, where interactions with staff are few and far between, T&G has remained committed to good old fashioned customer service.

Managing director at T&G, Michael Stephenson, says there’s always someone available to pick up the phone when clients need it most. “At T&G, we’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. If a customer has an accident and calls at 2am, we’ll still answer the phone and be able to assist. We’ve had people who have called us after having an accident on Christmas day and we’ve made sure that they can get their drivers home safely, so they can enjoy their Christmas too,” he said.

T&G was started in 1993, with a focus on transport and earthmoving insurance. It now operates out of six offices on the east coast, from Melbourne to Mackay. Stephenson has worked in the industry for over 40 years and many of his staff have been there long-term too – several have been with T&G for 10 to 20 years.

And the same goes with its clients. “T&G has many long-term clients. Some have been with us for 20 to 25 years. We provide high levels of service and don’t tend to lose our clients. We can be relied on to do the job for our clients. In these difficult times, as far as I’m concerned, you have to be able to provide that high level of service,” added Stephenson.

“The reality is that if you go online and search around for your insurance, you might save a few dollars on your premium, but when it comes to the crunch and getting the right insurance, talking to a broker can save

you thousands when it’s needed most.

“We make an effort to understand you, your business and what it is that you do. We sometimes get asked why we ask so many questions, but these are all important questions to properly calculate the correct premiums and make sure our clients have the right protection. There are a lot of little things we do that all add up to making sure our customers get the right insurance.”

Stephenson adds that the number of vehicles on our roads without insurance is astounding. “Figures across Australia at the moment say upwards of 20 per cent of vehicles aren’t insured. That’s another reason why you need to make sure you’re insured correctly because if the other driver doesn’t have third party insurance, they could walk away without having to pay anything, making it difficult to get 100 per cent recovery on your losses.”

As well as insuring onroad assets, Stephenson says management liability is important to consider. “It can help guard you against statutory liability breaches including chain of responsibility, transport related fines and penalties; and fidelity to cover theft by employees. A lot of companies don’t have that sort of protection.”

In addition to supporting the industry through its insurance brokerage services, T&G also supports the industry through its involvement in various industry events too. “We get involved in Convoy for Kids and Lights on the Hill,” said Stephenson. “We support the industry by putting our own money back into the industry and supporting these sorts of events. T&G has a commitment to the transport industry and that’s what we are proud of.”

Directors Steve Bobbermen and Michael Stephenson with a plaque celebrating T&G’s 25 years of service.

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26 AD FEATURE

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

An excellent start to the year for PacLease

2020 was a year full of unexpected challenges, and PacLease Australia continued its commitment to investment into the brand through the growth of its national footprint by opening its 18th and 19th locations with Twin City Trucks in Wodonga and Canberra.

With a truly national rental, leasing and contract maintenance offering, PacLease Australia can provide its customers peace of mind, with tailored fleet solutions never far from reach.

With a new year, 2021 brings a very new feeling to PACCAR, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Australian-made Kenworth trucks. With the heart of the Paccar brand deeply engrained within its culture and the desire to diversify its market-leading offerings to grow with the transport industry, PacLease has, in its own right, made a very

PacLease provides customised full-service lease, rental and contract maintenance programs for Kenworth and DAF trucks.

promising start to 2021.

The Brisbane Truck Show in May acted as the perfect opportunity for PacLease

PacLease Australia general manager Andrew Molnar.

Australia general manager Andrew Molnar to launch the PacLease Australia DAF CF530 Full-Service Lease programme to the Australian market. Met with immediate success, the programme offers a fixed monthly pricing of $3950+GST with 120,000km annually included

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Molnar insists that PacLease wants to share with the market what they already know, what the meaning of DAF “Pure Excellence” is really about, and with this lease programme, PacLease believes the transport industry

This year PACCAR is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Australian-made Kenworth trucks.

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along with PacLease’s Premium Service and Maintenance coverage which is managed

by PacLease’s dedicated team, offering a specifically tailored fleet management program to ensure that your compliance is met to the highest degree.

The real twist is that the offer is over a 48 month term, but

can enjoy the offering with minimal exposure.

The all-new, locally assembled Euro 6 DAF CF530 boasts market leading fuel economy as well as one of the most comfortable drives on the road. With safety-as-standard features including advanced emergency brake assist, lane departure warning, blind spot notification, driver side airbag and adaptive cruise, the DAF CF530 is the perfect truck to satisfy your needs.

PacLease is a global commercial truck leasing company that provides customised full-service lease, rental and contract maintenance programs for Kenworth and DAF trucks. Designed to meet the specific needs of customers, the company’s service offering also includes vehicle upkeep, 24/7 roadside assist and flexible lease structures. PacLease’s direct connection with Kenworth, DAF and PACCAR, according to the company, means its customers receive premium equipment and services which have been thoroughly tested and assessed for suitability for the needs of each and every customer.

DAF CF full service lease available nation-wide.

Enjoy peace of mind with your next DAF CF530 with a PacLease full service lease. PacLease can take care of every requirement, including vehicle specification to maintenance, and everything else in between.

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For more information visit paclease.com.au or phone 1800 455 155 Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Adelaide | Perth | Hobart | Darwin | Mt Gambier | Wodonga | Canberra

Western Roads Federation CEO

COST CUTTER CHET CLINE

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

AIR CTI founder/owner

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

28 COLUMN

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

How market forces dictate rise and fall of insurance I SPY ON THE ROAD ISPY@BIGRIGS.COM.AU

INSURANCE GURU MARK BROWN

Manager, TBI Insurance Services

ALL industries experience cycles of expansion and contraction, insurance is no different.

Although no two cycles are exactly the same, insurance industry cycles typically last between three to 10 years and are known as a hard market and a soft market.

Today, Australia is well into a hard market across most inTELEMATICS EXPERT surance lines affecting the maSHANNON KYLE jority of industries.

Safety solutions specialist, Teletrac Navman The most recent report found that Australia’s commercial insurance pricing increased by 35 per cent and in the fi-

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT JACQUELENE BROTHERTON Chair of Transport Women Australia

nancial lines up to 51 per cent, with insurance experts predicting that the hard market will continue into 2021/2022, further exacerbated by Covid-19 andTHE otherOZ issues.

TRUCKER What is a soft market vs. a MIKE WILLIAMS hardcontributors@bigrigs.com.au market?

In a soft market, insurance companies have a broader appetite for ‘risk’, in other words they are prepared to insure a greater variety of things and are more flexible when negotiating in order to compete with one another.

During a ‘soft market’, insurance companies have high-dollar reserves and can make money in the stock market. Therefore, they can LOBBYIST lower their premiums to a STEVE point whereSHEARER they either don’t SA Road Transport Association make money or will even lose Executive Director money, just to insure the customer (you).

Alternatively, a hard market

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

TASSIE TRUCKIN’ JON WALLIS

james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

is when there is a high demand for insurance, but, a lower number of insurers prepared to take a risk on certain types of insurances.

TheTWU impact on customers NEWS is a rise in premiums. Most OLSEN insurersRICHARD will reduce or stop TWU NSW State Secretary providing cover for certain types of risk altogether as the premiums they would need to charge to cover their cost would not be affordable to the customer.

Why are we currently facing a hard market?

The last few years has seen Australia gradually move towards a hard market; however it was 2020 where we saw insurance profitability take the biggest hit.

In the 2020 calendar year, insurance industry profits dropped a staggering 98.9 per cent from the previous year.

Shaken by bushfires, cyclones,

floods and hailstorms which raged across much of Australia’s eastern seaboard, resulted in huge losses for the insurance industry.

The LEGAL 2019-2020 ‘Black EAGLE Summer’ bushfires alone were ROWAN unprecedented in KING terms of Principal Lawyer RK Law scale and damage. The impact of the bushfires resulted in over 30,000 claims, resulting in insurers paying out a total of $2.4bn. This was the most expensive claims payout since the devastating floods and Cyclone Yasi hit QLD in 2011, with insurance losses totalling over $4.5bn.

The Covid-related global economic downturn has also caused interest rates to hover near zero per cent, decimating the investment return income which insurers have traditionally relied upon to keep your premiums down.

Banks, insurance companies

The 2019-2020 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires alone were unprecedented in terms of scale and damage.

and financial services firms and continue to face a litigation as last year’s Hayne royal commission hearings inspire regulators, consumers and shareholders to take them to court, this type of litigation does nothing to help keep your premiums down, in fact it has the opposite effect.

An increase of 300 per cent in shareholder class actions (lawsuits) has also notably made its mark on many types of insurances, most notably Management Liability, Professional Indemnity and Public Liability policies, which is a further cost to the insurers as they pay out to fund the defence cost and damages claims against their insured clients.

In order to survive these economic conditions, the insurers are relying upon premium adequacy to cover losses and generate profits by increasing rates, refining their risk appe-

tite, reducing the capacity they are willing to offer, sharpening their underwriting, and incorporating restrictive language in their policies or in other words, putting more exclusions into the fine print!

Unfortunately, the insurance hard market trend is most likely to continue over the next couple years, or even longer.

However, what goes around, comes around, and when we do return to a soft market, premiums will once again fall and become cheaper.

We urge you to budget for your insurance cost appropriately and work closely with your broker to evaluate your risk management strategy in order to survive these unpredictable times.

Sources: Marsh Global Insurance Quarterly Report Q4 2020; InsuranceBusinessMag. com, InsuranceCouncil.com.au, APRA.gov.au; Canstar.com.au; Allens,Shareholder Class Actions in Australia, February 2017; AFR.com; InsuranceJournal. com; Assuranceagency.com.

Important: All answers and information contained within this article should be considered as General Advice Only. This advice should only be considered as General in Nature and its intent is only to prompt the readers to investigate their own individual insurances. It has been prepared without taking into account the readers own individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of that, before acting on the above advice, the client or any persons should consider its appropriateness (having regard to their objectives, needs and financial situation) and seek further independent advice from their own financial advisor.

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FEATURE 29

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Townsville truck fans turn out in force TRUCKIN’ AROUND OZ ALF WILSON contributors@bigrigs.com.au

A convoy of 20 flashy B-doubles, which transport V8 Supercars for events around Australia took part in the annual transporter parade in Townsville earlier this month.

An estimated 16,000 men, women and children lined the streets as the trucks REFORM LEADER cruised past as a prelude to GARY MAHON the NTI Townsville 500 Queensland Trucking Association CEO events at the Reid Park circuit two days later.

The V8 event injects millions of dollars into the Townsville community.

It was a great effort to host the event as Townsville was placed in lockdown the week before for three days due to Covid-19.

LIFE WITH Big RigsKERMIE was there and GRAHAM spoke to HARSANT Paul Eddy who contributors@bigrigs.com.au drives a Freightliner for Brad Jones racing.

“I am giving the truck a clean and I come from Albury. Us drivers like this convoy and seeing so many people out,” he said.

A day before the parade Big Rigs caught up with two

REFORM LEADER SAL PETROCCITTO

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, CEO

INDUSTRY ADVOCATE BEN MAGUIRE Australian trucking Association CEO

WA CAMPAIGNER CAM DUMESNY

Western Roads Federation CEO

COST CUTTER CHET CLINE

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

AIR CTI founder/owner

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE contributors@bigrigs.com.au

An estimated 16,000 men, women and children lined the streets as the trucks cruised past.

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

WELCOME MESSAGE MARK BAILEY

INSURANCE GURU MARK BROWN

THE OZ TRUCKER MIKE WILLIAMS

TWU NEWS RICHARD OLSEN

LEGAL EAGLE ROWAN KING

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

Qld Minister for Transport and Main Roads

Manager, TBI Insurance Services

Chair of Transport Women Australia

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

TWU NSW State Secretary

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

Principal Lawyer RK Law

Paul Eddy cleans his truck at the marshalling area.

Robert Davis drives a flashy Mercedes Benz Actros for Porsche Carrera.

of the drivers at the BP Cluden roadhouse as they prepared for the event.

One of those, Robert Da-

vis drives a flashy Mercedes Benz Actros for Porsche Carrera and transports V8 supercars for events all

around the country.

Davis, 58, rates the Mercedes highly because of its performance and comfort.

LEGAL CORNER SARAH MARINOVIC

TELEMATICS EXPERT SHANNON KYLE

LOBBYIST STEVE SHEARER

Armstrong Legal

Safety solutions specialist, Teletrac Navman

Trucks and drivers mingle at the marshalling area before the parade begins.

I asked him which of the many Supercar events around Australia he enjoyed the most.

“It would have to be Darwin and Townsville because the people get right behind it,” he said.

SA Road Transport Association Executive Director

The V8 event injects millions of dollars into the Townsville community.

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30 DRIVER PROFILES

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckin’ In The Tropics Danny Tubb

Tom Maisel

OWNER-OPERATOR Danny Tubb drives a shining 2006 Mack and his business is Street Empire Merchandise.

Based on the Gold Coast, Tubb travels the country carrying motor sports merchandise.

He was at the BP Cluden in Townsville when I saw him, and his flashy Mack really stood out.

With Tubbs was John Gearman who runs the House

FORMER farmer Tom Maisel was transporting a frontend loader from his home town of Mareeba to Townsville when Big Rigs yarned to him.

The 57-year-old Maisel had parked his 2004 Century Freightliner across the road from the Bohle Puma.

“I have a short wait until the delivery place opens so I’ll go to the roadhouse,” he said.

of Muscle Co. and they were checking out merchandise in a trailer being towed.

“I have been doing this for about 10 years and go to car and ute shows and V8 supercars events. The last one I did was Darwin,” Tubb said.

Tubb enjoyed stopping at the Daly Waters Roadhouse on the Stuart Highway in the NT recently.

“The food was tops espe-

cially the Barramundi and beef.”

As for roads, Tubb said there were some rough ones around the country.

“One of the worst is the Flinders Highway between Cloncurry and Julia Creek in Queensland,” he said.

A passionate Canberra Raiders supporter in the NRL, Tubb hopes they can improve on a mid-season slump.

with Alf Wilson

An owner-operator for the past four years of his company Tow North, Maisel left America in 1984.

“I was a farmer over there and also when I first came to Australia,” he said.

Maisel said the Freightliner was reliable as was his super tilt trailer which is an integral part of the business.

The notorious Gillies Highway which connects the

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Atherton Tablelands to the Bruce Highway is the one he doesn’t like travelling on.

Although Maisel said an alternative route the Palmerston Highway is much better.

He likes stopping for a feed at the Pit Crab in Cardwell which as a bonus is open 24 hours daily.

When he manages to get time off, Maisel restores antique tractors.

DRIVER PROFILE 31

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Truckin’ In The Tropics Jake Laws

WHEN Big Rigs came across young driver Jake Laws at a pullover area along Townsville’s Port Access Road he was on the roof of a trailer towed by his Kenworth K200.

So, an obvious question was to ask him: “What are you doing up there?”

Despite his depth of concentration on the task at hand, Laws was quick to answer as trucks and other vehicles whizzed past in both directions.

“I am placing tight straps on these empty bins as I have to travel along bumpy roads,” he said.

Aged just 28, by all nor-

mal standards this categorises Laws as one of the youngsters who are the future of the road transport industry.

Laws lives in the Northern Territory and works for Darwin Container Services and gets to travel far and wide.

He had transported excavator parts from Darwin to Townsville and his backload was empty containers, which are much lighter than full ones resulting in a safety requirement to fully restrain them.

A truckie for the past nine years, Laws has been with the Darwin company for the last three. Before that, Mel-

bourne-born Laws had been based at Echuca in Victoria, where he worked for Ian Campbell Transport over several years before moving to Darwin.

“I love living at Darwin and it is a great place to live and work from,” he said.

But being from such an isolated place, Laws has to travel over roads which leave a lot to be desired and I asked him which was the worst.

“I would have to say the

WIN OF

ONE ’S D 100 C

with Alf Wilson

Flinders Highway between Cloncurry and Hughenden as it is rough at places and you have to be careful,” he said.

Laws was asked his opinion on whether there are enough rests areas for truckies in the country and considering his vast travels has a good knowledge.

“There are enough but not anywhere near the amount needed with facilities for our truck drivers,” he said.

When I questioned Laws

about the AFL football team he supports, it was not at all surprising to hear it was a team from his native Victoria.

“Yep, I support the Essendon Bombers and hopefully they can win a premiership soon,” he said.

His favourite roadhouse is at Daly Waters in the NT which is also the popular choice of any other truckies.

“They serve up good food and I like stopping there,” he said.

BRING

One of his dislikes is caravan and car drivers who don’t respect truckies and also another which would be close to the heart of many drivers.

“Being away from family.

This trip has been three weeks for me,” he said.

In conclusion Laws feels being a truckie is a great career choice for young people in the lucky country.

“I was going to do an apprenticeship, but it didn’t work out,” he said.

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32 COLUMN

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE contributors@bigrigs.com.au

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Fighting for drivers’ job security from the top

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

TWU NEWS

TWU NEWS RICHARDOLSEN OLSEN RICHARD TWU NSW State Secretary TWU NSW State Secretary

TASSIE TRUCKIN’ JON WALLIS contributors@bigrigs.com.au

I wrote earlier this year of TWU plans for 2021 and now bargaining rolling in the transport industry, starting from the top down. The TWU is working to secure LEGAL EAGLEa strong future for all transport workers.

ROWAN KING Principal RK Law been working WeLawyerhave with delegates and members to

come together as one for a massive major industry campaign to bring those companies to the negotiating table securing safe rates and strong standards across transport.

We are also building the fight with Toll because the company has refused to sign a deed

of agreement that protects what current workers have. A deed between Toll, Allegro and the TWU would safeguard drivers’ entitlements, accruals, local arrangements and all terms and conditions of employment during the sale process.

Toll maintains that it will

The TWU is building the fight with Toll because it said the company has refused to sign a deed of agreement that protects what current workers have.

“do the right thing” and that therefore entering into a Deed with the TWU is “unnecessary”. Without the deed, we predict a race to the bottom for drivers.

The union is looking to get fair treatment from transport companies for drivers, so we need you in the fight, if you are not a member, join now to strengthen the fight.

The major players in the transport industry must respond to the workers, those who literally drive business forward and keep the Australian economies and communities running.

You deserve respect through being kept safe at work and being able to make decent rates of pay for the increasing workload.

For around 18 months truck drivers have worked at an extreme level of demand.

TWU delegates, representing tens of thousands of transport workers across Australia are seeking respect and change as they begin bargaining for new Enterprise Agreements.

Operators are already revealing they cannot meet modest pay claims because of the

squeeze by retailers.

It’s clear from conversations with companies like Toll and FedEx that drivers’ pay, and job security is under attack because retail clients and others who’ve raked in profits are not paying enough for transport.

The TWU has served claims on over 50 major retailers to ensure they take their share of the responsibility to pay transport operators enough to guarantee safe delivery of their goods.

The Union is looking at the gaps in the supply chain that are causing serious safety issues, gaps that are also threatening job security and your future.

Your safety is also union business; we are working to stop the number of transport workers dying at work. We are working to reduce the financial stress placed on owners and employees trying to get the job done.

The TWU is ready and committed to deliver on these actions collectively as bargaining continues.

We are organised in the yards and continuing to negotiate. Lockdown or not, we know the trucks do not stop and the TWU won’t either.

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Nominate for Australian Freight Industry Awards VTA COMMENT PETER ANDERSON CEO, Victorian Transport Association

I am thrilled to announce the Victorian Transport Association is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Australian Freight Industry Awards, which are proudly sponsored

by TWUSUPER and Viva Energy Australia.

After a year-long hiatus from presenting the awards in person due to Covid, that we can present the awards in person this year is another reason to celebrate, and we look forward to gathering as an industry to honour our winners and finalists and enjoy each other’s company.

Nominations are open for the following award categories: • Female Leadership Award sponsored by Viva Energy Australia • Investment in People Award sponsored by Logical Staff-

ing Solutions • Application of Technology Award sponsored by Transport Certification Australia • Young Achiever Award sponsored by Daimler Truck & Bus • Best Practice Safety Award sponsored by Gallagher • Sustainable Environment Award sponsored by National Transport Insurance Last year saw a record number of entries, and with the industry working harder than ever to keep the nation moving, no doubt there are many fantastic achievements worthy of celebrating. We also acknowledge CMV Truck & Bus for their ongoing sponsorship of the Personality of the Year Award.

Criteria for the awards can be reviewed at afiawards.com. au and we are encouraging VTA members and freight and logistics operators Australia-wide to support the awards and our industry by nominating for one or more categories.

Winning an Australian Freight Industry Award is one of the highest accolades that freight operators and suppliers can attain in our industry. It is

Boom Crash Opera’s Dale Ryder is just one of the many high-profile entertainers set to wow guests at the 2021 awards presentation.

the very embodiment of excellence, dedication and achievement, and one that many of our best-known and most successful operators have attained.

Nominations can be submitted online at afiawards. com.au with a deadline of

Monday, August 16.

The AFIA presentation returns to the Palladium at Crown Melbourne on Saturday, September 4 for an extravaganza celebrating our country’s greatest entertainers in an Australian Super Band first.

Taxi Ride’s Jason Singh, Boom Crash Opera’s Dale Ryder, Bachelor Girl’s Tania Doko, and The Choirboys’ Mark Gable are set to wow guests at the 2021 awards presentation, following a sumptuous three-course meal, with beverages provided throughout the evening.

For ticketing information and to secure a table for you and your friends and colleagues please visit vta.com.au.

You can book tickets with confidence as all purchases made before Saturday, August 21 are fully refundable should postponement or cancellation be necessary due to Covid settings.

We look forward to a sensational evening celebrating everything that is great about this amazing country, together with the phenomenal efforts of our transport industry.

With a career of 40 years, SCT Logistics founder Peter Smith was awarded the 2020 Australian Freight Industry Award for Personality of the Year.

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34 COLUMN

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Drivers need to get a fair deal

COST CUTTER CHET CLINE

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT TRANSPORT WOMEN IN JACQUELENE BROTHERTON JACQUELENE BROTHERTON

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

TASSIE TRUCKIN’ JON WALLIS

AIR CTI founder/owner

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

Chair of Transport WomenWomen Australia Chair of Transport

Australia

OVER the past three and a half years, I have been writing this column, I have covered many topics, mental health and my battle with depression, bureaucracy and the abundance of red tape that the trucking industry deals withOZ every day, and the lack THE TRUCKER of restWILLIAMS areas and our draconiMIKE contributors@bigrigs.com.au an fatigue rules to name just a few.

I have advocated for one country (uniformity) and not just in transport, one industry where we all pull together for the good of everyone, but while we have made great strides in uniformity with the formation of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the amazing collaboration of their management and LOBBYIST staff, we are still not winning STEVE SHEARER SA Road Transport Association on the rest areas and fatigue Executive Director front.

We’re not coming together

james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

TWU NEWS LEGAL EAGLE We have made great strides, but we are still not winning on the rest areas and fatigue front.

RICHARD OLSEN ROWAN KING TWU NSW State Secretary

or improving the lives of drivers and sub-contractors across the board, and we could not operate the trucking industry or the country without either of these groups.

We have made the industry more inclusive, and the hard work continues as we encourage women and other groups to consider transport and logistics as a career choice through various initiatives for many associations and companies but much more work needs to be done.

We are enjoying taking

the industry into schools and encouraging Year 10 to Year 12 students to consider the trucking industry as a career of choice.

Many of my columns talk about mateship and my family and friends have been the mainstay of my life, and during Covid-19, friendship and staying in touch has been more important than ever.

With the new lockdowns, we are again staring down the barrel of businesses closing and being isolated from our families for long periods.

Principal Lawyer RK Law

For truck drivers, it can be especially isolating as some companies become more rigid in their stance against sharing of facilities, but we need to call this out wherever we can, so our drivers are given a fair deal.

Transport Women Australia Limited has so many functions semi-organised but are holding off making the final arrangements while we watch what happens over the next couple of weeks, especially in NSW. We have fingers crossed for our postponed

Driving the Difference Conference to be held in October and our welcoming breakfast at the Road Transport Hall of Fame, ‘Festival of Transport’ in Alice Springs in August.

We are seeking contributions to our annual Father’s Day raffle, encouraging and promoting our Creating Connections Mentoring Programme, we will be announcing the Trish Pickering Memorial Award recipient at the conference, our Driving the Difference scholarships will be released soon and our

new research project Women Working in Transport – Part II is soon to be launched. This is a follow-up to the initial research in 2015.

We will be entering several of our members into awards over the next few weeks and if you wish to put your name forward please contact us.

We also have some other surprise announcements to be made at the conference.

For any information on any of the above, please contact chair@transportwomen.com. au or 0417422319.

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Delivering new ideas and real skills terial. A primary source of knowledge is our coworkers and those who have been in the industry for years gaining first-hand experience.

The value of strong mentors and peer-to-peer learning cannot be underestimated.

This value is recognised by the ATA and PACCAR and its dealer network, which is why for the last 20 years we have committed to delivering the Technology and Maintenance Conference.

Last year in response to the Covid-19 restrictions, the ATA and PACCAR came together to deliver the first-ever TMC Online event. This was a huge learning curve as we worked to ensure that we could provide educational and informative peer-to-peer learning opportunities that our Technology and Maintenance Conference delegates know and love.

Despite current restrictions and recent lockdowns, we are excited to once again be able to deliver valuable, educational content to industry no matter where they are located around the country with TMC Online 2021.

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER EMILY MILLS Australian Trucking Association

CHANGE. It can make us excited, and it can make us nervous. Some people embrace change, while others want to turn and run the other way.

Whether it be new business processes, modern vehicle technologies or a global pandemic, there will always be change and challenges. It’s how we prepare ourselves and our businesses that can be the difference between whether we succeed or fall behind.

So, what is the best way to prepare? Continued learning and professional development are fundamental elements of preparedness and how we can adapt to our changing world.

Time and again industry members have told me that learning is not gained solely from structured qualifications and educational ma-

Bringing together trucking fleet, workshop, and maintenance professionals, as well as mechanics, engineers, and business operators, TMC Online is a free and interactive event that will deliver the latest technology and maintenance updates, insights, and stories from trucking experts across Australia.

Developed with input from the ATA’s Industry Technical Council and the wider trucking industry, TMC Online will take a deep dive into some key topics including electric trucks, how to gain and keep apprentices, why wider vehicles are safer and more productive, business savings from full expensing, and the potential changes to vehicle inspections, defects, and duties.

Bringing what is traditionally an in-person only event into the online realm, we are now able to connect with a much larger and broader audience than ever before. It’s a fantastic way to allow our delegates to view the content whenever suits them, regardless of the Covid situation.

There is no other event

Logistics manager Coralie Chapman gets her point across at the TMC event in Melbourne in 2019.

that delivers high-quality, first-hand knowledge like this. This is your opportunity

to prepare for change, learn from others and share your own experiences.

To view the TMC Online program or to register, head to www.truck.net.au/TMC

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JUNE 26 2020

36 PUZZLES

Sad day for all in transport

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 3

7 8 9 10 11

Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

SUDOKU

THIS article is the ending of an era for the transport industry with the demise of this magazine the restruc14 15 under 16 ture and rationalisation of News Corp.

It is a sad day for all of us in the 19 industry as Big Rigs maga20 zine has been a part of our lives for almost 30 years.

For some, their entire careers so far.

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

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

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

4

5

Across

6

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

I began writing column when I was returned as Transport Women Australia Limited chair in 12 November 2017.

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

It has expanded 17 the relationship with Girl Guides Australia 18 and been involved with several successful projects with them, the Victorian Snoozefest in April 2018, the “Great Bag Migration” for the Interna21 tional Jamboree in Sydney in October 2018 and other interactions that are expanding the knowledge of the transport in23 dustry.

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

This initiative has been in hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic but all partners are excited to move forward to expand the program as soon as possible.

We held a well attended and exciting conference in May 2018 and we have plans in place with the date saved and venue booked for our Driving the Difference 2021 conference

1 Name a pioneer in hypnosis, Franz Anton ... (6) 7 What is the science of being, as such (8) 8 Which term describes someone new to the work, etc (6) 9 What is a state of sleep or drowsiness (8) 10 To feel self-reproach, is to do what (6) 11 Which term suggests something revolting (8) 14 What are constituent parts of a whole (8) 18 To set on fire, is to do what (6) 19 What do we call the last work of a composer (4,4) 21 What is a lump of native gold (6) 22 Name the smallest particle of a substance capable of independent existence (8) 23 Which term describes “of two parts” (6)

13

6 Which attitude stereotypes an elderly person according to age, other than individual abilities (6) 12 To not have a signature, is to be what (8) 13 Which term describes that which is selected from diverse sources (8) 15 Name a renowned Australian writer of verse and prose, Henry ... (6) 16 What is a stable trough from which cattle eat (6) 17 What is something puzzling or inexplicable (6) 20 Which term implies a burden or a responsibility (4)

Down

1 Name a renowned magician (8) 2 Name an unmarried woman (6) 3 Who discovered X-rays in 1895, Wilhelm Konrad ...

(8) 4 What is a colloquial term for a prison (4) 5 When one jostles, one does what (6)

M A N D R A K E

E S M E R S A O N T I O V I C E D N A R E P E N T N G R U E N L E M E N T S A A I S W A N S O N G S G N N M O L E C U L E N R S D

E A O L O G Y B E C O S I S W S E S O M E C E L G N I T E I C U G G E T M I Y A D I C

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Across: 4 Larynx, 7 Template, 8 Dengue, 9 Blessing, 11 Eeriest, 13 Capsule, 15 Lazarus, 17 Science, 20 Assassin, 23 Offend, 24 Dandruff, 25 Astray.

2

Down: 1 Tell, 2 Spasms, 3 Taxi, 4 Ledge, 5 Rancid, 6 Nouns, 9 Biceps, 10 Needles, 12 Tucson, 14 Meteor, 16 Absurd, 18 Cafes, 19 Caddy, 21 Sink, 22 Info.

1

CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS: Jacquelene Brotherton (far right) enjoys a night of celebration at a Transport Women Limited event with (from left) Rachel Hesse, Paul Fleiszig and Coralie Chapman.

Picture: Contributed

in Melbourne.

1 2 3 In November 2019 we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the organisation (TWAL) with 6 gala dinner at The a fabulous Windsor Melbourne where we also presented our first four winners 10 of the Driving the Difference scholarships with our amazing sponsor, Daimler Truck and Bus Asia Pacific.13 We also presented the inaugural Trish Pickering Mem-

orial Award, 4 sponsored by the wonderful Wes Pickering.

This was awarded for longterm outstanding contribution 8 by a female7to the road transport industry, the inaugural winner was Pam McMillan the 11 serving director and 12 longest chair of Transport Women Australia Limited.

This is an annual 14 award and the recipient of the 2020 Trish Pickering Memorial Award

15

will 5 be announced later this year at an event still to be determined.

We have also launched our 9 Learning Initiatives Breakfast Series with several partners so far, including NTI, MOVE BANK and rt health.

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

16

17

Across

gram.

1 I would Man’s like name to thank the 6 Respectful fearBig Rigs fantastic team at 7 Character newspaper for their incredible 10 Replenish support and wish them on12 Way out going success.

I hope that I get the oppor13 Filter tunity to continue 15 Corn spikesto work with some of them 16 Decay and so work towards making the trucking in18 Finish dustry a better appreciated, 20 Prescribed amount and a safer place for our peo22 Tiny island ple.

23 Lofty 25 Minute particles 27 Airman 28 Rodent 29 Vestibule

Fighting to end the inequality: Big Rigs20 and TWU played their parts 21 18 19 HARD

T E E N E D R E A D I L L I L T

R E T W A I R S D O S L A O T E

B H O E X N R S E E T T O R N T

S I T L O T R U M S A T R Y

HARD

P E A W R E O L E N E T A P

EASY

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

To quote one truck driver turned Australian senator, 23 “a death at work 24 Glenn Sterle, or on the road should not be the price of doing business”.

The TWU puts27 it to governments that we must stop the inequality that exists between truck drivers and clients.

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

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

22 25

29

industry as dry as they can.

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

MOORE TRAILERS

PITTSWORTH PHONE (07) 4693 1088 Fax (07) 4693 1545 email: sales@mooretrailers.com.au www.mooretrailers.com.au V1 - IBRE01Z01MA

losing their contracts and the ability to support their families.

It appears the government does not care.

There are 26 unsafe vehicles, dodgy licences, poor payment times, wage and superannuation28 theft – just a few of the many things we have called for to be stopped.

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

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

QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 1 Peter, 6 Awe, 7 Ethos, 10 Renew, 12 Exit, 13 Drain, 15 Ears, 16 Rot, 18 End, 20 Dose, 22 Islet, 23 Tall, 25 Atoms, 27 Pilot, 28 Rat, 29 Entry.

Down: 1 Parole, 2 Ewe, 3 Tended, 4 Rewards, 5 Box, 8 Hen, 9 Silo, 11 Era, 14 Isolate, 16 Retort, 17 Trusty, 19 Neap, 21 Set, 22 Ill, 24 Lit, 26 Mar.

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

Over the years the TWU and Big Rigs have played their parts in the role of keeping the top end of town accountable and doing our bit to look out for the rights of the little guy.

It’s still about the voice that speaks out for the truck driver,

the owner and the employee.

It’s been the voice that calls out for fair pay for the work you do, for safety in the drivers’ cab and on the road, the voice that seeks to relieve the pressure on the driver pushed by clients’ incessant cries for increased productivity for the same rates and conditions.

It is obvious we still have a long way to go – we have been through countless road, freight and transport ministers and nothing changes.

Truck drivers are still dying at work.

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

A final reminder to all Big Down Rigs now isrelease the time to 1 readers: Conditional unite, now is the time 2 Female sheep to ensure equality in this industry.

3 Together Lookedwe after can stand on 4 Recompenses for common ground working to ensureservice the government contin5 Container ues to support transport work8 and Female ers thebird industry they support.

9 Airtight grain store TWUofwill continue to 11 ThePeriod time voice the needs of transport 14 Set apart workers to reply the employers, 16 Sharp their industry bodies and the 17 Reliable clients.

19Better Tidestandards attaining least mean job height security and ultimately a safer 21 fairer Become firmfor all. and industry 22 Unwell We can lift the standards we 24 Ignited need together – our lives depend on it.

26 Spoil

More Trailer For Your Money

SPY ON THE ROAD 37

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Truckies to the rescue during Covid lockdowns SPY ON THE ROAD WITH ALF WILSON

Panic buying concerns IT is human nature for people to panic buy essential items in challenging times and that has never been more evident than during the Coronavirus pandemic.

After the area where I live in was placed in lockdown recently, I was privy to just how serious it had become.

Within hours of the announcement the day before lockdown was due to start, many had rushed to supermarkets to stock up.

I couldn’t find a parking spot at three major shopping centres and as I searched I saw numerous people with full trollies.

Some looked to have purchased a lot more things like toilet paper and tinned food than they could use in a reasonable expected period of lockdown.

So I headed off to a couple of smaller centres figuring

the bakery and butcher there would have supplies. Wrong.

The bakery was out of bread and you couldn’t buy sausages, mince, crumbed steak and other reasonable priced items.

“We usually serve 130 customers on this day of the week and have had triple that number already,” a butcher said.

There is no doubt overall that there wouldn’t be enough to go around to everybody because of panic buying.

And every place Spy went to was waiting for supplies delivered by trucks.

One lady I saw during the latest lockdown had her eyes glued to a supermarket loading bay as a truck pulled up and summed it up. “There is nothing better than seeing these trucks with supplies when inside many of the shelves are empty,” she said.

A store truckies love DURING June, several truckies were glowing in their praise of the North Bourke store in NSW. It is not a roadhouse as such but the lads recommend it because of the service provided to truckies who stop there.

One such driver was veteran Chris Duncan who was

passing though Brewarrina, heading for Bourke 100km away, when Spy spoke to him by phone.

“I can’t wait to stop there and have a hot shower and it is free. The woman who runs it is very friendly and there is lots of parking across the road,” Duncan said.

I phoned the roadhouse and the worker there answered with an enthusiastic “Northey’s Store”.

Proprietor Kerry Heycox said at least 50 trucks stopped there every week. “It probably is a lot more and I don’t count them. But we do look after them,” she said.

When Covid-19 doesn’t prevent serving meals, the favourites for truckies are t-bone or rump steak with chips, veggies and/or salad.

Imbiber no more?

FOR decades a well-known truckie has been patronising an outback pub on his days off and enjoying a liberal sprinkling of cold beer.

Recently when he turned up, the efficient barmaid had already poured him a schooner of his favourite brew.

There were other regular drinkers around him and you could have heard a pin drop

A truck at a supermarket loading bay was a great sight during recent Covid-19 lockdowns.

The stores in North Bourke, NSW, with a parking area for trucks nearby.

with his comment to the bar lass. “No thanks, I don’t want a beer today, instead I’ll have a lemonade.”

One mate nearby joked that he had never known the connoisseur of beer to even sip on a lemonade.

“I am on a health kick,” was the reply.

Imbibers will be monitoring how long the healthy habits last.

Only trucks QUOTE of the week heard

by Spy comes from a Brisbane based driver who was travelling through NSW recently.

“I reckon within a few

years the only vehicles travelling on Australian roads will be trucks,” he quipped.

That is a nice thought but one we know will never come to fruition. I asked him how he came up with that opinion.

“It all had to do with Covid-19. I crossed from Queensland into NSW with no problems. But to get into Victoria, SA and WA, we need a permit and it can be a pain in the backside as many car and van drivers would find,” he said.

However this truckie said he didn’t have so much hassle getting such a permit, which he was able to do online.

No town like Alice ONE long time NT owner-operator who lives in Alice Springs reckons truckies have never been treated so well as during a recent three-day Covid-19 lockdown.

“As essential workers we were allowed to deliver goods and food whilst everybody else had to mostly stay at home,” he said.

Before the lockdown he reckons that truckies were taken for granted. “But when people seen just how important we are to the community they seemed to respect us more. I had people coming up to me thanking me for delivering,” he said.

A long-time NT operator reckons truckies in Alice Springs were given more respect during lockdown.

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22/05/2019 11:05 am

38 CAREERS AND TRAINING

FRIDAY JULY 23 2021 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Finalists revealed for top industry apprentice award

AUSTRALASIA’S largest automotive cooperative, Capricorn, is delighted to announce the finalists in the Capricorn Rising Stars Apprentice of the Year competition.

A record breaking 600-plus Capricorn Members from across Australia and New Zealand nominated their star apprentices for this prized annual accolade that rewards and recognises the automotive aftermarket industry’s leaders of the future.

The top five Capricorn Rising Star Apprentice of the Year competition finalists are: BEN BROWN CWR Motorsport (NZ) ADAM MCDONALD Voltaic Auto Electrical (WA) JORDON DODGE Mark Dodge Auto Repairs (QLD) PAIGE SCULLY Krupic Auto Repairs (VIC) THOMAS RUTZOU Jag & British Prestige Service (VIC) All have been noted by their employers for leadership skills beyond their years, along with their outstanding will-

ingness to learn, along with displaying genuine pride and enthusiasm for their work and future automotive aftermarket career potential.

Once again, the talented 2021 Capricorn Rising Stars Apprentice of the Year competition finalists include a diverse range of backgrounds and specialisations continuing an encouraging trend.

After a challenging 2021, it is promising to see such a high calibre of apprentices nominated and an increasing number of young women entering the automotive servicing and repair industry.

Given such a broad number of Capricorn Rising Star nominations this year, the judging process to identify the top five finalists proved to be a detailed task for the panel of Rising Star competition judges, headed by Capricorn Automotive CEO, Bradley Gannon.

“We are delighted with the record number of nominations that our members submitted this year,” said Gannon.

“Given the industry wide shortage of qualified repairers, it has never been more

GIVEN THE INDUSTRY WIDE SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED REPAIRERS, IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT THAT WE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE OUR APPRENTICES - AND IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE ARE MANY YOUNG STAR PERFORMERS WORKING IN OUR MEMBERS’ WORKSHOPS.” BRADLEY GANNON, CAPRICORN AUTOMOTIVE CEO

important that we support and encourage our apprentices - and it is clear that there are many young star performers working in our members’ workshops.

“The Capricorn Rising Stars Apprentice of the Year competition enables our members to show their apprentices the bright future that awaits them and to maintain their passion for the industry to forge a long and successful automotive career.”

Capricorn conducts this industry renowned Apprentice of the Year competition with the generous support of program sponsors Castrol, Repco and The Workshop Whisperer, who have donated several outstanding prizes for the finalists, their nominating

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

workshops and of course the soon to be announced overall 2021 Capricorn Rising Stars Apprentice of the Year.

The winner will be announced in August.

Adam McDonald

Ben Brown

Paige Scully

Tom Rutzou

Jordon Dodge

B DOUBLE DRIVERS We have exciting opportunities for B Double Drivers to join our team. You will be operating B Double Tippers and Road Trains working throughout the Eastern Seaboard. The work is suited for drivers who are able to spend time away from home - live in truck position and are looking for high earning potential.

Permanent HC/MC Short Haul Drivers

Permanent MC Long Distance Drivers

Based: Fraser Coast, Gympie & Brisbane

Based: Fraser Coast, Gympie & Brisbane

We are currently seeking experienced full time HC or MC drivers for our Short Haul Fleet based from Maryborough, Brisbane or Gympie Qld. General freight experience required.

We are currently seeking experienced full time MC drivers for our Long Distance Fleet based from Maryborough, Brisbane or Gympie Qld. Long Distance runs mostly to NSW, VIC, ACT and North Queensland.

General freight experience required.

Richers Transport operates the company's head office in Maryborough Queensland.

Our company is a prominent carrier into the Wide Bay region, established since 1935.

All drivers are paid under the terms of our Collective Agreement. Trip rates plus pick up and drop fees are paid. Drivers are paid weekly and superannuation is paid at 10% of OTE. Applicants are required to hold a current, appropriate class licence. Applicants must provide a 5 year traffic history printout.

Applicants will undergo previous employment checks. Our company has a strong health program and consent for drug and alcohol testing is a mandatory condition of employment.

If your skills and experience match the criteria, please email hr@richers.com.au or call 07 4121 2525 during normal business hours.

Benefits of the role: • Excellent earning potential • Consistent work • Permanent & secure - Full time position • Immediate start available To be successful you will need: Experience: • 1 year B-Double experience • 1 year tipping experience preferred Licence: • MC drivers licence

Please contact Nick on

0499 003 603 Or submit your resume to drivingjobsaust@gmail.com

CAREERS AND TRAINING 39

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY JULY 23 2021

Providing a pathway to new opportunities

BY DANIELLE GULLACI THROUGH its Industry Pathways Program, O’Brien Transport is bringing new generations into the transport industry through structured and professional on the job training.

Now in its third generation, O’Brien Transport was started in 1948. It runs depots in Albury, Melbourne and Sydney, predominantly servicing the east coast with its fleet of 50 trucks. In addition, it runs a small parcels division called Albury Blue Logistics.

Although the Pathways Program has been running for some time, it was launched in its current capacity this year.

It’s a structured program designed to transition new recruits into the transport industry – whether they’re a school leaver looking for a new career, or someone looking for a change in direction.

“A number of young people have come through the Pathways Program, including five people who have joined us this year in different areas. One got his forklift licence and is now

New drivers going through the Pathways Program learn in a smaller truck, doing deliveries for the Albury Blue division before transitioning across to O’Brien Transport.

MC driver Luke Howson, HR manager Rod McIntosh, HC driver Jackson Scholz and local operations co-ordinator Riley Bice.

working in local operations; another is driving heavy rigids and will eventually move into bigger trucks. We have others who have come in with HC licences and have used the program to progress through to their MC,” explained corporate services manager Christine O’Brien.

She says it’s a professional program centred around helping people become not just drivers, but professional drivers. “Truck driving is a professional career, and as such our Pathways Program is run pro-

fessionally and without risk.

Those coming through the program need to first do local work, understand fatigue and understand risk before they can progress to the next stage. People can come into our business with minimal skills and learn from the ground up.

“We even have a really small truck so that kids on their red P-plates can come in and get a feel for it and work their way up. Those coming through the program are learning all the time and being mentored

by others in the business. The feedback from those coming through the program is that the mentoring from our other drivers has been excellent.”

With many businesses struggling to find drivers at present and the often talked about driver shortage, O’Brien says now’s the time to promote the opportunities available through a career in transport. “With the pandemic, what we found was that many people in hospitality for example were left without work or faced the prospect of

being out of work – whereas transport is an essential service, so there will always be work. Our program is designed for people wanting to join the transport industry.”

O’Brien added that attracting new talent into the industry is critical. “Unless we change what we are doing, we are going to continue to have the same problems when it comes to bringing more people into the industry. We need to promote our industry as a professional one with a lot of opportunity.

I think sometimes the general public forgets how the toilet

paper gets onto the shelves.”

The Pathways Program recognises the vast roles that make up the industry and offers training across a wide scope of areas.

On the driving side, it covers everything from forklift, to rigid, HC and MC licences. The program is also used to support careers in operations, compliance, administration and pallet management too.

For more information about O’Brien Transport’s Pathways Program or to view the current opportunities available, please visit obrientransport.com.au/ pathways.

TANKER DRIVERS WE ARE SEEKING PROFESSIONAL TANKER DRIVERS BASED AT DROUIN, LEONGATHA, WELSHPOOL, MAFFRA, WARRNAMBOOL, SHEPPARTON OR ALBURY TO JOIN OUR MILK TRANSPORT OPERATIONS.

DRIVERS WANTED

Seasonal, casual and some full-time positions Immediate start Excellent rates and plenty of work, including nights and weekends. Medicals, training and uniforms provided.

YOU WILL NEED: • MC (preferred) or HC licence • Clean and tidy appearance • Excellent time management • Good driving skills • Satisfactory reference checks • Good VicRoads 5-year driver history report.

To apply, email your resume to: Melissa - hr@stoitse.com.au quoting ref: V002 and stating your preferred location.

Blenners Transport is a proudly Australian Owned and family operated company specialising in refrigerated transport Australia Wide. With over 30 years experience in the transport industry, we are a well established business working with many well known and reputable brands. We have a strong emphasis on our customers and our team.

Due to continuing growth in our fleet, we are now welcoming applications for the following Driver positions – • North Queensland Full Time & Relief Interstate MC Drivers • HC/MC North Queensland based Drivers (NQ routes only) • Local HR Pick up & Delivery Drivers – Brisbane, Townsville, Tully, Innisfail depots • Tug Operators – Brisbane Our ideal candidates must have held a current licence for a minimum five years with a proven competent, safe and compliant driving history, be well presented and a great ambassador for the company. Refrigerated experience would be highly advantageous.

If you are looking for that change and to work for a professional company with the latest equipment, facilities and a clean modern well maintained fleet, we want to hear from you.

Please email resumes to recruitment@blenners.com.au