Owner Driver 342 July 2021

ownerdriver JULY 2021 #342 $3.00 inc. GST

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Townsville kids’ convoy Building awareness for brain cancer research See page 22

Hino’s heavies Safety standards raised in updated 700 Series See page 70

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Contents #342

JULY 2021

32 powertrains, and new configurations

78 SHORT ’N SWEET

22

22 FOR THE KIDS

Townsville’s Convoy for the Cure attracted more than 200 trucks in a bid to raise funds for brain cancer research

32 ENCOURAGING EXCELLENCE

The Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association’s efforts in boosting the ranks of young drivers in road transport is paying dividends

38 INGRAINED IN TRUCKING

Gary Hollis and his son Luke have managed their way through the drought years by diversifying their Tamworthbased operation

44 WELL-SCHOOLED SCANIA

With more transport companies opting for auto ’boxes, driver-trainer Jason Kemp was “blown away” when he added a big Scania R620 to the business

We take brief test drive of Fuso’s eCanter which is at the forefront of the emerging electric revolution in urban freight movement

80 ELECTRIC ESCAPADE

The SEA300, touted as the first Australianmade electric truck, attracted much attention at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show. But how does it drive?

“We all try to keep our driving hours within the window of 7am to midnight.”

56 ALMOST LIKE NEW The Heritage Truck Association Australia filled in a surprise gap at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show, to the delight of patrons

60 MIGHTY MINIATURES Away from the slick, million-dollar truck stands at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show, a small corner of the transport world was represented in 1:14 scale

70 HINO AIMS HIGHER Hino previews the upgraded 700 Series heavy-duty models boasting advanced safety systems, improved and expanded

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ownerdriver EDITORIAL

Editor: Greg Bush Ph: 07 3101 6602 Fax: 07 3101 6619 E-mail: Greg.Bush@aremedia.com.au Senior Journalist: Ben Dillon Ph: 07 3101 6614 E-mail: Ben.Dillon@aremedia.com.au Technical Editor: Steve Brooks E-mail: sbrooks.trucktalk@gmail.com Contributors: Warren Aitken, Frank Black, Warren Caves, Warren Clark, Daniel Elkins, Rod Hannifey, Michael Kaine, Sarah Marinovic, Sal Petroccitto, Ken Wilkie Cartoonist: John Allison

PRODUCTION Production Co-Ordinator: Cat Fitzpatrick Art Director: Bea Barthelson Print: IVE Print

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EXECUTIVE GROUP Are Media Automotive CEO: Andrew Beecher

BEHIND THE WHEEL Greg Bush

The way of the world

J

UST WHEN YOU thought it was safe to embrace some sort of normality, COVID is rearing its ugly ahead once again. Already organisers of the popular Casino Truck Show have pulled the pin on this year’s event following last year’s cancellation.

Looking back, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia made the bold decision to go ahead with the Brisbane Truck Show in May, despite the sceptics questioning the validity in holding the event during these strange times. However, the gamble paid off and the show was a huge success.

One of the positives to arise from the pandemic is the realisation that both employers and employees, in certain industries, are capable of fulfilling their job requirements remotely. It’s almost become the norm in some sectors for employees to work from home or alter their hours for part of their working week.

For truck makers you would think that scenario is impossible. However, Scania Australia has come to the realisation that a flexible arrangement that offers employees work-life balance is beneficial to both parties. Even technicians! Scania says it recognises that some workers have family or study commitments and

GM – Industry: Graham Gardiner Group Finance Manager: Cain Murphy Digital Director: Tim Kenington Commercial Director: Matt Rice Operations Manager: Regina Fellner People & Culture Manager: Nicola Ramsay ISSN 1321-6279

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would like to alter their roster to suit, even to the point of preferring to possibly working a nine-day fortnight.

Scania points out that it has hired around 20 per cent more employees over the past few years, and believes these new working arrangements will attract more high calibre people to various areas of the business, whether its technicians, managers or sales people.

But for many long-haul truck drivers, work-life balance is a pipedream. And there’s definitely no working from home, unless they can beam themselves into the next century where they’ll be able to monitor self-driving trucks from their desktop computer.

Back to reality and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is pushing for employees to sign up for advanced fatigue management (AFM) to enable their drivers to work up to 16 hours a day. Now that really is a long haul.

The AFM scheme has been around for a while now, but is gaining impetus. One of the benefits, as stated by the NHVR, is for the operator or owner-driver being able to complete routes more effectively than their competitors.

To sign up for AFM, applicants must have a Fatigue Risk Management System in place.

Certainly there are benefits in being able to manage your own fatigue in a responsible manner.

But really, unless it’s your own business, who wants to work 16 hours a day? Maybe the energetic newcomers to the industry will relish the opportunity, but the average age of truck drivers is increasing each year and I’m guessing those seasoned veterans would prefer to be easing up, instead of being wound up.

Left: At Scania Australia technicians are among staff offered flexible working arrangements

Our customers transport more product

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The Goods

NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

NSW amends primary producer regos NatRoad hails state changes to truck registrations to halt concession applications from false claimants

NEW SOUTH WALES amendments to laws governing the Primary Producer Vehicle Registration Scheme look set to change what are seen as a rort harming rural trucking while cashing up the undeserving.

Penalties will rise from $2,200 to $11,000 for corporations that attempt to register a vehicle by making a false statement.

The Road Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2021, introduced by state regional transport and roads minister Paul Toole, proposes amendments to the Road Transport Act 2013 and the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act 1988.

“The increase is necessary as the value of the primary producer concession can be almost $10,000 for a heavy vehicle, creating a large financial incentive for ineligible customers to seek to exploit the concession,” Tool says in his second reading speech.

“A new offence with equivalent penalties will also be created for falsely claiming a registration concession.”

Among other things, such as removing “inconsistencies and red tape to better serve the needs of New South Wales farmers”, the changes aim to “rectify a longstanding legislative anomaly caused by a drafting

WA rest-area upgrade program to commence ABOUT $14 MILLION of major upgrades to 14 heavy vehicle rest areas across regional Western Australia will soon be underway, the state’s transport minister Rita Saffioti has announced.

The locations for the first phase of the program were determined through extensive consultation with industry groups including the Transport Workers Union (TWU) WA, Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA (LRTAWA) and Western Roads Federation (WRF).

Industry priorities comprised major upgrades at Newman, Auski, Karijini and Leonora, and improvements at 10 key heavy vehicles sites in the Pilbara, MidWest Gascoyne, Wheatbelt, GoldfieldsEsperance and South-West regions, including waterproofing, better access and facilities.

The state and Commonwealth governments have committed $50 million under the Freight Vehicle Productivity Improvements Program (FVPIP) for improvements across the state road network.

“Freight drivers provide an essential service and it’s important we have the necessary amenities and facilities available in regional WA that these drivers need,” Saffioti says.

“We’ve worked with the transport industry to finalise 14 high priority locations across regional WA that will receive $14 million of urgent upgrades with works to commence shortly.

“I’d like to thank the Commonwealth for their financial contribution and the transport industry for all their work on the program.”

The 2022-23 program, which has an allocation of $36 million, will also be developed through consultation with industry.

TWU WA voiced its approval to Saffioti

10 JULY 2021

OWD_342_010_NEWS_GB.indd 10

“for recognising the importance of truck drivers by committing to essential and humane infrastructure in the form of safe and appropriate rest stop amenities on the highways of WA”.

“This funding would not have been possible if not for the tireless campaigning of union members and all transport workers should be grateful for the hard work of TWU members,” says state secretary Tim Dawson.

“I want to thank member for Balcatta, David Michael MLA, who has been a tireless advocate for truck drivers, and the transport minister Rita Saffioti should be commended for her ongoing support of transport workers and their union, the TWU. “Their recognition of how essential transport workers are and were throughout the pandemic should be commended.

“With this state government’s willingness to consult with industry and union members, together we can make significant improvements to the lives of truck drivers and ensure the funding is directed to the correct places.”

The upgrade list includes six locations on the Great Northern Highway in the Pilbara, two near Wubin, and a new ablution block to be constructed on the Main Reef Road (Goldfields Highway) at Leonora.

error which incorrectly applies a monetary cap on heavy vehicle primary producer registration charges”.

“The objective of the amendments is not designed to reduce the number of eligible primary producers; rather, it is to ensure that genuine primary producers receive the concession while preventing exploitation or gaming of the concession, which could give some road transport operators an unfair business advantage over others,” Toole tells NSW Parliament.

He adds that: “The current requirement that primary producer vehicles cannot be used for let or hire will remain in place to maintain a level playing field, so as not to disadvantage road transport companies that are not entitled to receive the primary producer concession.

“Penalties for breaching such a condition, including registration suspension, currently exist under road transport law.”

The amendments will provide a single point of reference for all heavy vehicle registration charges and consolidate the minister’s exemption powers within the Road Transport Act by removing duplicative provisions in the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act. National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) CEO Warren Clark says the changes should ensure a level playing field for road transport operators.

“These changes are all about making sure primary producer vehicle registration concessions benefit genuine primary producers, and regional transport and roads minister Paul Toole deserves a wrap,” Clark adds.

“The government says large transport companies with token involvement in primary production are currently claiming the concession for entire fleets of vehicles.

“That loophole is being closed and this is a win for the small owner-operator who derives 50 per cent or more of their income from primary production.”

Clark notes that a long-standing legislative anomaly that had incorrectly applied a monetary cap on heavy vehicle primary producer registration charges is also being removed.

As Toole explains, when introduced in 1998, the policy intent was for the cap to only apply to primary producer light vehicle charges so that the motor vehicle tax for these vehicles would not be greater than the national registration charge for a heavy vehicle – more than 4.5 tonnes.

“It was intended that the monetary cap was not to apply when calculating the registration charge concession for primary producer heavy vehicles,” he says.

“That means whichever is less of either the uncapped tax or the registration charge will apply.

“However, as currently drafted, this cap would provide a disproportionately larger concession for primary producer heavy vehicles and that outcome would be out of step with the administration of other registration concessions.

“The amendments will also strengthen the customer enrolment framework to ensure that primary producer vehicle registration concessions benefit genuine farmers.

“This will be achieved through the introduction of an income threshold that will require confirmation that at least 50 per cent of total income is earned from primary production activities in normal seasonal circumstances.”

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29/6/21 9:31 am

THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

Trucking recognised in honours list

Road transport identities Craig Smith-Gander and the late Ray Scott among the 2021 Queen’s Birthday OA recipients

Above, L to R: Western Australia’s Craig SmithGander; Ray Scott passed away in 2020

TRUCKING STALWART Ray Scott has been posthumously honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia, recognised in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

“Ray achieved a lot in his lifetime and made a great contribution the wider trucking industry, but in particular the general fuel and livestock sectors,” Australian Trucking Association (ATA) chair David Smith says.

Scott, who passed away in 2020, was recognised for his professionalism, passion, and extensive knowledge of the transport industry sectors. The honour comes as a belated acknowledgment

for his significant service to the road transport industry, and to the community.

Scott played a significant role in the trucking industry, from humble beginnings in his father’s family business, through to becoming a major shareholder in Scott Group of Companies, including the K&S Corporation.

Smith says Scott and his family were very supportive of the ATA and helped to organise one of the largest Forum on the Road meetings when it travelled to Mount Gambier in the early 1990s.

In 2013, Scott was inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame, recognising his history in the road transport industry and long service on road train work into the Northern Territory.

The ATA has also congratulated Western Australia’s Craig Smith-Gander on being made a Member of the Order of Australia.

Smith-Gander was recognised, not only for his significant service to transport logistics, but also for surf lifesaving and the community. He has

Industry mourns loss of WA safety champion The Western Australian freight industry has marked the passing of Transafe WA current and founding chair Steve Post.

Post succumbed on June 24 following a brave battle with brain cancer.

The staff and committee of management of Transafe WA have extended their deepest sympathies and condolences to his wife, Carole, his children, Matthew, Kate and Louisa, and the extended Post family.

They described him as a passionate and dedicated advocate for the road transport industry in WA, who strove for safe and fair outcomes for individuals, industry and the community.

As chair of Transafe WA since its incorporation in 2012, his vision to provide a forum for industry to share information and progress positive change that would ensure personal and industry risk was absolutely minimised.

“Steve was a forward thinker who determinedly worked to ensure positive outcomes rather than simply talk,” Transafe WA executive officer Ana Stachewicz says.

“His passion was fuelled by the experiences of his many roles in industry from owner driver to risk assessor, and by his genuine care for people, and for what he felt was right.”

Post held senior management positions in insurance and risk surveying, and with livestock, grain, fuel and mining haulers.

He also worked for some years as an ownerdriver in long distance heavy haulage.

“Steve loved a long drive, and not being able to get behind the wheel in his final year was particularly hard for him,” Stachewicz says.

“His absolute commitment to safety within the transport industry was recognised in 2011

12 JULY 2021

OWD_342_012_NEWS_GB.indd 12

with the Western Australian Road Transport Association [WARTA] award for the most outstanding contribution to the road transport industry.

“In the same year, Steve was awarded an inaugural life membership to Transport Women Australia Ltd for support given to the organisation, and for outstanding industry contributions.

“Along with his roles advocating for the industry through Transafe WA and other associations, Steve was an elected member of the City of Mandurah for seven years serving as a local government councillor.

“He was also a great mentor for young people encouraging and supporting them in many endeavours particularly community activities and leadership, and he did a lot of work advocating for the victims of road trauma.

“Steve will be sorely missed.”

Western Roads Federation (WRF) CEO Cam Dumesny highlights his personal qualities.

“On behalf of our board and members, we are deeply saddened by the news of Steve’s passing,” Dumesny says.

“Steve was a larger than life, passionate and driven advocate for transport industry safety.

“On a personal note, he was incredibly generous in his time, guidance and friendship as I undertook the rebuild of the WA Transport Association (WRF).

“He will be sadly missed.”

Livestock and Rural Transporters of WA (LRTAWA) CEO Jan Cooper notes Post’s commitment to industry improvement.

“Steve was motivated by an inability to sit back and do nothing when there was a chance he could make a difference, and make a difference he did,” Cooper says.

“Being the inspiration behind Transafe WA was a significant part of a lifetime of commitment to

been the owner and managing director of Kwik Logistics since 2005 and the chair of ATA member association the Western Roads Federation since 2017.

Smith-Gander was elected to the ATA’s own board in May 2020.

David Smith says Smith-Gander had made a valuable contribution to the ATA and its network of member associations.

“Craig is vastly experienced in the corporate sector and in not-for-profit governance. He was the inaugural chair of Westcycle, is the president of Surf Life Saving Western Australia and is a board member of Surf Life Saving Australia,” Smith says.

“As a member of the ATA board, Craig has applied his immense knowledge and network of contacts to helping the ATA modernise the way we approach governance and industry strategy.

“Craig is closely involved in the development of our new strategic plan and in our internal initiatives to update our engagement with our member associations. We couldn’t do this work without his expert input,” Smith says.

The late Steve Post, founding chair of Transafe WA

the transport industry and community service that included serving as a local government councillor.

“He is well known for his leadership in the transport sector with a reputation for relentlessly pursuing reforms to transport regulations and policy.

“Steve was an outstanding mentor who encouraged many young people into transport and public policy.

“We will miss his passion and drive.”

Former Australian Transport Association (ATA) chair Noelene Watson emphasises Post’s broad vision along with his compassion for truck drivers.

“Steve Post was very committed to improving truck safety, particularly in Western Australia,” Watson says.

“But he also worked at a national level, and brought his insights to the ATA council and, I recall, our 2016 conference.

“I remember that Steve always emphasised the challenges faced by truck drivers in Western Australia, given its long distances and harsh conditions.”

ownerdriver.com.au

30/06/2021 1:09:03 PM

Let’s clear the air over illegal engine remapping

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

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

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

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

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

OWD 342 .als - Base Edition 13

29/6/21 9:31 am

THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

Advocating for legal fairness

An industry veteran and a lawyer have joined forces to offer truck drivers an affordable legal service to combat frivolous charges ON A LONG TRIP, truckies usually think about two things, and getting booked is one of them.

Heavy vehicles operate in an enforcement-rich environment and are subject to hundreds of potential offences with huge fines. Not to mention demerit points.

In a year, a long-distance driver can travel more than 20 times the distance of an average car driver but has the same demerit point limit.

The team at Highway Advocates believes this is simply unfair.

Highway Advocates, headed up by lawyer Adam Cockayne and law undergraduate and practising paralegal Robert Bell, has recently been established as an affordable legal service for truck drivers and operators, covering every state and territory in Australia.

Melbourne-based Cockayne is the legal practitioner director of Highway Advocates and is a lawyer with 25 years’ experience in criminal and administrative law. A former managing prosecutor in a large government department, barrister and Court of Appeal criminal registrar, Cockayne, founded the online legal service Fine Defender in 2016 to challenge unjust fines and enforcement.

Cockayne is said to have achieved considerable success, including forcing five Victorian councils to refund $25 million in unlawful parking fines.

Now applying his legal expertise at Highway Advocates, he says he is determined to ensure drivers and operators are treated fairly and don’t have their livelihoods jeopardised by simple mistakes. Cockayne states that he regularly appears in court in all jurisdictions.

“Having an industry insider on our team gives us a unique understanding of our clients’ situations, an ability to help them avoid the regulatory pitfalls and a genuine empathy,” Cockayne says, pointing to Highway Advocates CEO and director Robert Bell.

Based in Brisbane, Bell spent more than 20 years driving trucks. He has been a long-term advocate for the industry, appearing in Senate hearings and industry focus groups. He has published several articles in the transport press and appeared on the ABC’s 7.30 Report.

Highway Advocates: Robert Bell (left) and Adam Cockayne

“We can help you whether you’re guilty or not guilty.”

Bell says his experience as a driver and his expertise in road transport legislation puts him a strong position for Highway Advocates’ clients.

Currently undertaking a law degree, Bell says the fact that he’s “been there” means he understands the issues drivers face and believes most drivers simply make honest mistakes.

“We can help you with a fatigue breach, a camera-recorded offence, a weighbridge avoidance, load restraint or dimension breach, or any of the hundreds of other offences under the road transport legislation,” Bell says.

“And, if you’ve racked up thousands of dollars in past fines and enforcement fees, which you’re trying to pay off or ignore, call us to find out how to get these reduced, or even waived in some cases.

“We can help you whether you’re guilty or not guilty.”

Bell says if a client is not guilty or has a good

ATA lauds ministers’ decision on HVNL reform The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has revealed a key takeaway from the transport ministers’ meeting with regards to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) review.

Under planned changes to the national truck laws, trucking businesses will not need to hold a special business licence or meet a mandatory national operator standard, it notes.

The decision comes following the transport ministers’ meeting in May on how to complete the review of the HVNL. The ATA states that the move will help save businesses from more red tape.

“The ATA argued strongly against trucking business licencing or proposals for a national operator standard,” ATA CEO Andrew McKellar says.

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“An independent report we commissioned with NatRoad showed that trucking business licensing could involve licensing 131,580 businesses at a total cost of $3.2 billion over 10 years.

“And yet the National Transport Commission was unable to identify any clear safety benefits from the option.

“We are very pleased that transport ministers have listened to the views of the ATA and our members.

“We are looking forward to working with governments to complete the review and deliver a new version of the law that will increase safety and productivity.”

The official communique from the meeting says final legislation will be presented to ministers in mid-2023.

defence, Highway Advocates can take the matter to court and contest the charge.

“If you are guilty, we can still take your matter to court and get a good outcome,” he adds.

“Some people believe there’s no point going to court to plead guilty, and you should just pay the fine. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

“The court has a wide discretion, and we have the expertise to identify mitigating factors and what actions you need to take to persuade the court to be lenient. With the right advocacy you can avoid a conviction, a fine and the demerit points.

“Our clients often get a positive outcome that literally saves their licences and their livelihoods.”

Bell says it’s important to remember that a conviction or fine will stay on a driver’s traffic record forever and will go against them if they go to court for another traffic offence.

That both Cockayne and Bell are located in different states is no obstruction for representing clients in any parts of Australia. With courts implementing audio-visual technology, it allows them to appear in any court from a screen in their offices.

“We also travel to hearings, with a road trip planned this month that has us going down the Newell Highway,” Bell continues.

“Working across the jurisdictions also helps us to identify the flaws in the different systems.”

Bell points out that Highway Advocates charges a fixed fee or an hourly rate which he says is a fraction of the rate commonly charged by other law firms. It also operates a 24/7 hotline. “And ours doesn’t charge by the minute,” Bell adds.

Highway Advocates boasts strong links with various industry organisations, including the National Road Freighters Association, the Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association, as well as Women in Trucking Australia.

– Greg Bush

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OWD 342 .als - Base Edition 15

29/6/21 9:31 am

THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

Heavy vehicle decoupling at Gatton New 30-bay site enables drivers to reconfigure before continuing along Toowoomba Second Range Crossing THE GATTON HEAVY Vehicle Decoupling Facility has opened, which is claimed to offer drivers the option to break down and reconfigure heavy vehicles on either side of Toowoomba Second Range Crossing before continuing their journey.

Former deputy prime minister and minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development Michael McCormack says the new facility would mean more efficient deliveries to and from Brisbane.

“Heavy vehicle drivers will benefit from using the Toowoomba Bypass and can avoid paying a second toll to reconfigure at Charlton.

“This will improve efficiencies for our essential heavy vehicle industry, cutting business costs,” McCormack said, in one of his last announcements prior to the National Party leadership coup..

Queensland transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey says the

new facility would be a boost for the freight industry.

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

“The new facility at Gatton will make it easier and more efficient for drivers to break down and reconfigure their trucks as needed before continuing over the Toowoomba Range or into Brisbane.”

Queensland assistant regional roads minister Bruce Saunders says the facility was an important project to support the heavy vehicle industry and make the road network around Toowoomba safer and more efficient.

“With 30 bays for decoupling and no time limits for trailer parking, drivers will be able to choose either

Gatton’s Heavy Vehicle Decoupling Facility

side of Toowoomba to break down and reconfigure,” Saunders explains.

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

“The roundabouts and overpass between the Gatton facility and Warrego Highway have also been

widened and strengthened to accommodate the additional heavy vehicles expected to stop.”

The facility will be monitored by CCTV and users are advised to comply with site instructions, with penalties for dumping livestock effluent or waste and any other breaches.

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30/06/2021 1:20:38 PM

Newell gains more overtaking lanes Time-saving benefits for busy freight corridor with two sections recently completed WORK TO PROVIDE more overtaking opportunities on the Newell Highway has taken another leap forward with two lanes recently completed at Redbank and Coobang.

Former federal transport minister Michael McCormack, who was ousted from his position by Barnaby Joyce shortly before the announcement, says the investment in new lanes is to improve the safety and the efficiency of this key freight and tourism corridor.

“Road users on the Newell Highway are already experiencing improved safety and more efficient travel times with 17 new lanes now completed, including the northbound overtaking lane near Parkes and the southbound overtaking lane at Redbank, near Coonabarabran,” McCormack said at the time.

“We look forward to the remaining

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overtaking lanes being delivered, providing even greater freight productivity and safer and more enjoyable journeys on the Newell Highway.”

NSW minister for regional transport and roads Paul Toole says the rollout of the overtaking lanes was being accelerated through a strategic partnership with industry.

“To date, we’ve added 25 kilometres of overtaking lanes on the Newell Highway, enabling more efficient freight transport and providing around 15 minutes in time-saving benefits to motorists,” says Toole.

“By the end of 2021, we expect to have delivered 25 lanes as part of our commitment to build a safer, stronger road network in regional NSW.” Another casualty of the Joyce

coup, federal member for Parkes Mark Coulton, says the Newell Highway works were helping save lives on the state’s busiest freight corridor.

“With these investments, we are playing a part in reducing the occurrence of fatigue-related crashes on the Newell Highway,” Coulton says.

“Extending these overtaking lanes will make using them less hazardous, providing everyone with a safer and more reliable road network in regional NSW – one that will get motorists home sooner and safer to their families.

“It will also be a huge fillip for freight, which will bring major benefits to the region.”

JULY 2021 17

30/06/2021 1:37:18 PM

THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

Drop in heavy rigids fatal truck crashes Disappointing results for articulated trucks which have relinquished a reductions lead following first quarter stats AFTER YEARS of resisting the falling trend in heavy vehicle fatal crashes and fatalities, heavy rigid trucks have made a solid and all too welcome reversal in the past two years.

Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) figures for the first quarter of this year reflect the sort of divergence heavy articulated trucks previously led, the latter now trending slightly upward.

Since the June 2019 quarter, heavy rigids quarterly fatalities have fallen from 31 to 10.

And on a 12-months-to-March basis from 2018, fatal crashes

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involving heavy rigid trucks fell from 85 85 to 54 and deaths in those crashes fell from 93 to 58.

Much of the reduction has occurred in New South Wales, which, since 2019, has recorded three quarters in double figures – 12, 14 and 11 – in the past three years.

No other state made double figures, though Victoria did record nine in June quarter of 2019.

In March 2021, the counts were four deaths in NSW and one in Victoria.

Articulated trucks failed to add a third after two years of lower figures, with fatalities jumping

back into three figures, 106, after consecutive years on 94, and fatal crashes at 89 after two years on 85 each.

On a state basis, a recent quarterly rise in Queensland stands out, with the December quarter on 14 and March quarter on 12, up from nine and seven in the previous two.

No other state was in double figures, nor has been in the past three years bar NSW’s June 2020 quarter of 11.

The unfortunate but hopeful bottom line is that, during the 12 months to the end of March 2021, 162 people lost their lives in

Above: A rollover in north Queensland.

Fortunately this accident did not add to the statistics on fatalities

crashes involving heavy trucks.

These included 106 deaths in crashes involving articulated trucks and 58 deaths in crashes involving heavy rigid trucks.

However, the total of 162 deaths is the lowest than at any time since the decade peak in March 2013 of 226.

ownerdriver.com.au

30/06/2021 12:58:42 PM

Cheers as fuel security bills pass parliament The new laws are seen as strengthening road freight resilience FEDERAL PARLIAMENT’S passage of fuel security Bills in June will improve Australia’s fuel security and keep the trucking industry moving in times of emergency, according to the Australian Trucking Association (ATA).

The Fuel Security Bill 2021 and Fuel Security (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2021 follow extensive lobbying from the ATA, among others, and is expected to improve Australia’s stocks of transport fuels and support continued domestic fuel production.

The move comes seven years after the latest bout of fuel-security concern began – the ATA joining motoring body the NRMA, Engineers Australia and independent senators in calling for action.

This followed the release of the NRMA’s report, Australia’s liquid fuel security, which highlighted Australia’s breach of its 90-day liquid fuel stockholding obligations under International Energy Agency (IEA) agreements.

The bills also establish a fuel security services payment (FSSP) to support domestic refineries.

“This will strengthen the trucking industry’s capability to withstand major fuel disruptions and can keep Australia supplied in times of emergency,” McKellar says.

“Combined with the government’s $200 million program for building new diesel domestic storage, this represents a significant boost to fuel security.”

The government should now progress the expected review of the Liquid Fuel Emergency Guidelines 2008 and section 47 of the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984 to ensure trucking businesses cannot be sued for prioritising customers in line with government policy du ring a fuel security emergency.

“Under current rules, trucking businesses would face legal uncertainty if expected by government to prioritise the delivery of particular goods, such as food, during a fuel

“Liquid and diesel fuel are critical to Australia’s economy, with 98 per cent of energy for the transport sector source from liquid fuel,” says ATA CEO Andrew McKellar, who is set to depart his current role on August 9 to take up the role of CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Despite this, Australia has dangerously low fuel stocks with only 20 days of consumption cover for diesel.

“The ATA and its members have been campaigning on fuel security since 2014 and today’s announcement is a significant win for industry.”

The Bills will establish a minimum stockholding obligation (MSO) that will require fuel importers and refiners to maintain a minimum level of transport fuels, including diesel.

The MSO will begin in July 2022, with a 40 per cent increase in diesel stockholdings from 2024.

disruption,” McKellar says.

“Delivery contracts in the trucking industry do not typically allow for the delay or non-delivery of a contracted job as a resulted of a fuel shortage or guidance from government to prioritise a particular type of delivery for the health, safety or welfare of the wider community.”

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JULY 2021 19

30/06/2021 12:58:57 PM

NHVR Sal Petroccitto

Increasing efficiencies The Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan is making significant progress during its first year in place

C

ONSISTENT movement of freight across Australia is critical in keeping communities connected and productivity growing.

While the industry continues to operate in the shadow of potential COVID19 restrictions, there is progress being made toward greater levels of mobility and opportunity. It’s clear that increased access, greater certainty, practical guidelines and advancements in technology will ensure that the heavy vehicle industry continues to prosper and deliver for the nation.

As it stands, we are in the midst of a significant growth period for freight tasks in this country.

Australia’s road freight task is growing at almost twice the speed of its population*, and it represents the fifth largest freight task globally**.

These figures are both challenging and motivating. It means more jobs are being created and more freight is being transported. It also means that, together, with the support of industry and government stakeholders, we have a duty to deliver greater certainty and consistency for those on the road and undertaking roles across the supply chain.

Prior to the pandemic, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) set about constructing a productivity plan for the future. Over the course of 18 months, collaboration and consultation took place involving more than 250 stakeholders from industry and all levels of government and in August last year, the Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan 2020–2025 (HVPP) was unveiled.

The HVPP has three key objectives: • provide access certainty and consistency • partner with local government to build capability • promote safer and more productive heavy vehicles that are better for the environment and communities.

IMPROVED ACCESS As we approach the first year of the HVPP being in place, significant progress is being made, with 30 of 31 actions outlined either complete and benefiting the industry, or well underway.

Of the numerous actions being delivered, there are a few that have taken shape in the past couple of

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months that I’m particularly excited by and that will aid the industry considerably.

As announced in the recent federal Budget, the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SGLAAP) will continue for another three years, with funding used to deliver better assessment and provide new and improved access to road assets across rural and regional Australia.

The NHVR and local road managers will deliver up to 1,000 asset assessments over the next three years, leading to increased productivity and access for drivers into local townships and communities. The more assets that can be accessed by a range of heavy vehicles, the greater the level of productivity.

Add to this a new notice for road train prime movers that will ease pressure on drivers, improve safety and increase efficiencies.

The National Road Train Prime Mover Mass and Dimension Notice is now in place and includes benefits that provide operators with greater flexibility, increase the use of standardised trailer sets and provide options for operators to enhance the ability to use existing vehicle combinations more efficiently.

When it comes to rubber hitting the road, the NHVR has been working with industry on a generic tyre approach for the increasing number of performance-based standards vehicles.

This tyre approach is anticipated to deliver a reduction in costs, delays and practical difficulties that currently exist. We expect to have a positive outcome to this approach in the near future and look forward to continuing to consult with industry.

SAL PETROCCITTO became CEO of the NHVR in May 2014, bringing extensive knowledge of heavy vehicle policy, strategy and regulation to the role. He has broad experience across state and local government, having held senior leadership roles in transport and logistics, land use, transport and strategic planning, and has worked closely with industry and stakeholders to deliver an efficient and effective transport system and improved supply chain outcomes. Over the past seven years, Sal has led a significant program of reform across Australia’s heavy vehicle industry, including transitioning functions from participating jurisdictions to deliver a single national heavy vehicle regulator, harmonising heavy vehicle regulations across more than 400 road managers, and modernising safety and productivity laws for heavy vehicle operators and the supply chain.

collected in numerous meetings, discussions and presentations across the heavy vehicle industry and is all part of pursuing improvements for the industry and supporting a strong and prosperous Australia.

There is more to deliver in the years ahead and I encourage you to review the HVPP on the NHVR’s website, along with the current progress that has been made and additional information on the highlights listed in this column.

Similarly, I encourage you to reach out to the NHVR if there are additional productivity measures that should be considered, on top of those listed in the HVPP. Together, we are delivering a safer, more efficient and more productive industry. * Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (2018). Australian Infrastructure Statistics Yearbook 2018; Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018).

3101.0 – Australian Demographic Statistics, December 2014–2018. ** Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2018).

Freight Transport.

“A new notice for road train prime movers … will ease pressure on drivers.”

SPATIAL MAPPING Another program of work underway is the NHVR’s spatial mapping solution. When completed, it will be Australia’s first national harmonised mapping solution for heavy vehicles, with intelligent route planning maximising the use of appropriate networks for different vehicles and freight tasks and freeing up time for road managers to focus on other more complex requests.

This is all work that was identified under the HVPP last year.

Importantly, every action being delivered is born out of feedback

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29/6/21 9:33 am

truck events

FOR THE KIDS

22 JULY 2021

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ownerdriver.com.au

30/06/2021 12:51:23 PM

Townsville’s Convoy for the Cure is the story of one man’s journey to find the cure for a cancer that took his own daughter. With raising funds for research the driving force behind the event, over 200 trucks and a host of motorbikes were out on show in northern Queensland on May 29 to raise money and celebrate getting together for a good cause. Warren Aitken writes

W

ELCOME to sunny Townsville, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a town that has been in the news a lot lately and rarely for good reasons. So, I’d like to change that by covering something heartwarming from the top end of the country.

I had been looking forward to heading up to the unofficial capital of the tropical north for quite a while, especially at this time of the year as the humidity is at a level where you can feel like a normal human rather than a giant sponge. The reason for being in the sunny tropics was to share the coverage of one of Townsville’s biggest fundraising events, the annual Convoy for the Cure.

Here’s the thing: it is a great event. The people involved in running it were fantastic, the people entering their rigs were fantastic, the hordes of trucking fans that lined the streets were fantastic, even the police who assisted throughout the day were fantastic. The two guys at the top of the team ladder, though, Ren Pederson and Todd Martin, would give anything for the event not to be needed and for them both to be sitting out on the water and fishing instead.

I know that sounds a bit harsh but hear me out. I admit I went to this event with very little knowledge of the motivation and

Far left, and left: The lead truck for this year’s show was a refurbished 1985 Scania 112 6x4 tipper, owned by Ross Gofton of Ingham; Todd Martin and Ren Pedersen stand proudly with the novelty check for $82,570. Before the day had finished, though, that number had increased, with more money flowing in during the event Right: The lovely ladies from Smoko On The Run Rinelle Bailey (far left) and Allison Spenser (far right) were up early to provide much-needed refreshments. First in line were some of the Graduate School of Motoring team – Damian Gough, Sophia Gough, Belinda Marshall and Jessica Driver

ownerdriver.com.au

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JULY 2021 23

30/06/2021 12:51:46 PM

Above, left to right: Tracey Gibb and Livian Gibb from PJ’s Townsville Mini Load stand proudly with Tracey’s 2019 Mitsubishi Canter; This youngster looks the part but he had a few issues getting his feet to the pedal Right: Some of the Townsville HydroVac team; another local company that really gets behind the cause Opposite top: It’s all about family and all about the cause. Sean Spriggs drags the family in, holding Ben with Cash beside him.

Annette and Darren Spriggs along with Clint Ferguson joined the photo – and let’s not forget the 1985 W model in the back Opposite middle, left to right: It may be all about the charity but for Drain Transport driver Mattie J it’s also a little bit about the shine; Another company with a huge presence in North Queensland is Brisbane’s OzWide Freight, represented by Robert Cawthorne Opposite bottom: Ryan Drain from Drain Transport doing some lastminute detailing

24 JULY 2021

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ownerdriver.com.au

30/06/2021 12:52:21 PM

“The hordes of trucking fans that lined the streets were fantastic.” cause behind it, so the first man I bailed up was Todd, the event’s organising guru.

Todd filled me in a little but insisted I talk to the driving force behind the Convoy for the Cure (no pun intended) – Ren Pedersen. Ren is your typical blue collar Aussie worker who, through tragedy, has become a fundraising icon. His day job has him running Patriot Cranes, a mobile crane company up in the heat of North Queensland. I was privileged enough to sit down with Ren for a bit and learn exactly why he would give anything not to be doing this convoy.

That may sound a little callous but the truth is, all of Ren’s fundraising efforts are directed toward finally finding a cure to a fatal brain cancer – diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

One of the leading killers of children in Australia, DIPG is a brain stem tumour. Therefore, raising money for research is why Ren and the crew run events like this, so not having the convoy would actually mean success in terms of managing this disease.

In 2007, Ren and his family were informed that their beautiful

ownerdriver.com.au

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JULY 2021 25

30/06/2021 12:52:46 PM

Top: Nortrans lets loose with a few smoke signals for the crowd and they loved it Above and right: Todd Martin interviews one of the convoy kids as he sets off on his lap; Two of the drivers from JP Transport, Justin and Louis, had the kids – Zaiden, Coen, Michael and Elais – out truckin’ for the day Below: The kids are all lined up and eager to go for the specially-constructed Kids’ Convoy route

“The first event, back in 2016, raised nearly $50,000.”

26 JULY 2021

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little girl, Amy, had DIPG. As he put it: “We were sent home and basically told to measure her up for a coffin.”

It was not the kind of thing any parent wants to hear and, for a guy like Ren who deals with mechanical issues, construction problems and logistical challenges all day in his job at Patriot Cranes, it was hard to compute.

“I kind of thought of it like well, ‘the truck is f***ed, the motor’s blown, I’m going to source out the right mechanics to fix it’.”

Back in 2007, when Amy was diagnosed, Ren’s research found that there is no cure for DIPG and it has a zero per cent survival rate. It appears in children between the ages of 4 to 11, with only 10 per cent surviving two years from diagnosis; dropping to two per cent making five years.

Amy fought hard but, 16 months after her diagnosis and aged only nine, she passed away. During those 16 months Ren had been travelling the length and breadth of this huge country, talking and consulting with all the leading experts.

“At the time, the doctors were just trying any sort of treatment, stuff designed for adult cancers or other children’s cancer,” he says.

“Basically, it was like throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks.”

The one thing he did learn is that there was insufficient research going on. Every year there are 20 kids in Australia diagnosed with this brain cancer, with the average survival rate from diagnosis being between nine and 12 months. Ren decided to try and change that, throwing himself into fundraising and making sure every cent would go straight to the big brains at the coalface; those directly doing the research. It’s this fundraising

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“It’s not about who has the best, it’s all about the cause.” effort that sees me watching over 200 shiny vehicles convoying their way through the streets of Townsville.

EVENT RESURRECTION

Top: Although the Drain Transport team had just three stunning rigs in the convoy, there were plenty of friends and family there to support the day Above left: CKC Haulage turned up with a full spread of sizes – Caleb Bryce was driving the big 2015 Mack Trident, Barry Jarvis was behind the wheel of the HR Isuzu, and Taylor Ashley-Cooper had the keys to the shiny little Hino Left: The Cal Diesel team of Luke and Courtney Murr with their kids Hudson and Addison Below: The Nortrans’ fleet is a huge participant in the Convoy for the Cure event and, once again, the trucks were there in droves

28 JULY 2021

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For several years after the passing of Amy, Ren went about fundraising as much as he could. He opened the Australian arm of The Cure Starts Now, a global charity organisation. In 2016, after the demise of Townsville’s previous yearly convoy, he bailed up another well-known local, Todd Martin, and put him on the spot about resurrecting the event.

Todd has been involved in numerous car and bike events around North Queensland and had been promised by Pedersen: “Cars, bikes, trucks – it’s all pretty much the same thing.” Having known the Pedersen family and their efforts to raise awareness of DIPG, Todd was more than happy to get involved. Though it’s worth noting, he pointed out with a grin: “Organising a truck convoy is not like car and bike shows.”

The first event, back in 2016, raised nearly $50,000. Since then, the convoy has just gotten bigger and better. What makes it very different from a lot of other shows is that the focus is all about the cause. There’s no truck show, no prize giving – in fact, most people probably spent more time cleaning and polishing than they actually did participating.

The convoy gets underway around 10am, with around a 20km drive to Ross River Dam for a park up and a chat, and

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“Most of these guys are working non-stop; some still have to go to work today.”

Above, left to right: The convoy isn’t just about the trucks; a huge array of beautiful bikes were also shined up; Local Instagram celebrity and therapy dog @Gidget0707 lines up for his ‘dogicinno’ Left: I think this shot shows exactly what fundraising events like this are for. Young dad Ryan Drain stands proudly with his two little ones, raising money to help try and avoid losing more young children in the future

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my cameras were back in their bag by around 2pm.

“It’s not about who has the best, it’s all about the cause,” Ren says.

Todd also points out why they’ve staged it this way: “Most of these guys are working non-stop; some still have to go to work today.”

Both Pedersen and Martin appreciate that truckies don’t get a lot of downtime so going out of their way to support the cause is not lost on them.

JUNIOR CONVOY One little addition to this year’s event though was the children’s convoy. What stemmed from a social media joke led to kids being able to purchase a charity licence plate for their bike and participate in the convoy course that was set up at the Ross River Dam. Obviously, with all the new COVID rules and regulations, things are continually changing and adapting when it comes to events like these – more so when you have nearly 200 trucks and close to 100 bikes. The event could not have been undertaken without the support of the local Queensland Police Service, which has been assisting with the event since its inception.

As much as I enjoyed my day, meeting some great people and photographing some really cool trucks, the biggest respect has to go to Ren and the team that run the show.

“My daughter used to tell everyone ‘my dad will cure me’,” Ren recalls during our chat, “so I’ll keep trying.”

So far, he has raised millions of dollars that has gone directly to researchers. That research has resulted in treatments increasing life expectancy for those diagnosed with DIPG. While, as yet, not one child diagnosed has ever been able to ring the cancer-free bell, I have no doubt that, with the driving force of The Cure Starts Now behind it and events like the Convoy For The Cure, that day will come.

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industry issues

ENCOURAGING

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EXCELLENCE

The Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association’s efforts in boosting the ranks of young drivers in road transport is paying dividends. Warren Caves reports

D

EPENDING on whose study you reference, the average age of an Australian truck driver is somewhere around the 47-years-old mark.

Based on this figure, it would suggest there are also a high percentage of truck drivers working within the transport industry well in excess of 50-years-old.

On one hand, this is a positive in that the vast majority of the driver pool should, theoretically, have many years of driving experience and a, generally speaking, higher skill set that goes with it. It’s a good thing.

On the negative side, however, these figures could also indicate that as the current workforce retires or moves into different vocations, there is not a significantly high enough number of younger recruits entering the industry to take their place. We have been seeing the effect of this for some years now, indicated by the need to import overseas drivers to fill the gap.

Initiatives to make the career of truck driving more appealing should be actively encouraged by all within the industry if we are to adequately address any workforce shortfall, and promote the trucking industry as a viable and rewarding career choice.

Proactive mentorship programs and awards recognising excellence are just small ways in which young driver excellence can be fostered and encouraged early on in the piece to acknowledge a job well done.

Hard won young driver awards with stringent performance Below: Mick Maloney of Maloney Livestock Transport (left) congratulates Matt Benseman on winning the LBRCA Young Driver of the Year award

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“The award is our way of identifying excellence in young drivers.”

Above: Matt Benseman with a couple of his “co-workers” in Tamworth Below: There’s a Slim Dusty moniker on each MLT truck Bottom: The current all-Kenworth MLT fleet Opposite top: Matt Benseman drives this six month-old T659 Kenworth for the Maloneys

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criteria should be worn as a badge of honour and something to aspire to. An award should take pride of place on the mantle-piece in the pool room.

The Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) in partnership with Safe-Work New South Wales has been running its annual Young Driver of the Year Award since 2015, to recognise outstanding young heavy vehicle drivers that demonstrate a best practice approach to driving and safety.

The annual award is hotly contested with stringent criteria to be met by all nominees. Nominations must come from an LBRCA member and nominees must be aged between 21 and 35-years-old. Nominees must also be either an LBRCA member or work directly for a member.

According to Bec Coleman, chief operating officer of the LBRCA: “The award is our way of identifying excellence in young drivers and moulding them into industry leaders; that’s what we aim to do with the award. This is highlighted by the progress of our inaugural award winner Reggie Sutton.

Since receiving his award in 2015, Reggie has since gone on to currently hold the position of vice-president of the LBRCA. “Each year we receive seven or eight nominations who must

complete the entry to include two independent references, information about the nominees driving and employment history and answer a series of industry relevant questions and typical scenarios and how they are handled in day-to-day life on the road,” Bec explains.

“These nomination forms once received make up 50 per cent of the judging process. In the past couple of years we have tightened the criteria even further to require a clean police check and an untarnished driving record.”

A panel of judges comprising former award winners, award sponsor representatives and award steering committee members evaluate the nominees’ answers and credentials blindly before trimming the list of nominees down to three finalists. The chosen finalists are then notified and invited to the LRBCA annual conference.

At the conference the finalists are then interviewed and judged by a five-member panel, which includes two representatives from Safe Work NSW. The award winner, once chosen, then goes on to represent the LBRCA and young drivers as a safety ambassador for Safe Work NSW. Additionally, the winner receives an industry study tour prize to the value of $5,000.

Stock experience The LBRCA annual general meeting for 2021 was held in Dubbo on March 6, with the Young Driver of the Year trophy awarded to Matt Benseman of Tamworth NSW. Thirty-three-year-old New Zealand-born Matt works for Maloney Livestock Transport (MLT), also based in Tamworth.

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Prior to joining MLT, Matt spent eight to nine years working on a broadacre farming property in Goondiwindi, Queensland, before moving to Tamworth, where his stock work skills gleaned on the dairy farms of New Zealand would prove a valuable asset to his next career of the modern-day drover.

Mick and Carolyn Maloney commenced operations of MLT in December 2018, at which point Matt started with the company as a driver. Suitably impressed by Matt’s manner and professionalism on the job since then, Carolyn nominated Matt for the LBRCA Young Driver of the Year Award.

Originally purchasing four second-hand trucks to kick MLT off, these trucks have since been traded up for new models, with the all-Kenworth fleet size now standing at six company trucks and four full time sub-contractors.

From the company’s Tamworth base, livestock movements are carried out all over Australia in predominantly B-double configurations.

Starting a livestock carrying business in the midst of a crippling drought didn’t seem to adversely affect the MLT operation. According to Mick there was a good supply of work, be it moving stock to better pastures (until they could no longer be found) then ultimately to abattoirs for meat.

Eventually conditions improved and the job of re-stocking began with pastoralists needing to replenish dwindling herds thinned out by the drought.

“At one point we were carting a lot of calves out of Daly Waters in the Northern Territory to Guyra, NSW, for restocking,” Mick says.

Matt can be found carting stock all over during his 11-day stints away from home – Longreach, Ballarat, Kempsey and anywhere in between or wherever the livestock needs to go.

“Usually once a month I will travel over to Nundroo in South Australia to load sheep from WA into NSW,” he says.

Mick goes on to explain: “These sheep are brought across to Nundroo by WA carriers and placed into holding yards.

Our guys will usually get over there Tuesday evening to load Wednesday morning and have the sheep into places like

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“We all try to keep our driving hours within the window of 7am to midnight.”

Top: With Matt Benseman behind the wheel the T659 Kenworth goes as far as Longreach in Queensland Above right: Matt Benseman has been part of the Maloney Livestock Transport team since day one Below: Flashback: Reggie Sutton, the 2015 LBRCA Young Driver of the Year Award winner, is now the association’s vice-president – livestock. Photo by Greg Bush Bottom: The Byrne stock trailers are a very recent acquisition for MLT

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Dubbo, Trangie or Orange in the NSW central west by Thursday afternoon, completing the sheep’s trans-continental trip, which started near Perth on Monday morning.

“Doing it this way means we don’t have to take our trucks out of our eastern Australia operations for the whole trip across to Perth. This keeps our fleet available to service one of our main clients in the Kempsey area of NSW,” he explains.

Slim Dusty tags Matt’s current stead is a six-month old T659 Kenworth that has just clocked up 100,000km. The Kenworth is coupled to a set of brand new Byrne stock crates.

Unlike the drovers of old, who had a mere handful of horses to move the mob, Matt has the pleasure of 600 X15 horses (447kW) provided by Cummins and 2,150ft-lb of torque to keep things spinning. An 18-speed Roadranger transmission is used to swap cogs manually.

Each of MLT’s trucks has the title of a Slim Dusty song inscribed on the side of the bunk. Mick, a big Slim fan, blames his dad, whom he describes as being a “Slim Dusty tragic”.

Mick says he tries, wherever possible, to give Matt a threeday break on his stints at home. Matt adds that reasonably regularly he manages to get a night at home with his partner Amy in the middle of his 11-day roster, working on advanced fatigue management (AFM).

Matt enjoys the life on the road and partner (soon to be wife) Amy is very understanding of the truckie’s life. Working in transport herself, and having a father and brother who do similar work, Amy has been somewhat conditioned to the truck driver’s timetable.

“My truck is fitted out with an inverter, fridge/freezer and microwave, so I can heat up pre-prepared meals I take from home,” Matt says.

“It’s hard to find a decent feed sometimes, so I’m pretty selfsufficient.

“We all try to keep our driving hours within the window of 7am to midnight. There are some exceptions at times due to loading and unloading constraints but mostly it tends to work out.”

Driver encouragement Mick is quite involved with the LRBCA Young Driver Award, having had a colleague awarded the prize when he was working for another employer.

“I like to encourage younger drivers to get involved in the industry; the lack of young drivers coming into this game is one of the biggest challenges the industry is facing,” Mick says.

Janelle Edgar, MLT’s compliance and training manager, agrees. “We like to create a space where drivers feel appreciated and safe in their workplace. That’s why people like Matt thrive – they have a good environment to work in, which MLT has put in place.”

I have seen this harmonious working environment firsthand, operating from a small office at the rear of their Tamworth property.

After a few photos were taken down at the main yard, I was invited into the Maloney’s home for a coffee and chat (and an offer of some eggs which I had to decline after overindulging at the motel buffet breakfast earlier). Mick says their family dining room doubles as the lunch room with any staff or visitors welcomed warmly.

“I won’t employ anyone who I won’t have in my home,” Mick explains.

Matt says MLT is great to work for and he really gets looked after. He says it feels good to be appreciated for what he’s achieved by receiving the Young Driver of the Year Award and he plans to utilise the $5,000 trip prize to return to New Zealand for two weeks and visit some industry facilities, including an abattoir, after which he will take the opportunity to catch up with family while there.

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So, while the vehicle is only 500kg over the permit limits, the driver will be breached for being eight tonnes over. This can be the difference between paying a relatively small infringement notice as opposed to being sent to court where much higher fines can be imposed.

The legal view Sarah Marinovic

Conditions apply

DOUBLE CHECKING

Whether you’re a driver or operator, it’s important to be aware of compliance requirements

I

F YOU rely on mass and dimension permits, it’s important to keep upto-date with the conditions of your exemptions because even small breaches can lead to large fines.

This month, I’m encouraging operators to take a moment to review their permits and make sure they’re complying with each requirement. Taking a few minutes now to check can avoid huge headaches down the track.

Anyone who has used a mass or dimension permit will know there are a lot of terms and conditions. Some are obviously important, such as the allowable mass or routes. Others are more administrative, such as whether you need to carry the notice or permit with you in the truck.

The law, though, views them all as mandatory and requires strict compliance.

Failing to comply with a condition causes several possible problems.

Firstly, not complying with permit or notice conditions is an offence. Even simple things like forgetting to carry a copy of the permit can result in a hefty fine. A court that finds someone guilty of contravening a condition of an exemption can impose fines of over $6,000 for individuals or $30,000 for corporations.

The second, and often even more costly problem, is that failing to comply with every condition of the exemption can invalidate it. This means that the higher limits under the exemption are disregarded when calculating whether your vehicle is breaching mass or dimension limits. Instead, you are subject to the general limits.

As you can imagine, this could mean that

an otherwise compliant vehicle, or one that is only a small amount over its limits, is now treated as being significantly over the limits.

For example, imagine a person who is operating under a notice that allows a 49.5-tonne gross vehicle mass (GVM) as opposed to the usual 42 tonne under the general limits. If the vehicle was slightly overloaded to 50 tonne, then the driver is in breach of the conditions of the notice and will lose the benefit of it. Now, the overload will be judged against the 42-tonne GVM general limits.

SARAH MARINOVIC is a principal solicitor at Ainsley Law – a firm dedicated to traffic and heavy vehicle law. She has focused on this expertise for over a decade, having started her career prosecuting for the RMS, and then using that experience as a defence lawyer helping professional drivers and truck owners. For more information email Sarah at sarah@ainsleylaw.com.au or phone 0416 224 601

It’s also important to remember that the requirements to comply with the conditions applies to both drivers and operators. So, no matter what your role in the industry, it’s important to be proactive about knowing which conditions apply to you.

Double checking your obligations doesn’t have to be a difficult thing. A simple starting point is just to make sure you have printed a copy of each permit and notice that applies to your vehicle and have read them. Take a moment to consider whether you are following each of the conditions.

If you’re an operator, it’s also a good idea to make sure your employees have read the conditions and signed a written confirmation that they understand and follow them.

If in doubt about any of the requirements it’s a good idea to seek advice. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator hotlines can assist.

Or our team of lawyers at Ainsley Law are always happy to help.

“Not complying with permit or notice conditions is an offence.”

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owner profile

d son: Father an is e Luk Holl Gary and

INGRAINED IN TRUCKING From a family history in transport, Gary Hollis and his son, Luke, have managed their way through the drought years by diversifying their Tamworth-based business. Warren Caves writes

A

S FARMERS sow crops early in the season, they place their faith in the weather gods that sufficient rain will bring their plantings to a bountiful harvest later in the year. Mother Nature can be fickle and sometimes has other plans for the way she disperses the water rations.

With the exception of the last grain harvest season, the Tamworth and Gunnedah region in New South Wales, like most of the country, suffered from a crippling drought for three years or more. The long dry spell and absence of any meaningful rain, left water tanks empty and crops thirsty.

Tamworth-based family-run Hollis Haulage, with its business model based heavily in contract harvesting, faced challenges of significant

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magnitude as the entire rural economy slowed to a crawl.

Starting in 1983 from the family’s 100-acre, property ‘Cedar Hill’ just outside the country music capital, Gary and Bonnie Hollis set about building the foundations of what would eventually become Hollis Haulage. Bonnie worked (and still does) as a nurse, while Gary, as his father and grandfather did, set about making his mark in the transport industry.

“My grandfather started out in transport working bullock teams from Wauchope to Walcha on the south-eastern edge of the Northern Tablelands of NSW. Dad drove log trucks in the same area before moving to Tamworth to drive stock crates, so it must be in the blood a bit,” Gary explains.

In the early days, to supplement their small farm crop income, Gary would jump in his 345 cubic-inch V8 powered International ACCO to do a little bit of grain cartage work at harvest time for local growers. At harvest end, Gary and his trusty ACCO would cart spuds from the Niangala area, south-east of Tamworth, a bit of timber and any other work he could get his hands on for the truck.

Not one to sit idle, to keep the money coming in, Gary also worked in town at the Repco machine shop but, according to Bonnie, Gary just wanted to be his own boss.

As the years marched on a Bobcat was later purchased, along with a Volvo F10 tipper. This led to work for Gary cleaning out chook sheds and the like. A dog trailer was later added and a second,

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newer, F10 Volvo bought to replace the first one, which had served its purpose.

The eventual purchase of a K100E Kenworth truck and dog tipper combination, affectionately known as ‘Rhythm and Blues’ and later the first header, would lead the business of Hollis Haulage to its current focus – contract harvesting and rural commodities transport.

As farm kids do, they learn from a very early age.

It doesn’t matter how young you are, stuff needs to get done, and Gary and Bonnie’s three sons – Mathew, Tom and Luke – were no exception.

“They learnt very early on about machinery, that’s for sure,” Bonnie says.

“They learnt quickly how to fix things.”

As Gary recalls of the early days: “The boys would drive the header and I would drive the truck. It

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wouldn’t matter if we were harvesting our place or someone else’s, that’s how it got done”.

Maintenance costs Life went on and the sons grew up and went in their different directions, with Luke Hollis opting for a stint in Western Australia working in his trade of auto electrician. Luke and his now-wife Chelsea spent six years in Port Hedland before the lure of a home-cooked meal drew them back to Tamworth.

Upon his return, Luke suggested to Gary that they should buy another truck. Gary still had (and still does have) ‘Rhythm and Blues’ as well as an International TranStar which was towing a tanker trailer carting tallow at that time.

Shortly thereafter, the pair bought a Kenworth

K104 and a float trailer. Over the subsequent years, the business grew and grew, with the contract harvesting requiring more and more trucks to keep up with the headers and get the crops off the farms in a timely manner.

Luke admits that, by starting out with older gear, they realised the amount of time and associated costs with keeping the old equipment maintained and running was outweighing the cost to purchase newer, more reliable equipment.

I hear this time and time again from operators who have started out this way, however, hindsight is a wonderful thing and, when dollars are tight in the early days of starting any business, it takes a lot confidence (and cash or debt) to make the decision to buy new from the outset.

From the official formation of Hollis Haulage

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Bonnie adds: “One of our trucks operating as an AB-triple was constantly running grain from far southern NSW up into southern Queensland feedlots.

They had no grain, there was a real shortage.

“We also carted a lot of grain into local feedlots that had been shipped into the Port of Newcastle from WA. It kind of runs in cycles; the trucks had some work, but the headers really didn’t.”

While the headers were sitting silent in the sheds, the trucks remained somewhat consistent, or as consistent as could be expected considering the prevailing climatic conditions.

“We do a lot of baled cotton work, which comes from irrigated farms so, that helped a fair bit during the drought,” Luke says.

Tough going

in 2012, the truck fleet has now grown to seven trucks, four B-double sets, one A-double tipper set, four 45-foot (13.7m) drop decks, two B-double flat tops, a low loader and a tanker trailer. They also operate four of their own headers.

As the seasons do, they tend to run in cycles, and, as history now tells us, a drought was looming that would force Hollis Haulage to pivot its operations to alternate freight and make some tough business decisions.

According to Gary: “With the exception of the 2020 season, the last three years have been pretty dismal for harvest work. During the drought I had to do a lot of hay cartage.”

Top: Kenworth heavy: The Hollis Haulage fleet Above: Luke Hollis spent six years in Port Hedland before returning to the country music capital Opposite: The K200 is one of the newest members of the Hollis line-up

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Although there was some work for the company, undoubtedly things were tough. And with tough times come tough decisions. Faced with the possibility of putting off one of the three employee drivers due to a reduced workload, Luke made the selfless decision to return to his trade for 12 months, ensuring there was enough work to keep on all of the company’s drivers.

“It was just too hard to put someone off who hadn’t done anything wrong,” Luke admits.

Conditions have since improved and Hollis Haulage seems to be back on track, keeping up with new innovations and higher productivity equipment.

“We have invested in hydraulic cotton bale trailers by Collier & Miller. These trailers allow round bales to be double stacked into the trailers’ raised hydraulic frame that, once the bales are loaded, descend down to partially crush the bales within the frame, eliminating the need to strap the bales and ensuring the load does not exceed height restrictions. We can get nine bales to a single trailer with this design,” Luke says.

“All our trucks run on HML [higher mass limits], under the IAP [intelligent access program]. We can run roadtrains into the outskirts of Tamworth near the airport and we are running our 26-metre A-double at 75.5-tonnes gross all the way into the Port of Newcastle. This combination yields us a payload of around 51-tonnes.

“We will evaluate the feasibility of adding a 30-metre combination if it is eventually approved for use on this route. We also have a new Kenworth T659 coming to replace our T409,” Luke adds.

All of the day-to-day running of the business is handled by family members, with Bonnie and Luke sharing the logistics and compliance aspects.

Luke says he likes the seasonal nature of the work, but finds it a little harder now that he has kids.

“Being away from home never used to bother me, it’s just a little tougher now.”

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“They learnt very early on about machinery, that’s for sure.”

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30/06/2021 11:52:56 AM

Toward the end of our chat out the back of Toyota ute, and amid the fading afternoon light and a chorus of squawking galahs, Gary hinted towards the desire to retire, although I’m not convinced he means it.

I do get the impression that Luke’s kids (Lochie, Willa and Fletcher – who have their names inscribed on the side of the company’s newest trucks) might just be willing to step up and take the batten from Gary when their ages permit.

Although, as most country kids do, they’ll probably be driving around the farm just as soon as their feet can reach the pedals, cementing a five- generation transport legacy for the Hollis family.

“We can run roadtrains into the outskirts of Tamworth.”

Top: Hollis Transport’s Kenworth T409 is soon to be replaced with a T659 Above: Three generation: (back row, from left) Gary, Luke and Bonnie; (front row, from left) Chelsea, Willa, Lochie and Fletcher Hollis

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NatRoad Warren Clark

Unintentional shortfall Employers are facing constant state-based developments regarding so-called ‘wage theft’ laws

Y

OU’VE PROBABLY heard the term ‘wage theft’ coupled with talk of tougher penalties and criminalisation for employers who underpay their employees.

It is used by some politicians and unions to refer to employers who have underpaid their employees or failed to provide them with all their entitlements, either wilfully or because of errors. NatRoad rejects the term ‘wage theft’.

It is a loaded term, with no legal basis, that leads to demands for tougher penalties and even the application of criminal penalties to employers who have underpaid their employees.

Put simply, so-called wage theft is the underpayment of employees.

Australia has a complex system of laws governing the payment of employees and compliance is challenging. So, when a series of large and presumably well-resourced employers, like Woolworths, have reported extensive miscalculations in the payment of wages and other entitlements, the difficulties small businesses face in ensuring compliance with workplace laws is even more stark.

NatRoad does not condone businesses underpaying their employees. But it is our experience in providing support to members that, where an underpayment has occurred, it is not a result of a deliberate decision to underpay. Whenever we have identified payment issues, they are caused by the complexity of the industrial relations system.

Heavy penalties apply where an employee, or group of employees, have been underpaid and these extend beyond significant fines to reputational damage and, increasingly,

potential jail time. While these are offences against federal laws, both the Victorian and Queensland state governments have passed legislation that makes wage theft a criminal offence, with the Victorian legislation due to start on July 1, 2021.

Employers face on-the-spot infringement notices or they may be taken to court where the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) reasonably believes that the employer has contravened the record-keeping and pay slip obligations contained in the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Fair Work Regulations 2009, or breached the terms of a modern award.

Significantly higher penalties can apply for serious contraventions where a business or individual knew that they were contravening workplace law and they did so as part of a systematic pattern of conduct. These penalties can apply to breaches of modern awards or enterprise agreements, a national minimum wage order, the method and frequency of paying wages, record-keeping, payslip requirements and more. NatRoad does not support deliberate evasion of workplace laws and these penalties make sense, especially when compared with the so-called wage theft laws.

This is particularly underlined where an employer is found to have breached the Fair Work Act; a person involved in the contravention, such as a human resources manager, could also be personally liable and face a civil penalty of up to $13,320 per contravention. Despite these tough federal penalties, state jurisdictions have gone off on a frolic of their own.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Now more than ever, employers need to get pays right. This means:

WARREN CLARK, NatRoad’s chief executive officer, has more than 20 years’ experience leading and developing business for emerging companies.

Warren has held the position of CEO at various companies and is a certified chartered accountant.

1. Ensure your staff are being paid correctly under the relevant modern award or enterprise agreement, keeping in mind pending changes to transport award minimum rates of pay from the first full pay period on or after July 1, 2021 2. Be sure to factor in allowances, overtime and other relevant award or enterprise agreement entitlements to ensure you are paying correctly under an award or enterprise agreement.

NatRoad advisors can give you confidential advice about whether you are paying wages in accordance with the relevant modern award or enterprise agreement.

STATE LAWS The Victorian parliament has passed Australia’s laws on wage theft, the Wage Theft Act 2020, which created a criminal offence for underpayment of employee wages and entitlements by employers. It also established the Wage Inspectorate Victoria agency with the authority to conduct investigations and bring criminal proceedings. The Inspectorate has extensive powers to enter premises to obtain information, seize evidence and execute search warrants.

Queensland has passed the Criminal Code and Other Legislation (Wage Theft) Amendment Act 2020, which amended the Queensland Criminal Code to change the definition of ‘stealing’. The definition of stealing now incorporates a failure to pay an employee an amount payable to them in relation to the performance of work.

In Western Australia, the Industrial

“State jurisdictions have gone off on a frolic of their own.”

Relations Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 was introduced in response to the 2019 Inquiry into Wage Theft in Western Australia.

In South Australia, a Select Committee on Wage Theft released an interim report in July 2020. This interim report noted the high volume of submissions that were calling for the criminalisation of underpayment of wages. Legislation has not been introduced.

This means that employers may be investigated by the FWO or a state agency for the same potential contraventions.

Previously, employer admissions and selfreporting to the FWO would not contribute to potential imprisonment. However, this is now a possibility under state legislation.

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truck of the month

WELL-SCHOOLED SCANIA With more transport companies opting for auto ’boxes, drivertrainer Jason Kemp added a big Scania R620 to his business.

But, as Warren Aitken discovers, Jason still remains a firm believer in the “old school” ways

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“T

hose who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”

I love this quote; it’s a great way to wind up teachers, right after pointing out all the holidays they get. It’s also a pretty good way to break the ice on this month’s victim of my camera and questions – Jason from Jason Kemp’s Advanced Driver Training. But does the quote hold up at all when sitting down with Jason? Nope, not in the slightest! There’s very little Jason can’t do but I still wanted to wind him up with a little dig.

Jason had the last laugh, though, as I learnt he’s a mechanic, auto-electrician, experienced driver in everything from tow trucks to road trains, and a highly qualified driving instructor. Hell, the best I could come up with to find flaws was that the cup of tea he made was a bit on the weak side.

To top all of that off, he has managed to build arguably one of the coolest new series Scanias in Australia. Thankfully, it wasn’t his tea-making skills I was in Beresfield, New South Wales, for though. It was the R620 Scania. What a beast of a truck!

As usual, I do like to introduce you all to the people behind the truck first, sometimes to the detriment of the actual truck itself. However, today, I want to start with just a few lines about the truck. It seriously is a beast and, with a 16-litre V8 engine, it performs like one as well.

Admittedly, it doesn’t really sound too brutish, though.

The throaty V8 rumble that would normally warm the cockles of a truckie’s heart has been toned down and muffled. Inside you can very clearly hear yourself think

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(thankfully for me there wasn’t much to listen to).

But, the fact is, sitting in the obscenely comfy driver’s seat, I would surmise that the big R620 V8 sounds more like a beast sitting quietly in the corner of the library reading literature about the effects of carbon monoxide on native trees than the old-style V8s, which sounded like a mechanical Barry White song. However, the Scania definitely still performs as per its credentials. The V8 is putting out over 3,200ft-lb of torque, and the lovely green band on the tacho showing its ideal range is from 950–1,400rpm. That’s some serious low-end grunt.

Cosmetically, Jason’s Scania has taken European style, mixed in some bold colouring, a few lights, some Aussie flare and a few more lights, and hit it all out of the park. Then a few more lights were added just for good measure. Prevalent in New Zealand, Jason had side skirts added to his rig and boy does it set it off. With a final touch of nice shiny offsets, Jason managed to take a truck designed with productivity and efficiency in mind and actually make it look good. We all know that’s no easy task.

When it comes to driving, or learning to drive, Scania tops the tables when it comes to interior design and functionality. These new series Scania are another level; you hardly have to move your hands off the steering wheel to reach anything. You can get adjust the gear selector and retarder from the stalk that’s right there.

So easy!

To take it one step further, although the media system is adjustable from the steering wheel, Jason also had Scania fit a European stereo. Why, you may ask? Well, the European stereos have the volume dial on the right-

hand side, so even less reaching around for the driver.

There are a few other customised options inside this beast as well – like the double bunk. No, the lessons aren’t that long. It’s more for the multipurpose setup of the big R620. While it was bought to assist the rapidlyincreasing numbers of people chasing an automatic licence, Jason still uses it himself when helping out mates or getting involved in events like charity hay runs. As I mentioned at the start, he may be a trainer but Jason isn’t a teacher that fits into my rather amusing opening quote.

Diesel dreams Jason’s history in the transport industry runs far deeper than sitting in the passenger seat of one of his training vehicles.

“Mum’s got a photo at home – me at 17 months, sitting in the middle of a freshly greased turntable, black as the ace of spades,” Jason laughs. “That was my first injection of diesel.”

He recalls spending his school days staring out the window, daydreaming of trucks and diggers.

“My teacher used to tell me I won’t get a job staring out the window. Turns out she was wrong.”

When he did focus his attention indoors, his schoolbooks were more likely filled up with drawings of trucks and construction equipment than essays on the motivating influences of Shakespeare or Van Gogh.

When the time came to leave school, Jason’s grandparents actually insisted he get a trade first.

“In those days, you chose a primary and a secondary trade,” Jason recalls.

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“I was driving a little FLB112 Freightliner … with a parcel shelf to sleep on.”

“So, my primary was diesel mechanic and secondary was auto electrical.”

As it still is, the apprenticeship is a long process that will never make you rich so as a way of making extra cash, Jason found a job working for a local towing company. As he advanced his licence, his trucks also advanced, moving from a six-wheel Holden one-tonner up into the company’s bigger tilt trays.

Seems the call of the open road was a little too much for Jason.

Like a good boy he did finish his apprenticeships, but no sooner was he qualified than he downed tools and went fulltime as a towie.

With an HC licence under his belt and having progressed through the tow truck ranks, he then made the move to a fulltime truck driver.

“I started with Mark Collins Transport down in Minto, running interstate,” Jason says.

“I was driving a little FLB112 Freightliner, one of those they called ‘business class’, with a parcel shelf to sleep on.”

While at Mark Collins Transport, Jason gained his MC licence and this allowed him to move into more B-double work. The road became Jason’s life, covering pretty much all the east coast and inland for several companies before he first ventured into the world of the owner-driver.

“I just got sick of working for others and decided to have a go myself,” he recalls.

So, Jason purchased a Sterling and started as a subbie.

It’s here that his mechanical and electrical background came to the fore as he was able to undertake the majority of his own maintenance. Jason ran his own truck for several years but eventually the cutthroat nature of the business saw him sell up and go back to the more relaxed nature of a company driver.

Then, in 2013, he turned tail and tried something different, opening Jason Kemp’s Advanced Driver Training.

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Top left: Scania and Western Star: The two immaculate workhorses of the fleet covering manual and auto options Above: Early days: Jason and his first Scania, a 2010 Scania R480, on show at the 2015 Newcastle and Hunter Road Safety Awareness Day. Photo by Greg Bush Below: The old Iveco PowerStar (left) is there as a reminder of the ‘old school’ ways

“I had a stupid idea I’d come in and change the world,” Jason admits. “I’m still trying.”

To me, it seems like a very strange move; trucking is often a very solitary job so the idea of choosing to always have someone in the truck with you just seems out of place. Not for Jason though.

“I always enjoyed meeting people, helping people and teaching people, so why not get paid for it?”

One of his first training trucks was a 2001 Iveco PowerStar that, in a turn of fate, Jason had driven brand new when he worked for Prendergast Transport. Jason came into the training system as it was going through some big changes. He recalls buying the PowerStar off another trainer who, at the time, told him: “Run a mile, mate.” Be it blind optimism or maybe stupidity but Jason didn’t listen, and he went ahead with his plans.

After a couple of years the numbers of clients wanting to get their automatic licence had rapidly increased and it forced Jason to start looking at options for an automatic/synchro truck. Enter an old friend of Jason’s, Greg Harris. Greg was selling up a lot of his equipment and had a couple of Scanias still to go. One was going to New Zealand and Greg insisted Jason take the other one – a 2010 R480. It also allowed Jason to reassess the outward perception of driver-trainer vehicles.

“There’s a thing about old white trucks with old white blocks and I wanted to get away from that old image,” he says.

So with the arrival of the Scania Jason moved away from the white PowerStar with a blue strip and relaunched it with the stunning red colour. Technically it’s Mazda Velocity Red with a little extra. That little bit extra will come back to bite them later, so I’ll stick with calling it stunning red for now.

For the next few years, Jason got by using the Scania and, when needed, the old PowerStar. The business expanded and he got his

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first B-double set. Business-wise they were going well. What was helping Jason was the fact that he is a truck driver teaching others how to drive. What was hindering Jason, though, was the fact he’s a truck driver, wanting to teach others how to be a truck driver. As convoluted as that sounds, it was a real eye-opener for Jason.

“In NSW, in order to be a driving instructor, you must have held that licence for a minimum of three years,” Jason tells me. That doesn’t mean you actually have to have ever used it, just held it. The politics of the driver trainer industry would give me days’ worth of articles if I had the time to get into it.

Jason’s issues were stemming from the fact that he is only allowed to teach to a certain criteria. Like me and thousands of others, we grew up in an almost unofficial apprenticeship system. Learning everything from respect on the road, going down the hill one gear lower than you went up, pulling up and helping old mate change his tyre, assess access before you go in, the truckie wave … all that kind of thing. For an old school truckie it’s hard to not try and teach that.

Seriously, they are not actually allowed to teach students how to change a tyre.

So, as hamstrung as he is with the rules set out for driving instructors, Jason persevered. As he puts it: “Drivers should be confident, not just competent.”

In 2016, the PowerStar ended up getting demoted and, with the

a candle to the Scania proposal. It was a big call for a man who learnt his trade in the foot flat ’80s and ’90s. When he was running the coast as a carded-up member of the Kenworth club he recalls: “They used to call me UFO – unidentified flying object.”

Jason has done the super trucker thing, he loves the trucking life, so it’s no easy feat to win him over with a European rig. But the Scania ticked all the boxes – performance, safety, service, longevity and price. I’m sure the fact he was still alive thanks to a Scania may have played a role as well.

So, with the help of the local Scania dealer, Jason ordered a new R620. Now comes the painting bit (remember I said it would come back to bite them). When Jason and his painter, Brad Keighran, did the first Scania, it was done with Mazda Velocity Red. But it was also done while drinking Wild Turkey and Bundaberg rum. So the recipe for the paint, flake, pearl and maybe even alcohol was never documented. PPG even attempted a spectrum analysis with no success. In the end, the new Scania was painted in a BJAS Red, that’s a Brad and Jason alcoholic special. Whatever they worked out worked.

User friendly He had the truck set up from day dot with an airbag front end, as well as super singles fitted. The tank covers may look factory

“I just got sick of working for others and decided to have a go myself.” demand for Roadranger licenses resurging, Jason bought himself a 4800 Western Star. It was a perfect combination for a training establishment. The Western Star/Scania combo meant that, whatever you needed, Kemp’s Advanced Driver Training could provide.

All was good until 2017, when disaster struck. Jason and his partner were involved in an accident while driving the Scania home from a charity day down south. To this day, Jason can only remember parts of the accident and even his time in hospital but he does recall talking to a policewoman who happened to be one of the first on the scene, off duty at the time. She later told Jason she assumed she’d be getting a call to come file a fatal accident report for the coroner.

A major reason behind the fact Jason is still with us now is the fact that the incident occurred in the Scania. It resulted in a hell of a lot of rehabilitation, but no life-altering injuries. The truck was barrel rolled twice apparently. The resulting images back up the fact that Scania has frequently been awarded the world’s safest cab.

Once he was back on his feet, Jason set about finding the old Scania’s replacement. While his immediate instinct was to go for another Scania, Jason also believes in thoroughly investigating all avenues, and he did. In the end, though, he admits none could hold Above: HC and MC are covered, dropping the A-trailer and using the B-trailer for HC work Right: Jason Kemp goes through all the info with a trainee before getting behind the wheel. Giving a full lesson in load restraints and safe loading is all part and parcel of the training Opposite from top: Jason has taken the Euro look to a new level with his Scania R620; Before launching his Advanced Driver Training business, Jason drove interstate, including doing B-double runs in this Kenworth K200 for George MacDonald & Sons. Photo by Peter Schlenk

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fitted but, in actual fact, they were designed and built by the geniuses at SLS Customs. There were no practical bonuses to this other than the fact that it looks good.

“I’m a wanker, I like a good-looking truck,” Jason laughingly admits.

As much as Jason is an old school truckie, he is blown away by the technology in the new series Scania, against even his previous Scania.

“The user friendliness of the tech is better, you can check oil levels, brake and clutch wear … everything,” Jason says, adding in, though, that his old school tendencies still see him popping the grill and checking by hand each work day.

Another feature of the new Scania is the clutch on demand that Jason specced the truck with. This allows the user to either drive the truck as a two-pedal automatic or as a traditional three-pedal automatic.

While it has its advantages for controlling the vehicle in tricky conditions, the main reason Jason did this is because he is finding that a lot of the younger clients these days have grown up with automatic cars and absolutely no clutch.

“Throw them in an automatic Kenworth and they’ll just stall it,” he proclaims. It’s sad that that’s the new age, but it’s true. Jason’s background as a truckie, though, means he has an inbuilt desire to teach and foster future truck drivers, not just steerers.

“I still teach old school,” Jason admits. “That’s why the old PowerStar is still there in the corner to teach the old school stuff. It’s why my 40-footer still has

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spider rims on it. So I can explain to these guys about that stuff.”

Jason points out to his clients that, just because they have the licence, they won’t be going into the pride of the fleet; they’ll most likely be going into the old shitter and working their way up. He wants them to be able to handle the old school stuff as well. Who knew a clutch would be considered old school?

As much as I applaud his attempts to bring the traditional ways back into a training industry that seems intent on just enforcing the bare minimum,

it would still be hard for his clients to envision old school while sitting in one of the coolest, most sophisticated trucks on the road. Full credit to Jason for his approach, though.

Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. Well, after a couple of hours chatting with Jason, and even sitting in on one of his load restraint classes, I’ve learnt Jason can do and still chooses to teach.

If you’re lucky enough to learn from Jason then you’ll also be learning in arguably one of Australia’s coolest driver training vehicles.

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sponsored content

STANDING THE TEST OF TIME

On the diamond jubilee year of Freighter manufacturing in Australia, one of its longest-standing customers, New South Wales-based Ross Transport MD Alan Ross, shares his thoughts on his 40+ years’ journey with the Freighter brand

T

his is Ross Transport’s 46th year of operation.

The business was founded by Alan’s parents Reg and Frances Ross in the ’70s. Reg bought the first Freighter trailer in 1977. Alan, who was 14-years-old at the time, remembers painting the trailer himself.

“My dad bought it without wheels and tyres, and it was unpainted to keep the cost down,” Alan says.

“I painted it for us, and we fitted our own wheels and tyres. We got our first few trailers that way.

Forty years on, I’m still buying from Freighter. It’s a relationship that has stood the test of time and I can’t see myself ever going to any other brand for flat top and tautliner trailers.

“We didn’t buy a lot of trailers until the 1980s. Once my dad left the business in 1988, I took over and we went from 10 trucks to now having a fleet of over 120 trucks and trailers. The plan was ‘50 at 50’ and I made that goal and here I am not 60 yet and we have well over 65 trailers. Close to 95 per cent of my trailers, including flat tops and tautliners, are from Freighter.”

Alan considers himself very fortunate to have three generations of the family working in the business.

Frances, who turns 80 this year, still comes in to do the mail and a few other things around the office. His daughter, True Ross, joined the business seven years ago when she was still at uni and now is helping Alan manage the business.

“I didn’t think True would take to transport but she hasn’t looked back since she first started. She’s a current board member of Transport Women of Australia Limited.

As for me, I love the industry and I’m not planning on going anywhere until the day I die,” Alan says.

Ross Transport operates an interstate fleet, carting steel on flat tops running between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, in addition to other freight including timber, building materials, grain and fertiliser.

“I appreciate that Freighter trailers are Australianmade,” Alan says.

“I have seen imported trailers and they just don’t compare with Freighter trailers. We have tried other brands of trailers as well but some issues with those made us come back to Freighter. Honestly, I’ve had very limited trailers built anywhere else, all our new trailers

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are from Freighter. I sold a 1995 model trailer the other day and it was still like a brand new trailer except for maybe a bit of paint work.

“Even today they continue to have the original characteristics of the trailers that were produced in 1977. I feel they still are the best-looking trailers on the road. They stand out from the rest and have their own identity as a Freighter trailer.

“Freighter was the first one to come with aluminium floors, which made the floors tougher for carting steel.

While Freighter trailers do run on a production line, I feel their production line is very diverse to tailor to custom built trailers. We have had many custom specifications over the years – from lighting, to toolbox design and placement, timber racks, aluminium floors and unique paint work. The paint job they do is excellent; their sandblasting and painting techniques are best in the market. I feel there’s only so much you can do on a trailer but Freighter has everything covered and still has a practical cost to it.

“We have been buying from Freighter since they used to have sub-dealers in Sydney. Now, they sell under their brand banner MaxiTRANS and the customer service and sales experience is just as excellent.

“Over a year ago, we did have a problem with a Freighter trailer that upset me greatly at the time. It did become a little bit of an issue at that point but Freighter managed to resolve the issue for me and it’s water under the bridge now. We were back buying new trailers from them soon and I wouldn’t continue buying from them if they weren’t good people and making a good product.

“We have another new trailer coming in a few months. It is going to be the cleanest truck in Australia.

The gentleman who drives it now, Ronny Duncan, has been with me for over 15 years. The truck he drives now with a set of Freighter trailers is the cleanest truck – you cannot find a spec of dirt on his truck but the new one is going to be even better. I’m very excited about it and I’m going to call it ‘Rainbow with a twist’,” Alan says proudly.

“IT’S A RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME AND I CAN’T SEE MYSELF EVER GOING TO ANY OTHER BRAND FOR FLAT TOP AND TAUTLINER TRAILERS.” Top: Four generations of the Ross family standing proud in front of a display of Freighter trailers. Pictured is Alan, his mother Fran, daughter True and True’s young twins Left: MD of Ross Transport, Alan Ross, has been in the transport industry for over 40 years. Celebrating his long standing relationship with the Freighter brand

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29/6/21 9:35 am

EYES ON THE ROAD Rod Hannifey

The next chapter Despite trailer delays, the new TruckRight Industry Vehicle will be on the road in the coming months

M

Y SHOULDER is progressing well and, by the time you read this, I should be allowed to start weight training, initially with small half kilo weights and working up slowly.

I have heard some horror stories of others who have had shoulder surgery and been off work for 12 months or more. All the treatment people have been insistent, saying not to fall over, as you automatically put your arm out and there would go your shoulder and/ or tendon. I am not allowed to even consider pulling myself up into a truck for another month or more – maybe at 16 weeks.

I have kept up my blog and am still doing my 1.00am slot Wednesday mornings on Triple M Nightshift, plus hearing from drivers and keeping up online. I found Facebook do not keep friend requests in order of acceptance and it seems I have missed some over time. If I did not reply please forgive me.

Up until recently I’ve rarely had enough time in a week.

For the first time, the National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) had a stand at the Brisbane Truck Show. We had stand attendees from some of our association member benefits people as well. Overall, I would like to thank all who participated and made an effort to support the NRFA. I spent the four days on the stand and checking out the show, spoke with

many TruckRight Industry Vehicle (TIV) sponsors and others. I attended the opening breakfast and a couple of other events. The NRFA had its own outside function on Saturday night, which went very well. We picked up quite a few new members, spoke with many about industry issues and are now planning where to focus our efforts.

I did my health check for and as an ambassador for Health in Gear. They had two sites, with one using the new DAF supplied by Paccar for industry events. It will be on the road providing free health checks. Keep an eye out and, if you haven’t had a check-up in a while, use what they provide and make the most to improve your health.

I joined up with Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds and would love to hear from anyone who has received help from either of these groups that you believe has been beneficial to you and your life.

There is finally much work going intro drivers’ mental and other health issues.

We reaching those who need that help but is what we are supplying actually helping?

UNJUSTIFIED PENALTIES We are all waiting for both the Heavy Vehicle National Law review and the Senate Inquiry findings to be released.

However, we are still being targeted by some that we might well argue do not do so for any real road safety benefit.

None of us are perfect, but we shouldn’t cop a large penalty for a minor breach

ROD HANNIFEY, a transport safety advocate, has been involved in raising the profile of the industry, conducting highway truck audits, the Blue Reflector Trial for informal parking bays on the Newell, the ‘Truckies on Road Code’, the national 1800 number for road repairs proposal, and the Better Roadside Rest Areas Group. Rod is the current president of the NRFA. Contact Rod on 0428 120 560, e-mail rod.hannifey@bigpond. com or visit www.truckright.com.au

BELOW: At the NRFA’s Brisbane Truck Show stand: From left, Glyn Castanelli (NHVR national secretary, Trevor Warner (NHVR vice president), Adam Gibson (National Transport Insurance fleet risk engineer), Mark Reynolds (NHVAS auditor), and Rod Hannifey (NRFA president)

or mistake. When you look at some of our fines for what has nothing to do with road safety, and those metered out to others for much worse crimes, it can make you wonder who hates us that much that they can justify such overzealous and ridiculous penalties.

Highway Advocates was launched at the show, a new group offering support, assistance and representation for truckies involved and charged with some of these fines. If you are guilty, then most will accept the punishment, but if you feel you have been treated unfairly, that the fine far outweighs the level of the offence, or that you are not guilty, give them a try. They have helped others, including myself and other NRFA members, and are one of our new member benefits partners.

HITTING THE ROAD The next TIV big cab Kenworth K200 will be offline shortly, but there is much to fit and do before it hits the road.

The trailers will be delayed (and a post from the US says some manufacturers are now booked out to 2022) but I will have something in lieu until they come, hopefully in November. Thank you to all who are supporting my efforts with the TIV. I have committed to another four years and perhaps five – and hope then to perhaps retire.

The old TIV is still on the road in the hands of another Rod, so if you call me up, he might well say: “Yes, it is Rod, but another one.” I hope the truck and trailers serve him as well as they did me.

The truck will be 10-years-old in July and the trailers 12-years-old in October. Together, we did nearly two million kilometres, nearly 2.5 million with the trailers, and they have rarely let me down. They’ve done their job of promoting road safety and the road transport industry in a different light to that which we are normally portrayed. How many other companies would let a driver put their name and equipment out on the block as far as Pilon’s has allowed me?

I was once asked by a driver: “Who stitched you up with that thing, you won’t be able to hide in that, it stands out no matter where you would go?”

My answer was: “Me.” Thank you to Rod Pilon for having faith in me to try and do the right thing, to Ben now and all the drivers and mechanics and staff who have helped me get to an event or given time to pursue this initiative. I’m onto my 23rd year and still passionate.

I plan to keep at it. Thanks all who have made it happen.

“We shouldn’t cop a large penalty for a minor breach or mistake.”

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TRAILER PARTSOGUE CATAL

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PARTS FOR TRUCKS … AND TRAILERS TOO!

Leave it to PACCAR to provide unbeatable aftermarket support with quality products that are focused on improving customer uptime. PACCAR Parts’ latest trailer parts catalogue is a classic example of that dedication

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ACCAR Parts has launched volume one of its new trailer catalogue. The comprehensive reference guide will cover all parts interpretation requirements for leading trailer parts suppliers through four volumes.

PACCAR Parts’ national sales and marketing manager Michael Long says the team is proud to have developed one of the most comprehensive reference tools in the market today for trailer parts needs.

“It will be a single point of reference for fleet managers, workshop mechanics, owner-drivers and anyone working with trailers, no matter what the application,” he says.

“The easy-to-use format of the catalogue allows customers to quickly access exploded assembly drawings and the component reference table to help them quickly identify the parts they are looking for and get their trailer back on the road.

“Not only that, customers can be confident that all the parts listed in these catalogues will be available through PACCAR’s extensive network of dealers and TRP stores – currently standing at 60 locations Australia-wide.”

Quality is at the forefront of the PACCAR philosophy.

The people at PACCAR understand the significant impact poor quality parts can have on customers’ uptime.

As a result, PACCAR works with many of the world’s most recognised and trusted transport brands, ensuring that all components sold through the PACCAR network go through an extensive testing system to guarantee that its customers are receiving the highest quality parts for their fleet.

“PACCAR and its dealer network appreciate that if a customer’s truck or trailer is off the road for any reason the impact it has on their business can be big,” Long says.

“That’s why we do everything in our power to ensure we provide world-class technical support and parts availability. We believe PACCAR produces the best trucks on the market in Kenworth and DAF. However,

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our customers wouldn’t keep coming back if it wasn’t for the exceptional aftermarket support PACCAR and its network provides.

“PACCAR Parts has over 250,000 truck and trailer parts and accessories available through its extensive national network, but it’s not just about having parts available for purchase.

The most important thing is having the part available at the dealer when the customer needs it. PACCAR Parts works with its dealer network using a class-leading inventory management system to ensure that parts are on the shelf at our dealerships 97 per cent of the time, when our customers need them.

“Customer uptime is our number one focus at PACCAR Parts. This is about minimising the time from breakdown to getting a vehicle back on the road. One of the key components of minimising

their time off the road is the need to identify the correct part upfront, allowing it to be ordered and in the customer’s hands as fast as possible. We are confident the new PACCAR Parts trailer catalogue will help satisfy this need in a quick and easy way for all customers in the trailer industry.”

To find your nearest dealer, visit www.paccarparts. com.au/find-a-dealer.

“250,000 TRUCK AND TRAILER PARTS AND ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE”

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truck events

ALMOST LIKE NEW When the offer came for the Heritage Truck Association Australia Inc to fill what was a surprise gap at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show, it proved to be a successful added attraction for Australia’s largest truck event. Greg Bush takes in the classic displays

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30/06/2021 11:28:29 AM

T

HE NON-APPEARANCE from a few of Australia’s major truck makers at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show may have left many attendees scratching their heads in bewilderment, but it proved to be a blessing for the Heritage Truck Association Australia Inc. Generally, the association holds its annual show on the third weekend of May at the Rocklea Showgrounds, coinciding with the biennial Brisbane Truck Show every second year.

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA), organisers of the Brisbane Truck Show, had cross-promoted the Heritage Truck Show, encouraging visitors to the Sunshine State capital to take in the Rocklea event while in town. But, with Isuzu Trucks vacating its 2021 main floor show position, the baton was passed to the Heritage Truck Association to fill the gap, and its committee jumped at the opportunity.

It was an apt outcome due to the association’s existing relationship with the Japanese truck maker.

“Isuzu has been our major sponsor at our Rocklea show for many years, and it’s always had their equipment at our show, but now it’s a little bit different,” explains the association’s president, Trevor Davies.

“We’ve got the older trucks now in their position, which is pretty good. And we thank Isuzu for it.”

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Back in 2019 the heritage show had more than 350 trucks parading at the Rocklea oval, with busloads of Brisbane Truck Show-goers arriving to take in the historic road transport exhibits. However, while the move to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) on May 13 brought a higher profile, space restrictions meant heritage truck numbers would be limited. Hence, a carefully handpicked bunch of 12 commercial vehicles of the past were on show in Brisbane.

“We presented a broad brush example of what’s in the club, from things unrestored to those that are full of bling,” says Heritage Truck Association vice president John Dodd.

Above, L to R: On show in Brisbane, this 1971 Mercedes-Benz 1418 LS is powered by a 180hp engine with a five-speed gearbox. It has a top speed is 82km/h; Left to right: Heritage Truck Association Australia Inc vice president John Dodd and president Trevor Davies Opposite below: This 1978 International 3070B has a Cummins VT903 engine putting out 350hp

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“You see those faces come through and rekindle old friendships again.”

“The idea was to not pick individuals as such, but to give a broad showing of what is in the club.”

Limited edition It was an impressive selection on show, from a 1948 Chevrolet Loadmaster through to an original Kenworth SAR, a 1986 W925 model. The appearance of the Kenworth proved to be a masterstroke due to Paccar showing off its new limited edition Legend SAR at its nearby stand in the BCEC. The ’86 W925 6x4 prime mover was number one of only 30 SARs released in 1986. It had been classed as a “write-off” but, with the interior and exterior now fully restored, it more than held its own among the newbies at the Brisbane Truck Show.

Another Kenworth on the historic truck stand, a ’73 W924, had previously spent eight years with Shell, followed by two years as a clay truck before clocking up 38 years as a truck and low loader combination bitumen tanker.

Top and above left: The 1986 SAR Kenworth W925 SAR is a collector’s item, being number one of 30 of these models released Left: This truck is known as an AEC Marshall, TGM8 meaning it is a tilt cab, general goods vehicle, medium weight, eight-wheeler. The truck’s original owner remains unknown Below: Still working up until 2002, this 1975 International D1310 was resurrected in 2016 and has been carefully refreshed to be kept as original as possible to how it was in its heyday

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Elsewhere, a stunning 1962 Mack H673 ST made up for the lack of new ‘bulldogs’ at the show. This particular Mack, one of two imported into Australia for Antill Ranger & Co, was known as a ‘cherry picker’ due to its 2.7 metre cab height.

Of course, a vintage truck display would not be complete without a Bedford. The 1975 KMR/XT5 model had a rough life before undergoing a two-year restoration, including full cab refurbishment inside and out, new radiator, clutch brakes, engine rebuild and reconditioned power steering. It looked well worth its original 1975 price of more than $18,000.

However, the top curiosity piece on display came in the form of an AEC (Associated Equipment Company) Marshall TGM8, which translates into ‘tilt cab general goods vehicle, medium weight, eight-wheeler’. The truck’s full history, its age and the original owner is at this stage unknown, but its last working days were spent on a ginger farm at Yandina, Queensland. Its restoration took eight years to complete and, as John Dodd asserts: “I would say it’s better than what came out of the showroom.”

“The fellow [Kevin Gillin] who did it, he’s a long standing member of the club, and he does absolutely excellent work. Just brilliant,” he says, although Kevin would argue that it was far from a “one-man-band” effort.

Enthusiastic team John has been with the Heritage Truck Association Australia for close on six years. Now retired, he has been involved in the trucking industry since 1976. However, he’s kept busy with the association, as well as his own pet project, restoring a 1988 Kenworth T600.

“It started out life as a Bunker’s truck and used to run Melbourne to Perth. It has a unit number of 63 and was one of the first three T600 Kenworths that Ron Bunker bought.”

While the T600 didn’t make an appearance this year, there’s always next year’s event at Rocklea. And possibly the chance to be part of the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.

“We would love to work hand in glove with the truck show, but it is a commercial decision, and for us to purchase one of these sites it’s out of the realms of our capabilities,” John says.

“But we would welcome the opportunity to work with them [HVIA] in some format.

“We’ve had that much interest over the four days,” Trevor adds.

“The area’s been full all the time, especially on the weekend.

“The major point is the many faces that John and I have known in the industry for that long. You see those faces come through and rekindle old friendships again.

“So it’s great. We’re really happy.”

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Top, L to R: Assembled in Australia at General Motors Holden, this 1975 Bedford KMR/XT5 was refurbished over a two-year period starting in 2008, although it had another 12 months’ working life after that on a Western Downs property; The 1973 Kenworth W924 clocked up more than five million kilometres during its working life Above, left: The oldest truck on the heritage stand was this 1946 Ford Jailbar.

Known as ‘Roxanne’, the Ford was the second vehicle restored and raffled

by National Transport Insurance (NTI) to raise funds for research into motor neurone disease. Notably, it was a member of the Heritage Truck Association Australia, membership officer Michelle Wilkie, who had the winning raffle ticket that was drawn on the final day of the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show Above: Awaiting restoration, this 1954 International AR 110 three-quarter tonne ute was originally purchased by Queensland’s Balonne Shire Council for the power station in St George. Under the bonnet is a 220 Silver Diamond International engine with a three-speed column shift ’box Left: The restoration of this 1948 Chevrolet Loadmaster began in 2013 and was completed in May 2017; Originally a left-hand drive truck and one of two imported H673 ST models in 1962, this Mack was known as a ‘cherry picker’ due to its cab height; The Victorian State Electricity Commission bought this International Loadstar in 1970. It started out as a prime mover, carting lamp posts from Webb Dock to the Electric Commission yard at Port Melbourne. A tipper body was later added. Waterfront work eventually brings rust, but it was converted back into a prime mover during 18 months of restoration, which was completed in January 2018.

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truck events

MIGHTY MINIATURES

Away from the slick, million-dollar truck stands at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show, a small corner of the transport world was represented in 1:14 scale, built with such precision and detail that, if you squinted, you’d swear it was the real deal. Ben Dillon writes

W

ITH POOR mental and physical health of truck drivers one of the big issues facing the industry, small respite from the road can be found in the form of radio controlled trucks, and they aren’t just for kids anymore.

The Brisbane Metro RC Truck and Construction Club is a collection of individuals who share the passion of building, modifying and creating in 1:14 scale. And it’s not just trucks either, with the club boasting a ‘mini

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city’ display at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show with trucks, cars, machinery and buildings all conforming to the scale with the usual transport-centred sprawl of depot, quarry and petrol station giving the display a life-like feel. There’s even a doughnut shop for the cops to hang out at.

“People who’ve come up to us here at the truck show are all impressed by the scale of everything, the detail, the lights on the trucks and the sounds they make. It’s all pretty realistic,” says club owner Chris Leech.

Looking at the display, it really is like a world in

miniature, with a loading dock complete with pallets of oil drums being loaded with a remote controlled forklift onto a trailer that then takes the load to another destination. But it’s the light and sound element that brings it to life; the beep of the truck reversing, the simulated pneumatic hiss of air brakes, even the blare of a truck air horn is replicated.

It’s easy to see why the hobby is massive overseas, especially in Northern European countries like Sweden and Norway where the weather doesn’t allow a lot of outside activity, as those countries enjoy large

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“We want to expand our club and show people that it’s not just an indoor hobby.”

Above: Brisbane Metro RC Truck and Construction Club owner Chris Leech Below: Members of the club each show off their pride and joy

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“At least half of our club are current or ex-truckies.”

RC truck shows (pre-COVID anyway) and big membership numbers in clubs. While Australia has hundreds of RC clubs catering to cars and off-road buggies, RC truck clubs are not as supported but that is something the Brisbane Metro club wants to see change, with BTS21 a great opportunity to recruit new members.

“We’ve been running as a club for a few years,” Chris says.

“It’s a huge thing running trucks and scale machinery overseas, with groups of people getting together and building 1:14 scale trucks and machinery and all associated paraphernalia but we want to expand our club and show people that it’s not just an indoor hobby.

“Our course is outdoors and it’s an ongoing build that we are adding to, but we have roadways, quarries; it’s really limitless what you can do. For example, to construct the roads, we actually use the machines to dig the dirt, the trucks to cart the dirt, even

Top left: Loading up ready to move some oil drums Above, L to R: A reduction gear is used on the three-speed gearbox to keep pace leisurely but the trucks can still get up and boogie when pushed; Even the little man in the truck is super-detailed Opposite top: The club’s stand at the truck show was only a small representation of the variety of vehicles and buildings the club uses Above right: Even in a Smurf-sized world cops still hang out at the doughnut shop

roll the roads with remote controlled rollers,” he explains.

“We are a club who involve everyone, young, old, male, female – it doesn’t matter. It gets people out of the house and it’s like a gettogether with friends.”

Besides the enjoyment of trucking on a smaller and more affordable scale (models from the likes of Tamiya start at around $500), the health benefits from the hobby are tangible, with fine motor skills and co-ordination being the big physical gains on offer from having to build objects in a scale situation, but also the mental benefits and anti-depression element of problem solving during the build and having a like-minded group of people ready to help out if your build goes awry.

“Injury is one we see a lot of with people who can’t drive anymore due to injury or who’ve suffered an accident, because building and customising a model improves their fine motor skills. Also mental health benefits are a big one too, especially because of the club environment, we’re all here to help each other,” Chris says.

“It might also be some people who’ve retired from the industry and need an outlet, and to do something connected to what they’ve done for the last 50-odd years of their life is great and keeps them interested. It’s something that they’re still able to do, even though they may have a disability or injury.”

Transport connection While some of the club members are ex-drivers, the entire club has a connection to the road-transport industry in one way or another, with mechanics, drivers, logistics personnel and family members related to all of the above filling the club ranks. Chris says that even those without a trucking background, but who are interested in the models, are more than welcome in the club.

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“We’ve had more people join us while the COVID lockdowns were in place.”

Top: Breakdowns don’t happen often but always good to have a tow truck handy Bottom: A mini tribute to the ‘Pork Chop Express’ as immortalised in the Kurt Russell film Big Trouble in Little China

“At least half of our club are current or ex-truckies and others have an interest in trucks or they work on trucks as a mechanic, etc.

Everyone is in the trucking industry one way or another but we are always looking for more members and people from any background are welcome, as are kids 14-years-old and over, especially as it’s a great thing for a parent and child to get into together,” Chris says.

“Whether it’s a mother and son or father and daughter we are more than happy to have families come and join the club and it’s a great hobby for families to get into.”

New members who are keen to join the club, or even those who’d just like to build their own truck and need some advice or a helping hand, are welcome too.

“We’re on the north side of Brisbane and our track is all privately funded, so we’re just a small club with 20-odd members, but we have plans to expand and do more things in the club,” Chris continues.

“For example, we’re implementing job cards for the club where you’ll get a card with a job on it, so you might have to fuel your truck up at one end of the track, go to another end and pick up a load of oil drums and deliver them to the mine site, things like that. It keeps it interesting and engaging.”

The real thing The club sees the mental stimulation benefits of the job cards as clear; you have a logistics problem you need to overcome and a deadline to meet. It’s a simulation of real life situations that drivers are familiar with and serves as a way for people to keep a connection to the industry as well as for engaging the mind without the stress of doing it in a full-size situation.

“It’s all about having fun. You might have to drop your fuel trailer and pick up someone’s flat bed and take is somewhere – it’s all the enjoyment of the real thing without all the hassles,” Chris says.

With clubs around Australia, there is plenty of scope for new members to join but it is limited to capital cities at the moment, which is something Chris is keen to see change in the future.

“There’s pretty much one club in each capital city, so people can join if they want to get into it. We’re hoping to have a national gathering at some point in the future, with all the clubs together, but it might be a way off with COVID and everything going on,” he says.

“But, we’ve had more people join us while the COVID lockdowns were in place because it’s a great hobby to do if you’re stuck inside.”

Surely there’s no better way to indulge your love of road transport than to build and customise your all-time ultimate rig in 1:14 scale.

Not only is it infinitely less expensive than doing the same to a fullsize truck but the mental and physical health outcomes gained from a relaxing hobby like this are benefits you just can’t buy elsewhere.

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ownerdriver.com.au

30/06/2021 11:24:28 AM

TWU Michael Kaine

Space age scrooges Wealthy retailers enjoy boasting about huge profits, while essential workers struggle to make ends meet

O

UR PUSH to bring about real change in the road transport industry is about to step up a gear. Drivers across Australia in the coming months are preparing for a fight that will target some of the wealthiest retailers in Australia and the world, which have made bumper profits since the pandemic but aren’t prepared to share them with our industry moving their goods.

Our sights are set on the likes of Amazon, Apple and Aldi, and domestic brands like IGA, Kmart and Bunnings.

Our aim? To make these wealthy retailers pay their fair share so that our industry can be made fairer and safer.

Over the last few months we have been engaging 50 of these retailers, writing to them and telling them about our demands. We have told them of the scientific link made by academics over decades and proven through coronial inquests and driver testimony that low rates of pay and inappropriate payment methods are linked to poor safety outcomes in road transport. We told them how trucking is Australia’s deadliest job and how government reports show that trucks are disproportionately involved in road fatalities and injuries.

Hundreds have been killed and thousands injured over the years and this isn’t something we are prepared

to cop anymore just because Amazon wants to make so much money its founder Jeff Bezos can shoot himself and some mates into space.

LOW COST CONTRACTS Having given retailers the heads-up we are now serving claims on them, detailing how exactly we want them to lift their game so that the pressure is taken off transport operators and drivers. If they don’t deliver, we have a plan to shame them through action.

This is a bold move but the real audacity is to be found in the obscene profits of retailers and when you consider how drivers and operators are made to struggle every day on their low-cost contracts.

Amazon recently announced profits were up 224 per cent to US$8 billion (A$10.5 billion) in just the first quarter of this year. Apple said its profits have more than doubled to US$23.6 billion (A$31.08 billion). Aldi’s annual revenue in 2019 was a phenomenal US$109 billion (A$143.5 billion).

Just think about all that money reaped by retailers while drivers and road users are being killed in Australian roads, all because companies reckon they can make even more money by squeezing transport costs and compromising safety.

Our plan to target retailers is part of our drive for reform of our industry. It

MICHAEL KAINE is the national secretary of the Transport Workers Union of Australia.

Contact Michael at: NSW Transport Workers Union, Transport House, 188-390 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. twu@twu.com.au

sits alongside our push for regulation so that we can have in place regulation to hold major companies at the top of the supply chain to account.

As I have written about previously, Coles and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) signed a charter in December on standards in road transport and the gig economy. This charter is ground breaking: it involves a formal consultation process between the TWU and Coles to ensure an ongoing emphasis on safety and to establish mechanisms through which safety issues can be identified and addressed.

That doesn’t mean Coles is always doing the right thing. But it means we have a mechanism in place to raise concerns and to effect change.

Woolworths has also signed a charter with the TWU but we are pushing for this to be upgraded with more effective mechanisms to ensure standards in that supply chain are lifting.

PUSHED OUT Of course, Aldi has so far refused to come to the table with a meaningful response to our call for a greater focus on road safety. The wealthy retailer lost a Federal Court case in December aimed at silencing truck drivers speaking out about safety in its supply chain. The ruling followed evidence and testimony from drivers about being forced to work fatigued, being ridiculed and pushed out of their jobs for speaking out, and not paid proper rates or super.

Drivers have also spoken out about a lack of weighing systems to gauge when trucks are overloaded, of flooded and badly lit loading docks, of blocked fire exits and rotten meat left lying around.

Aldi needs to significantly change its attitude and join the retailers, which are trying to make a difference.

The action we will take in the coming months is about lifting standards so that we can address the disgraceful conditions that came to light from Aldi.

Those working in our industry know that there are far too many truck crashes and safety incidents where fatigue, faulty brakes, loads not strapped down properly and even stimulants to stay awake are a factor.

At the heart of this is an industry on its knees because the major retailers at the top continually squeeze transport operators and drivers to the point that safety is thrown out the window.

Know this: we will work with retailers which want to see change so that no transport worker in their supply chains feels the pressure to drive a faulty truck, speed, work long hours, take stimulants to keep working or skip their rest breaks. But for those who are not interested in addressing the slaughter on our roads and who refuse to accept their role, workers across transport operators will unite to take action and we will not relent.

To join our campaign today go to www.twu.com.au.

“Aldi needs to significantly change its attitude.” ownerdriver.com.au

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is illuminating that this organisation does not utilise its own equipment on that leg for that freight.

WILKIE’S WATCH Ken Wilkie

NOT SO NATIONAL

Pricey technology It’s all very well adding the latest gadgets to your rig, but it comes at the expense of your bottom line

I

WENT to the Brisbane Truck Show. I can’t get impressed by all the shiny stuff crammed with electronic gimmicks. Gimmicks? The latest wizardry needs further study as to its practicability – technological stuff that applies the brakes when technology sees an accident situation developing, for instance.

I’ve seen a report where the brains’ trust has had a jail sentence reversed because it was able to convince the beak that an empty dog actually did lock up and do a pendulum swing into an oncoming coach. And I’m told Facebook ran hot with other drivers reporting similar outcomes, luckily with less horrendous outcomes.

Years ago I had a correspondence from a truckie who was doing five years for culpable driving, having demolished a car and its driver after the car had suddenly pulled in front of the travelling B-double.

Three issues brought about the driver’s conviction. Firstly, he was a truckie. Secondly, as with many drivers back then, filling out the time spent driving sheet was considered irrelevant to safety – and it still is. Nowadays, the financial consequences have made filling it out pertinent. The enforcement officers found discrepancies and took the worst view. Thirdly, the B-double was fitted with anti-lock brakes; consequently no skid marks. And the coppers took that as an indication that the brakes had not been applied under emergency application.

Take those two horrendous accidents in the New South Wales’ Northern Rivers some decades ago. The truck driver was found to have amphetamines on board – so he’s guilty. Interestingly when two coaches collided, sleep apnoea was the cause. I can’t argue differently and don’t want to, but it just seems so convenient.

Maybe, at some stage, our associations will be overcome by some sort of guilt complex and demand the truth – in breach reporting to start with – to help reduce the negative prejudice directed at this industry.

SPIN DOCTORING When I first got involved with trying to get a better deal for truck drivers, I heard the comment that we need to be seen to be doing the right thing. One reason for my gross disillusionment with industry associations and bureaucracy is that a very big proportion are just happy to be spin doctors or used car sales people –

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selling or supporting papier-mâché safety programs – being seen to be doing the right thing.

Being seen to do the right thing? I had an interesting discussion with a representative of the Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds at the show. The man is obviously full of integrity and sincerity.

He related to me how well he was treated by his employer.

I also had an interesting conversation with a friend just prior to the show. A multinational transport organisation got in touch with the friend’s son and business partner to enquire about whether their operation could assist in moving product from Melbourne to Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide. The organisation is having trouble sourcing trucks to lift the freight.

The multinational is well known for expecting its subcontractors to install all the latest gimmicks in the name of safety and industry best practice – of course at the expense of the subcontractor. My friend informed me that the rate paid to subcontractors after fitting the gimmicks to feather the image of the contractor was $500 less than he achieves for the same leg. And it

KEN WILKIE has been an owner-driver since 1974, after first getting behind the wheel at 11. He’s on his eighth truck, and is a long-time Owner// Driver contributor. He covers Rockhampton to Adelaide and any point in between.

His current ambition is to see the world, and to see more respect for the nation’s truckies. Contact Ken at ken@rwstransport.com.au

"Five metres? Why the difference from truck and dog or just truck listed at 4.6?"

It’s been suggested to me that a determined legal eagle might have a field day with a charge of misleading advertising by the suppliers of information to the government printers – Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Heavy Vehicle National Law, Multi-State Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Dimension Exemption Notice 2020 (No 1). I presume this has emanated from the (not) National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. It talks about participating jurisdictions.

That raises the question: why national when the full Commonwealth is not involved?

Okay, it is only part of the Commonwealth, but God help us – there is little consistency with those parts of the Commonwealth that participate. I’ll deal with the Queensland section. Table 2: Maximum dimensions for vehicles without pilot or escort – day time travel. The third entry in this table gives a maximum height of five metres for prime mover and trailer combinations. Five metres?

Why the difference from truck and dog or just truck listed at 4.6? But that’s not the serious issue. The real issue is the dangerous misleading nature of five metres. There’s no suggestion here that permits are required by the electricity authorities for heights above 4.6 metres.

Check out the ‘Look Up and Live’ website at Energex. Anything over 4.6 requires a permit, which translates to a check of the required route for transmission wires that could be impacted. Check out Queensland Rail – its live wire clearance, I’m told, has a height limit of 4.3. So what happens if a driver takes the Commonwealth Gazette as gospel and pulls down a live power wire? Or, if the worst case scenario eventuates and an innocent life is taken through contact with a damaged high voltage cable? No doubt if that driver is self-employed with limited financial resources to argue innocence, then I expect that said driver would be facing a stint in the penitentiary.

Not to mention the life-long distress of having been the cause of some innocent person’s demise.

Surely an entity tasked with advancing the safe outcomes of the road transport industry – tasked with uniforming the industry nationally – would be more inclusive of organisations whose equipment can be impacted by operators ignorant of proper procedure; bringing with that impact a tremendous safety risk factor.

I have come to the conclusion that there is a determination by bureaucracy to entrap – for two reasons. Firstly, to sell to the public the ideal of the bureaucracy as an implement to protect society and, secondly, through the raising of significant monies from fines – a revenue stream to offset something of the massive cost to society of the provision of the bureaucracy.

My suggested reading for this month: The Pacific War 1941 to 1945 by John Costello. It takes the reader back in the pre-war history and highlights stuff ups on both sides.

ownerdriver.com.au

30/06/2021 11:17:30 AM

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As well as being involved in road transport media for the past 22 years, GREG BUSH has strong links to the music industry.

A former Golden Guitar judge for the Country Music Awards of Australia, Greg also had a three-year stint as an ARIA Awards judge in the late 1990s and wrote for and edited several music magazines.

ROAD SOUNDS Greg Bush

Bringing out the best Blues, roots, pop, a rock legend and a touch of jazz LOVE SONGS FOR LONELY PEOPLE Paul Field

HOLIDAYS INSIDE Robbing Millions

EXIT WOUNDS The Wallflowers

ABC/Universal Music linktr.ee/PaulFieldOfficial

MGMT/PIAS www.robbingmillions.com

New West Records www.wallflowersmusic.com

Australia’s Paul Field, formerly of rock band The Cockroaches and producer of The Wiggles, has at long last released a debut album, Love Songs For Lonely People, although he previously recorded a couple of albums with his brother John Field. Paul Field’s high standing in the music industry has attracted a number of notable guests for the album, which could be classed in the genre of AOR, or “adult-oriented rock”.

Jimmy Barnes adds his distinctive vocals to the twangy ‘You Ain’t Going Nowhere’, a Bob Dylan classic. Ria Pirelli, from Audio Vixen, joins in for the schmaltzy ‘Sleepless Nights’, and country songstress Chris E Thomas sings on the lively ‘Gasoline And Matches’. Barnsey’s daughter Elly-May Barnes adds her high register tones to ‘Tomorrow Is A Long Time’, another Dylan song, and Field covers the ’60s staple, ‘When You Walk In The Room’.

Robbing Millions is the brainchild of Belgian avantgarde pop artist Lucien Fraipont; Holidays Inside being his second album. Most interesting is that it’s the first release on US pop-rock duo MGMT’s own record label outside that duo’s own music. What you get with Robbing Millions’ Holidays Inside is an 18-track album of energetic pop that runs for over an hour. The album’s first single, ‘Camera’, is keyboard-driven lively track with an abstract melody, and a blend of French and English lyrics. There’s a 1980s pop sound to ‘Have Tea’, but Fraipont dispenses with lyrics altogether on the upbeat instrumental ‘Overdry’.

He slows the tempo for ‘Dutch Sauna’, another instrumental laden with “loops”, while the punchy ‘Family Dinner’ is one of the album’s more radio-friendly tracks.

If you’re into Euro pop, Holidays Inside is on the money.

The Wallflowers were formed around 30 years ago, but this US rock band has always centred around Jakob Dylan (son of Bob). Exit Wounds is The Wallflowers' first album since 2012’s Glad All Over, although Dylan was involved in the soundtrack to the 2019 documentary Echo In The Canyon.

Basically, Exit Wounds is a Jakob Dylan solo project, with a host of well-credentialed musicians helping out, including singersongwriter-keyboardist Butch Walker, who also produced the album. Dylan’s vocals draw comparison with his famous dad, especially on ‘Roots And Wings’, one of the album’s many standouts. Americana singer Shelby Lynne adds duet vocals to the slow-paced ‘Darlin Hold On’. As far as strong lyrics go, ‘The Dive Bar In My Heart’ is right up there. Those who admired legendary ’70s outfit The Band should enjoy Exit Wounds.

DELTA KREAM The Black Keys

FLESH AND BLOOD Jimmy Barnes

THE ART OF CONVERSATION Leo Sidran

Nonesuch/Warner www.theblackkeys.com

Bloodlines www.bloodlinesmusic.com.au

Bonsaï Music www.leosidran.com

It’s a blast from the past for The Black Keys on their 10th studio album Delta Kream as guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney pay homage to blues artists from the previous century.

For the most part the duo rediscovers the hill country sounds that were popular around northern Mississippi, including five tracks by the late Junior Kimbrough.

Of these, ‘Stay All Night’ steers clear of the usual blues format, with Auerbach’s guitar mimicking his vocal lines. There’s falsetto on ‘Goin Down South’, a top-notch blues-rock track which late bloomer R.L. Burnside first recorded in 1967, and there’s a grinding beat and fiery guitar licks on the one-chord ‘Coal Black Mattie’.

‘Crawling Kingsnake’ has been the go-to track for many blues artists (including The Doors) since the 1940s, but The Black Keys stick close to Kimbrough’s version.

Recorded in Nashville, Delta Kream’s appeal spreads far beyond the blues genre.

The output from Australian music icon Jimmy Barnes is remarkable, considering his Cold Chisel commitments.

Flesh And Blood, his 20th solo album, is a real family affair, with his son Jackie on drums and backing vocals, plus daughters Mahalia, Eliza-Jane and Elly-May also adding vocals. There are also a few surprises. Barnsey debuted the rocking title track, also the album’s opener, at the recent funeral of his good friend Michael Gudinski. It’s not the only rock anthem on Flesh And Blood however. ‘Gateway To Your Heart’ is laden with strong guitar riffs, and ‘Around In Circles’ could be classed as melodic rock. His wife, Jane, adds duet vocals to the Everly Brothers ballad ‘Love Hurts', while Eliza-Jane contributes to the country classic ‘Tennessee Waltz’, which is given a big production sound, including bagpipes! There’s introspection on ‘Til The Next Time’, rounding out what is a trademark Jimmy Barnes album.

US guitarist, producer and composer Leo Sidran boasts a handy musical pedigree. His father, Ben Sidran, mixed jazz and rock, and was once a member of The Steve Miller Band. Likewise, the younger Sidran explores various music genres on his seventh solo album The Art Of Conversation. His vocals at times bare resemblance to those of John Mayer, notably on the breezy pop-rock track ‘Trying Times’. Sidran co-produced the Oscar-winning song ‘Al Otro Lado Del Rio’, originally written by Uruguayan Jorge Drexler, and he translates it into English here, renaming it ‘Row On’, adding a large choir. Jazz vocalist Kat Edmonson adds vocals to the bossa nova title track, and then Sidran delivers cool but subtle country licks on ‘Wake Up So So’.

‘My Baby Doesn’t Say Good Night’, another cruisy number, has a ’60s pop sound, and he’s at his jazziest on ‘Song For A Sucker Like You’.

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Country Corner WHERE HAVE YOU GONE Alan Jackson

Universal Music www.alanjackson.com It’s been a long time between drinks for US country star Alan Jackson; Where Have You Gone is his first album of new material since 2015.

Jackson has made up for that hiatus, loading up 21 tracks on this new release, 15 of those self-penned.

There’s pure country on the ballad ‘Wishful Drinkin’, and he drowns his sorrows on ‘Way Down In My Whiskey’.

On a positive note, ‘You’ll Always Be My Baby’ is a song written for his daughter’s wedding, and he revs it up for the country rock track ‘Livin On Empty’.

Jackson is on a mission to lift country music’s stature on ‘Back’, and he delivers a tribute to Merle Haggard on Lefty Frizzell’s ‘That’s The Way Love Goes’.

THE SONG CLUB Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham

ABC/Universal www.felicityurquhart.com Felicity Urquhart scored big at the 2019 Golden Guitar Awards with her album Frozen Rabbit, taking home six awards. However, that success could be surpassed with The Song Club, a collaboration with Josh Cunningham of ARIA award-winning trio The Waifs. With banjo in hand, the couple embrace the bluegrass genre on ‘Wanna Go There’, and there’s a folk flavour to ‘Seasons’, one of the album’s best. ‘Open Sea’ is a song of hope; Urquhart shines on ‘Rain Fall’, while love is in the air on ‘Catching A Feeling’. Home is where the heart is on ‘At The Table’, and there’s a sombre tone to The Song Club’s final track, ‘A Year To Remember’. Currently on tour, they’re well worth catching live.

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THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

WHAT’S ON upcoming events NATROAD CONFERENCE 2021

August 19 to 21, 2021. Gold Coast, Qld After a difficult year for road freight operators, NatRoad is pleased to invite members to the NatRoad National Conference 2021, to be held at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Gold Coast from August 19 to 21. Includes the ‘NatRoad Parliament’ and the NatRoad Awards presentation at the Gala Dinner.

For further info see the website at www.natroad.com.au/eventsnetworking/2021-conference

NATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT HALL OF FAME REUNION 2021

Casino Truck Show cancelled

Pandemic again forces northern NSW event off the calendar WITH A number of recent lockdowns taking place across the country, organisers of the North Coast Petroleum Casino Truck Show have decided that with only weeks to go and the COVID-19 pandemic still not under control, holding the event this year would not be feasible.

The event was due to take place on Saturday, August 7 in the Casino CBD. A joint statement from Truck Show Organising Committee spokesman Darren Goodwin and Beef Week Festival Committee president Frank McKey explained that the health and safety of the community, attendees and exhibitors were the driving factors behind the cancellation.

Goodwin also says the lockdowns meant many interstate truck drivers and trucking companies would not be able to attend.

He said the annual NCP Casino Truck Show had been a cornerstone of the Richmond Valley event calendar for a decade, and organisers strived each year to bring the best trucks from around the country to showcase to our regional communities.

“Sadly, due to the current restrictions in place around Australia, we do not believe we can produce the show our community and our visitors deserve,” Goodwin says.

“The risk of running a national truck show during the current pandemic was always going to be high, and the unfortunate truth is due to the latest outbreak we may not be able to include interstate trucks.”

McKey says, as with any event, there was a lot of behind-the-scene work to produce a truck show of this size, and while there was the possibility the current restrictions would end before the show, it was simply not enough

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time to confirm a secondary outbreak would not occur. He said as the Casino event attracted drivers from around the country, a single outbreak in a single state could result in the staging of half a show.

He said it was important to understand the truck show was not just a group of people turning up for a get together.

“There are site plans, traffic control plans and COVID safety plans to go through, and Council and Police approvals to be obtained,” McKey says.

“There are trophies and prizes to be ordered, and market stalls, amusement rides and entertainment to be booked.”

This is the second year in a row that COVID has caused the cancellation of the Casino Truck Show with organisers running a virtual show in its place last year.

Plans were already underway to make the 2021 event bigger and better, including bringing back Aussie FMX, one of Australia’s top professional freestyle motocross teams, More than 300 trucks were expected to attend this year.

Goodwin says the organising committee would like to thank all the drivers who had already submitted entries, and the sponsors who jumped on board early.

“Your enthusiasm helped motivate us to bring back the Truck Show in 2021, and we are disappointed we will be unable to host it this year,” he adds.

“Hope is not lost for the future – we’ll be seeing you all again in 2022.

TOP: Before COVID – trucks and spectators filled the Casino CBD at the 2019 truck show.

Photo by Warren Aitken

August 23 to 29, 2021. Alice Springs, NT

The National Transport Historical Society and The Old Ghan Historical Society has the announced the inaugural ‘Festival of Transport’. As well as the regular reunion activities there will be new events to experience.

For info and nomination forms see the website at www.roadtransporthall.com, www.facebook.com/Trucks.n.Trains, email info@roadtransporthall.com or phone 08 8952 7161.

ALEXANDRA TRUCK UTE & ROD SHOW September 12, 2021. Alexandra, Victoria

Rescheduled from June due to COVID, the Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show will now be held in September, celebrating 25 years. Sunday Show ’n Shine on Alexandra’s main street on September 12, includes live music, Victorian woodchop tournament, exhibitions and trade displays, kids amusements and Truck Show Day raffle draw. Be early for Saturday, September 11 for the local markets, convoy and truck driver’s memorial service at 2pm and sponsors’ dinner at 6pm.

For truck show details email trucks@alexandratruckshow.com.au, or for further info phone Gordon Simpson on 0409 577 212, Andrew Embling on 0418 266 038 or see the website www.alexandratruckshow.com.au

LIGHTS ON THE HILL MEMORIAL CONVOY October 2 & 3, 2021. Gatton, Queensland

The 2021 Lights on the Hill Memorial Convoy is planned to be held on October 2 and the Memorial service will take place on October 3 at the Lake Apex Memorial wall.

For further info see the website at www.lightsonthehill.com.au or www.facebook.com/ lightsonthehillmemorial

I98FM ILLAWARRA CONVOY

November 21, 2021. Shellharbour Airport, NSW The Illawarra community’s 16th annual big convoy. Bikes will leave Illawarra Coal’s Westcliff Colliery on Appin Rd at around 8am, followed by trucks at Maddens Plains to Mount Ousley, Warrawong, Stockland Shellharbour, Albion Park Rail and on to Shellharbour Airport for the family fun day. Includes live music, food and market stalls and activities. Funds raised will be distributed via the Illawarra Community Foundation to charities and families in need within the Illawarra and South Coast regions.

For further information visit www.illawarraconvoy.com.au or see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/i98fmillawarraconvoy

BOYUP BROOK UTE AND TRUCK MUSTER February 19, 2022. Boyup Brook, WA

The Boyup Brook Ute and Truck Muster is incorporated into the annual Boyup Brook Country Music Festival which has been rescheduled (due to health advice) to run from February 18 to 20, 2022. Truck registration 8am at Old Railway Staton. Includes parade through town continuing to Hockey Oval on Jackson St. $10,000 in prizes over 14 categories. Live entertanment, licensed bar.

For further info see the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ TheBoyupBrookUteAndTruckMuster), email uteandtruckmuster@ countrymusicwa.com.au or see the website www.countrymusicwa.com. au/ute-and-truck-muster

To have an event listed, phone (07) 3101 6602 or e-mail odonline@aremedia.com.au

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truck technology

HINOAIMSHIGHER

Following extensive updates to its light and medium-duty line-ups, Hino has previewed a vastly upgraded range of 700-series heavyduty models set to hit the market in the next few months. Advanced safety systems, improved and expanded powertrains, and new configurations are all part of a significantly stronger assault by a brand with ambitious plans for a bigger bite of the heavy-duty business. Steve Brooks reports

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I

T WAS no surprise that a major upgrade of the Hino 700-series heavy-duty range would follow much earlier updates to its 300-series light-duty and 500-series mediumduty models.

What did surprise, however, during a recent preview of the latest heavy-duty hopefuls was just how far Hino has gone in its bid to make the 700-series a far more competitive and appealing line-up and, in the process, provide a platform entirely capable of challenging European competitors as well as its Japanese rivals.

Have no doubt, on first impression this is a heavy-duty line-up far beyond anything Hino has ever offered before in any weight class. Moreover, while company insiders say it’ll be three or four months until we get the chance to climb behind the wheel, there was enough to see and hear at

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a static display in Sydney to predict a bold new appreciation for the Toyota-owned brand’s heavyduty credentials.

Similarly surprising, though, was Hino’s somewhat strange decision to retain peak power of the 700’s reliable 13-litre engine at the current peak of 480hp (358kW). Strange indeed!

Consequently, Hino will remain the only brand in the market today that doesn’t offer 500hp (373kW) or more from a 13-litre engine, yet fully aware that Japanese rival Fuso will later this year add a 13-litre 510hp (380kW) model to its top-end Shogun range. Again, a strange decision indeed, particularly given the brand’s stated resolve to be a bigger player in the heavy-duty business and one day realise its long-held ambition to overtake Isuzu as Australia’s top selling truck brand.

That said, though, Hino Australia’s somewhat circumspect manager of product strategy, Daniel

Petrovski, was quick to hint that bigger things are brewing and what we were shown in Sydney is effectively the first of several phases in the brand’s pursuit of a substantially bigger footprint in the heavy-duty field. Whether a 500-plus version is part of any future phase, he wouldn’t say.

What he did say, however, is: “The reliability of the Hino E13C engine is already well proven, and the improved version in the all-new 700-series range is available in two power ratings of 450hp (336kW) and 480hp.”

More to the point, perhaps, the 13-litre in-line six is just one part of many significant features in a thoroughly modern makeover of Hino’s flagship range. One of the most appealing is the smart addition to the heavy-duty mix of the brand’s A09C nine-litre engine, with both nine- and 13litre displacements meeting Euro 6 emissions

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standards through the combined effects of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF).

What’s more, in an innovative move that recognises an increasingly obvious trend throughout the road freight sector, every model in the expanded range is fitted with either an automated manual transmission (AMT) or an Allison automatic. There are no manual options.

As Petrovski put it: “Australian customers clearly prefer the convenience of two-pedal transmissions [and] Hino is the only Japanese manufacturer to offer a true automatic transmission option across the light-, medium- and heavyduty model ranges.”

According to Hino, key new models include 4x2 and 6x2 rigids for distribution work and 6x4 and 8x4 models for heavier roles. Critically, after years on Hino Australia’s wish list, the new eight-wheeler is at last equipped with the greater weight carrying allowance of a load-sharing twinsteer suspension designed specifically for our market.

Meanwhile, the addition of the nine-litre engine to Hino’s heavy-duty repertoire finally provides the brand with what it says is, “a Hino solution in the 300 to 400 horsepower area”.

As the company explains, the nine-litre line-up starts with the FH 1832 4x2 model, the FR 2632 6x2 and the FS 2632 6x4, all punched by the A09C engine rated at 235kW (320hp) and 1,275Nm of torque, mated to an Allison 3200 six-speed automatic transmission.

For the higher weights of the FY 3036 8x4 model, the nine-litre delivers 265kW (360hp) and 1,569Nm of torque feeding into the heavier-duty Allison 4440 series six-speed automatic.

In the 13-litre class, the revamped range starts with the SH 1845 4x2 model powered by Hino’s E13C dispensing 331kW (450hp) and 2,157Nm of torque.

“Every model in the expanded range is fitted with either an automated manual transmission or an Allison automatic.”

Above: Hino Australia product strategy manager, Daniel Petrovski. Among an extended 700-series model range is a new eight-wheeler offering a nineor 13-litre Euro 6 engines. But the big gain for Hino’s 8x4 is a loadsharing twin-steer. Finally!

Right: Modern makeover. Vastly upgraded 700-series takes its interior design cues from its 500-series medium-duty stablemate which has enjoyed positive driver feedback. Function and form rate high in Hino’s new flagship range

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All other 13-litre models – the high-roof SS 2848 6x4 prime mover, the FS 2848 6x4 rigid and the FY 3248 eightwheeler – have the engine rated to existing performance peaks of 353kW (480hp) and 2,157Nm of torque, though Hino points out that peak torque is now dispensed across a wider 1,000 to 1,500rpm rev range.

Coupled to all 13-litre variants is the ZF Traxon 16-speed AMT, with forward, neutral and reverse controlled through a rotary dash-mounted shift knob; uncannily similar to Traxon installations in MAN models. The knob also controls a ‘slow mode’ for crawling in either forward or reverse.

Furthermore, says Hino: “The dash-mounted selector is complemented by a sequential-type shift lever on the steering column that allows the driver to switch between automatic and manual modes, and manually select gears.”

Also part of the AMT package is Hino’s Easy Start (hill hold) system for smooth lift-offs on grades.

The list of standard features in the new range is undeniably impressive and includes alloy wheels in an obvious move to improve both tare weight and aesthetics.

Much like its light- and medium-duty brothers, though, some of the most notable advances in Hino’s vastly upgraded 700-series have been in the deployment of advanced safety systems.

Safety first Hino is adamant its new 700-series range comprises the safest trucks it has ever produced and it all starts with an electronic brake system (EBS) on every model.

Yet, it’s not just the quicker braking performance of EBS that sets Hino’s new heavy-duty models apart from the current crop. As the company states, the 700-series has moved from the traditional S-cam design to Hino’s ‘Taper Roller’ brake system, which it says: “… reduces tare weight, decreases compressed air requirements, provides a smoother and more consistent brake feel, and uses less moving parts, resulting in reduced maintenance requirements and lower operating costs.”

Importantly, auxiliary braking is a strong suit in the new line-up with the inclusion in all 700-series models of the ever effective Jacobs engine brake, coupled in 13litre versions with the additional braking strength of the ZF Intarder, integrated into the rear of the Traxon transmission.

Even on paper, service and auxiliary braking in the new Hino heavies appears a cut above.

However, it are the overall safety features in what Hino calls its ‘SmartSafe’ package that truly put the new models on a higher plane.

“The 700-series answers a lot of the major safety issues that confront the transport industry and other road

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE

Hiding in the shadows of Hino’s preview of its new 700-series trucks and the use of a Jacobs engine brake in all models is the fact that 2021 marks the 60th anniversary of Jacobs Vehicle Systems.

Jacobs introduced the first engine brake for commercial vehicles in 1961 and, since then, more than nine million Jake brakes have been produced for trucks around the world.

In fact, Jacob engine brake use has grown markedly over the past few years. The company sold its eight millionth engine brake in 2019 but it was only two years later, in March 2021, that the nine millionth unit rolled off the Jacobs assembly line.

It may, however, surprise more than a few people to learn that the world’s best known engine retarder was actually invented by Clessie Cummins, the man who, in 1919, founded the Cummins Engine Company. And it may also be a surprise to learn that safety and a near-death experience were the reasons why Cummins made an effective engine brake one of his most enduring engineering legacies.

The story goes that, in 1955, when Cummins retired from the engine company he’d created, his thoughts returned to a terrifying experience in the northern summer of 1931 when he and two colleagues drove a Cummins diesel-powered truck from New York to Los Angeles in an attempt to set a new truck speed record across mainland USA. On the fifth day of the drive, at the top of a notorious pass on a stretch of historic Route 66 in Southern California, Cummins was at the wheel of the truck when it started a long, steep descent towards the San Bernardino Valley.

On a gravel road that plunged downwards for 35 miles (55km), criss-crossed by a busy railway line, the frequent slowing for twists and turns overheated the truck’s brakes. Cummins tried to restrain the runaway truck with engine compression but, with so much momentum and road speed, was unable to engage a lower gear than third. To his horror, the Cummins founder realised he “would just have to ride it out”.

With a freight train cutting across their path a short distance ahead, he was sure his days were done.

Cummins later recounted how the truck passed the back of the train with inches to spare and how he had vowed that someday, somehow, he would make his engine work just as well going downhill as it did uphill.

Almost 25 years passed before Cummins found the time in retirement to study what might be done to turn his engine into an effective brake. By 1957, he’d developed a design that would revolutionise engine braking. His idea was to take advantage of perfectly timed motion already built into Cummins and Detroit Diesel engines, which have a third cam on the main camshaft that activates the fuel injector of each cylinder. By transferring this motion to open the exhaust valve with a simple retrofit mechanism, the engine brake was born.

Although the principal of engine braking wasn’t new, the details of Cummins’ new technical approach made it novel enough to be granted patent protection.

As for getting his engine brake into the market, it wasn’t plain sailing. Cummins was contractually obliged to offer his invention first to Cummins Engine Co. but, strangely, his design was rejected on the grounds of commercial risk. Big mistake!

Fortunately, Cummins received a more positive response when he explained his idea to a vice-president of Jacobs Manufacturing Company. By April 1960, after the success of extensive tests of the design, Jacobs established a new Clessie L. Cummins Division (now named Jacobs Vehicle Systems) for the manufacturer of the engine brake.

The rest, of course, is history and, while the raucous bark of earlier Jakes has been criticised by many, the one salient fact that can’t be criticised is the engine brake’s inestimable contribution in keeping truck drivers and other road users safe on downhill grades.

Besides, the modern Jake is far quieter than its forebears thanks to the fact that Jacobs Vehicle Systems engineers continue to work closely with engine manufacturers throughout the world, not least Hino.

Above: Cummins Engine Company founder, Clessie Cummins. In retirement in 1955, he found the time to create the design that would become the remarkably effective Jake brake

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“Hino is adamant its new 700-series range comprises the safest trucks it has ever produced.” users, with the implementation of advanced driver assist technologies, Hino SmartSafe and, more specifically, the introduction of Driver Monitor,” says Petrovski.

As a Hino statement explains: ‘The new Driver Monitor system constantly monitors the driver’s attention towards the road using key metrics such as driving posture, face orientation, and eyelid status via a camera integrated into the A-pillar.

Top: Vital new model, the FR 2632 6x2 rigid, is punched by a ninelitre engine stirring through an Allison auto. All 700-series trucks will come with either an Allison automatic or automated manual transmission. There are no manuals

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“The system provides a visual and audible alert if it detects drowsiness or a lack of attention from the driver.”

Emphasising the benefits of the Driver Monitor system, Petrovski commented: “National Transport Insurance recently released the 2020 National Truck Accident Research Centre report, which found that two of every three truck driver fatalities were as a result of either fatigue or distraction.

“The report also found the number of significant accidents caused by distraction more than doubled in the past two years, which makes Driver Monitor an important addition to the Hino SmartSafe package.”

Safety has been a major focus for Hino over the past decade and more, first demonstrated by the inclusion in 2011 of a vehicle stability control (VSC) system on the lightduty 300-series.

In fact, Hino now describes VSC as the cornerstone of its SmartSafe system that, in the upcoming 700-series, will include a radar-based pre-collision system (PCS) working in conjunction with autonomous emergency braking to dramatically minimise the incidence and impact of collisions caused by driver distraction or poor judgement.

Similarly, a pedestrian detection system is also part of the SmartSafe package, along with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, reversing camera and a driver’s airbag.

Meanwhile, LED headlights and daytime running lights are also standard in Hino’s new heavies, as well as larger electronically-adjustable, heated mirrors, a heated convex spotter mirror and spotters for the kerb and front of the truck.

Yet, while SmartSafe is a highly impressive package, all its features will not be initially available on 8x4 models.

Apparently, the priority is to get the loadsharing twin-steer into the market.

Citing delays in validating the VSC and PCS systems on 8x4 models, Petrovski says: “The addition of SmartSafe to the 8x4 models will occur in mid-2022.

“We have made this decision in order to fulfil our customers’ requests for low tare weight and loadshare (twin) steer axle.”

ownerdriver.com.au

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“Generous tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustments make it easy to find a good driving position for ‘steerers’ of almost any shape and size.”

Contemporary design

Below: All Hino 13-litre models run a ZF Traxon 16-speed automated transmission, engaged by a rotary knob on the dash. Manual or auto operation is via a wand on the steering column

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There will, however, be no delays in supplying a significantly improved cab layout that, like the 500-series standard cab, uses a modern mix of tones and designs to produce an extremely functional and pleasing driver environment.

With some sceptics wondering if Hino had gone too far in its bid for a modern contemporary cab interior at the 2019 launch of the 500-series standard cab, Hino’s Petrovski asserts: “Feedback from drivers has been overwhelmingly

positive since we first introduced the new-look interior.”

Wisely, the new 700-series ignores the sceptics and delivers an attractive workplace with comfort and function obviously at the top of the design agenda.

As Hino states: “The ergonomically designed wraparound dash layout features all-new instrumentation with large, high contrast speedometer and tachometer, and a central seven-inch multi-information display, which contains important information such as SmartSafe settings, driving economy, gear selection and vehicle maintenance data.”

Driver comfort starts with a cab mounted on a fourpoint air suspension and the inclusion of an Isri 6860 NTS2 driver’s seat to provide more rearward seat travel, greater seat depth and lumbar air support.

Likewise, generous tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustments make it easy to find a good driving position for ‘steerers’ of almost any shape and size, while control buttons on the steering wheel offer fingertip ease for phone calls, setting the adaptive cruise control system, and operating the information display screen.

On the outside, exterior design has been notably refreshed with style changes to the grille in particular.

A shallower three-slat grille, for instance, denotes a ninelitre model and a taller four-slat grille, a 13-litre version.

All up, even a short stint behind the wheel of several static trucks suggests Hino’s new 700-series is something special for the brand in this country and perhaps, something special in the evolution of Japanese heavyduty trucks.

Time will tell, of course, but right now there’s a sense of expectation that on-road experience will only confirm what we’re already thinking. Stay tuned!

ownerdriver.com.au

30/06/2021 11:13:26 AM

SAFETY ACCELERATOR Daniel Elkins

Shameful failure The SA Inspection Scheme has proved to be inconsequential in its aim to reduce injuries and fatalities

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N JANUARY 1, 2017 the South Australian government’s Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) introduced stage one of the Heavy Vehicle Inspection Scheme (the scheme) after a 2015 coroner's report into a tragic accident. The scheme proposed to address serious injury and death related to mechanical failure (defects).

Although no specific targets were set as to how many incidents the scheme would eliminate, it was aligned with the Towards Zero Together: South Australia’s Road Safety Strategy 2020, which sought to reduce serious injury and death by 30 per cent by the year 2020.

In May 2017, DPTI released a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), it seems in an attempt to vindicate its new policy approach to heavy vehicle safety. It indicated that the scheme would be justified if one fatality per year was avoided.

The Towards Zero Together Strategy indicates that heavy vehicles are involved in 14 per cent of fatal crashes. SA provided no evidence of the contribution of heavy vehicle defects to serious injury and death in its RIS for SA. A National Transport Commission (NTC) RIS in 2015 identified that defects contributed to between one and six per cent of heavy vehicle incidents across Australia.

If the DPTI was to meet the Towards Zero Together Strategy target of a 30 per cent reduction, this would require that more than three lives be saved per year. What the RIS didn’t identify was how many deaths and serious injuries were caused by defects

– or more precisely, mechanical failure – a deplorable failure.

DPTI was unable to accurately identify the problem caused by defects, nor provide an accurate baseline from which to measure the success or otherwise of the scheme's introduction. Is it not a fundamental obligation of our public institutions to clearly articulate what problem they are seeking to solve, its cost and the benefit it will deliver to industry and community? This should be particularly true where industry is paying for the privilege of being regulated or, in this case, obtusely regulated.

It demonstrates a depth of ineptitude that the heavy vehicle industry and the community should not accept from public institutions. Fundamental flaws in the RIS were identified and neither DPTI nor the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) acted on it. The failure in leadership to acknowledge these problems in the scheme and to undertake the necessary work to address them is shameful. What is worse is that associations who purportedly represent the heavy vehicle industry idly stood by and let it all unfold without a whimper.

DANIEL ELKINS has a wealth of experience in the safety and assurance (compliance and enforcement) space, is a safety accelerator and one of Australia’s foremost progressive safety thinkers.

FLAWED APPROACH DPTI has proven itself incompetent in

“Associations who purportedly represent the heavy vehicle industry idly stood by.”

developing effective safety policy and incapable of implementing those policies – stage two of the scheme has been shelved – thankfully. The heavy vehicle industry and the NHVR in that entire time failed to hold them to account for the stage one outcomes of the scheme.

Serious injury and death have not reduced – at all – during the period of this scheme in South Australia – in fact on average they increased!

Despite being provided explicit advice by the NHVR that the approach was flawed they continued to pursue the scheme. The time, effort and funding expended on the scheme could have been directed to delivering other road safety initiatives. These could have produced higher returns for the investment whilst not placing additional regulatory burden on the South Australian heavy vehicle industry for no reported benefit.

THE FACTS

2015 NTC released RIS: Major Findings • The risk of a mechanical defect causing or contributing to a crash is more difficult to measure, with assessments of defects as the primary cause in fatal crashes involving a heavy vehicle ranging from one to six per cent.

• Build a dataset that would enable a risk profile to be built to identify most of the ‘at-risk [heavy] vehicles’ for inspection.

• Implement a risk-based approach to [heavy] vehicle inspections and use of regulatory recognition [accreditation] rather than prescription.

2017 SA DPTI released RIS: Major Policy Direction • A breakeven analysis indicates that using a Willingness to Pay valuation for a fatal road accident, the option is justified if one fatal accident per year is avoided.

• The desired outcome is to develop a periodic inspection scheme for all higher risk heavy vehicles and trailers.

• The scheme will be implemented and monitored by the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure with DPTI officers carrying out the core functions of the scheme.

2017 NHVR responds to SA RIS: Key Concerns • DPTI do not explain how they will directly improve the safety of the heavy vehicle fleet and specifically address mechanical failure as a causal factor in heavy vehicle crashes.

• The NHVR, and it is our understanding that Transport and Infrastructure Council, does not support more onerous changes to inspection regimes currently operated by jurisdictions while there is insufficient evidence about whether inspections contribute to heavy vehicles roadworthiness and improve fleet safety.

2020 Ministerial/ DPTI response to request for data on effectiveness of the HVIS • No discernible evidence from DPTI that the Heavy Vehicle Inspection Scheme had any road safety impact after three years of operation. "…it is recognised that vehicles presenting for Change of Ownership inspections represent a small percentage of the total registered fleet in South Australia and are therefore unlikely to impact heavy vehicle incident statistics."

• DPTI failed to collect data to assess impact or effect on road safety of the HVIS.

Data sourced from BITRE Australian Road Deaths Database (April 2021)

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30/06/2021 10:56:23 AM

electric vehicles

SHORT ’N SWEET

It is becoming increasingly apparent that electric trucks are the future for local delivery work and, right now, Fuso’s eCanter is at the forefront of this emerging revolution in urban freight movement. Still, the onus is entirely on suppliers such as Fuso and its Daimler masters to prove the worth of their electric candidates. That might be easier said than done. Steve Brooks writes 78 JULY 2021

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“It definitely pays to drive conservatively to maximise range.” potential operating at near or close to full load.

It’s reasonable to accept Fuso’s claim for the simple reason that, as a local delivery truck goes about its daily workload, it loses weight as freight progressively comes off. Thus, actual driving range is probably greater than 100km.

As soon revealed, the same reasoning can be applied to a partially-charged range potential of, let’s say, 58km.

Suburban steer

S

OMETIMES, things just don’t go the way you expect. Like, it was supposed to be a simple, short suburban drive of Fuso’s recently released electric eCanter in Sydney’s west. A refresh, of sorts, of what we’d already experienced in previous stints, first in a Japanese prototype on Fuso’s test track and then, in late 2019, behind the wheel of an early evaluation unit through the streets of Melbourne.

What wasn’t expected, however, was that the Sydney stint would be quite so short.

Someone, apparently, had forgotten to flick the switch the night before and, rather than a full charge, the dash ‘distance predictor’ said there was only 58km-worth of charge in the batteries, rather than the reported ‘full charge’ potential of 100km.

Still, it was at least a worthwhile exercise to some extent. Fuso’s claim, for example, is that eCanter’s driving range is determined on carrying a full load at the vehicle’s gross vehicle mass of 7.5 tonnes. In effect, the 100km range is the minimum distance

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From Fuso’s Huntingwood dealership in western Sydney, and with gross weight at 6.5 tonnes, the demo truck was poked into a typical suburban slurry of baulking traffic, traffic lights and congestion. Nonetheless, all the good things we’d come to expect of the electric Canter from previous drives were again there to be appreciated, not least the realisation that driving a local delivery truck in metro mayhem just doesn’t get any easier than this.

Sure, it takes a little while to come to grips with the fact that, other than the radio, there’s basically no noise apart from the drone of rubber on the road. But the big thing is the smoothness of a truck with no engine and no transmission other than an electric motor driving into a singlespeed diff. At first, you’re waiting for gearshifts that never come but it doesn’t take long to settle into the sensation of completely uninterrupted progress from go to whoa, and whoa to go.

What’s more, acceleration is stunningly brisk for a light-duty truck while at the other end of the performance spectrum, retardation through a two-stage regenerative braking system is incredibly strong.

Like its diesel counterparts, though, the more you push the ‘go’ pedal, the more fuel (battery charge) you consume and it definitely pays to drive conservatively to maximise range.

Speaking of which, it didn’t take long to consume 58km-worth of battery charge and, with the trip meter showing 57.6km and the truck’s range gauge almost on nil, it’s fair to suggest the eCanter slid back into the

Huntingwood site with very little left in the tank, so to speak.

Of course, driving range remains eCanter’s Achilles heel but as we’ve commented before, when this pushes out to 200km and more as it most surely will, given the pace of developments in battery technology and electric propulsion – notably with the inclusion of hydrogen-based fuel cells to increase driving range – a whole new level of acceptance and appreciation will come into play.

Likewise, recharging systems and infrastructure are key elements which will take time and commitment from many institutions to reach satisfactory levels for commercial vehicles, but given the economies of scale in the density of major cities, demand will drive investment. As it always does.

Critically, though, someone needs to remember to flick the switch.

Above: Canter’s cab has been significantly improved over the years but, in the electric version, driving ease is brilliant. Still, it’s worth paying attention to the dash readout, particularly regarding driving range

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electric vehicles

ELECTRIC ESCAPADE

The SEA300, touted as the first Australianmade electric truck, attracted much attention at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show. But how does it drive? Cobey Bartels takes the new EV for a zero-emissions trip through the Dandenong Ranges

T

HE BUZZ around electric vehicles (EVs) continues to intensify, introduced to the masses by the likes of Tesla and now catapulted to the forefront of political-economic interest as traditional vehicle manufactures race to snag a piece of the pie – with ‘green transition’ targets shifting consumer focus towards EVs. Truck makers have only dipped their toes in the burgeoning electric market until now, with Fuso’s light-duty eCanter doing the rounds, while light through to heavy manufacturers are forming electricfocused alliances in a bid to hasten progress.

There’s a new kid on the block, though, who’s beaten the big players to the party, in global e-mobility outfit SEA Electric, headquartered in Los Angeles but building trucks locally out of Dandenong in Victoria.

While the manufacturer has been making moves on the scene since 2013, it’s only recently that it has offered a production-ready SEA electric truck for Australia.

After seeing SEA Electric’s latest offerings at the Brisbane Truck Show, we shot down to the factory in Dandenong for a look at how these trucks come together, managing to score the keys to a freshly built SEA300 for the day.

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SKD kits The in-house developed powertrain dubbed SEA-Drive has been retrofitted to a variety of commercial vehicles in recent years, but now powers the latest range of locally-built light and medium-duty trucks.

A smart partnership with Hino has allowed SEA Electric to import semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits to Australia, which form the backbone of the SEA-branded trucks.

Another perk of the SEA Electric partnership with Hino is a country-wide network of 15 Hino dealers offering sales, servicing and support to SEA Electric customers.

For those questioning whether these are just a drivetrain-swapped Hino, the SEA Electric trucks are badged ‘SEA’ with their own unique VIN numbers.

Both Hino 300 and 500 chassis and cabs arrive straight from Japan in SKD form, where they’re swiftly assembled into the end product, the SEA300 and SEA500.

Battery packs sit where the engine and gearbox would normally take up space, feeding juice to an electric motor that supplies drive straight to the diff. It’s a simple, direct-drive system with no gearbox needed.

The facility operates like any modern factory, with six production bays and three finishing bays that spit out an Australian-made electric truck every 120 hours.

However, within the factory there is also the capacity to develop and test new products and components – an efficient use of a relatively small space.

“We have marketing, sales, design, research and development, procurement, material handling, fabrication, assembly and testing all done in-house”, explains Glen Walker, SEA Electric vice president, operations – Asia Pacific.

ownerdriver.com.au

30/06/2021 10:50:06 AM

Photos by Sean Lander

“We’ve tried to make this vehicle perform as well as, if not better than the diesel.”

Taking a drive

Left: SEA Electric battery pack – assembled and ready to power a truck Below: The heart of a SEA300 – motor up back, fed by battery packs where the motor and gearbox would ordinarily sit Opposite below: The SEA Electric production line, free of fossil fuels and spotless across all six work bays

Before we pulled out from the factory, with a plan to hit the Dandenong Ranges for a strap, we were given a rundown of the truck from the SEA Electric team.

Firing it up is no different to any truck, with a turn of the key and an unfamiliar whir as the electric motor prepares to spin up.

The existing Hino 300 interior remains largely unchanged, although some of the factory gauges like fuel and temperature have been disconnected – something we’re told will be removed altogether from future models.

All battery range and power use data is displayed on the centre infotainment screen, but can still be switched over to radio or other multimedia displays.

Selecting ‘drive’ is done using the same button pad those familiar with this truck’s Hino cousin will be familiar with, and from there it’s just matter of ‘go’ and ‘stop’.

Why the Dandenong Ranges? Why not! We were only able to get our hands on a freshly assembled cab-chassis so, without a load on the back, urban testing seemed no more appropriate than a scenic drive.

The SEA-Drive Power System ranges in output depending on truck configuration from 4,500kg to 22,500kg gross vehicle mass (GVM), but the medium wheelbase SEA 300-85 we tested produced 125kW and

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“You don’t pull it apart to replace rings or rebuild one of our motors.”

Top: The complete Hino cabs arrive from Japan, before they’re attached to a chassis during the 120-hour build process Above: SEA Electric interface displays speed, range, charge, and power both expended and regenerated as you drive

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1,545Nm out of a 100kW/h battery setup, offering an un-laden range of up to 250km.

Tare weight on the medium wheelbase SEA 300-85 is 3,062kg. With a GVM rating of 7,995kg, this allows a fairly competitive payload of 4,993kg depending of course on the body fitted.

Make no mistake, this SEA300 steers, rides and feels identical to a Hino 300, which is hardly shocking given the underlying architecture used.

However, from the moment you take off there are two distinct differences – acceleration and braking.

It’s an odd feeling really, having to remind yourself you’re in a truck. The acceleration is car-like, effortless and the lack of momentary drive loss associated with gear shifts makes for buttersmooth power delivery.

SEA Electric didn’t set out to build a performance vehicle and it won’t be used as such, but by truck standards this sets a new benchmark in terms of acceleration from a standstill.

Speaking of outperforming a diesel counterpart, the regenerative braking made up for improvements in acceleration all while refilling the figurative fuel tank.

Like a traditional exhaust brake, flick the left hand stalk down and you’ve got a two-stage regenerative braking system.

The braking was probably the biggest departure from combustion engine normality when first driving this truck, as it pulls up with phenomenal force.

Beyond seldom having to use the service brakes, we had to actually accelerate up to stop signs and red lights downhill it was that good.

You’ve got every reason to want to use the regenerative braking on an electric vehicle, too, as it feeds energy back into the batteries - which is all displayed on the infotainment display and becomes quite addictive to watch.

“Under braking a diesel doesn’t produce more fuel; it disperses energy by generating heat. What we do with regenerative braking is if the motor is able to produce 1,500Nm of torque back into the diff, it’s able to produce up to that same torque to slow the vehicle down,” Walker says.

“Instead of generating heat, we generate energy back into the batteries to offer additional range and it also doesn’t make any noise at all.

“We’ve built a lot of trucks now, and we can confidently say it extends the brake life by at least a factor of three.”

When discussing the on-road differences between the SEA300 and the Hino 300 it’s based off, Walker points out the difference is all in the powertrain and its aim is to do the same job more efficiently.

“The truck is designed to perform the job that any truck does, so we’ve tried to make this vehicle perform as well as, if not better than the diesel,” Walker says.

“We already know they’re quieter, there’s less vibration, there’s less fatigue and we know the power delivery is much smoother than a diesel.

“We’ve proven they efficiently cart freight, all 5 tonnes of it, just like a diesel. And the same spritely performance evident at the 3.1 tonne tare is also evident at the full 8 tonne GVM.” Arguably the biggest drawcard for the SEA300, over conventional diesel truck options, is the complete lack of noise.

To think that the absence of noise is more of a draw card than braking and acceleration surprised us too. Simply put, It’s a relaxing place to be and produces no noise pollution – two things not traditionally associated with running a truck.

“There’s a lot of curfews placed on certain applications, you can’t deliver your freight to a suburban facility between certain times of night,” Walker says.

“If it’s being delivered in an EV, there’s no reason those curfews can’t change, so quite frankly you get a more efficient transport task.”

Periodic maintenance At this stage, SEA Electric isn’t willing to disclose specific pricing due to the countless build specifications being delivered, though these trucks are unsurprisingly rumoured to come in at a higher pricepoint than the diesel equivalents they’re based off.

SEA Electric offers a three year/150,000km warranty period and SEA Assist 24-hour roadside assistance for the life of the warranty, provided by NTI. Servicing is undertaken at intervals in-line with those of the Hino 300, although that’s more to take care of periodic maintenance of brakes, suspension and chassis.

“Much of our vehicle servicing is standard suspension, you can’t avoid that,” Walker says.

“The benefit of the dealer network is it makes servicing and support function closer to home for our clients.”

The electric motor and batteries are relatively maintenance-free when looking at the servicing of these trucks, estimated to be good for a decade or more of daily use.

“An easier question to answer is, ‘how much servicing isn’t done’, when compared to a diesel,” Walker says.

“If you start with a diesel you’ve got fluids and filters, oils and the like. You’ve got adjustments and belts; you’ve got exhaust systems and cooling systems.

“Apart from checking electrical connections and making sure the fluid is circulating the motor, there isn’t much more to do – you don’t pull it apart to replace rings or rebuild one of our motors,” Walkers Walker adds.

“It’s mainly looking at high and low voltage cabling; checking routing and connections. And there is a treasure trove of data available for our technicians to enquire upon.”

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30/06/2021 10:50:45 AM

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29/6/21 9:37 am

tech briefs

Hyundai upgrades fuel cell Xcient HYUNDAI Motor Company’s commercial vehicle division (CVD) aims to have upgraded versions of hydrogenfuelled Xcient Fuel Cell model on the production lines this August.

The big Korean is promising design and performance gains for what it likes to spruik as “the world’s first massproduced, heavy-duty truck powered by hydrogen”.

“Hyundai Motor is leveraging more than 20 years of experience in fuel cell technology to further its vision of an eco-friendly hydrogen society,” CVD CEO

and president Jaehoon (Jay) Chang says.

“With 2021 Xcient Fuel Cell, Hyundai will contribute to the widespread adoption of commercial vehicles powered by hydrogen.”

The 350kW e-motor has maximum torque of 2,237Nm. The 2021 Xcient Fuel Cell’s is equipped with a 180kW hydrogen fuel cell system with two 90kW fuel cell stacks, newly modified for this heavy-duty truck model, to boost fuel efficiency.

Seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around

31kg of fuel, while three 72kWh high voltage batteries provide an additional source of power.

Maximum driving range forecast to be around 400km with a hydrogen filling pressure of 350 bar.

Refuelling a full tank of hydrogen takes about eight to 20 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature, the firm points out.

The model is presently available for northern hemisphere customers in a 6x2 rigid body configuration as well as the 4x2 option introduced in the previous model.

Hyundai shipped 46 Xcient Fuel Cell units to Switzerland last year, four less than planned at one stage.

As of May, the cumulative driving range of those trucks in operation reached more than 750,000km, it reports.

Over that distance, the hydrogenpowered trucks have reduced carbon emissions by an estimated 585 tonnes, compared to diesel-powered vehicles.

Hyundai will ship another 140 units of the new Xcient Fuel Cell to Switzerland by the end of this year as part of its plan to roll out 1,600 heavyduty fuel cell electric trucks in Europe by 2025.

Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM), a joint venture between Hyundai Motor and H2 Energy, is working on the introduction of Xcient Fuel Cell in other European markets.

“The customers are very pleased with the quality and driving comfort of the truck. There is a lot of interest for the truck outside Switzerland as well. We are very confident that we will see Xcient Fuel Cell trucks on the road in other European countries next year,” HHM CEO Mark Freymueller says.

Hyundai also plans to present Xcient Fuel Cell to the North American market this year.

“Hyundai is in talks with several local governments and logistics businesses in the US to establish potential joint operations of hydrogen-powered trucks for various purposes,” it says.

“The company is also planning to host Xcient Fuel Cell roadshows and other events open to the general public.

“China is another nation that has strong interest in heavy-duty trucks powered by hydrogen.

“Hyundai is carefully reviewing multiple options to introduce its fuel cell technology to corporate and government customers in China.”

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Scania builds a bigger cab IN A MOVE designed to significantly enhance the space and comfort of its premium R-series and S-series models, Scania Trucks in Sweden has announced plans to introduce a cab 270mm longer than its biggest current cab.

First deliveries to European customers will be in the third quarter this year.

According to a brief Scania statement, the decision to develop the longer cab follows ‘persistent demand’ from customers in several markets. It’s not known if some of that demand has come from Australia where roomy sleepers are, of course highly regarded by long-haul drivers.

Nonetheless, Scania says its extended cab ‘offers premium driver comfort for high-end, long distance trucks.’

The bigger cab is being produced by Scania’s ‘Laxa Special Vehicles’ subsidiary, with the company stating, ‘the extra space is created by adding existing cab components, which is possible thanks to Scania’s renowned modular system.’

Scania Australia is yet to confirm if or when the bigger cab will be added to its

model line-up here but given the brand’s somewhat limited sleeper quarters compared to some competitor offerings, there’s every likelihood the extended cab will be seriously considered for the Australian market.

Currently, the only ‘stretched’ continental cab on the Australian market is Volvo’s XXL which adds 250mm to the length of an FH cab.

Obviously enough, Scania Australia probably wouldn’t be averse to going 20mm better than its compatriot competitor.

– Steve Brooks LEFT: Snapshot! Scania’s extended cab adds 270mm to the current R-series and S-series models

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30/06/2021 1:55:05 PM

tech briefs

ARTSA-i unveils Good Practice Guide A NEW GOOD Practice Guide for Supply of Replacement Parts for use on Heavy Vehicles has been issued by the ARTSA-institute (formerly known as the Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association) which aims to boost safety for heavy vehicle drivers and all road users.

Released at the recent Brisbane Truck Show, the ARTSA Institute (ARTSA-i) says the Guide aims to raise awareness of suppliers, purchasers and installers of safetycritical replacement parts about supply practices.

The Guide describes actions that suppliers should take to ensure parts are suitably certified, that records are kept and installation information is provided. The Guide does not favour original equipment parts over after-market parts. Nor does it favour bricks and mortar retailers over online suppliers. It provides common-sense actions that all part suppliers should take, but often don’t.

“We aim to reduce the risk of workshops fitting poor quality or inadequately rated safety-critical parts as well as providing an understanding of the different types of replacement parts available in the market,” says Dr Peter Hart, executive member at ARSTA-i and a certified vehicle engineer.

“For many types of replacement parts there are no requirements to meet a standard. For safetycritical parts such as braking, steering and suspension, the supply, selection and fitment of substandard replacement parts could compromise the safety of truck drivers and all other road users.

“A casual glance at the part may not reveal any inherent unsuitability for the intended task, due to inappropriate materials

used or short-cuts taken during manufacturing. Just because the part may appear to fit, does not necessarily mean it is suitable or safe. It is the supplier’s responsibility to correctly describe the status of the part to the market.

“ARSTA-i has devised this Guide in association with its members as well as outside experts to offer clarity to everyone in the replacement parts chain, regarding the suitability and safety of parts with acceptable quality that may be sourced by an operator or workshop,” Dr Hart says.

“Price is an easy to understand variable, but quality and suitability are harder to determine, and in some cases, there is no linear relationship between price and quality. It is when things go wrong that the supplier’s quality controls and record keeping become critical.”

Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law those who are involved in heavy vehicle transport have a duty to ensure the safety of their transport activities, including to ensure their vehicles comply with vehicle standards and are appropriately maintained.

“Operators should purchase good-value parts for heavy vehicles that will provide safe, reliable, and legal performance,” Dr Hart says.

“The Guide defines acceptable supply practice and advises purchasers what to expect from suppliers.

“The use of poor-quality parts leaves the operator vulnerable to expensive breakdowns and reworks, enforcement attention and loss of insurance cover. For this latter reason alone every vehicle operator is urged to ensure that their in-house technicians or third-party workshops and

suppliers fit parts that are suitable for the job.

“We want to reduce the risk of in-service failure of all replacement parts, to avoid the vehicle crashing, or simply breaking down on the highway where they may be vulnerable to impact by other road users, potentially causing death, injury, loss or damage. We believe these risks can be mitigated if replacement parts suppliers implement the quality-assurance activities specified in this new Guide,” Dr Hart says.

The Guide recognises four risk levels which are: • Safety critical • Safety and compliant relevant • Minor safety relevance and • No safety and compliance concerns.

“All suppliers of parts can and should comply with the requirements of this Guide,” Dr Hart says.

According to ARTSA-I, the Guide is applicable to replacement parts which are used to replace an

TOP: Dr Peter Hart shows evidence of failed components LEFT: Inspecting safety critical replacement parts prior to fitment

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original part, and for parts that are used to modify a vehicle.

“We would like to see workshop parts buyers transacting with suppliers who are following the Guide so they can be confident that practices are being followed that promote good part quality.”

This Guide aims to identify good practices that will support suppliers, purchasers, operators, and others involved in the servicing or modification of heavy vehicles, to enhance the safety and reputation of the road transport sector. Additionally, the purchaser and fitter of these parts will have peace-of-mind that they have completed satisfactorily their role in the chain of responsibility.

“The Guide will also be of interest to enforcement officers inspecting vehicles at the roadside, who may be able to recognise quality replacement parts used in safetycritical areas,” Dr Hart says.

ARTSA-i is reaching out to all heavy vehicle owners and operators as well as repair shops, in-house workshops and parts retailers, and to relevant truck industry bodies, to explain the content of the Guide and how it can best be utilised.

The Guide can be downloaded at www.artsa.com.au

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30/06/2021 1:55:20 PM

Iveco spreads its wings UPCOMING regulations in Victoria have seen Iveco and Melbourne-based plant equipment manufacturer Quality Fabrication and Engineering (Q-FE) link on a new aggregate spreader concept.

The VicRoads Standard 408.11, due for introduction in Victoria from July 1, 2022, mandates that all aggregate spreaders working on sprayed sealing operations be forward moving, providing additional visibility and increases safety in road building applications which normally involve busy work sites with multiple machines operating at once alongside workers.

Based on the latest Australianmanufactured Euro 6 ACCO and X-Way platforms, the Q-FE Road Ant is a dual control, forward moving truck that can be driven independently from both ends of the vehicle.

It includes safety features that are engaged when driving the vehicle from either end, disabling the

controls that are not in use.

Other safety equipment includes ‘reverse smart’ automatic emergency braking and anti-rollaway braking.

The vehicle’s dual control cabin allows the operator to sit on either side, directly over the spread line, allowing uninterrupted vision of the work site and surrounding area.

The truck body is a modified Trout River asphalt-compatible unit with 10-gate chip spreader and 10-cubic metre capacity, but Q-FE can also offer units from six 15 cubic metres.

Q-FE launched the project last January.

“Q-FE have to date successfully fitted the Road Ant to a variety of cab chassis, but having a local manufacturing presence with engineering and production capabilities has helped to streamline the process,” Q-FE general manager Glenn Hardiman says.

“Iveco is currently assisting Q-FE with some customisation on the

VOLVO UNLEASHES FM EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRUCK THE NEW Volvo FM Crew cab has arrived in Australia with a clear priority: keeping our frontline emergency services personnel safe and operational.

In conjunction with fire services equipment manufacturer Rosenbauer Australia, this new vehicle has been specially designed and equipped, front to back, with the needs of the firefighter at top of their mind, Volvo Trucks says.

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The new vehicle is available with both 11- and 13-litre engine options, with the choice of Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions ratings.

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“I’m delighted to launch the new Volvo FM Crew Cab, a truck especially designed for firefighters based on real world feedback by firefighters,” Volvo Trucks Australia vice president Gary Bone says.

“We asked firefighting crew members for feedback and took on board their answers.”

“We looked at improving the cabin with features like greater access with the egress-fold down step, wide door openings, and enhanced grab rails.”

“Firefighters were also front of mind when we designed the cabin interior, ensuring that the interior is safely lit whilst also preserving low light vision.”

The Rosenbauer equipped Volvo FM Crew Cab will have its first public showcase at the 2021 AFAC exhibition in Sydney, August 17-20.

– Ben Dillon

ownerdriver.com.au

OWD_342_084-87_TechBriefs_GB.indd 87

production line, and hopefully, in the near future, will be able to assist in further cost savings with the potential fitment of existing standard Iveco components such as steering mitre boxes and cross over shafts, and Q-FE-supplied custom wiring looms.

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model and also has the safety and Euro 6 emission performance that the end users expect and in many cases require.”

Nine units already completed and a further four units are currently in build on the X-Way 8x4 platforms.

While the bulk of deliveries to date have been manufactured on the 6x4 ACCO platform, those wanting additional GVM capacity and power can opt to have units built using the locally manufactured X-Way cab chassis, which provides 30 tonnes gross vehicle mass (GVM) and power and torque ranging from 460hp (343kW)/2,150Nm to 510hp (380kW)/2,300Nm.

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The publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any losses incurred by a buyer responding to an advertisement in this magazine. Buyers are solely responsible for their own negotiations and transactions with advertisers. Are Media Pty Limited advises buyers beware of negotiating by email only; of paying deposits to private advertisers for goods unseen; of transferring money (for example via Western Union) interstate or overseas. Buyers should contact Are Media customer service on 1300 362 272 if they suspect an advertisement may be fraudulent. In the event that a buyer suffers financial loss as a result of responding to a private advertisement in this publication Are Media Pty Limited (The Publisher) shall not be held liable or responsible.

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MC CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:

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Exodas Pty Ltd is a well-established Transport and Warehousing company that operates Australia wide. We predominately provide transport services to the east coast of Australia, from North Queensland through to Melbourne.

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We are now seeking candidates for the following vacancies: • Heavy Vehicle Mechanics (Yatala) • Linehaul Drivers (Various Locations) • Local MC Drivers (Various Locations) • Tug Drivers (Yatala) • Forklift Operators (Yatala) The successful candidates will join a fast growing company, access great working conditions and be offered a competitive pay rate!

Logan Contracting is a family owned and operated business based in SouthWest Victoria. Over the last 35 years we have built and maintained a modern fleet of B-Doubles. We currently have multiple positions for MC drivers to join our team. With weekly work across VIC, SA, NSW, and Southeast QLD the successful applicants could be based just about anywhere.

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If you could see yourself working for Exodas, email your resume to employment@exodas.com.au or contact our Recruitment Officer on 0459 922 550.

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OWD 342 .als - Base Edition 93

29/6/21 9:14 am

FOR THE OWNER-DRIVER Frank Black

Weighing it all up Managing the boom and bust of trucking can take its toll on your family life

T

HE CHANGE of the financial year can be a rocky time for ownerdrivers. These are usually the months that will put the rest of the year’s earnings to the test. As owner-drivers, we’re the first to be pushed aside when demand dips.

But the bills stay consistent. The only way we’ll survive is if our business is viable and that means accounting for the peaks and troughs each time we weigh up whether a job is worthwhile.

If we’ve been vigilant and come across some good fortune throughout the rest of the year, it’s a nice opportunity to rest and recoup some time with family and friends.

It’s a mental and physical holiday that can help carry us through the busier periods – or, if you use that time to buy a bicycle like I did, it’s an opportunity to get out and get some overdue exercise to burn off some of the long days spent in the cab of a truck!

But, if not properly accounted for, these troughs can mean an uphill battle to steer yourself through these slow periods and keep up-to-date with your financial commitments. This is something I’ve seen too many times. People literally trying to squeeze in a couple of trips to make up some repayments, at times to keep the one tool of their livelihood in their possession – their truck.

When we talk about money, it’s not about greed but survival. Financial pressures are the number one reason trucking families

are torn apart. It’s what keeps us on the road longer than we’d like. It’s what stops us from being there for significant events.

It causes stress in the family circle when there are final notices plastered on the fridge, with no immediate light in the tunnel to be able to resolve them.

MISSED MOMENTS

As I write this, I’m hoping not to be somewhere across the other side of the country on a run during the imminent arrival of my fourth grandchild.

It takes me back to the arrival of my own kids. I was lucky twice, being home when labour began. But my youngest daughter was born without me. At her exact arrival, I would have been about three streets away, in my prime mover, having just unhooked the trailer at a yard. I’ll never forget getting the call while on a trip from Melbourne.

Thankfully, the guys in the yard waiting for me were very understanding and helpful when I dropped the load and bolted. It’s a common story in our industry.

I know guys whose sons or daughters are a week old before they meet.

Rushing into the hospital room it was all forgotten when I saw that everyone was healthy and looked into the eyes of my newborn daughter. It hits you later, when you look back and realise you missed one of the magic moments in life.

I consider myself one of the lucky ones in that I still have a close relationship with

FRANK BLACK has been a long distance ownerdriver for more than 30 years. He is a former long-term owner-driver representative on the ATA Council.

my kids, despite all my time away. But it’s easy to see how this doesn’t always work out.

On top of the distance and the absence at some of the most important events, if you’ve got debt collectors knocking while you’re away, or your family’s home is guaranteeing a truck loan you’re struggling to pay, it’s hardly going to be an easy marriage or relationship with your kids.

Tragically, this is the sort of thing that drives people to suicide.

So, while money is a difficult thing to talk about, it’s important to have those conversations. Having a viable business is what it all comes down to in our line of work.

Last year’s madness aside, the industry seems to have slipped back to the boom and bust of 10 years ago. With the rise of gig economy work like Amazon Flex, we’re heading down an even bumpier road. That makes it even more important to make sure we’re being paid enough to account for the volatility of the industry.

We need to think of each job as a component of a yearly wage, calculated so that we can wear the quieter periods.

It’s not a case of living job to job, hour to hour, as the likes of Amazon, and other giants would have us believe. We’ve got to make enough today to see us through tomorrow.

“We need to think of each job as a component of a yearly wage.”

94 JULY 2021

OWD_342_094_COL_Frank Black_GB.indd 94

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Wrecking. W2503. TA1090534.

POA

KENWORTH T403 2012, Cummins EGR engine, rtlof16918 gearbox, rt40-145 diffs on airglide 460, cab parts, drop on bonnet, bumper. Wrecking. W2505.

FREIGHTLINER ARGOSY 2010, Detroit 14 l engine, rtlo20918b gearbox, rt46-160 diffs on airliner suspension, cab parts, fuel tanks, Alcoas. Wrecking. W2489.

POA

POA

KENWORTH K104 2005, Detroit 14l engine, rtlo20918as2, Meritor rt46-160 diffs on ag460, cab parts, Alcoas. Wrecking. W2506. TA1090538.

POA

DAF XF 105 2014, Paccar engine, ZF16as2430 gearbox Meritor diffs on Airglide 460, cab parts, Alcoas. Wrecking. W2493. TA1077017.

POA

INTERNATIONAL EAGLE 9200I 2007, Cummins signature engine, rtlo20918b gearbox, Spicer rt46-170 diffs on has, cab parts, Alcoas, hydraulics. Wrecking. W2504.

KENWORTH K104B 2007, Caterpillar c-15 engine (parts only), Eaton rtlo20918as3 transmission, spicer rt46-170 diffs on ag460 suspension, drop on cab, aluminium bumper, Alcoas. Wrecking. W2501. TA1083648.

POA

FREIGHTLINER ARGOSY 2007, Cummins signature parts only, rtlo20918b gearbox, Meritor rt46-160 diffs on airliner, aluminium bullbar, Alcoas. Wrecking.

W2502. TA1090533.

POA

KENWORTH T409SAR..

2016, Cummins E5 engine, rtlo20918b gearbox, Meritor rt46-160 diffs on Airglide 460, repairable drop on cab, tanks, Alcoas. Wrecking.

W2491. TA1071606.

POA

FREIGHTLINER FLXC112 2000, Cat C12 engine, rtlo18918 gearbox, Meritor rt46160 diffs, cab parts, Alcoas. W2499. TA1077026.

POA

FREIGHTLINER C120 2003, Cummins signature engine, rtlo20918b gearbox, rt46-160 diffs on airliner suspension, cab parts. Wrecking. W2492. TA1071607.

POA

KENWORTH K104 2002, Caterpillar C16 engine, 18 speed gearbox, Alcoa, cab parts, Eaton ds461 diffs. W2498. TA1077024.

POA

TA1071602.

TA1090536.

POA

A

TA1090537.

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OWD 342 .als - Base Edition 95

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OWD 342 .als - Base Edition 96

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