Big Rigs 27 May 2022

FRIDAY, May 27, 2022

ONLINE www.bigrigs.com.au

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REGULATOR RULES IN NSW Page 3

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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/Spy on the Road: Alf Wilson, 0408 009 301 Brent Davison; David Vile; David Meredith; Mike Williams; 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 MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Residents fight to get trucks off streets

RESIDENTS in Melbourne’s inner west have pushed on with their fight to try and get trucks off their residential streets, with new signage and traffic management cameras announced for the area as the debate rages on.

The local community group, Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG), has been campaigning to reduce the numbers of trucks on its residential streets – as B-doubles and A-doubles (or “monster 32m long road trains” as they have put it) continue to travel through their streets.

And it’s a debate that’s been going on for some time, with the Victorian Ombudsman stepping in and joining the debate last year.

Once the $6.7 billion West Gate Tunnel is complete, the government has pledged strict curfews throughout the neighbourhood – but it’s not due for completion until 2025.

The state government says the West Gate Tunnel Project will take over 9000 trucks a day off local streets and prevent an additional

5000 trucks from taking “rat runs” to avoid the West Gate Freeway.

It says it will introduce 24-hour truck bans on six local roads when the project is completed: • Francis Street – between Roberts Street and Hyde Street.

• Somerville Road – between Geelong Road and Whitehall Street.

• Buckley Street and part of Napier Street – between Geelong Road and Whitehall Street.

• Moore Street – between Ballarat Road and Hopkins Street.

• Hudsons Road – between Melbourne Road and Booker Street.

• Blackshaws Road – between Grieve Parade and Melbourne Road.

MTAG has had several meetings with various ministers and trucking bodies, the most recent of which involved the Victorian Transport Association, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Freight Victoria, Maribyrnong Council, Minister for Roads Ben Carroll MP and Minister for Ports and

Freight Melissa Horne MP. The outcome of these meetings includes $350,000 of state government funding for traffic management cameras.

Delivered by the Department of Transport, the cameras will be used to capture traffic on key routes where legislated truck curfews and limits have been put in place.

Signage will also be added to routes within the area, including on Somerville Road, which MTAG says will alert drivers “that A and B-doubles are banned on this road.”

An updated guide for truck drivers using the area will also be published.

“We acknowledge these aren’t huge steps forward, but at least they are positive and tangible initiatives. Any step forward is very welcome,” said MTAG. President of MTAG, Martin Wurt, also recently told the Herald Sun that the group had applied for a grant to buy masks for residents to protect them from diesel pollution caused by an increase in trucks. The

The debate over the large numbers of B-doubles and A-doubles using Somerville Road in Melbourne rumbles on. Photo: MTAG/ Facebook

request was however denied.

While anti-truck advocates in the area like MTAG want to see trucks off their residential streets, many truckies have taken to the group’s Facebook page to hit back.

“Running A-doubles down Somerville Road should cut truck volumes by 50 per cent… The problem you have is with the drivers, not the trucks… Same as a serial complainant in Rock-

lea… using his solution, truck volumes and noise have now increased by 50 per cent. He complains of B-doubles, now we do 2 trips into the warehouse instead of 1,” wrote Trevor Warner.

John L Kuriger offered another possible solution: “The most effective way to reduce trucks is to never buy anything that was moved on a truck. They would all go broke very quickly. End of trucks. So simple really.”

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NEWS 3

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

FROM August 1, key regulatory functions conducted by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will transfer across to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

“Roadside enforcement, investigations, prosecutions, and scheduled heavy vehicle inspections currently provided by TfNSW will be some of the services transferring to the NHVR, along with 340 TNSW staff who currently support the industry,” said Tara McCarthy, deputy secretary of safety, environment and regulation at TfNSW. “This is part of a national reform program that will make the regulation of heavy vehicle movements across Australia even safer and more efficient,” she added.

The NHVR will continue to deliver services from over 200 existing Heavy Vehicle Inspection Stations, safety stations and on-road enforcement sites across NSW. The regulator says the most noticeable change for operators will be that the current TfNSW compliance operations inspectors will become NHVR safety and compliance officers.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto.

TfNSW will continue to provide other heavy vehicle services including licensing, registration and tow truck investigations and compliance.

According to NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto, “This transition is another step in reducing the impact of state borders on the movement of freight across Australia,” he said.

“We’ll be working with industry to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible.

“With more than half of all Australian heavy vehicle movements occurring within

Roadside enforcement and inspections will transfer to the NHVR in NSW from August.

or through New South Wales, this state is vital for the safety and productivity of the heavy vehicle industry “In particular we’ll be working with our staff to ensure a more consistent approach to compliance and enforcement regardless of where you’re intercepted.”

New South Wales is the fifth Australian jurisdiction— after South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT— where the NHVR will be directly delivering heavy vehicle regulatory services.

Queensland, the final state to transition, is expected to start the process in 2022-23.

AUTOMATIC Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are now being used to detect passing heavy vehicles in various locations across Tasmania, as part of a three-month trial by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

The NHVR branded mobile ANPR cameras will also to be deployed in Victoria and South Australia.

“These cameras will help us to obtain information to enhance our safety and compliance officers’ activities and focus on high-risk operators and increase efficiency for compliant heavy vehicle drivers and make roads safer,” said the NHVR. During the trial, the NHVR will be using five mobile ANPR cameras on two roadside trailers, two mounted on vehicles and one drone.

Following the trial, the NHVR says the cameras may be used by its safety and compliance officers, with the regulator not ruling out investing in additional mobile cameras in the future.

In a statement released to the ASX late last year, SenSen, the company behind the technology, said the initial contract was for one year with an option, exercisable by the

regulator, to extend the contract for a further two years.

SenSen earned $387,000 in upfront fees and hardware, with a further $165,000 payable each year for software.

“Our ability to deliver highly relevant and accurate information on heavy vehicle movements through a combination of drone, trailer and vehicle-mounted solutions in an integrated fashion is an exciting new frontier,” said Dr Subhash Challa, SenSen CEO.

The mobile camera technology being rolled out across the southern states.

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Regulator takes reins from TfNSW

Heavy vehicle camera trial underway in south

4 NEWS

$400m to seal Qld’s beef roads

FUNDING of $400 million will go towards sealing over 450km of key beef transport corridors throughout Central Queensland.

The Australian government funding was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce at the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange (CQLX) in Gracemere just prior to the federal election.

“The value of beef production in Australia is forecast to increase 8 per cent to a record $15.7 billion in 2021-22 and it is essential that we put the infrastructure in place to support this massive industry,” said Joyce.

“Central Queensland is incredibly important to the success of our nation’s beef industry and sealing these roads will unlock greater economic opportunities for the region.”

Central Highlands Regional Council has welcomed the funding commitment, which it said comes after 12 months of lobbying from seven Central Queensland mayors, who joined forces to put the Queensland Beef Corri-

Barnaby Joyce announces the funding at the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange (CQLX) in Gracemere. Photo: Facebook/CQLX

dors campaign firmly on the agenda.

“Throughout this campaign we have met and spoken with a collection of passionate people with skin in the game,” said Central Highlands Regional Council Mayor Kerry Hayes.

“Graziers, feedlotters,

stock agents, transporters, saleyard operators, processors and many more. This is life-changing for them, opening up the potential of this region and future-proofing this vital industry.

“This investment is long-overdue. Communities in Central Queensland repre-

sent a quarter of our nation’s beef herd, this is the most valuable beef supply chain in the world and this funding finally recognises that.”

Hayes added that the upgrades would also mean safer roads, improved job security, greater tourism opportunities and access to services.

In total, $300 million will be provided to seal 457km of partially unsealed roads, with the remaining $100 million to extend heavy vehicle corridors along the Dawson, Leichhardt and Burnett Highways.

Extra funding has also been announced for upgrades to Bonnie Doon Road and Springsure-Tambo Road.

The federal government had already allocated $9.6 million in the last budget for upgrades to Bonnie Doon Road, which also has a $2.4 million contribution from council.

These works along a 13km stretch will be completed by council, and involve sealing to a two-lane standard, drainage improvements, alignment improvements and bridge upgrade across Sandhurst Creek.

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Glow in the dark lines for regional Victorian roads A ROAD in Victoria’s East Gippsland region has been given a “glow-up” with photo-luminescent paint that gives drivers a stronger visual to follow when there is minimal light.

The special glow in the dark paint has been used in line markings along Metung Road, with plans to roll this out along various regional roads as part of Regional Roads Victoria’s Road Safety Program.

Regional Roads Victoria says the special line-marking paint illuminates curves or upcoming intersections, so you have more time to react.

The photo-luminescent paint is one of three innovative treatments that will be used in the program at 70 locations across regional Victoria. Other treatments being used are: • LED tactile paving that changes colour between red and green with the traffic lights, providing a clear signal for pedestrians when it’s safe to cross the road.

• Road line-markings with high reflectivity, thanks to thicker glass beads and thermoplastic that is added to the paint, making the linemarkings on the road more defined and easier for motorists to follow, particularly when driving on unfamiliar roads with low visibility conditions.

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“A breakdown of trauma shows that, between January 2015 and December 2019, nearly half the deaths recorded on Victoria’s roads happened on roads with high speeds between 100km/h and 110km/h,” it said.

“These roads make up a small percentage of Victoria’s overall road network but are well overrepresented in terms of fatal and serious injury crashes.”

The photo-luminescent paint is one of three innovative treatments that will be used in the program at 70 locations.

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

Witness praises nimble truckie for saving the day

WHILE police investigate the cause of the runaway Stag B-double tipper in Buninyong, Victoria, earlier this month, eye-witness Caitlin Cooper said the truckie deserves to be praised for his split-second actions as the dramatic incident unfolded.

The home care worker, 28 weeks pregnant with her fourth baby, had just got a late lunch at the bakery near the home of a client.

As she was about to start pulling out of the FoodWorks driveway, she told Big Rigs she noticed a silver B-double approaching.

“All of a sudden as I was

about to pull out in front of him I heard his horn blasting as he approached the roundabout and thought to myself, ‘Why is he honking? I better wait and see.’

“So, I didn’t move. I waited, then I noticed he wasn’t slowing down and it all happened so fast.

“I watched the B-double hit a little blue car on the wrong side of the roundabout, then a tree and it just exploded into pieces, then a huge rumble and it had come to a stop.”

Cooper said she sat for a minute in shock as she watched people run in from all angles to assist.

According to a Victoria Police statement, the truck, which had been travelling westbound along Midland Highway, collided with a car near the intersection of Warrenheip Road around 2.40pm.

The truck continued along the road and crashed into a tree and two stationary vehicles in a worksite, before coming to a rest on a nature strip.

The truckie, who was not seriously injured, stopped at the scene and was assisting police with their enquiries.

The female driver and sole occupant of the car was taken to hospital with what are believed to be minor injuries.

Nobody else was injured in the incident.

“If you ask me he has done an amazing job to do his best in a situation that obviously he had no control over,” said Cooper.

“He hit one car, instead if he had of kept to his path he would have hit multiple cars and pedestrians.

“He thought smart and quick to act and take the safest option, even if it meant crashing into a tree and shipping container.

“He saved lives of so many, including my pregnant self. If he had of hit me he would have seriously injured, or possibly

Witness Caitlin Cooper believes the truckie took aim at this shipping container in a bid to prevent any injuries to the public.

killed me and my unborn baby.

This man in my eyes is extraordinary to do what he has done in such a bad situation.”

Anyone with information,

CCTV, or dash cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Linfox ordered to reinstate truckie to job with back-pay A MAJOR Australian transport company is in a court battle with a linehaul driver over unfair dismissal allegations.

Eric Pickering worked as a truckie for Linfox, and was also Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) trained and a delegate at the transport company.

Allegedly, Linfox drivers had collectively agreed to cease

unsafe work during an early morning meeting in Chullora, after holding concerns for their health and safety.

According to the TWU, Linfox demanded the drivers return to work, with Pickering singled out and sacked – despite none of the other drivers involved losing their jobs.

As the TWU explains, Pickering took his unfair dis-

missal claim to the Fair Work Commission, where Commissioner McKenna found “there was no valid reason for the dismissal of the applicant” and described the Linfox sacking as “unjust, unfair and unreasonable”.

Linfox was ordered to reinstate Pickering to his job with back-pay.

However, the TWU says

that Linfox is refusing to take liability for a workers compensation claim made by Pickering for psychological injury, caused by the company’s actions.

The TWU has assisted Pickering to take his case to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Deputy president John Pascoe found that Pickering’s

psychological injury “resulted from the administrative action taken by the Respondent (Linfox).”

Pascoe stated that Linfox was unfair and was not reasonable in their actions. The Tribunal has ordered Linfox to pay Pickering’s costs.

Linfox was approached by Big Rigs but declined to comment.

Truckie Eric Pickering.

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6 NEWS

Funding push for first responder training

BY JAMES GRAHAM

NT trucking boss Louise Bilato is confident she now has the research she needs to support a case for more first responder training for truckies across Australia.

The executive officer of the NT Road Transport Association presented the findings of a comprehensive survey into the largely overlooked element of the job for the first time publicly at this month’s Trucking Australia conference on the Gold Coast.

The first phase involved a

Louise Bilato at TA22.

series of first response training courses in conjunction with Western Roads Federation (WRF) and TraumaSim, and the survey responses have helped quantify some alarming anecdotal evidence around the number of truckies involved, and the resulting impact this has on their mental health.

Of the 161 truckies who responded to the survey questions, 105, or 65 per cent, had been first on the scene of an accident at least once.

The survey also revealed that a significant portion of those drivers were there for greater than 30 minutes without formally trained emergency personnel in attendance.

“In the case of about 16 per cent, they were there for longer than two hours on their own, and obviously these drivers had a job to do, so the vast majority continued on their way after they assisted at the scene of a serious injury or fatality,” said Bilato, who brings more than 30 years of post-incident support experience to the project.

“One of the key findings in the survey was that the men-

tal health is a very significant safety risk if it’s not being addressed that truck drivers are first responders on the scene of motor vehicle accidents to a greater extent than potentially has been acknowledged previously, and we need to do something about it.”

“Upskilling truck drivers in a short intensive course has got real potential to actually save lives, and improve the outcomes for truck drivers in terms of their mental health and well-being. And as I said at the start, we employ people as is where is, and we can’t assume that everyone that is resilient and able to manage the aftermath of these sorts of incidents without support.

Bilato is also buoyed by the recent findings of a road safety report by the Joint Committee on Road Safety which recommends: “that the Australian government work with state and territory governments, the heavy vehicle sector, and other road safety stakeholders to support national rollout of first response training for heavy vehicle drivers.

“The committee considers that this training should be

included as an action item in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030.”

WRF CEO Cam Dumesny said the goal now is to get federal government funding so the training programs, including instructional training aids, and associated trauma kits can be rolled out coast to coast.

“The intention is to provide a complete package for other associations across the nation to use,” he said.

Dumesny stressed that the truckies’ training course has proven credentials, with blended lessons from an award-winning Queensland Police program that’s already saved 90 lives, and TraumaSim’s 10-year involvement in pre-deployment training of soldiers in care of combat casualties.

He added that truckies shouldn’t be concerned about liability factors if they are first on an accident scene, as one delegate queried, due to the Good Samaritan laws, which protects a person acting in good faith while helping someone in need.

Veteran truckie Jerry

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

NT Transport Association executive officer Louise Bilato displays an example of a trauma kit she’d like to see all truckies carry in their cabs.

Brown-Sarre told Big Rigs he’s campaigning for first responder training for truckies for years and is adamant it should be a compulsory part of the MC licence test, at the very least.

In his 60 years of driving he estimates that he’s been first on the scene 24 times, 15 of those involved fatal or serious injuries.

“One of the worst in the was in the 70s waiting for two hours with dead and injured for someone to come along and go back to Yelarbon to get help and not knowing how to help the injured.

“Another on the Hume in the 60s, three soldiers, two dead in the front, one on the back floor, still alive, but I had no idea what to do for him.”

NEWS 7

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

‘Gold standard’ rest area for truckies

HEALTHY Heads in Trucks and Sheds, the industry mental health and wellbeing organisation, has commissioned leading supply chain consultants TMX Global to develop the ‘gold standard’ design for truckies’ rest areas.

TMX consultants Glenn McCully and James Sheerin updated industry on what’s involved and gave a progress report to delegates at the recent Trucking Australia conference on the Gold Coast.

“It’s very exciting for us as a consulting business to really sink our teeth into something meaningful and also to be here today has been super, super informative,” said Sheerin,.

“There’s been a lot of really interesting ideas shared today; questions around the role of technology, the role of sustainability; the optics around attracting younger people to driving and really all that factors into our consideration around the design and development and then optimal location for a future gold standard heavy vehicle rest area.”

Sheerin said TMX is taking a four-phase approach to the project:

Glenn McCully.

James Sheerin.

Austroads’ guidelines for rest areas that came out in 2019 provide a good foundation, but don’t go far enough.

Literature review • Prove relevance of concept through a literature review, and present evidence of a case for change.

and design elements.

Sheerin said TMX discovered that the quality of literature available is limited and the overall standard of rest area amenities for drivers is “antiquated”.

He also said the crash data that’s needed to inform the project is also fragmented across multiple sources making it difficult to draw accurate conclusions.

Although mindful of the data limitations so far, McCully said the early indications are that the first ‘gold standard’ rest area will be built in the eastern states.

“Part of what we’ll do is to put this data together, alongside our IP, and then engage

the industry to understand where the industry best thinks a pilot [gold standard rest area] should be located,” said McCully.

“When we say the industry, what we’re really talking about is government regulatory bodies, industry operators and groups and people in advocacy groups.”

McCully stressed that users of these rest areas will be top of that list when it comes to the engagement phase of the project.

“We need to attract new entrants to this industry, and we know that women are under-represented so that’s where we’re going to start.

“And then after that we’ll

Crash data analysis • Source and analyse crash data involving heavy vehicles and determine causal factors.

HV traffic volume/route analysis • L everage intellectual property and industry related data points to analyse heavy vehicle traffic.

Key audience engagement • Identify key industry and/ or impacted stakeholders to consult on amenity location

talk to operators and fleets, and transport companies and then we’ll start lobbying with local council, state government and federal government.

“The idea is to make sure that when you have a rest area pilot concept in mind, it is user focused, and we understand what the users want in terms of amenities, and that will be our starting point to take the concept forward.”

Sheerin said the Austroads’ guidelines for rest areas that came out in 2019 provide a good foundation, but don’t go far enough.

Interstate driver Rod Hannifey was also on the same conference panel to share his own ‘gold standard’ design,

and some of the frustrations he’s experienced during his long fight for better facilities.

“In some places a gold standard rest area would be really nice, but there are so many places that are available to us [already] that we can’t get to utilise,” said Hannifey as he displayed a variety of slides of ‘informal’ bays that could be made available to truckies.

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8 OPINION

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Change for the better

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

THE federal election votes had yet to be tallied before we went to print with this issue.

But judging by our online preference poll at bigrigs.com. au, most of you won’t be waiting with bated breath for the final count.

A resounding 84 per cent of the 660-plus voters ticked ‘Don’t Care’, with the Coalition limping over the line in a distant second spot with 64, or 10 per cent of the votes, three times as popular as Labor.

We don’t blame you for the vote of no-confidence.

Whichever way the May 21 polling shakes out, it’s shaping as a challenging year for industry.

Cost of living is creeping up and there seems to be no end in sight to the pain at the pumps for truckies after the Morrison government’s bungle with the fuel tax credits.

Something’s got to give, regardless of who’s in power.

BIG RIGS HOT WEB TOPICS come Fuel tax credit bungle clean AUSTRALIA’S peak trucking bodies co-signed a hard-hitting letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison asking for a commitment to restore the fuel tax credit from March 30, if re-elected.

The fuel tax credit situation has come under fire from truckies and trucking companies.

“This is so unfair and is going to cripple many of us.

Bloody fuel has gone up again and no relief for us,” wrote Faye McGrath on Facebook.

“Yep, wait until business do their quarterly BAS statements and realize there’s no fuel rebate

and they’ve gotta find the cash to cover their GST liability in full! The fuel rebate used to cover a fair chunk of the GST liability and now there’s no fuel rebate,” said Matthew Reichelt.

“There will be no gain without pain. FFS when is the industry going to stand united and say enough is enough?

Make a stand FFS, your peak body organisations are whimps, everyone whinges here and sadly that does nothing,” commented Jackson Chumley.

Daniel J Browne wrote: “Spend the time to learn ya new break even point, and any rate

ATA chair David Smith says reducing prices at the pumps threatens the viability of 53,000 trucking businesses.

at that or lower , just sit on the lounge. Doesn’t take long for the customers to start negotiating.”

While Stephen McGrath added, “Everywhere big family trucking companies are selling up because it’s not worth it any more.”

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

Time slot bookings THE National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) recently published advice to help address the risks of tight delivery schedules and pick-up times.

This is what our readers had to say on the issue.

“About time we put the onus back on DCs to organise themselves and adhere to reasonable unload times. Should be punished if driver turns up on time and isn’t unloaded within two hours. Unlikely authorities will put the focus on the big end of town,” commented Ben Bailey on our Facebook page.

Sahil Padha said, “Get rid of the allocator, they know nothing about the transport industry and always try to become boss. Should be also not more than 12 hour waiting time for drivers to reload.”

Ross Warren added, “Always the driver in the middle getting screwed with time slots, I’ve had multiple time slots of loading at 5pm one day in Melbourne on the first day of my week and the delivery time slot was 5pm next day in Sydney! Company would not accept early deliveries! Paid by the km.”

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The NHVR sets out guidance on who has a duty to manage safety risks in the CoR.

While Kenneth Pattel wrote, “Ridiculous safety protocols, inductions, and then they even tell you how to tie down your load. All adds up to many wasted hours and no one but the drivers get the blame if they run late or go over hours in the log book.”

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10 NATIONAL TRUCKING AWARDS

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Certifier celebrated with esteemed industry award

BY BRENT DAVISON

THINK OF a catchy popular saying and you can probably apply it to Phillip Hodges.

“From little things, big things grow”, you might say, quoting the chorus line from a popular Kev Carmody song or “an overnight success story 25 years in the making” might spring to mind and both will be right.

Hodges is the founder of Melbourne-based Transport Certification Services (TCS), a business specialising in the certification of heavy trucks and trailers, buses, light commercial vehicles, emergency services vehicles and passenger cars for the disabled.

He started the business from scratch in 1998 after being on the wrong side of the line when his former employer downsized, building it from scratch to be an industry leader.

“It was just me when I started but I kept at it and now the business is big, with six engineers,” he said.

Hodges’ efforts and contribution to the Australian road

transport industry were formally recognised at the recent National Trucking Industry Awards on Queensland’s Gold Coast where he was awarded for the Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry.

“I was quite surprised by it, especially with the people I was up against. Just being nominated was enough. It’s a very significant award and I was a bit emotional about it,” he said.

“I look at it this way: there were about a thousand people at the awards and at least 800 of them were worthy of winning it,” he added modestly.

It was reward for effort, 70-year-old Hodges receiving the acknowledgement due for the risk and effort put into getting TCS not just up and running but blossoming to the point where it now boasts a multitude of clients both nationally and globally.

It is, he says, expert work and while he did nothing different to other engineers he had two important aces up his sleeve. One was his focus on customer service and the other was problem solving, finding

REALLY, TRUCK TECHNOLOGY HAS COME A LONG WAY; IT’S CONSTANTLY CHANGING. I’M VERY INTERESTED IN PLATOONING TECHNOLOGY (AND) I THINK THAT HAS A REAL FUTURE.” PHILLIP HODGES

engineering solutions.

Those attracted a wide range of clients with names like Hino, UD, Daimler and Fuso knocking on his door. Even North American company Oshkosh asked for his assistance with the development of its fire tenders for use at Australian airports and with our military.

“We do second-stage manufacturing and we work with people from all around the world – Thailand, New Zealand, Europe, the UK and the US,” he said.

“We’re also working with the NHVR, trying to get the national Authorised Vehicle Examiner scheme up and running.”

Veteran transport engineer Phillip Hodges, winner of this year’s Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry award.

Hodges, who entered the industry in 1984, has seen a lot of change in the almost-40 years he has been associated with it, one of the biggest being the establishment of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) as the independent regulator for all vehicles with a GVM greater

than 4.5 tonnes.

He has also noted the “big changes” in the Dangerous Goods Code standards.

“Really, truck technology has come a long way; it’s constantly changing. I’m very interested in platooning technology (and) I think that has a real future.”

‘Platooning’ is the electronic linking of two or more trucks in convoy using connectivity technology and automated driving support systems to automatically maintain a set distance on the road.

In fact, it is the “big changes” in technology that are piquing Hodges’ interest right now.

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Truckies’ unsung hero acknowledged for her tireless work with top prize

[l-r] TCS engineers Lavan Manila and Vedran Lerman with business owner Jarrod Thompson and founder Phillip Hodges.

“You just can’t easily cut a vehicle up any more (to change it). It’s got ABS, traction control and all that sort of stuff on it – it’s a very different game these days.”

And, he says, despite being semi-retired, he is still working on increasing Australian vehicle width limits from 2.5-metres to 2.6-metres, suggesting: “we’ve still got a bit of work to do with the Department of Industry in that area.”

At a grass-roots level the trucking industry seems to be constantly battling red tape and while some might suggest that Hodges and those responsible for formulating the rules might be responsible for the amount of oversight it is a notion he rejects.

“We (TCS) and people like us, the Australian Trucking Industry, have always campaigned against the amount of red tape in the road transport industry. We believe there is far too much and we’re opposed to it. I think government depart-

ments need to run like private industry, like businesses, and get things done quickly and efficiently.”

Now? Phillip Hodges has paid his dues many times over.

While most of us were kicking-back and enjoying our downtime he was the bloke beavering away at midnight to get jobs finished and issues sorted.

Hodges sold TCS to longterm employee Jarod Thompson and his partner Christine seven years ago, staying-on in an advisory capacity. Like Hodges, Jarrod is an engineer and NHVR examiner. Christine is involved with the future planning, event management and HR roles as well as the day-to-day running of the business.

“I hope I’ve left a legacy.

Certainly I built a good business and it is continuing to grow under Jarrod and Christine. I’m 70 now so I’m easing back a bit but I want to stay involved in the industry.”

AS the unflagging administrator of On the Pads Australia, the Facebook group that keeps the wheels turning for thousands of truckies every day, Leanne Dyer is used to the unexpected.

But even Dyer admits the news from the Trucking Australia conference on the Gold Coast this month that she’d won the coveted National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year accolade caught her on the hop.

“Shocked, surprised, and grateful,” said a still slightly dazed Dyer when Big Rigs caught up her days later for a reaction.

She’d been unable to attend the gala dinner ceremony due

to contracting Covid-19, then had the added stress of organising her son Dakota’s wedding around potential road closures from the storms ravaging her home in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley.

Luckily, it all worked out in the end, Dyer’s only concern now, how she’ll find time to step away from the keyboard to take up the prize that went with her award, an all-expenses paid trip to the Cummins factory in the US. Dyer’s award arrives at her door on the day of our chat.

“Who would have thought that I would get a prize like this for what I do?”

Dyer is being way too humble, of course.

MC Catriona Rowntree, front centre, assembles the award winners and dignitaries for a group photo. Absent: Leanne Dyer.

“Without you, we’d all be farrked,” wrote one fan summarising the sentiments of thousands of truckies when we first posted the award night news on Facebook.

Working up to 17 unpaid hours a day, Dyer tirelessly combs the emergency channels, social media and works her ‘on-the-ground’ contacts to keep truckies abreast of all they need to know.

Dyer never started six, or so, years back with the intention of the Facebook platform becoming such in indispensable industry force.

Initially she was focused on helping her long-time truckie partner Russell Boon and his driving mates, but it quickly became apparent there was a much wider need for her skills.

She started out with just a local traffic group, before moving to On the Pads Queensland, and now helms her own two Facebook groups, Transport Jobs Australia Wide and On the Pads Australia.

“I had a background in accounting, so I’m into detail and correctness, and all that, and I’ve also got an autoimmune disease, which hinders me from taking a normal job, so I can just sit at home with my computer, trackies, atlas, phone, and it’s something I can do to keep me occupied and it helps people out,”

A grateful Leanne Dyer with her trophy from the National Trucking Awards.

Dyer explained.

“I know the guys appreciate it, and I know how hard it is for them.

“If they get held up, that stuffs their logbook up, time slots, all sorts of things, so if I can make their life a little easier, I’d rather do that because I know how hard it is for them out there.”

The other winners on the night were: Trucksafe John Kelly Award: A & R Magill Pty Ltd National Training Excellence Award: Followmont Transport National Professional Driver of the Year: Denis Thompson, Thompson Removals Don Watson Memorial Award: Darren Nolan, Nolan’s Interstate Transport

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12 NEWS

IN BRIEF Win for Autocare truckies After weeks of tough pay negotiations and stop-work action, union truckies at the car carrying business Autocare have got the result they were after.

The TWU told Big Rigs they have secured a pay rise of between 4-11 per cent, including E-tags/tolls, along with commitments to weekly cost model meetings.

“These wins will keep them safe on the roads and their businesses sustainable,” said Mike McNess, TWU Victoria and Tasmania secretary.

“These owner-drivers have secured conditions that give them the important power to address operating costs throughout the life of their contract.”

Late last month, more than 100 Autocare drivers in Queensland and Victoria parked up and walked off the job to attend urgent stop work meetings.

WA commits $9 billion for roads A $9 billion package for major road projects, including $3.4 billion for metro and $5.6 billion for regional road projects and upgrades has been included in WA’s 202223 state budget – with the sealing of the Tanami among the major investments.

In handing down the budget, WA Premier and Treasurer Mark McGowan revealed a whopping $5.7 billion surplus for the state.

“Our strong budget management means we are able to heavily reinvest in important infrastructure around the state, with road improvements a key focus,” said McGowan.

The $9 billion road spend will be invested into various projects across the next four years.

Corrections to Stuart Baker tribute Our story in the May 13 issue titled Much-loved truckie Stuart Baker was a ‘true legend’, incorrectly stated that Stuart’s only grandchild Chase is the son of his daughter Emma.

Stuart’s son Aaron is in fact the father of Chase, who is a one-year-old, not two, as was also published wrongly.

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckies gather for great cause in Sydney

A YEAR on from their first monthly truck meet, the two truckie mates who started the initiative to help bring truckies together and raise money for mental health can’t believe how far the event has come.

Truckies Jake Cusbert, who works for Haines Bros, and Luke Roberts, who works for Dino’s Haulage, both grew up around trucks and developed a passion for them early on.

They came up with an idea to help bring the trucking community together for a barbeque and a chat at Marsden Park in Sydney, and held their first truck meet in May 2021, which attracted around 30 trucks.

Following the success and feedback from that first event, the plans were to hold these truck meets each and every month, but Covid put a slight spanner in the works, meaning some of the planned meets had to be cancelled. Nevertheless, they were back up and running

and soon as they were able, with the next one scheduled for Saturday May 28 at the same location.

So far, the biggest meet has had 83 trucks in attendance, but for the one-year anniversary event, there were already 90 trucks booked to attend – with the event still two weeks out.

“It’s been one year since me and Luke came up with the idea of having a truck meet. We thought it would never work but fuck we were wrong,” said Cusbert. “We want to thank everyone that has made this happen and hope to see it continue the way it has.”

The duo also get the trucks they drive shined up – a T908 and T909 – and bring them along to every meet.

“The truck meets just keep getting bigger, though sometimes rain hampers the numbers. We’re hoping to do a really big one for the one-year meet,” added Roberts, admitting he too didn’t

Organisers are hoping for an even bigger turnout at the next event at Marsden Park, Sydney.

expect things to go as well as they have.

“We just thought it’d be a good idea to try this out, so thought why not, we all love shiny trucks – then it all took off. Soon after the first meet, we then started with the shirts, hoodies, stickers and stuff too, which have also helped raise money for Beyond Blue. We sold over 100 pieces of merchandise when it was first released.

Now we have 12 sponsors, and all these are listed on the back of the shirts and hoodies.”

Among the sponsors are Kevin Waters and Rod2Mod, which put on a barbeque at each meet.

“The more people that come along, the better.

We’re wanting to get the word out there and raise some more money. Everyone is welcome, no matter

what truck you drive.”

There is no entry fee to attend, however there is a donation bucket at each truck meet and they ask that $5-$10 is donated for each truck that comes along.

For more info, search for the group Truck Meet on Facebook. To donate to the Beyond Blue fundraiser, visit fundraise.beyondblue.org. au and type ‘truck meet’ in the search bar.

How much do you love your truck?

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

IS there any greater show of the love a truckie has for their truck than to get it permanently tattooed for the world to see?

Experienced MC driver Corrina Riley has done just that.

She drives a 2012 Peterbilt 388, which she’s nicknamed ‘Salacious Pete’ – and says, “I would marry my truck if I could!”

They say many wear their hearts on their sleeves. And if that’s indeed the case, it seems Riley’s heart may just belong to her truck.

The Queensland based truckie, who is also on the Women in Trucking Australia (WiTA) board, drives the flashy Peterbilt for Gaffs Heavy Diesel and Haulage, carting general freight across the state.

Riley got the keys to Pete about 12 months ago. “It’s just

MC driver Corrina Riley.

my dream truck, I love everything about it. When I go home, I’ll cook my son dinner and then go back in the driveway and sleep in the truck. It’s just my happy place. I love it,” she said.

Riley had the new tattoos done while on holiday in Tassie, with the work completed by tattoo artist Ben Smillie at Smillie’s Ink. “He’s done most of my work so I came over here to finish my

sleeve. My aunty lives in Tassie, so my son and I come down regularly, but it hasn’t been as often recently because of Covid,” explained Riley.

“When Ben saw a photo of my truck, he said he really likes doing truck tattoos. He’s done a few trucks and is so talented.

“I am so in love, I can’t wait to get the trailers tattooed too.

“My partner reckons I should get his LTL on my back now too. He has a green LTL – it’s a very sexy truck. Who knows, maybe this will be next, but don’t tell Pete!”

The image of the truck used for Riley’s new back tattoo came from a photo taken by Warren Aitken at Aitken Automotive Photography; and took around four and a half hours to complete.

Riley also had some space to fill on her arm as part of her

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sleeve, so she had the word ‘Peterbilt’ added in too.

“When I told my boss about the tattoos, even he said I was crazy,” Riley laughed.

“I even got the word ‘Peterbilt’ done – that’s free advertising. It’s gotta get me a free set of Peterbilt seat covers for Pete, surely,” she joked.

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FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Life in (the middle of) the fast lane with new Actros

It’s billed as an Australian-first, with an array of high-tech features for the driver. But is level-2 automation all it’s cracked up to be?

BY GRAHAM HARSANT THE list of ‘firsts’ in safety and technology from Mercedes-Benz is far too long to list here but it’s safe to say that the company has always been at the forefront in these aspects.

What they produce on their cars also quickly filters through to the truck division.

And so it is with my recent drive of the latest Mercedes-Benz Actros with its level 2 automation – a first in Australia.

Many of you would be familiar with Lane Departure Warning which lets you know - usually very loudly - when you’ve drifted over the white line. Some would also have experienced Lane Keeping Assist which will actively push the truck back into the lane if you drift over those lane markings.

But none of you have experienced M-B’s latest and greatest: Active Drive Assist (ADA) technology.

My experience is in an Actros which does the lane departure warning thing and will push you back into the lane if you drift, BUT it also keeps you in the middle of the lane – slap-bang between the white lines. Together with Active Radar Cruise Control, this truck steers itself – well almost.

I say almost because the truck becomes distinctly unhappy if you take your hands off the wheel for more than 60 seconds. And it lets you know it!

Let us start at the beginning. I meet up with the truck on a rainy Melbourne day that is obviously in sympathy with the downpours happening in New South Wales and Queensland. A quick lesson in what’s-where from my ‘tour guide’, M-B’s Noel Griffiths and we’re ready for a run up to Ballarat.

Press the start button and

MirrorCam will get even better later this year.

MirrorCam automatically pans so the driver can always see the end of the trailer(s).

It was a rainy day for the run up to Ballarat in the training vehicle.

the high-resolution multimedia interface screen and dash tablets light up like a Christmas tree. The dash offers various displays to suit your taste and the MMI screen is super easy to scroll through and use.

This truck is a training vehicle with the bunk replaced by a bench seat. I commented on the nice interior and Griffiths informs me this is the base vehicle with ADA and MirrorCam optioned. For a ‘poverty pack’, it looks pretty classy to me.

I shift into drive without having to put my foot on the brake. There’s no need to disengage the electronic park brake either.

A ‘Hold’ sign comes up on the dash. Even though my foot is off the brake pedal the truck

To activate the ADA you just press the button on the screen.

knows that I haven’t started driving so keeps some air pressure in the system. As soon as I push the accelerator the brakes releases, the ‘Hold’ sign disappears and we move away.

Having to negotiate a sharp corner I’m reminded how much I love MirrorCam which automatically pans so that I can always see the end of the trailer/s, no matter how big the angle.

Around the corner and I stop at a set of lights. A firm push on the brake pedal, the “Hold’ sign reappears and I can move my foot to the accelerator, ready for that extra-faststart. Moving again and out on the open road, I set the Cruise Control to 100km/h and let the Actros work its way up to that speed.

The truck is now set on proximity control so that it maintains a predetermined distance from vehicles in front of it. The dash shows a grey grid in its centre which turns blue if it detects a vehicle ahead that is in range.

Along with this is a steering wheel icon on the dash – also blue to let me know that ADA is also engaged. The blue wheel icon lets me know that the truck has picked up the lane markings. ADA helps to actively steer the truck and keep it in the centre of its lane, although I’m still required to hold the steering wheel.

It is one step ahead of some current systems that can push a truck back into the lane should it wander out. The Lane Keeping Assist system is proactive rather than reactive.

It does this by using cameras to monitor lane markings, and uses that data to help operate the electro-hydraulic steering system. The driver can overrule Lane Keeping Assist at any time and is able to turn off the system.

ADA uses an electric motor located on the steering box to provide assistance in addition to the standard hydraulic power steering.

It not only helps keep the truck in the lane, but also provides more assistance to the driver and improving manoeuvrability, especially at lower speeds.

The system is adjustable, in that certain conditions may demand you need to be closer to the left of the lane or vice-versa. An example would be when hauling a wide load

where you need to stay further left.

Once we are on proximity control, as soon as the truck sees the lines and it’s happy, it says it can maintain the position within the lane automatically with ADA. Whilst the truck is steering itself, the system picks up minute movements I’m inputting to the steering wheel. Take your hands off the wheel and the truck knows it. In 30-seconds it clearly lets you know to put them back on.

After 60 seconds it decides that something is wrong and reacts accordingly. Whilst keeping in lane it will apply the brakes, gradually coming to a standstill, activate the hazard warning lights and unlock the doors.

Continued page 16

ADA helps to actively steer the truck and keep it in the centre of its lane.

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16 COVER STORY

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Don’t knock it until you try it If the traffic moves away within two seconds the truck automatically moves away with it.

Longer than two seconds and you have to remind the truck by touching the accelerator briefly, or pressing resume on the cruise control when the vehicle in front moves. Such a chore!

How does the system feel?

Strange for the first few minutes, knowing that the wheel has a life of its own. But it quickly feels quite natural. After the Actros I jumped into another truck and gee did I miss the ADA. There’ll be those who denigrate this technology, claiming that no-one can drive a truck like a bloke in ‘full’ control.

All I can say is don’t knock it

The bunk in the training vehicle was replaced by a bench seat.

From page 14 THE Actros will stay within the lane all the way to wherever you are going - whilst there are lane markings of course.

On this very wet day, only once did the system have to let me know that it couldn’t read one of the white lines which was well under water. I can’t see the lane markings either so I can’t blame the Actros.

There is a picture of the steering wheel and hands on the touchscreen. I turn it off so the truck is now under my control.

There is no longer Active Drive Assist (ADA) and I can feel the weights change on the wheel.

If I started drifting now, I’ll still get an audible warning through the left or right and speakers to warn me that I drifted, and it will steer me

back into the lane.

This is Lane Departure which is always active (but can be turned off as well). With ADA turned off the Actros steers beautifully and I always know where the wheels are pointing. It’s one of the best in the business – but hey, this is hard work when the Actros can do it all for you.

This is level 2 autonomy and will be followed in short order by levels 3, 4 and 5. One can only imagine what they will bring.

The Actros’ stop-and-go assist ostensibly means I could drive from one side of Melbourne to the other without touching the brake.

If the traffic starts slowing down, then so will you until you come to a complete stop.

if you aint tried it. Along with my beloved MirrorCam, this truck is simply next level.

And if you happen to fall asleep at the wheel or worse, had a heart attack, you’re not going to miss the next bend

and hit a tree or an oncoming vehicle, because this truck will save your life, possibly someone else’s, your truck and your load.

Then you will be a convert.

Impressive technology indeed!

All manner of readings are available at the touch of a finger.

One can only imagine what level 3, 4 and 5 autonomy will offer the driver when that comes on the market.

Kenworth leads another big month of heavy-duty sales ENDURING sector leader Kenworth was the biggest heavy-duty contributor to another exceptional month of truck sales in Australia.

According to the recently-released Truck Industry Council (TIC) numbers, 215 Kenworths found new homes in April, bringing the badge’s year-to-date (YTD) tally to 862, which represents 21.3 per cent of the market.

Despite the absence of an interstate prime mover in its stable, Isuzu again took second spot in the category, moving 144 units for the month,

six clear of third-placed Volvo.

Isuzu now has a YTD total of 634 ‘heavies’, 49 more than Volvo.

The chasers were headed by Scania with 77 sales in April, just clear of a large cluster of brands including UD Trucks (72), Hino (64), Fuso (61), Mercedes-Benz (52) and Mack (46).

In all, there were 1036 sales in the heavy-duty sector for April, which is 107 (11.5 per cent) more than were moved in the same month last year, and just shy of the all-time April record of 1156 heavy ve-

hicles sold in April 2018.

The trend is even stronger on the YTD numbers, with heavy sales tracking up 20.3 per cent over this time in 2021.

In unit numbers that is 682 more heavies sold than this time last year. Total sales thus far in 2022 for the segment are standing at 4048 units, that is just 11 fewer than the tally to the end of April in 2018, the all-time record.

Overall, it was a record month of truck and van sales in Australia with a total of 3306, 91 more than the previous best

April mark, set last year.

YTD sales are also above all previous results, with 12,123 heavy vehicles deliveries to the end of April, that is 297 vehicles more than were sold YTD April 2018, the previous record year.

The medium-duty segment more than held up its end, also posting solid sales in 2022 and April saw that trend continue.

In April 632 medium truck sales were recorded, that represents a 12.1 per cent (68 units) gain over April 2021.

The April result keeps the year-to-date medium segment

sales comfortably ahead of the same period last year, up by 12.7 per cent, or 257 trucks.

YTD 2283 medium trucks have been sold in 2022.

Light-duty truck sales have also spiked in 2022, with Isuzu again taking charge at the top.

April sales totalled 1218 vehicles, a rise of 9.4 per cent over April 2021, in vehicle numbers that was a gain of 105 trucks.

The tally was also an alltime April sales record, surpassing the previous best of 1113 set last year.

Light-duty sales YTD are ahead of the same period in

2021 by 8.6 per cent, or 353 trucks, that makes a total of 4437 lights sold to the end of April 2022.

Tony McMullan, CEO of TIC, the peak industry body for truck manufacturers and importers in Australia, said it is encouraging to see another good result in April to follow the solid first quarter figures.

“Whilst we are currently sitting on record sales growth in the truck segments and I hope that continues throughout 2022, I am mindful of government’s need to temper inflation,” cautioned McMullan.

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18 FEATURE

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Plenty of bark left in Risto’s beloved Bulldog

It may be showing signs of wear and tear, but that’s all part of the charm of this classic ‘84 Mack R-Model.

BY DAVID VILE AS is often the case wherever big rigs gather at a show, convoy run or other public display, the historic trucks are always a popular drawcard with visitors checking out a wide range of vehicles that have travelled the highways in times past.

In many cases historic trucks are restored and overhauled to a high standard, but sometimes trucks are kept in ‘original’ condition and left as they were when their working days finished.

Such is the case of the 1984 Mack R-Model which was owned and operated by Ristovichis Orchards of Kyabram with the unrestored truck today showing its history and the scars of a long and industrious life.

The R-Model, with its distinctive paint scheme, was part of the line-up of trucks at the first Rutherglen Rumble which was held in north-eastern Victoria on Easter Sunday, with the truck having being bought up from its current home in Bendigo under the care of Mitch Seeley, on behalf of the current owner, Dean Ashworth.

The paint may have faded but the Mack still lives on.

For many years, the Macks owned by Jim Ristovichis were a regular sight on the highway, hauling fruit out of Kyabram and the Goulburn Valley in Victoria to the capital city fruit markets.

The iconic Ristovichis Magnum Super-Liner underwent a full restoration some years back and now resides in the MOVE transport museum in Shepparton while its ‘little brother’ R-Model is a regular on the show circuit, with Seeley giving a background to the truck since being acquired in the mid2000s.

“Dean bought the truck, a flat top trailer and Pantech trail-

The R-Model’s ‘big brother’ Super-Liner now resides in Shepparton after a full restoration.

er off Jim, with the intention to keep as it is rather than give it the full treatment overhauling it,” said Seeley.

It has had a few bits and pieces done on it, like a few repairs to the fuel tanks from being bashed around, and the chassis rails got painted but the rest is still original.”

Indeed, it is with the truck still running the original 350 horsepower Econodyne motor, complete with air-starter and 9-speed gearbox, whilst the interior has also been retained in ‘as-is’ condition.

The name on the door has faded, and the front of the truck is showing the scars from numerous stone chips and dings from back in the day when the Hume was just a two-lane stretch for the most part, but these all add to telling the truck’s story, which has a personal connection for Dean Ashworth.

“Over the years a lot of blokes have driven it, but this was the first semi that Dean drove, he took a load of fruit into Sydney so it kinda stuck to him, so he bought it in the mid2000s. It usually tows the fridge van which was also painted up in the same colours,” Seeley said.

The truck has been a regular attendee on the show circuit, around Victoria and further

Mitch Seeley with the battle-scarred and road-weary R-Model.

afield with Seeley giving it a regular workout to ensure the bark on the old bulldog stays sharp.

“If it doesn’t get driven for a while it gets a bit of dust on it, so we think ‘Ah we better get her out!’

“Jim Ristovichis drove it up to Alice Springs for the Hall of Fame Reunion and it has also done Crawling the Hume.

“It also gets back home to the Kyabram Mack Muster - It’s fairly well known about the place, probably not as wellknown as the Super-Liner, but a lot of people take a second look when they pass it and think, ‘Is that the one in the museum?” he said.

The R-Model is one of a

number of Macks owned by Dean Ashworth with an Ultra-Liner and a Value-Liner all working as part of his demolition business, and Seeley bought the Mack up to Rutherglen bobtail which made for a less than smooth trip: “It had a set of airlines on it but one of the other trucks had a mishap so they got pilfered off it for this.

“It usually doesn’t go anywhere without the trailer so we weren’t sure how it would go.

It rides shithouse without the trailer, she needs 40-tonne on it.”

Despite the rough ride, Seeley still enjoys getting behind the controls of the 38-year-old truck and reckons the truck

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“For a truck to just get in and drive its pretty good, its only got a 9-speed in it so it’s not bad, after all it is an old truck.

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20 FEATURE

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

No stopping 60-year logging industry veteran

Dave ‘Daisy’ Siddle, 76, has carted timber to the same sawmill for the past 60 years – and shows no signs of slowing down.

Dave ‘Daisy’ Siddle, with his wife Kath, during a special celebration ANC Forestry Group recently held to celebrate his 60-year milestone.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI ONE of nine brothers who, along with their father, were all involved in the log transport industry, Dave Siddle knows the roads that lead to the APM Mill at Maryvale, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, like the back of his hand. After all, he’s been going there ever since he was 17.

These days you’ll find him behind the wheel of a 2019 Kenworth T909 he drives for ANC Forestry Group, which runs a fleet of 37 log trucks in Victoria’s high country, from its base in Morwell. The truck has 400,000km on the clock now and Siddle says it’s a joy to drive.

“When I first started on the log trucks I didn’t have a

licence because I was only 17, so I had to have a licenced driver go out with me. I’ve been flat out ever since. We had 6ft billets when I started and we had to load ourselves back then. It was hard yakka.

Now you go out to the bush and there are machines and excavators. It’s a lot easier now or else I wouldn’t be still doing it at my age. I’m 76 but I don’t feel it, I’m pretty fit and still have a bit in me now,” said Siddle.

“My brothers had trucks and I ended up having three of my own in the 1980s too (an Acco and two Dodges) but there was a bloke who wanted to buy them, so I sold them.

I was with Aus Timber for 15 years before ANC bought their trucks.”

Managing director at ANC

The 2019 Kenworth T909 Siddle drives for ANC Forestry Group.

Forestry Daryl Hutton says he’s proud to have Siddle on his team, “He’s been with ANC for about eight years and has done all sorts of different runs with us over that time.

He used to do Victoria-wide but in the last few years stays more local, carting plantation pine,” he said.

“Daisy is like your dream employee, because he just comes to work every day and gets the job done. He’s been doing it for so long that he can foresee any issues, and he can drive any truck and trailer combination. He really is an inspiration to the younger generation too. Everybody that’s worked alongside him can take something out of what Daisy does and contributes, and the way he conducts himself. He’s a no bullshit employee that

The Siddle brothers Al, Stanley, Les, Ben, Ron, Ted, Daisy, Keith and Norm, with their father Matt, who were all involved in the logging industry.

doesn’t bring outside problems to work. Old school.”

While most people are generally warm and cosy in their bed, Siddle is already halfway through his day. Each morning, he’s up at 12.30am and by 2am, he’s at the yard and ready to go.

“I’ve been doing that for years. I make my lunch, have a coffee and leave home at about 1.20am. I come in and start at 2am every morning, do four loads every day and go home.

I love driving trucks and the people I work with. It’s the office staff too – I get on well with everyone,” Siddle said.

Born in Traralgon, Siddle now lives in Glengarry. Growing up, his father worked for Tyers Sawmill, where they would cut the timber into 6ft billets and cart four to five loads each day.

“My brothers and I all used to go with him, and on weekends he’d have us cutting wood with the axe. He’d take one of us in the truck at a time. I was mad on trucks,” Siddle fondly recalled.

“I went straight into the

Kath and Daisy Siddle now reside in Glengarry.

log trucks and my brothers were all the same, but two have passed away now. My oldest brother is 80 and still working. And my brother Les works for Aus Timber too, with a tipper of his own. He

Daisy Siddle in his younger years, with one of the three trucks he once owned.

has five vintage trucks too.”

After 60 years in the industry, Siddle has developed many great memories. “There have been some tremendous friendships developed – with the weighbridge blokes and the blokes that unload you too,” he said.

“I love doing it. It’s a job and it’s a good job. Sure, you go through hard times when you’re stuck in the mud but you just get over it and carry on. I’ve been doing this for so long, I know what the roads are like and how to tackle them.”

To celebrate Siddle’s 60year milestone, ANC held a special celebration. “We had a barbeque and a few beers, there was a beautiful cake and they gave me a jumper and a going out jacket. It was magic, it really was, it was an unreal evening,” he said.

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22 READER RIGS

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Reader Rigs proudly supported by

James Hewitt from Rainford Haulage sent in this shot of the Kenworth T409.

Another great shot from Filip Schubert, while making the most of a break on a changeover.

Share your truck pics to win with Shell Rimula

SHELL Rimula has partnered with Big Rigs in a big way – so now there’s even more reasons to send in your best truck shots.

Each month, the Big Rigs team will choose a #PicOfTheMonth, with the lucky winner receiving a $500 Shell Coles Express Gift Card.

Keep an eye out for our regular posts on the Big Rigs National Road Transport Newspaper Facebook page, calling

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

Don’t forget to include a brief note about the truck and where the photo was taken. We’ll feature some of the best photos in each edition of Big Rigs Newspaper, with one winner announced each month. Keep those amazing truck pics coming!

Russell Oppermann snapped this glorious sunrise shot “somewhere in the Cooper Basin”.

Bailey Perkins shared this snap after mastering his first 5.5 metre wide load at 21 years of age.

Dominic Germano snapped this beauty in the early hours of the morning in Tarcutta, NSW.

Mathew Moreland’s T610 SAR gets unloaded at AKD Softwoods in Colac.

Beau Arnold shared this snap, taken at Tanumbirini Station in the NT after unloading at McArthur River Mine.

READER RIGS 23

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

When the going gets tough, truckies keep everyone going

A ripper shot of this T900 Legend #44, snapped by Nobby Smith at the top of Murrurundi Hill, NSW.

Michael Howlett shared this snap, taken at dawn at the K&S depot in Truganina. “The morning sky was majestic!” he said.

Ryan King delivers bridge components to Narooma, NSW.

Robbie Bell and this Kenworth T909 load off a farm in Central NSW.

Stacy Olsen and this K200 enjoyed the Pilbara sunrise, while unloading “another million bucks worth of tyres”.

Sunrise at a new citrus farm in SA. Thanks for sharing Shane Wilkes.

Sam Angus enjoys the sunshine after loading grain just out of Roseworthy, SA.

24 SPY ON THE ROAD

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Small operators vent on the struggle to find drivers SPY ON THE ROAD WITH ALF WILSON

Driver shortage Many small fleet operators are having trouble getting suitable drivers – that is the information that is finding its way to Spy. Some of the reasons seem to be fatigue laws which result in heavy fines for menial breaches.

One example of this occurred at a far northern company where two younger drivers were given jobs.

Soon after starting employment both were breached by the cops and issued with $600 and $800 fines.

Spy was told these were for breaches which could be considered clerical mistakes which had no affect on their fatigue.

They had to pay up but then quit their jobs, figuring they would be better off finding something without stringent laws.

Now the boss is having trouble hiring drivers to replace them.

I also spoke to a Victorian small fleet operator who had a similar experience.

“I have two trucks sitting in the shed because I can’t get suitable drivers. The ones I have had recently don’t seem to want to work. All I want them to do is a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay,” he said in frustration.

Boss asked to pay up Another case involved an NT driver who was new to a company and was caught speeding and breached by road transport officers.

This lad went to see his boss demanding that he pay the hefty fine – his given reason being, “I was working for you when I was issued with the fine.”

Now we all know that drivers have to pay their own fines with exceptions being in very rare cases.

The boss had a swift answer, “I won’t be paying your fine as I didn’t have control over the incident as you were

The Ngumban Cliff Rest Area in WA offers great views.

driving and offended,” he said.

Back problems rampant Feedback from drivers around the country indicates that many suffer from back pain.

A 62-year-old with more than 30 years’ experience as a truckie hasn’t driven for months because of his serious back problem.

“I have lost some feeling in my legs and haven’t driven for a year. It frustrates me as I love the industry,” he said.

This quietly spoken owner-operator is receiving treatment from specialists in Melbourne and hopes to be back in the driver’s seat later in the year.

“Truck drivers tend to suffer back conditions from sitting in their seats for years and driving. It isn’t very pleasant,” he said.

Spectacular views In Western Australian there is a plane named ‘Ngumban Cliff’ which is a free camping area from which you can enjoy spectacular views.

Ngumban Cliff Rest Area is 97km south-east of Fitzroy Crossing.

Access is along a firm dirt road and whilst it’s suitable for most vehicle types, if you have a light truck, it is the safest option.

Parking up at the top of the cliff, you get a fabulous view and it has tables with undercover seating, toilets and a dump point.

Spy was sent a great pic taken from the rest area of a triple road train hauling six cars and another with tyres.

And several others transporting a variety of different loads.

Trucks driving along Tasmania’s Bass Highway.

WA Roadhouse The Roebuck Plains Roadhouse in WA has been receiving excellent praise from many truckies Spy has spoken to.

It is located 33 kilometres from Broome on the junction of the Great Northern Highway and Broome Road, and has a restaurant, a pub, showers, other facilities for trucks and parking.

I glean this type of feedback from truckies during random weekly interviews.

Last week I spoke to the roadhouse owner by phone and he told me that lots of trucks stop there weekly.

I posed the question to him about why the Roebuck Plain was so popular with truckies.

“We try and put ourselves in their driver’s seats to see what they want. We get them from all over the place and we will be upgrading our facilities as well soon,” the owner said.

He added that big steaks were a favourite with truck drivers.

“We get a lot of people coming out here from Broome as well,” he said.

A truck driver named Phil told Big Rigs that the food there was value for money and he enjoyed the atmosphere when stopping off.

The English accent of one of the female workers is of high interest to some of the drivers.

Skin cancer surprise You would think that the island state of Tasmania would have the least amount of skin cancer cases because it is located furthest away from the tropics.

I heard some drivers at a roadhouse eatery discussing the subject the other night.

Opinions differed with a couple suggesting Queensland won the “skin cancer stakes” hands down.

However two from the southern states claimed Tasmania was the winner when per capita of population is taken into account.

One of them said it was common knowledge that a hole in the ozone layer above the Apple Isle was the reason.

I am no scientist so wouldn’t have a clue but a well-known Tasmanian surgeon also told me that recently.

Eureka flag controversy The Eureka Flag, which has plenty of history, has been at the centre of controversy recently.

Unionists say it is “deeply offensive” that some construction workers have effectively been banned from displaying the Eureka flag at certain worksites around the country.

The Eureka flag is considered a union symbol under the federal building code.

Companies that tender for federally funded construction projects cannot allow the flag to be flown on work sites.

Unions say the ban is “ideological” and should be reversed.

I covered the Townsville Labour Day march and family day on May 2 and saw many Eureka flags being held by participants.

Amongst them was 74-year-old John Soper who drove many trucks during his 48 years of working for a power company, before a wellearned retirement.

The Septuagenarian still does the odd volunteer job driving a rig.

The Roebuck Plains Roadhouse in WA.

John Soper (left) and mate Kerry Kendall hold the Eureka Flag during Labour Day celebrations.

“I was proud to carry the Eureka flag and it is good to see so many here,” he said.

Soper has attended many Labour Day events but this was only the second time he didn’t march, instead watching from the side of The Strand with a mate.

Is fish the best dish?

With many truck drivers becoming more health conscious, some are telling Spy they try and eat a lot of fish these days.

It’s something to do with omega-3 oil in the fish being good for you.

Being a fish connoisseur, Spy has tasted fish at hundreds of establishments around the country. I tend to prefer fish cooked fresh rather than frozen fillets.

One of the best places I enjoyed fish was at a Beauty Point shop near the Tamar River banks in northern Tasmania.

As you ate your fish, sailing boats were cruising along nearby in the Tamar.

Recently I stopped off at the Calcium Roadhouse along the Flinders Highway, between Townsville and Charters Towers, and ordered a piece of fish.

To my delight it was Spanish Mackerel and not one of those frozen fillets of Hoki served up at places.

A while back Spy called on truckies to let us know of businesses they frequented where the biggest and best steaks could be purchased.

Hundreds responded. So if you have a fish nomination, please let us know.

Loyalty will pay off I heard a conversation between two Victorian truckies at a roadhouse recently and the subject was their passion for AFL footy.

One is a loyal North Melbourne Kangaroos supporter who never misses a game on television or radio when he is away working – despite the fact the Roos aren’t doing well and haven’t for some years.

His mate is an avid Melbourne Demons fan and offered some advice.

“I have followed the Demons for 40 years and watched them lose two grand finals by nearly 100 points but never lost faith. Then last year they won the premiership by a big margin. You should never give up on them and your loyalty will be rewarded at some stage, as team success goes in cycles,” he said.

State growth praise I’ve had calls from several Tasmanian drivers who are delighted that some sections of roads on the west coast have been repaired.

They even found it in their hearts to offer praise to State Growth for their part.

And these lads are usually amongst the first to sink the boot in about bad roads.

Big Rigs also played a part by asking drivers to snap pictures of such roads, which we published.

One of the roads is around the scenic little town of Tullah.

A positive outcome in this instance which makes driving safer.

Sunrise at Strahan in south west Tasmania.

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26 SPONSORED CONTENT AUCTIONS

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Late-model Kenworths added to EOFY auctions

WITH the transport industry still recovering from the effects of a supply chain hangover, Ritchie Bros. is encouraging sellers to bring their assets to market before the end of financial year.

“It’s the perfect time to clear any surplus assets and be prepared for the new financial year,” said Ritchie Bros. sales director Finlay Massey.

We have multiple opportunities to sell including the Australian National IronPlanet EOFY Auction on May 25 and the Australian National Unreserved EOFY Auction on June 22-23.

“Our Major Rigging Complete Dispersal on May 24 and the New Zealand National Auction on May 26 are also great opportunities to buy before the June 30 deadline.”

He’s encouraging buyers to skip long lead times for gear and register for these end of financial year auctions “Ritchie Bros. has a ready supply of late-model trucks available now and ready to be delivered.

“While there is a growing

lead time on Kenworth truck orders, the market appetite for good, late-model used equipment and machinery with low hours is reaching new heights with no sign of demand slowing down. This is a trend not just in Australia, but globally,” added Massey.

“We have just consigned three 2018-2019 Kenworth T909 6×4 with 2018-2019 Kennedy B-double Combinations to our upcoming National IronPlanet EOFY Auction on May 25.

“This is a great opportunity for buyers to get their hands on well-maintained Kenworth’s without the long wait times.

“Buyers are still looking at 12-month wait times for stock to arrive from dealers.

The drawcard for these three late model Kenworths will be the long lead time to buy new and the fact they will sell to the highest bidder on the day.

“The successful bidder will be able to pick up their Kenworth the very next day.”

Massey said these assets are in hot demand.

“There remains a very good

appetite for transport gear in 2022, with rising prices of new machinery and lengthy wait times “OEMs are predicted to see a gradual, steady improvement this year, however, are not expected to see production return to pre pandemic levels just yet while supply chain bottlenecks continue to slow production on new trucks and trailers.”

The National IronPlanet EOFY Auction (May 25) and the National Unreserved EOFY Auction on June 22-23 is set to maintain high demand across the transport sector.

“We already have 330 assets consigned to our auction in May, with more to be added daily,” said Massey.

He added that there are several reasons to buy and sell used equipment before the new financial year.

$150k Instant Asset WriteOff Scheme “The government’s increased and extended the Instant Asset Write Off (IAWO) from $30,000 to $150,000 has

The Ritchie Bros. EOFY auctions will feature items from across the transport, construction, mining and agricultural industries.

helped companies purchase new and used equipment and claim the entirety of the purchase (under $150,000) as a tax write-off in the current financial year,” said Massey.

“The instant asset write-off is one of the best tax breaks for many businesses offering a means to acquire capital assets and obtain an immediate tax deduction. We encourage buyers to register of our End

These 2019 and 2018 Kenworth T909 prime movers and Kennedy folding B-double trailers are among the high demand items to feature in the upcoming auctions.

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of Financial Year events and take advantage of the scheme if they haven’t already.”

Deferred payments for next financial year Ritchie Bros. offers several solutions for sellers ahead of the end of financial year including the option of deferring the cash payment of sales proceeds for your equipment, allowing an opportunity to both sell at the optimal time and receive the cash in the new financial year.

“With Ritchie Bros. you can separate your selling decision from your cashflow. With Australian grain in demand, deferred payment enables you to capitalise on market conditions and select the most suitable time for your business to receive proceeds.”

Record-high market demand Demand for used machinery is presenting businesses carrying surplus equipment with the opportunity to take advantage of high prices.

“Our online auctions in 2021 shattered records for bidder participation, as well as provided consistently strong buyer demand to push up selling prices,” said Massey.

“Our buyers have delivered a message to us: they want the safety and convenience of online bidding. We’re seeing surging online demand with web sessions up 52 per cent and bidder registrations up 85 per cent.

“Market demand is at a record high. Ritchie Bros. are breaking records across the board for all industries including transport, construction, agriculture and mining.

“At Ritchie Bros., our bidder registration numbers are reaching record-breaking heights, and our database of buyers is second-to-none.”

The auctions will include items from across the transport, construction, mining and agricultural industries.

They will be held exclusively online with those interested in bidding urged to register to bid on the day.

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28 DRIVER PROFILES

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckin’ In The Outback

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY WHERE TRANSPORT DOES BUSINESS

Shane Whenan DESPITE a family background in trucking, Shane Whenan’s mother always told him he should get a trade before becoming a truck driver – so that’s exactly what he did, though he stayed in that trade for a lot longer than he had originally planned.

Now based in the Barossa, Whenan, 50, worked as a panel beater for around 13 years before finally biting the bullet and getting his truck licence at the age of 30, and then upgrading to his MC 18 months later.

“My grandfather was a truck driver and had his own trucks, and a few of my uncles drove trucks as well. On the other side of the family, my grandfather and uncle worked in the mines – so I had that sort of thing all around me growing up,” said Whenan, who would often ride with his grandfather and uncles in the truck, as they did silo to silo work.

After joining the transport industry, Whenan held several different jobs, the longest of which was a 12-year

On each trip, Whenan stops to add to the sculptures – and other people have started adding to them too.

position with Booth Transport, hauling food grade tankers along the east coast, as well as into Perth.

These days, Whenan works for AJ & AJ Ailmore

Transport, which is based in Windsor, a town on the northern Adelaide Plains.

He’s been with the outfit for the past two and a half years.

“Now I travel anywhere and

Shane Whenan worked as a panel beater before starting his truck driving career 20 years ago.

I LOVE THE FREEDOM AND PREFER THIS OVER THE EAST COAST RUNS. IT’S A JOB WHERE YOU BASICALLY GET PAID TO SEE THE COUNTRYSIDE – AND I LOVE SEEING THE OUTBACK.” SHANE WHENAN

These trucks are part of the AJ & AJ Ailmore Transport, where Whenan has worked for around two and a half years.

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everywhere,” he said.

Whenan’s usual run is Adelaide to Moomba, carrying supplies for the gas and oil fields. “It’s about 980 kilometres each way, with around 370 kilometres of dirt along the Strzelecki

Track – I love travelling that way. It can take anywhere from 7-12 hours to do that section. You could be doing 25km/h to 40km/h, depending on the conditions,” Whenan explained.

“Sometimes my run gets extended into South West Queensland too. At the moment, I’m just coming back into Adelaide, on way back now from doing a run up to Uluru.

“I love the freedom and prefer this over the east coast runs. It’s a job where you basically get paid to see the countryside – and I love seeing the outback.

“The most challenging part of everyday is dealing with car drivers. Between

DRIVER PROFILES 29

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

Truckin’ In The Outback

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY WHERE TRANSPORT DOES BUSINESS

Whenan arranges various pieces he finds into “broken art”.

Adelaide to Port Augusta has gotten pretty bad. Everyone always seems to be in a hurry, and there are some drivers who are a bit impatient and take too many risks.”

About a year ago, Whenan decided to create his own “mental health break point”

on a spot along the Strzelecki Track – and now it is gaining momentum.

“I started building it in April 2021. I have battled with depression and anxiety for a very long time and this day was a bad one. I sat there for about an hour

just looking at the countryside. I noticed a few broken truck brake parts nearby so I decided to arrange them into some kind of ‘broken art’, a bit like my life. Now on each trip I pick up bits and pieces that have fallen off trucks or cars and add

Whenan says his dog Chico is his best friend.

Just over a year ago, Whenan decided to create his own mental health spot on the side of the Strzelecki Track, where he has shaped broken-off truck and car parts into sculptures.

them to it. Other people have started adding to it as well. I often sit and think at this spot about my life and it helps me get through,” he explained.

Over his past 20 years in the job, Whenan has also helped numerous others get their start in trucking. “It took a while for me to get into the industry at first, because I didn’t have the expe-

rience. I drove part time at first, then got a full time job and went up to my MC six months later. There weren’t as many opportunities back then as what there are now,” he said.

“It’s a job I highly recommend people get into. I don’t think there’s enough being done to get more people into this industry. I know there’s been a lot of talk about a

truck driving apprenticeship, so it would be good to see more happening around that.

“But when the NHVR is dishing out massive fines, where you can lose a whole week’s wage for something very minor, it makes it hard to get more young people in. This is the only industry where you’re penalised for doing overtime.”

30 DRIVER PROFILES

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Truckin’ In The Tropics Gavin Little

with Alf Wilson

Rod Whelan

Rod Whelan with his Kenworth T904 in the background.

Gavin Little drives for the Townsville City Council.

LONG time driver Gavin Little was amongst scores of truckies who took part in Labour Day celebrations at Townsville.

The events that were to be held during the previous two years had to be cancelled due to Covid-19.

Little was amongst more than 1000 who marched at

9.30am from Strand Park along the Esplanade before returning for a family day.

An estimated 900 were there including Little, who drives trucks for the Townsville City Council.

Twelve unions were represented on the day and Little was there as part of the large CFMEU contingent.

“It is great to be part of this and good to see so many here,” Little told Big Rigs.

Similar marches were held in Cairns, Brisbane, Mackay, Rockhampton, Ipswich, Toowoomba, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

Labour Day, or May Day as it also called, was a public holiday in Queensland.

AS I spoke to several truckies at the parking area of the BP Cluden Roadhouse on Townsville’s outskirts, another driver Rod Whelan came along.

Whelan, 48, was delighted to have a yarn to Big Rigs in a comfortable temperature of 24 degrees at about 5.30pm in the afternoon.

“I have come up from Sydney to Townsville with a load of paper,” Whelan said.

Based at Maffra in Vic-

toria, Whelan drives a Kenworth T904 and is a proud owner-operator of his company, Whelan’s Express.

Whelan was going to pick up a backload of cotton at Emerald bound for Brisbane.

“I have been driving trucks since I was aged 18 and can’t see that changing,” he said.

The Gregory Development Road between Charters Towers and Clermont is the one which Whelan finds difficult to negotiate. “The

road shoulders are very bad in many places,” he said.

I snapped a few pics and then Whelan started walking over from the roadhouse parking area to the shopping centre a few hundred metres away.

Maffra is about 220km east of Melbourne and relies mainly on dairy farming and other agriculture, and is the site of one of Murray-Goulburn Cooperative’s eight processing plants in Victoria.

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DRIVER PROFILES 31

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

Truckin’ In The Tropics Paul Lake PAUL Lake, 50, is a third-generation operator whose grandfather Percy Lake and father Pat were pioneers of the road transport industry in the Alice Springs to Darwin region.

“Dad was solo driving at 13 or 14 from Alice to Darwin, a trip that could take up to 10 days and if he was late back to the Alice, look out! That was in the late 40s to early 60s and Grandad was a co-founder of Co-Ord Transport which was started when small operators got together to take on the bigger companies that were coming up North,” explained Lake.

He is proud of his family connection and that he has been able to continue and follow them.

“Now we have a fourth generation driving and operating. I’m very proud of my nephews as well,” he said.

I get to meet some genuine and likeable characters when I randomly ask truckies from around the country if I can snap their pic and tell their story in Big Rigs.

One of these is undoubtedly Lake who I saw hooking up trailers at the Truck Staging Area near the gateway to Townsville Port recently.

Based in Mount Isa, Lake works for the Ostojic Group and was driving a 2001 Mack Titan and pulling four trailers.

“I carry minerals including zinc and coal between Mount Isa and Townsville. I have been a truckie on and off for at least 15 of the last 30 years and really like life on the road,” he said.

Lake has also worked on outback stations and told me that was where he gained his nickname “Possum”.

That tantalised my curiosity buds, prompting me to ask how it came about.

“Some years ago I worked on a cattle station near Katherine. The head stockman couldn’t remember my name, so every time he sent someone to get me to help run the horses in or go fix fences he would tell the other stockmen, “Take that Possum-eyed fella with you,” Lake said.

His quad road train is 53m in length and ensures drivers have to be skilful and careful at all times.

So which is the worst road he gets to travel along? I told him many drivers claim it is the section of the Flinders Highway between Hughenden and Julia Creek.

The busy Flinders connects the coast with Mount Isa and the outback towns in between.

“Actually they are fixing that up and I would have to say it is the Gregory Development Road between Clermont and Charters Towers but I have travelled on roads that make both look good!” he said.

His favourite roadhouse is at Dunmurra in the Northern Territory which he said looks after truckies.

Outside work Lake follows the NRL and rival AFL. “I barrack for the St George Dragons in the NRL and the Sydney Swans in the AFL,” he said.

I asked Lake what the main issues he considers will be of interest to truckies in the Federal election.

“There are too many to list but the main problem is the bloody politicians,” he said.

On the subject of his love of being employed in the road transport industry, Lake produces a verbatim quote which I will continue to reflect on.

“If you love what you are doing you will never work a day,” he said in conclusion.

with Alf Wilson

Paul Lake is a third-generation truckie, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

32 SPONSORED CONTENT DRIVELINES

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Back on the road in a flash

FOR almost 40 years, GJ Drivelines has specialised in the repair and manufacture of tail shafts for heavy vehicles, cars and industrial needs.

Started in Keysborough, Victoria, in 1983 by Gary Sadler, the business is now in its second generation, run by his son and current director Matt Sadler. It also now has a second location in Somerton, in Melbourne’s north, which was opened in 2021 and specialises in heavy vehicles.

“My father started the business after the tail shaft company he was working for closed down. That company manufactured brand new tail shafts for Kenworths and many of the other large Australian truck manufacturers.

He bought some equipment from them and started doing it himself. He got a contract with the Australian Army, which we still have today, and business just grew from there,” explained Matt.

“We opened our second branch to specialise in the heavy vehicle side of it. We chose Somerton because we wanted to cover both sides of Melbourne.”

THE SOMERTON BRANCH OFFERS A DRIVEIN DRIVE-OUT SERVICE FOR TRUCKS. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU CAN DRIVE YOUR TRUCK IN THERE, THE BOYS WILL REMOVE THE TAIL SHAFT, REBUILD IT, BALANCE IT AND PUT IT BACK IN THE TRUCK ALL IN THE SAME DAY, SO THERE’S ONLY MINIMAL DOWNTIME.”

MATT SADLER

Now 37 years old, Matt joined the family business in 2001, at a young age. “I left school when I was 16 and started working for Dad. I’m a fitter and turner by trade, then I also did night school and got a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering.”

GJ Drivelines is a true family business in every sense of the word. Though Gary retired six years ago, Matt says he’s still there to offer advice, adding that his mother is part of the busi-

GJ Drivelines opened its second branch in Somerton last year.

The company specialises in the repair and manufacture of tail shafts.

GJ Drivelines employs eight technicians across its two branches.

ness too, working as a bookkeeper.

Along with providing its customers with exceptional quality and service, key to GJ Drivelines’ offering is its fast turnaround time, which ensures trucks are back on the road as soon as possible.

“The Somerton branch offers a drive-in drive-out service for trucks. What that means is that you can drive your truck in there, the boys will remove the tail shaft, rebuild it, balance it and put it back in the truck all in the same day, so there’s only

minimal downtime – our truckie customers love it!” added Matt. “We also have a Schenck digital balancing machine, so we use the best balancing equipment available.”

While Somerton specialises in heavy vehicles, Keysborough now specialises in performance vehicles, with tail shafts manufactured out of aluminium and carbon fibre. “We’re the only ones doing that in Australia.”

GJ Drivelines employs eight technicians across its two branches, with Matt working alongside them to get the job done.

“All of our technicians are

fully qualified tradesmen.

We have mechanics, diesel mechanics, fitters and turners, and auto electricians, so GJ Drivelines covers a broad range of trades and skills,” said Matt.

“The owners of the business are also in the workshop, physically working alongside our staff to do the job. We offer the fastest turnaround times compared to any other driveline business in Victoria – and Australia. Carrying all the parts in stock means we can offer same day service, which is especially important when your truck is your workplace. We understand that time off the road costs you money.”

GJ Drivelines Somerton HEAVY VEHICLE, INDUSTRIAL AND AUTOMOTIVE TAILSHAFT SPECIALIST • Tailshaft repairs and manufacturing • Digital balancing • Huge range in stock • Same day turnaround • Drive in drive out service available (03) 9305 7261 sales@gjdrivelines2.com www.gjdrivelines.com.au 794 Cooper St Somerton, Victoria 3062

SPONSORED CONTENT 33

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

The first experts to call for all your property needs

Dugan & Co’s sales manager Neal Orpin.

Dugan & Co’s principal Paul Dugan.

DUGAN & CO Property is Brisbane’s dynamic independent commercial, industrial and retail real estate agency, committed to providing personalised expert service to realise your strategic business objectives.

Our defining objective is to understand your needs

and specific goals to enable us to add value and exceed expectations not only in dollar value, but also through service leadership and a strategic partnership with our clients.

Dugan & Co Property’s principal Paul Dugan identified a niche market for

Dugan & Co Property can provide a more sophisticated, tailored and personalised proposition to its clients.

clients seeking a more sophisticated, tailored and personalised proposition rarely available through the larger companies. His success will only be realised by offering a boutique agency that ex-

Paul Dugan has actively worked across every industrial precinct of south-east Queensland.

ceeds clients’ expectations.

Paul is smart, amicable, knows the property market inside out and oversees and mentors the entire Dugan & Co team to ensure superior service that’s designed

to deliver results.

He is also passionate about collaborating with business owners and investors – and he thrives on maximising the results of their property transactions.

Paul has actively worked across every industrial precinct of south-east Queensland, selling or leasing properties from Caboolture in the north, to Tweed Heads in the south, Capalaba in the east and Ipswich in the west.

Paul’s enthusiasm and extensive experience is coupled with a commitment to develop client relationships built on engagement, honesty, trust, and a genuine desire to generate positive outcomes.

Dugan & Co’s sales manager Neal Orpin is a commercial property professional with expertise in business development, property planning and operational performance.

Orpin’s many years of business experience in the retail design and construct space provides a strong foundation for commercial property sales and leasing.

He is committed to the highest levels of client ser-

OUR DEFINING OBJECTIVE IS TO UNDERSTAND YOUR NEEDS AND SPECIFIC GOALS TO ENABLE US TO ADD VALUE AND EXCEED EXPECTATIONS NOT ONLY IN DOLLAR VALUE, BUT ALSO THROUGH SERVICE LEADERSHIP AND A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CLIENTS.” vice, ensuring positive financial outcomes.

Providing a world class service to his clients is his top priority, delivering honest and truthful feedback rather than advising the client what they would like to hear.

The team at Dugan & Co Property have multiple design and construct property solutions for sale and/ or lease. Warehousing, logistics, hardstand and cold store facilities are available now.

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34 SPONSORED CONTENT WHEELS

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

JJ’s Waste leads the way with lowered tare mass 8.25” hub piloted wheel is 18kg vs an equivalent steel wheel at 40kg.

With larger payloads due to the weight savings, trips – and therefore fuel emissions – are reduced.

Aluminium does not rust like steel so it costs less to maintain Alcoa wheels are more resistant to corrosion that can build up on wheels, and there is no need to spend money refurbishing or repainting tired looking wheels.

Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels don’t even need to be polished – the proprietary surface treatment allows them to be cleaned with just soap and water, reducing lifetime maintenance costs significantly without losing the Alcoa wheel’s well-known durability and strength.

Aluminium conducts heat better than steel So it helps keep brakes cooler and can extend their life.

When a refuse truck stopsand-goes 600 to 800 times a day, often in already high Australian temperatures, the benefit of aluminium giving up heat faster means heat is dissipated away from the brakes – thus keeping them from wearing out.

Heading toward the future with more innovations, JJ’s Waste are continually looking at ways to provide customers with the latest in waste management technology, with reliability, safety and environmental benefits at the forefront.

Trials are currently underway of their first electric vehicle and later this year they will commence trials of Australia’s first-ever hydrogen fuelled garbage truck.

Its fleet is also used to collect solid, hazardous and liquid waste from over 110,000 commercial customers. This road train set-up was heading down the Barkly Highway.

NO strangers to innovation, JJ’s Waste & Recycling are known for leading the way when it comes to providing total waste management solutions across their extensive range of commercial and domestic services – with operations throughout every state and territory in Australia, as well as in New Zealand and USA. The company, then known as J.J. Richards and Sons Pty Ltd, had humble beginnings in 1932, when Joseph John Richards won his first refuse and sanitary kerbside collection contract in Murwillumbah Shire.

Many innovations have been introduced by the company in its 90-year history including the very first side-loading waste collection vehicle which would lead to the automated SOLO truck, designed to collect standard 240L bins while the driver

remained in the vehicle, revolutionising domestic collections in Australia.

The innovations continued when they introduced the first split recycling vehicle in the 1990s, and then in 2003 commenced a joint venture with Veolia for the development of the Ti-Tree Bio-Reactor Landfill. This was the first of its kind in Australia.

Their commitment to providing the latest in waste management technology – with reliability, safety and environmental benefits at the forefront – JJ’s Waste partnered in 2016 with Volvo to develop the first dual-control Euro VI side load waste collection vehicle in Australasia.

There are over 200 Euro VI Volvos operating in the fleet today.

The JJ’s Waste fleet of 1800 vehicles works hard to perform a variety of solid,

hazardous and liquid waste collection services for over 110,000 commercial customers and performs 2.5 million domestic garbage, recycling and organics collections services per week under contract for 56 local authorities.

With hard working equipment comes a need for durable and reliable vehicle components.

JJ’s Waste took another giant leap for the waste removal industry when they decided to switch their entire fleet over from steel wheels to aluminium.

The company’s fleet team is dedicated to sourcing the best in vehicles and components, which is why they made the decision to specify Alcoa wheels.

“We wanted a wheel that was a reputable brand with proven quality as wheels are such a critical item, you can-

not chance unknown brands or cheap quality,” said national fleet manager Owen Burton.

The rewards have been worthwhile too, according to Owen. “We found a reduction in vehicle tare mass, as well as better presentation for the vehicles. Most importantly, we found we could rely on Alcoa wheels to do what they were designed to do.”

Aluminium wheels have long been known to have a number of benefits over steel, such as: Aluminium is much lighter than steel So it can help reduce fuel costs and increase payload gains by reducing the weight of the truck.

The lighter the truck, the more cargo it can legally carry. The weight of an Alcoa forged aluminium 22.5” x

The JJ’s Waste fleet is made up of 1800 vehicles. Photos: @K.Shepherd_Photography

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36 SPONSORED CONTENT

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Natrad HDS ADFUSE radiator special offers

WHY is June the best time to upgrade your truck radiator at your nearest Natrad Heavy Duty Specialist (HDS) workshop? We can think of two very good reasons.

Offer #1 Customers who purchase an Adrad ADFUSE radiator from Natrad HDS during June will receive a Bonus $100 Gift Card. That’s a nice reward for upgrading to a stronger radiator with exceptional durability that helps to maximise its service life.

The ADFUSE construction process uses sophisticated robotic welding technology to individually fuse each tube to the header, producing a much stronger bond than traditional solder. Some radiator cores contain over 500 tubes with every tube welded at both ends. This means a single ADFUSE core can contain over 1000 individual welds.

ADFUSE cores are available to suit all types of trucks.

They come in 5/8” and Ultra-T configurations, providing maximum strength and durability in applications

THE ADFUSE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS USES SOPHISTICATED ROBOTIC WELDING TECHNOLOGY TO INDIVIDUALLY FUSE EACH TUBE TO THE HEADER, PRODUCING A MUCH STRONGER BOND THAN TRADITIONAL SOLDER.” ing cooling is needed.

This is the ideal long-lasting, high-performance radiator for hard working engines in on-highway applications.

Thousands of trucks across Australia have benefitted from upgrading to an ADFUSE radiator.

Reconditioned by Natrad HDS, this Kenworth radiator has been fitted with a new Adrad ADFUSE core for improved strength and durability.

where high temperatures, stress and vibration occur.

Ultra-T is a heavy-duty radiator design featuring close tube-row-pitch for a higher

concentration of tubes. A greater number of tubes in the radiator core promotes greater cooling ability in applications that involve space

restrictions. Paired with the durability of ADFUSE, the combination delivers unbeatable performance, durability and strength where demand-

Offer #2 Natrad HDS are also running a special Kenworth Offer during June. Drop off your old radiator which will be stripped down to have the tanks cleaned and repainted.

A brand new Adrad ADFUSE KEN880-MAF core will be fitted along with new

gaskets and all new fasteners.

The completed unit will be pressure tested and painted – ready to install for just $5499. And yes, you do get a $100 gift card as well!

The special price Natrad HDS Kenworth Offer is only available for June on radiator reconditioning jobs using the Adrad KEN880MAF core. This radiator core will suit Kenworth models including T408, T409, T408SAR, T409SAR, T950 and T610SAR. Buy now – Pay later If this sounds like a really sweet deal but you’re a bit low on cash right now – don’t despair. Payment plans are available using Openpay so you can buy now and pay later. Ask for details at your local Natrad HDS. So what are you waiting for? Contact your nearest Natrad Heavy Duty Specialist to upgrade your old radiator to a new Adrad ADFUSE core in June and claim your Bonus $100 gift card.

Visit natradhds.com.au or call Natrad HDS on 1800 HDS RAD (1800 437 723).

RT ERTON

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH contributors@bigrigs.com.au

TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE

COLUMN 37

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

Transport workers must be allowed a seat at the table EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

TWU NEWS

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

CURRENTLY for owner-drivers the costs of doing the job are continuing to outweigh the benefit of doing the job.

Fuel costs continue to increase, Transurban toll road costs are increasing, insurances are up and expenses are even higher.

Sadly, transport businesses, owner-drivers are going under, unable to break even.

The TWU continue to seek legislative support for safe rates for transport workers so they can get a proper rate of pay, paid on time, that secures owner-drivers a living, not just enough to scrape by.

Fuel relief from the federal government is a farce.

The sheer stupidity of the knocking out of tax rebates for fuel in the federal budget means that there is almost

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

THE TWU HAVE SAID BEFORE AND WILL SAY AGAIN ANY FUEL LEGAL RELIEFEAGLE MUST PUT MONEY ROWAN KING DIRECTLY INTO Principal Lawyer RK Law TRUCK DRIVERS’ POCKETS TO AVOID SENDING OWNER DRIVERS.” RICHARD OLSEN

zero benefit for drivers, yet the Prime Minister and his Transport Minister remain silent on the issue.

The TWU notes that 11 transport organisations, including the Australian Trucking Association, have demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister “to work out a solution to the ‘unintended consequences’ caused by the effective abolition of the fuel tax credit.”

The TWU previously wrote to the Prime Minister seeking immediate financial support from the federal government to truck drivers to combat rising fuel prices.

As yet Scott Morrison has

The sheer stupidity of the knocking out of tax rebates for fuel in the federal budget means that there is almost zero benefit for drivers.

yet to acknowledge, let alone act on, transport workers very legitimate concerns. The TWU have said before and will say again any fuel relief must put money directly into truck drivers’ pockets to avoid sending owner drivers broke or increasing deadly truck crashes on our roads.

The Transport Workers’ Union have successfully filed a claim in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission for an increase to the rates paid un-

der the General Carriers Contract Determination in NSW. This order from the IRC provides some relief to owner-drivers in terms of their cost recovery for doing the job of carrying freight for their clients.

The problem we all face is that Scott Morrison’s government has had 10 years to respond to the transport industry’s problems.

Ten years where owner-drivers and small fleet op-

erators have struggled on razor thin margins as a result of low-cost transport contracts demanded by wealthy supermarkets, retailers, manufacturers and oil companies at the top of supply chains. Ten years where transport workers voice has been ignored.

The PM and his ministers must consult with the whole industry, not just big business or the employers.

The TWU who is the only organisation who represents

workers, including owner drivers are seeking a place at the table for their members.

Transport workers are industry experts – they’re the ones who know how to work safely and whose voices should be leading the response.

Transport workers need a seat at the table to make sure decisions by politicians won’t make your challenging jobs even more difficult. The survival of the supply chain depends on it.

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38 COLUMN

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Working to attract more people into the industry

COST CUTTER CHET CLINE

AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH

AIR CTI founder/owner

contributors@bigrigs.com.au

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT TRANSPORT WOMEN IN JACQUELENE BROTHERTON JACQUELENE BROTHERTON Chair of Transport WomenWomen Australia Chair of Transport

Australia

WELL, the election is over, and the Transport Women Australia Limited Conference is almost here. The first one will have an impact on our lives for the next few years, be it positive or negative but our aim is for the conference to have a positive effect, not for the weekend but THEonly OZ TRUCKER for the future, both personally MIKE WILLIAMS contributors@bigrigs.com.au and professionally.

As you know from my last few columns, we have an amazing line-up of speakers and sponsors, and we are incredibly grateful to them for giving up their time and money to support the association and our cause. We will be highlighting our collaborations with Inspire the Future – Australia, Training Services NSW and Import Export TV. What we won’t show LOBBYIST at the STEVEconference SHEARERis the amazing SA Road Transport we Association programme have just joined Executive Director in Victoria, with Inspired By You, which has been started by the incredible Manvinder

WE HAVE BEEN ATTENDING MANY SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES IN NSW EDITOR TO BRING THE MESSAGE JAMES GRAHAM OF THE TRANSPORT AND james.graham@bigrigs.com.au LOGISTICS INDUSTRY CAREERS INTO THE MINDS OF STUDENTS AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO THINK ABOUT A CAREER IN OUR INDUSTRY.” JACQUELENE BROTHERTON TWU NEWS RICHARD OLSEN

Randhawa and is a programme that is taken into schools to encourage young women to gain confidence and look to building a career where they will be independent and less vulnerable to domestic violence and other repressions.

This is done through successful career women spending time telling stories about their career journey from school through to the present day. They’ll talk about how they got there, how your career journey is not necessarily a straight line, and that we learn from everything we do. The first two sessions have

TWU NSW State Secretary

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

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

LEGAL EAGLE ROWAN KING

Principal Lawyer RK Law

Left to right: Kara Britt, Sagarika Bhatnagar, Simone Reinertsen, Manvinder Randhawa, Michelle Rowland and Monika Bhatia.

been extremely successful, and we are super excited about the programme going forward.

We have been attending many schools and colleges in NSW to bring the message of the transport and logistics industry careers into the minds of students and to encourage them to think about a career in our industry. We need to concentrate on bringing this message to people at a young-

er age if we are going to fill the worker gap that we keep hearing about.

We would be foolish however to concentrate solely on women and girls to fill this gap, we need to continue look further afield to capture workers from our migrant and refugee population, and for those looking for career change after redundancies.

We also need to look where

we can welcome those with disabilities – and how we can adapt to make this possible. Transport Women Australia Limited will be working on this post conference.

For anyone wishing to attend the conference, registration closes on May 27 at 5pm. Bookings can be made at trybooking. com/BNXOP. For further information or queries, please email chair@transportwomen.com.au

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The conference will b w held at the Hyatt Place Essendon Fields. It will be opened on June 3 by the Hon. Roma Britten MP and closes on Sunday June 5. We are so excited to welcome David Coleman, ‘The Dating Doctor’, for his first Australian appearance, albeit via Zoom, and we also have some surprises in store at a Saturday night dinner. We hope to see you there.

COLUMN 39

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

You deserve to be celebrated ATA CHAIR DAVID SMITH Australian Trucking Association

I’M not one of those people who likes to brag about my achievements, and I know

many of us in the trucking industry are exactly the same.

However, one of the risks of this aversion to the spotlight is that good work is rarely recognised. And that’s why it was terrific to celebrate trucking’s best and brightest at the National Trucking Industry Awards at the Trucking Australia 22 conference recently.

The awards bring our attention to the people who go over

A proud Darren Nolan accepts the Don Watson Memorial Award from Noelene Watson.

and above every day to ensure the industry keeps delivering for Australia.

For example, take Darren Nolan who won the Don Watson Memorial Award. Darren has worked in his family’s 110-year-old business, Nolan’s Interstate Transport for more than 25 years.

He’s passionate about the trucking industry as a career and says there’s a role for everyone, from driving through to IT, administration and mechanical. Darren was also on the TruckSafe board and spent a lot of time assisting industry associations and government departments. He is clearly a shining example of someone who lives and breathes trucking.

In typical humble fashion, Darren will tell you that his award belongs to his family and the staff who are such a big part of the Nolan’s business.

Another excellent example of a trucking quiet achiever is the winner of the Outstanding Contribution to the Trucking Industry award, Phillip Hodges.

Phillip is a renowned and respected transport industry veteran and founder of Transport Certification Services.

With over 50 years of experience, Phillip is a stalwart of the Australian Trucking Industry.

Phill is an advocate for diversity of thought, experience,

Bethany Magill thanks delegates for the TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award on behalf of her parents Alan and Rachael Magill and all the team at Magill Transport, Parkes.

and opinion and regularly encourages collaborative discussions and problem.

The National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year is Leanne Dyer from On the Pads and is a Social Media Administrator and advocate for multiple online transport forums.

She can be found online almost 24/7 in some situations, specifically in times of flood, fire or major accidents.

The awards really highlighted the fact that some people have dedicated their adult lives to the trucking industry. Take National Professional Driver of the Year, Denis Thompson.

Dennis has been in the business for 46 years.

Denis was recognised as an outstanding driver and was inducted into the hall of fame in Alice Springs 2011 for his outstanding service to the truck industry.

Congratulations should go to National Training Excellence Award winners, Followmont Transport, who’ve been operating since 1984, where they delivered magazines out of a small office in Stones Corner, Brisbane. Now, they’re the state’s largest family-owned transport company and the preferred Queensland carrier with 850-

plus staff, 1,000-plus vehicles, 19 company-owned regional depots, and a network of local contractors.

The winner of the TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award, A & R Magill Pty Ltd, has demonstrated a constant commitment to safety and compliance. This Parkes-based company is the embodiment of how a trucking company puts the safety of its staff and the public front and centre.

Congratulations to these winners. I hope you’ll forgive me shining the spotlight on you in this column, but you deserve to be celebrated.

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M E L B O U R N E C O N V E N T I O N & E H X H I B I T I O N C E N T R E

40 PUZZLES PUZZLES 40 2

3

4

5

ACROSS 1 If you are a collector of Clarice Cliff, what do you collect?

(7) 4 What Latin American dance is performed by several people in single file? (5) 7 What are lengthwise threads on a loom? (4) 8 What is the capital of Liberia? (8) 10 In 1982, who made the first televised 147 break in snooker?

(5,5) Across Which inventor (Thomas ____) took out more than a 4 12 What is a short caudal appendage (7) thousand patents in his lifetime? (6) 8 13 What might a cattle farmer (7) (6) What is thewe lastcall word of “Rule Britannia”?

The is Misfits in 1961 wasfrom the last starring Marilyn 9 15 What a word formed thefilm initial letters of Monroe and which other actor? (5,5) other words (7) and South America, a tamandua is 18 Native to Central type of animal?

10 what Which king of Israel(8)was famous for his wisdom (7) What cloth is spread over a coffin? (4) 11 19 Name a kitchen sideboard (7)“a very long time”? (5) 20 What is an informal word for 12 21 Which carries the symbol XC (6) Whatnumber disease is also known as lockjaw?

(7)

6

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 7

8

9

4

5

6

7 11

12

13

9

14

15 17

11

18

20

16

19

21

13

14

SUDOKU

15

16

17

Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 18 19 1 to 9. box contains the digits

QUICK 20

21

1

2

14 Warsaw is the capital of which European republic (6) 18 Name a seaport in south-western England (7) racecourse (5) 21 Which prehensile-tailed marsupial feigns death when caught (7) 22 To be more eccentric, is to be what (7) 23 Which term relates to the nature of fire (7) DOUBLECROSS CROSSWORD 24 When one restrains, one does what (5,2) 3

6

11

14

15

18

1

21

23

2

22

4

5 24

8

Down 1. Jail (8) 2. Initially (5) 4. Paddle (3) 5. Abstinence (5,7) 6. Dare (7) 7. Informant (colloq) (4) 8. Feeling, atmosphere (12) 12. Happen (5) 13. Leans (8) 15. Free time (7) 19. Punctuation mark (5) 20. Competent (4) 22. Low (3)

Across 1. Uncertain (colloq) (4) 3. Absolved (8) 9. Associate (7) 10. From inside (5) 11. Over time (2,3,4,3) 14. Night bird (3) 16. Succulent plants (5) 17. Immeasurable period of time (3) 18. Arranged by rank (12) 21. Violent person (5) 22. Tearfully sentimental (7) 23. Poll (8) 24. Colony insects (4)

9

13

HARD

3

12

14

15 5x5

23 24

TODAY: Good 13 Very Good 18 Excellent 24

7

amir amrita aria arum atria atrium attar aura auric carat cart Across: 1 Spot,tart 5 Acrid, cram curt marc maria mart raita rata rimu tarmac tiara 8 Talons, 9 Adit, 10 Ice, 12 Cinder, 13 Tremor, 15 Helped, Parted, 20 Ape, 21 Sign, 23 Exudes, 24 Lotus, 25 Mete. tract trait tram trauma TRAUMATIC18 trim

QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 1. Iffy 3. Forgiven 9. Partner 10. Inner 11. In the long run 14. Owl 16.

Cacti 17. Eon 18. Hierarchical 21. Brute 22. Maudlin 23. Election 24. Ants.

Down: 1. Imprison 2. First 4. Oar 5. Going without 6. Venture 7. Nark 8.

Undercurrent 12. Occur 13. Inclines 15. Leisure 19. Colon 20. Able 22. Moo.

C O H E R E S

A C N S P I N R E L D S X U M

P R I D E

R A I D

I D E C E E R D E D E G N E S T E

HARD

DOUBLECROSS

S P O T T A L O A D I T V R T R E M E P A R T A P E S I L O T U

GK CROSSWORD Across; 1 Pottery, 4 Conga, 7 Warp, 8 Monrovia, 10 Steve Davis, 12 Edison, 13 Slaves, 15 Clark Gable, 18 Anteater, 19 Pall, 20 Yonks, 21 Tetanus.

Down: 1 Pawns, 2 Turmeric, 3 Yeoman, 4 Cardiology, 5 Nova, 6 Amadeus, 9 New Orleans, 11 Eva Braun, 12 Estuary, 14 Argent, 16 Ellis, 17 Eton.

U T

M I

19

Across 1 Blemish 5 Bitterly pungent 8 Hooked claws 9 Mine entrance 10 Frozen formation 12 Burnt-out coal 10 11 13 Vibration 15 Assisted ALPHAGRAMS 18 Separated Solve the anagrams. Each solution a one-word 20 isMonkey anagram of the letters beside it, and the five solutions 21 Token are sequential. For example, if the five-letter solution 23starts Oozes outK, and so starts with J, the six-letter solution with on.

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Sticks together 14 Harvest S A E 16 Company of lions R E 17 Thick 25 18 Liquids container© All puzzles T S S The Puzzle Company 19 Repose 21 Result of addition 22 Obtain

6

Down: 1 Start, 2 Pad, 3 Olive, 4 Tot, 5 Aspired, 6 Raid, 7 Deer, 11 Cede, 12 Coheres, 14 Reap, 16 Pride, 17 Dense, 18 Pail, 19 Rest, 21 Sum, 22 Get.

ALPHAGRAMS: LEASE, MYRIAD, NEARING, ORGANIST, PATRONESS.

R

R E E D S

C A

A T

E G R E T

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter. There is at least one nine-letter word.

No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb.

20

G E A R S

WORD GO ROUND

18

SUDOKU N I T R E

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

20

SOLUTIONS

EASY

Find a finished crossword by deleting one of the two letters in each divided square.

19

A S S E T

SUDOKU

EASY

7

1 Name a city in the10Melbourne metropolitan area (7) 2 What do we call one’s father’s brother (5) 3 What is an apothecary (7) 4 Which 12 spirit is distilled from the fermented juice of grapes (6) 13 5 Name a large flat-bottomed boat (5) 17 (7) 616 What is loss of memory called

22

24

5

8 Down 9

23

4

MOORE

QUICK CROSSWORD

3

6/6

SOLUTION

10 2

DOWN 1 Which chess pieces are most numerous? (5) 2 What bright yellow powder is used for flavouring in Asian cookery? (7) 3 In early England, what was a small landholder between gentry and labourers? (6) 4 What branch of medicine is concerned with diseases and abnormalities of the heart? (10) 5 A star that suddenly brightens then gradually fades is called what? (4) 7 Name a small arboreal mammal, allied to the 6 Which film, 1984’s Best Picture Oscar winner, was monkey (5) filmed in Prague?

(7) 9 13 Where was Louis Armstrong born? (7) (3,7) Name the capital of Kenya 11 Which woman was married on 29 April 1945, and died 15following To beday? in progress, is to be what (7) the (3,5) 1216 What the widening of (7) a river where saltwater Toisremove, is tochannel do what mixes with freshwater? (7) 17 Which silver coin was worth two shillings (6) 14 In heraldry, what is the colour silver? (6) Name a Welshfrom filmwhich actor,US Sirimmigration Stanley ... entry (5) 1618 Millions of records island accessible on theof internet?

(5) 19 are What are groups three (5) 17 Which English college was founded by Henry VI in 20 (4) Name a Berkshire town, famous for its nearby 1440?

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Across: 4 Bobtail, 8 Rancher, 9 Acronym, 10 Solomon, 11 Dresser, 12 Ninety, 14 Poland, 18 Bristol, 21 Opossum, 22 Kookier, 23 Igneous, 24 Reins in.

1

Down: 1 Preston, 2 Uncle, 3 Chemist, 4 Brandy, 5 Barge, 6 Amnesia, 7 Lemur, 13 Nairobi, 15 Ongoing, 16 Dismiss, 17 Florin, 18 Baker, 19 Trios, 20 Ascot.

G E N E R 1A L 8 K N O 10 W L E D G 12E

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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

Driving careers that matter

Wagners has a large fleet of well-maintained modern prime movers across its projects sites.

WAGNERS is a leading producer and manufacturer of composite fibre materials, earth friendly concrete, cement, reinforcing steel and one of the leading producers of concrete and quarry products for various applications.

Grown from family roots,

the business began in 1989 in Toowoomba, Queensland, and is now an ASX-listed company operating across Australia and internationally, with over 800 employees.

The local transport and bulk haulage division within the business has recently un-

dergone immense growth and with numerous exciting projects on the horizon, our people have become a main focus.

Transport projects are spread across Central and Western Queensland to the Northern Territory, and see our drivers and new recruits

hauling zinc, lead and coal.

At Wagners we believe that drivers are the backbone of our industry and as such we ensure that they are given the tools required to succeed.

Wagners bulk haulage fleet is maintained and supported by multiple in-house main-

tenance facilities strategically located to provide a high standard of service.

Project sites have teams of diesel fitters and trades assistants on site, ready to respond and innovate; meanwhile in Toowoomba our team of tradesmen are busy working

on the maintenance, servicing, repair and creation of fleet and fabrication.

Due to recent growth company wide, there are numerous fantastic career opportunities available.

As part of this expansion Wagners is focused on developing a workplace where our people matter.

This includes valuing our staff through supportive management teams and various employee benefits including career progression reviews, an employee assistance program for you and your family, opportunities to upskill and develop long-term, regular barbecues and more.

Wagners prides itself on its culture of inclusiveness, community support and strong family values. It provides a workplace where employees are encouraged to work together safely to solve problems that others find too challenging.

Wagners also offers five weeks of annual leave for 2:1 roster workers, and a $1500 referral bonus.

Wagners strongly believes in hiring the best and if you think you could add your skills to our team and drive your career to the next level, please call on the number listed below for an instant phone application or visit the website at wagner.com.au.

Drive your career

with Wagners!

We currently have several exciting opportunities available across various sites throughout QLD and the NT. Wagners are one of Queensland’s largest ASX listed construction materials and mining services companies. We believe our employees are the backbone of our business and that drivers are a highly valued and integral part of the Wagners team.

REMOTE PROJECT SITE

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND

Fulltime Fixed Term positions with options for FIFO/DIDO/LOCAL’s • MC Road Train Drivers (NT, Central QLD and Western QLD) • Diesel Fitters/ Heavy Vehicle Mechanics (NT and Central QLD)

Fulltime local positions • Boilermakers (Toowoomba) • Heavy Vehicle Mechanics (Toowoomba) • Industrial Electricians (Toowoomba) • Agitator Drivers (Brisbane, Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley)

Give us a call today to guarantee an interview! peopleandculture@wagner.com.au | 0408 377 777 | www.wagner.com.au

42 CAREERS AND TRAINING

FRIDAY MAY 27 2022 BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Hino Australia looks abroad to address skills shortage

HINO Australia has welcomed 15 experienced technicians from the Philippines – and is starting a second round of international recruitment – as part of its strategy to address the national shortage of skilled heavy vehicle mechanics.

The company launched its first international recruitment drive in late 2019, which resulted in the employment of 20 skilled technicians, whose arrival was ultimately delayed

by Covid-related border closures.

“We currently have 15 of the 20 technicians working in dealerships around the country, with the remainder due to arrive in coming months,” said Gus Belanszky, general manager – service and customer support for Hino Australia.

“The enthusiasm, knowledge and skills of the technicians has been impressive so far, and they will all undergo extensive training at Hino Australia’s headquarters to provide them with all the expertise necessary to meet our exacting standards.”

Melbourne’s Prestige Hino

There are already 15 out of 20 technicians from the Philippines working for Hino Australia, with the remaining technicians due to arrive in coming months.

is one of several Hino dealerships that has been recruiting Filipino technicians for many years.

Its latest recruits Tito Sagaral Jr and Roden Ofilan join a strong team of Filipino

technicians at the dealership, including Patrick Colcol who started there over 14 years ago.

Sci-Fleet Hino Brisbane has welcomed four Filipino technicians, Melecio Flo-

jo, Bengie Pasaylo, Angelo Marasigan and Lindyl De Luna, to its Eagle Farm and Coopers Plains dealerships.

“It’s been great to welcome Melecio, Bengie, Angelo and Lindyl to Sci-Fleet – we have

been really impressed with their willingness to learn about Hino, our people, customers and products,” said Sam Torpy, service manager at Sci-Fleet Hino, Eagle Farm.

“They have excellent experience and knowledge and we look forward to them being a part of our team for a long time to come.

CMI Hino Adelaide and Melbourne, WA Hino and Wagga Trucks currently have Filipino technicians at their dealerships with Adtrans Hino (Sydney) technicians arriving soon.

Hino Australia’s second round of international recruitment is underway with more dealerships expected to participate.

“The drought of heavy vehicle mechanics is an industry-wide problem, which is why it is listed as a skills shortage on the Australian Government’s Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List – we are determined to continue to work closely with our Hino dealers to address this,” continued Belanszky.

“At Hino Australia, we

believe continual learning and development is vitally important for all of our technicians, which is why we go through a comprehensive induction program and provide ongoing technical training that is both face-to-face and online.

“In addition to learning and development, we also reward performance with the implementation of the Hino Master Technician program, which provides pathways to progress through different levels of accreditation.

“The Guild Program is another initiative that allows technicians to earn rewards per quarter based on performance and provide regular prize giveaways.

“The Skills Contest runs nationally, showcasing the best in service and allows all technicians to participate and test their diagnostic, analytical and technical skills with a significant prize at the end.

“The importance of our technicians to Hino Australia cannot be underestimated, which is why we continue to invest in them and their development.”

Easter Group Pty Ltd 73 Formation St, Wacol Easter Group, located in Wacol, provides time sensitive road transporting solutions to many companies throughout Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. .

We are a family owned business, operating since 1976.

We currently have the following positions available:

OPERATIONS ALLOCATORS

Killarney We’re Hiring

(Brisbane based only)

You will be required to work on a rotating roster including Days-Nights-Weekends Previous Operations experience preferred.

Immediate Start

MC LOCAL & LINEHAUL DRIVERS WANTED

Tautliner work for customers in the commercial sector running full loads to major capital cities and surrounds.

Applications are being taken for MC Drivers seeking a sea or rural change based in South West Victoria.

Salary range of $100,000 - $129,999

Killarney

(Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Based) Come and work for us as we are committed to: • Training and further education • Your safety • Maintaining an impressive Fleet

On offer are permanent full time and roster positions including paid leave entitlements and public holidays. Drivers will need to be available to be scheduled for work falling across the 7 days of the week.

The successful Applicant will: • Hold a current MC licence (minimum two years) • Have knowledge of the HVNL and Load Restraint • Be professional • Be reliable

To apply for the Operations/Driver positions please contact Operations Manager or by emailing your resume to

WORKSHOP MECHANICS & TYRE FITTERS WANTED (Brisbane based only)

To apply for Mechanic positions please forward your resume to Workshop Manager via email to employment@kseaster.com.au

Main Scope

Essential Criteria

• MC licence • Basic Fatigue Management accreditation - desirable • Current medical certificate (incl. drug screen) required

Desirable Criteria

• General understanding of Mass Management • Willing to get Basic Fatigue Management accreditation • Daily prestart checks experience

If you are looking for stability, autonomy, scope for career growth with a progressive company, and an industry related salary commensurate with experience please send an application detailing your work history, driving experience and referees can be sent through to: admin@lanetransport.com Lane Transport Pty Ltd is a family owned and operated Transport Company providing Interstate Freight throughout Australia. We have a range of American and European trucks in our fleet, and are committed to 1 Truck + 1 Trailers per driver.

Currently, we have multiple full-time vacancies for a dynamic and motivated MC/B-Double Interstate Drivers to join our team.

See our website at www.lanetransport.com For further details please phone (03) 5568 7408

y

CAREERS AND TRAINING 43

BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY MAY 27 2022

Load restraint masterclass informs new training course

LOAD restraint is the core safety issue at the centre of every trucking business, yet it is still tarred by controversy and frustration.

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) facilitated a Load Restraint Masterclass at the recent Trucking Australia conference on the Gold Coast, and the well-attended session prompted strong engagement from a passionate audience of industry leaders.

For HVIA the session serves as a key piece of research to inform a project funded by the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative.

The outcomes of the session will also feed into the online load restraint training course that HVIA is currently developing.

The end-goal is to produce an interactive online training course, however it has become clear that the industry is hankering for more resources to aid their performance in this area, said session facilitator Steve Power from HVIA. “Load restraint is a fundamental principle of the chain of responsibility,” said Power, who was joined on stage by roadside

Roadside enforcement experts Russell Greenland, left, and Jarrad Murphy were joined by Steve Power, with microphone, for the load restraint masterclass.

enforcement experts Russell Greenland and Jarrad Murphy from the NHVR safety and onroad compliance team, based in Melbourne and Adelaide respectively.

“The session agenda was cast to explore the safety culture, training and communication issues that typically cause load restraint failures – with potentially catastrophic results.

“Load restraint is an area that many feel has too many grey areas.

“But this isn’t about avoiding fines or managing reputational risk; it’s about very real risks and potential consequences – making sure no one is harmed, either in the workplace or in the community.”

Greenland explained that the NHVR’s enforcement fo-

cus is about providing information and education first, however there is an expectation that every operator has safe systems in place.

He also advised attendees to utilise the Master Code, an industry code of practice that was endorsed by the NHVR in 2018.

It was the result of a joint project between the Australian

Trucking Association and the Australian Logistics Council.

“We assume that you know what’s in that Master Code because it has been produced by industry,” Greenland said.

“If you haven’t got those systems in place, you are leaving yourself very vulnerable.”

“It’s not a magic bullet. It’s a matter of having processes, systems and procedures to minimise or mitigate the risk profile.

“Planning is really important in terms of how you get those loads secure and what you do.

“The Load Restraint Guide (NTC 2018) is not that difficult. It is the guide you need to follow if you haven’t got a certified system.

“Once you go through the processes there are only four inputs really – the angle of the webbing, thickness of the webbing, the type of buckle it uses and the friction material underneath – whether it’s steel on timber, high friction matting, steel on steel, etc.”

HVIA’s online load restraint course is intended to be available to all operators, as a way of reinforcing and testing compre-

hension of the fundamentals as per the Load Restraint Guide.

“It’s one of many courses we will be delivering through HVIA training on the back of the success of HV101 – our online heavy vehicle industry induction course,” Power said.

“It is one thing to say you’ve read the Load Restraint Guide and you know how to use it; it is altogether another for that to be tested, so we can be sure that every party in the chain is doing their part.

“Participants should be able to describe the 14 fundamental principles of load restraint per the NTC 2018 Load Restraint Guide, and apply those principles to their own transport task.”

While the online course is scheduled to be launched at the Brisbane Truck Show in May next year, HVIA expects to have it ready for initial testing much sooner than that.

“Through this project our ambition is to ensure every truck operator knows where to access resources, training and advice, and feel confident and motivated to do so,” Power added.

Visit hvia.asn.au for more.

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