Prime Mover February 2021

®

Februar y 2021

Tony Innaimo Transport

Euro Vision

FEBRUARY 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

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Industry Fleet: Container Fumigation Services Feature: Goldsprings Heavy Haulage Spotlight: Future of Trucking Report Personality: Michael May

Innovation Fleet: Hanson Technology: Geotab Test Drive: UD Croner Delivery: Isuzu D-Max 4JJ3-TC

T H E P E O P L E & P R O D U C T S T H AT M A K E T R A N S P O RT M O V E

®

Februar y 2021

MEET THE TEAM

Australia’s leading truck magazine, Prime Mover, continues to invest more in its products and showcases a deep pool of editorial talent with a unique mix of experience and knowledge.

Tony Innaimo Transport

John Murphy | CEO

Euro Vision

John has been the nation’s foremost authority in commercial road transport media for almost two decades and is the driving force behind Prime Creative Media becoming Australia’s biggest specialist B2B publishing and events company. Committed to servicing the transport and logistics industry, John continues to work tirelessly to represent it in a positive light and is widely considered a true champion for the growth of the Australian trucking and manufacturing industry.

William Craske | Editor

In his 15-year career as a journalist, William has reported knowledgeably on sports, entertainment and agriculture. He has held senior positions in marketing and publicity across theatrical and home entertainment, and also has experience in B2B content creation and social media strategy for the logistics sector.

FEBRUARY 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

ceo

John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

editor

William Craske william.craske@primecreative.com.au

managing editor, transport group

Luke Applebee luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au

senior feature writer

Peter Shields peter.shields@primecreative.com.au

business development manager

Ash Blachford ash.blachford@primecreative.com.au 0403 485 140

Peter Shields | Senior Feature Writer

Paul Matthei | Senior Journalist

Starting out at the coalface, Paul completed a heavy vehicle and plant mechanic apprenticeship before transitioning into professional heavy vehicle driving where he became proficient operating semis and B-doubles. Some 17 years ago he made a giant leap into transport journalism and has been an ongoing contributor for several commercial road transport publications.

Ashley Blachford | Business Development Manager

Handling placements for Prime Mover magazine, Ashley has a unique perspective on the world of truck building both domestically and internationally. Focused on delivering the best results for advertisers, Ashley works closely with the editorial team to ensure the best integration of brand messaging across both print and digital platforms.

www.primemovermag.com.au

Innovation Fleet: Hanson Technology: Geotab Test Drive: UD Croner Delivery: Isuzu D-Max 4JJ3-TC

T H E P E O P L E & P R O D U C T S T H AT M A K E T R A N S P O RT M O V E

art director A seasoned transport industry professional, Peter has spent more than a decade in the media industry. Starting out as a heavy vehicle mechanic, he managed a fuel tanker fleet and held a range of senior marketing and management positions in the oil and chemicals industry before becoming a nationally acclaimed transport journalist.

01

Industry Fleet: Container Fumigation Services Feature: Goldsprings Heavy Haulage Spotlight: Future of Trucking Report Personality: Michael May

design senior journalist

Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty Paul Matthei paul.matthei@primecreative.com.au

design production manager

Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

client success manager

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

head office

11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 P: 03 9690 8766 F: 03 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au

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articles

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copyright

PRIME MOVER magazine is owned and published by Prime Creative Media.

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The opinions expressed in PRIME MOVER magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

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CONTENTS

Prime Mover February 2021

50 42 34

24 38

COVER STORY “We’re more than happy with the performance it has delivered. The fuel consumption average per week is anywhere between 2.25 and 2.35 litres per hundred kilometres in B-double application and again those are the sort of figures you like to see.”

30

CONCRETE PLANS

Prime Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS 24 Euro Vision Advanced technology looms large at Tony Innaimo Transport where considerable investment in recent months has gone into increasing its capacity for processing both freight and data. In accordance with this plan of action, new DAF commercial vehicles have been added to complement an already established Kenworth fleet.

30 Concrete Plans In addition to being one of the major players in infrastructure in Australia, Hanson is one of, if not the largest customer of Mack Trucks. The recent purchase of 15 new Metro-Liners for its Queensland operations renews its long-term investments in commercial vehicles and reinforces its ongoing commitment to safety technology in the agitator application.

34 Coming Clean As a niche essential service, Container Fumigation Services in Melbourne is dependent on quality commercial vehicles. The challenges of a tough 2020 have been counterweighed, in part, by an informed recent investment in four new MAN trucks.

TRUCK & TECH 42 Haul Rise Heavy-duty truck axle manufacturer Meritor has introduced

its P610 hub-reduction drive axle to the Australian market.

Goldsprings Heavy Haulage has specified the product in a new Kenworth K200 8x4 prime mover.

TEST DRIVE 50 Making Every Moment Count The UD Croner is a prime example of the progress of globalisation in commercial vehicle manufacturing during the past decade.

Regular Run 06 From the Editor 08 Prime Mover News 58 Personality 60 Prime Movers & Shakers 63 Delivery 78 Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association 80 National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 83 Australian Logistics Council 84 Trucking Industry Council 85 Victorian Transport Association 86 Peter Shields’ Number Crunch

FROM THE EDITOR

Declaration of Co-dependence

William Craske Editor Truckmaker members of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) have pledged to phase out traditional combustion engines as they renew commitments to hydrogen, battery technology and clean fuels. A joint declaration signed by 16 major car, van, truck and bus manufacturers of the Brussels-based group, where the European Union is not coincdentally also based, includes DAF Trucks, Daimler Trucks, Ford Trucks, IVECO, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania and Volvo Group. Alliance members, under the non-binding agreement, agree to cease manufacturing commercial vehicles that rely on diesel in readiness for carbon-neutality by 2040. A decade earlier than originally planned.

The group is also calling for a higher carbon tax in the EU, to disincentivise investments into fossil fuel technology.

The goal is possible — cue the caveat —

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providing the right charging/refuelling infrastructure is built. Here’s a hint, they don’t intend to pay for it. In the UK the climate goals of converting all vehicles to electricity by 2050, would require two times the total annual world cobalt production. The Manhattan Institute contends that this would equate to nearly the entire world production of neodymium, three quarters of the world’s lithium production and at least half of the world’s copper production. Those volumes are based on figures reported on in 2018. But you get the picture.

While no one country currently has market dominance in copper, China at present produces nearly half of the world’s lithium and over 85 per cent of the global supply of cobalt, the element most critical in the batteries that will power the en masse production of electric commercial vehicles. In the commodities market, China is responsible for mining 70 per cent of the rare earths on the planet. This includes neodymium.

Without it an electric motor is rendered useless.

China also excels in man-made carbon emissions. It’s the world’s biggest polluter (it’s not even close) and will be allowed under its Paris Agreement arrangement to continue increasing its emissions until 2040, at the same time the cabal of European Union member companies are going to wean themselves off fossil-fuel powered models, apparently for good. But for who’s good?

A massive upscaling of capabilities to manufacture battery and fuel cell electric trucks in less than two decades will need to occur if the lofty neon ambitions of the ACEA are to be achieved.

No one at the German-funded Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research at the minute seems to have come up with

a solution to suppress the carbon dioxide emissions generated for the electricity production caused by renewables in addition to those required to replace fossil fuels to generate power for the grid.

Until 2020 Australia’s foreign policy interactions with China were not dissimilar to many other western countries and rested, to quote Victor Davis Hanson, “on a rare alignment of both progressive and commercial selfinterests.”

In this continuum, as freight companies are savaged by tariffs on barley and wine, while the coal and logging industries are held to ransom on their exports, it is difficult to ascertain how these interests coincide with those of the Australian taxpayer. The world’s second biggest economy is still considered a developing nation by the United Nations. It will be interesting to watch how established commercial enterprises such as the European arms of global OEMS, at the behest of the EU, further interfold with China, whose rise in technology and manufacturing was necessary to its systematic patent and copyright infringements.

A truism of manufacturing since it was mastered at scale after the industrial revolution is that it aims to achieve a standardisation to maximise the volume of units produced for tasks assigned it by market demand. Many of us are trying to find the demand, in this situation, other than the one activists have been making upon a soapbox of science, which has increasingly been hijacked as a tool of ideology all while ignoring the raw material costs of going green.

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PRIME NEWS

> New study finds freight data sharing needs improving A new study reporting on freight data sharing trials with companies including Woolworths, Nestle and Toll Group has identified opportunities to improve Australia’s vital supply chains. The iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre study undertaken with the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) and GS1 Australia have released findings which will assist the Australian Government in setting up the National Freight Data Hub (NFDH).

The study comprised three different components. These included two pilot trials involving Toll, Nestle, Woolworths and Infrabuild and a third pilot that deals with data aggregation through GS1 Australia. Each of the trials sought to identify matching unique consignment information across partner supply chain management systems while verifying how this could be shared on different systems in real-time.

Supply chains, however, were suffering from limited access to real-time supply chain freight data which was adding to delivery delays. Although the trials were cut short by COVID-19, the early findings have revealed that real-time freight consignment data is not currently shared across the supply chain and supply chain operators’ noted this impacted their ability to respond to disruptions.

The Federal Government has invested $8.5M in freight data projects.

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“The multiplicity of standards and systems in use across industry, made it very difficult for project participants to reconcile and match related consignment records across the different systems,” the report concluded. In some cases the study pointed to the unavailability of useful information about freight consignments once they left the despatch bay, with paper-based systems still widely used. As a result, the shipper “typically had no visibility of delayed or late shipments, until queried by the customer, impacting the ability to respond to unanticipated disruptions in a timely and efficient manner.”

According to the report, it was the inability to link information across supply chain partners that resulted in significant re-keying of the same information multiple times across the supply chain, which led to increased costs and reduced efficiency. The report also noted that “increasing digitalisation can assist improved visibility of freight consignments and interoperability between supply chain partners,” by pointing to the significant reductions to the administrative burden for small operators.

“Improved visibility can help improve predictability, efficiency, and productivity of the freight industry, and improve industry responsiveness to supply chain delays, bottlenecks or error,” the report said.

The Federal Government has so far committed $8.5 million to fund projects that it considers enhances the collection of freight data across the nation as it looks to settle the design of a National Freight Data Hub. According to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack the study will lead to improvements in getting goods to customers by improving access to realtime supply chain freight data.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted more than ever the critical importance of our freight supply chains and all those

involved,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

“The study provides insights for governments and industry for infrastructure planning and delivery,” said McCormack. “It shows how increasing digitisation can improve visibility of freight for supply chain partners to decrease unexpected delivery disruptions.”

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said the report could open the door to improved productivity and efficiency for the freight industry.

“The report noted sharing real-time freight data would mean our supply chain operators could respond to delays and errors quickly, which will help our truckies do their crucial job getting goods to businesses and consumers,” Buchholz said in a statement.

“We want to ensure our freight is moving efficiently across the country, getting to our doors as smoothly as possible,” he said.

“This study has given the Australian Government a deeper insight into ways we can improve our freight supply chains.”

Industry, however, risked being outcompeted by overseas operators who are reaping the benefits according to iMOVE Managing Director Ian Christensen.

“Freight operations overseas are working vigorously to reduce ‘transactional friction’ along supply chains,” he said.

“Australian businesses need to catch up and recognise the importance of sharing data to maintain the competitiveness of local supply chains.

“State and Federal governments in Australia are also focused on achieving stronger supply chain performance. Their interest is in making informed decisions on new infrastructure and better freight policy and to do that they need a clear view of the overall picture.”

Christensen said this would be best achieved by aggregating real operational data from the freight industry itself. “iMOVE wants to find ways for governments and businesses to work together to make this happen,” he said.

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PRIME NEWS

> Netstar becomes third EWD provider approved by NHVR Last month a third player was approved for use as an Electronic Work Diary provider by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).That honour has gone to Netstar whose Garmin Fleet 7XX Series has been endorsed for use as an official record for heavy vehicle driver work and rest hours from 11 January, 2021.

NHVR Chief Regulatory Policy & Standards Officer, Don Hogben, confirmed the announcement, following consideration by an assessment panel.

“The first two approved EWDs have

been available across Australia since December 1 and drivers and operators will now have access to an additional product option,” said Hogben.

The voluntary alternative to a Written Work Diary, the EWD enables drivers to log their operating and rest hours electonically while reducing the need to calculate multiple time periods across several pieces of paper.

Some EWDs also include features, such as alerts, to assist drivers to manage their compliance with work and rest rules.

Step Global and Teletrac Navman were the first two companies to gain NHVRapproval as EWD providers.

“It’s important that drivers ensure they’re using an approved EWD, which will have a unique identification number,” said Hogben.

“Drivers must continue to carry their Written Work Diary for a transition period, to ensure that they comply with the requirement of carrying 28 days of records,” he concluded. MT Data was set to become the fourth approved provider at the time of print.

> Nolan’s accepts handover of Volvo’s 50,000 locally made truck Volvo Trucks Australia has celebrated the delivery of the 50,000th Australian built Volvo Truck. In an event held at Volvo Group Australia’s Wacol Qld headquarters, the milestone FH16 XXL was handed over to Nolan’s Interstate Transport. At the time acting Volvo Trucks Australia Vice President, Tony O’Connell, Volvo Commercial Vehicles Australia Dealer Principle, Greg Sargeant and Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz were all present for the handover ceremony.

The 50,000th Volvo commercial vehicle features custom paintwork and airbrush murals that reflect both the heritage of Volvo Trucks in Australia and the growth of the Nolan’s Transport business, a relationship that spans nearly five decades.

“Back in 1970 Volvo Group Sweden invested $2 million dollars (AUD) creating an Australian manufacturing capability,” said O’Connell. “This truck is a fitting tribute, not only to that wise investment 50 years ago, but also the evolution of Volvo Trucks in Australia. We build some of the toughest, safest vehicles on the Australian market here and our commitment to investing in this country and in our customers continues to grow.”

Speaking at the event, Greg Sargeant spent time reflecting on the value of close customer relationships.

“Transport is such a relational business.

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Trust, integrity, honesty and transparency are the building blocks of a successful business partnership,” he said. “And I’d like to think it’s these very qualities that have led to us all being here in this room today to celebrate,” said Sargeant. “The Australian transport industry is made up of a tapestry of stories. Stories of hard work, sacrifice, innovation and ingenuity.

One of the privileges of working in this business is that I often get to hear these stories, and even see them play out over time as one truck become two, then becomes three then four.

“A humble gravel hardstand gets a demountable office, then a shed. The shed gets a sign, the hardstand gets concrete.”

Sargeant made the obsevation that families grow, and in turn their children grow, and soon another generation

comes along.

“The family name stays on the truck door,” he said. “Success in transport can be elusive and it doesn’t favour everyone.

Hard work needs smart decisions, the courage to stick with those decisions and occasionally even just a bit of good luck,” continued Sargeant. “And in my mind, we are celebrating this milestone with one of those very success stories. One that embodies everything I admire about this industry.”

In November Volvo Group Australia announced a further $25 million expansion in manufacturing capability in addition to an all new range of Volvo Trucks that will be manufactured at the Wacol Qld plant commencing in 2021.

Last month Tony O’Connell was appointed Managing Director at Volvo Trucks Malaysia.

Flea Nolan, Daphne Nolan and Darren Nolan of Nolan’s Interstate Transport in front of the milestone Volvo FH16 XXL.

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PRIME NEWS

> Fuso eCanter testing escalates ahead of launch next year The eCanter from Fuso is undergoing around the clock testing before it is introduced to market. Daimler Truck & Bus Australia Pacific confirmed the all-electric 4×2 model was at present in the advanced stages of real-world testing on Victorian roads as part of a six-month long evaluation. It also supplements what the truckmaker has described as a substantial global testing program for the world’s first production all-electric light vehicle.

The global evaluation will bring together real-world experience of vehicle operators in the United States, Europe and Japan since the eCanter’s introduction in 2017.

Developed from the ground-up, the eCanter uses Daimler’s research and development resources and offers Australian customers a fully-integrated Original Equipment Manufacturer

(OEM) all-electric truck. For the local test program, three drivers have been taking turns during each 24hour period, running the eCanter on designated loops before returning and charging the truck, ready for the next driver. It has been run empty as well at its maximum Gross Vehicle Mass of 7.5 tonnes in variable and contrasting conditions.

“The eCanter test program is one small part of the testing and development program for this ground-breaking allelectric vehicle, but it is very important,” said Daniel Whitehead, Daimler Truck & Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO. “Our customers need to know that they are buying a product from a manufacturer that has done the hard work to ensure its vehicle has been properly developed and tested.”

To date great interest has been shown

in the eCanter from large Australian fleets according to Whitehead.

“These customers are especially attracted by the fact the eCanter is a fully-integrated manufacturer-developed and tested electric truck, rather than something put together by a third party using a donor truck and electric components from another source,” he said.

Fuso presented an eCanter at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show and select Australian fleets such as Toll and Australia Post have since subsequently trialled the vehicle.

The eCanter is equipped with Advanced Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start assist, reversing camera and driver and passenger airbags.

Fuso includes these key safety features at no extra cost to customers.

> Buchholz praises Frasers Livestock Transport for mental health event Frasers Livestock Transport’s third annual ‘Yarn in the Yard’ has earned high praise from the Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport.

Held at the Warwick depot of Frasers Livestock Transport, the event, which focuses on driver physical and mental health, involved several speakers from the company and Scott Buchholz, who was one of a handful of VIPs in attendance. Buchholz said workers in the sector had experienced higher levels of stress following impacts of COVID-19 on industry with increased workloads, extended time away from home and long hours on the road.

“This additional stress takes a toll on driver’s physical and mental health,” he said. “It is a fantastic initiative of Frasers helping drivers keep on top of their physical health with health awareness talks and free heart checks from the Heart of Australia” said Buchholz.

Other presentations included a session on fatigue from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, an address on the Paraplegic Benefit Fund, an update 12

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from the Queensland Police Service and Transport and Main Roads, and an animal welfare update from Bio Security Queensland.

The event helps occasion drivers and management to catch up with the presenters and industry leaders following the formal program over a casual BBQ lunch.

“I ask all drivers to please be mindful of your mental and physical health, not only today, but every day — and I would encourage all transport operators to consider holding a ‘Yarn in the Yard’ type event with your staff,” said Buchholz.

‘Yarn in the Yard’ according to Warwick Fraser of Frasers Livestock Transport was a chance to stop and reflect on the business, its people and what can be learned for the year ahead.

“Our employees do a power of work throughout the year, often out on the road on their own, so the chance to get the blokes together in the yard once or twice a year to give them a pat on the back is important for their personal

health and the health of the business,” he said. “My grandfather always said, people do business with people. The ‘Yarn in the Yard’ is about an investment of time back into our people, reminding the blokes that they are not alone, and making sure that everyone is heading in the same direction.”

Troy Redman, a Frasers driver with over 20 years’ experience in livestock handling was pleased to be able to attend ‘Yarn in the Yard’.

“The best thing was being able to talk face to face with the presenters about more sensitive questions that we couldn’t ask in group – all the presenters had a great message and I learnt a lot” he said. “Frasers is a company where all the drivers work as a team, we watch out for each other, and we respect the Family as they are very approachable and listen to our concerns.”

Frasers Livestock Transport was established in 1944 and currently runs close to 60 Kenworth prime movers across its network on the east coast of Australia.

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PRIME NEWS

> US dealer group to acquire Daimler-aligned Eagers network for $108M A leading United States Daimler Trucks dealership group will partner with Daimler Truck and Bus, the truck manufacturer has announced. Velocity Vehicle Group is set to acquire all 15 Daimler Truck and Bus service dealerships currently operated by the Eagers Automotive group, pending completion of formal approval processes, across Australia.Completion of the acquisition is targeted for the first half of 2021. The deal, which combines the truck business and property in Sydney, is reportedly worth $108 million.

Eagers Automotive has pursued an ongoing simplification of its automotive and retail business which will incorporate Hino and IVECO sales activities following the divestment.

Last December Eagers shares reached a high point of $14.15, a new record for the company who employs 650 staff in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide and Perth.

Daimler Truck and Bus President and CEO, Daniel Whitehead, thanked Eagers Automotive for its partnership during a time of growth for Daimler commercial vehicles.

“We have achieved a lot together and I wish them all the best for the future,” said Whitehead.

Just like its US operation, Velocity Vehicle Group’s Australian network

will only sell and service commercial vehicles, with a firm focus on the unique needs of truck and bus customers. It will also exclusively represent Daimler brands Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso.

“We are extremely pleased to work with a group that has such an incredible track record with Daimler Trucks in the United States which consistently delivers on a core commitment to commercial vehicle customers,” Whitehead said. “Daimler currently has the best and most advanced cab-over and conventional trucks in Australia, and they will now be sold and supported by a strengthened dealership network of equal calibre,” he added.

Via a statement Velocity Vehicle Group Co-Presidents Brad Fauvre and Conan Barker said they were excited by the prospective of having the Australian Daimler dealerships of Eagers Automotive join the Velocity team.

“We have seen the dedication of everyone at each dealership, and we know that together with their US VVG colleagues, we will be able to deliver world-class service to the Australian truck market. We look forward to getting to know every customer and employee as we execute on our mission of Speed, Value and Trust for all of our Australian customers,” they said.

The Velocity Vehicle Group move follows a raft of Daimler Truck and Bus Australia network improvements including the addition of RGM Maintenance and Tristar Truck and Bus groups, the expansion of the Mavin Truck Centre network footprint and the Elite Support initiative further boosting customer satisfaction at several dealerships.

According to Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Aftersales and Network Operations Director, Greg Lovrich, the announcement represents a significant investment of Velocity Vehicle Group.

“We have long admired the Velocity Vehicle Group as a shining example of a best-practice commercial vehicle dealership network in a market where Daimler is number one and excellent customer service is critical to doing business,” he said. “Velocity Vehicle Group knows what it takes to provide the kind of service that truck and bus customers expect from Daimler and we are thrilled about the commitment it is making to the Australian market,” said Lovrich.

Daimler Truck and Bus Australia is represented by 55 sales and service dealerships across . It is solely focused on trucks and buses as a stand-alone entity, having separated from the local Daimler passenger car and van business in 2017.

Velocity Vehicle Group Co-President, Brad Fauvre.

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PRIME NEWS

> Prominent carriers awarded by Woolworths Primary Connect Two of Primary Connect’s longstanding transport partners have been formally recognised for outstanding performance in safety, compliance and service at the eighth annual Primary Connect Virtual Transport Safety Day. Jim Pearson Transport was awarded Large Carrier of the Year while Goldstar Transport was awarded Small Carrier of the Year.

The awards were held virtually last December with carrier partner representatives and industry professionals attending the live stream.

It’s the second time Jim Pearson Transport has been awarded Large Carrier of the Year, having also received the accolade in 2014.

Jim Pearson Transport owner and Managing Director, Jim Pearson, said the recognition was very exciting and unexpected.

“It’s always a great honour to receive this award. We try very hard every year to achieve it and have come close most years,” said Pearson. “We were recognised as an essential service and for the role we played in the community; it’s a credit to the extraordinary efforts of our team throughout COVID. They were focused on what needed to get done and were the first to roll up their sleeves when communities needed essentials.”

According to Pearson, the team quickly learned how to be COVID-safe and adapted to a new way of working, whether it was wearing masks to enter a distribution centre or office staff working from home. For three months, he said, volume levels were comparable to Christmas levels due to increased demand during COVID, while last summer’s bushfires also created additional transport and storage requirements for the business.

Utilising its vast fleet of 260 prime movers and 400 B-double trailer combinations, Jim Pearson Transport delivers inbound into Woolworths’ Sydney, Wyong and Brisbane distribution centres and outbound to its Supermarkets, Metro, BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores throughout NSW and QLD. 16

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The transporter began its partnership with Woolworths in 1999 and this year moved 47,000 loads entailing 1.4 million pallets for the supermarket giant. This is also the second time Goldstar Transport has been awarded Small Carrier of the Year after initially receiving the gong in 2016.

Goldstar Transport Managing Director, Sean Carren, said the award recognised all the good work his team had achieved during COVID, not least thinking about the end customer and what they needed.

“It’s a big accolade to even get nominated but to win it this year is very special for us,” said Carren. “I take so much pride in our people and the job that we do.

“Everyone wanted to show up and do a good job safely and adhere to the new procedures, even when they were changing daily.”

Carren said this year showed just how important the transport industry was in our communities after being declared to the nation as an essential service.

Goldstar Transport also has a passion for encouraging women, young people and people from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in transport. The company began partnering with Primary Connect in 2012 and operates out of Kewdale in WA, servicing Woolworths’ Perth Regional Distribution Centre with inbound and Jim Pearson Transport.

outbound deliveries.

Temperature controlled transport is a new investment for Goldstar Transport as part of its growing partnership with Woolworths. Primary Connect General Manager – Domestic and International Transport, Chris Brooks, said both carriers had demonstrated an unwavering commitment to safety, compliance and service throughout this unprecedented year.

“Both Jim Pearson Transport and Goldstar Transport have played an integral role in helping us provide our customers with essential items during the pandemic and we couldn’t be prouder of our partnerships,” said Brooks. “As a collective transport function within the ecosystem of Australia’s largest food and drinks supply chain, we’ve overcome many challenges together.

“Together we have been able to support the needs of the community while continuing to put safety first. On behalf of Primary Connect and the Woolworths Group, we thank you.”

Primary Connect operates one of Australia’s largest supply chains with more than 7,000 truck movements per day for Woolworths Group. It delivers to more than 3,000 Supermarkets, Metro, BIG W, BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores nationwide and relies on its 66 carriers.

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PRIME NEWS

> LINX earmarks new Kenworth K200s for B-triple assignment LINX Logistics has bolstered its linehaul fleet in Griffith, NSW. The six Kenworth K200s, replete with electronic brake safety and collision warning systems, have been designed and built to meet the highest expectations of reliability, safety and durability as outlined by the LINX team.

Powered by Cummins X15 550 horsepower engines, the new K200s are rated to 90 tonnes GCM and will pull both B-doubles and B-triples throughout regional NSW while servicing the capital cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Freight task commodities for these new trucks will vary according to LINX Logistics with beverages, glass bottles, paper, nuts, rice and packaging all to be moved under customer contracts.

As these prime movers will travel

more than one million kilometres in the first three years, Wayne Alpen, LINX Logistics General Manager said it was vital that the company provided an enhanced safe work environment for its drivers while they go about delivering critical linehaul services across the its national domestic supply chain.

“The LINX Logistics team worked closely with the manufacturer on the design and build to ensure the trucks meet the highest levels of reliability, safety and durability. This fleet will handle any task given to them and will travel more than a million kilometres within the first three years, keeping our customers’ cargo moving,” he said.

The K200s had been chosen, among other reasons, for quality driver acceptance and flexibility to operate on various applications.

“Kenworth is a truck favoured by drivers. These K200s bring superior quality along with safeguards to ensure the safety of not only the driver but other road users with features such as In Cab Camera Technology, Active Cruise Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Electronic Brake Safety Systems, Collision Warning System and Active Cab Entry. These features, combined with a spacious cab, will give the driver the most comfortable and safe journey,” said Alpen. “For LINX Logistics, these new trucks are an example of strategic investments that will better support customers with improved efficiencies and increased volume while maintaining an important focus on safety.”

The new Kenworth K200 prime movers were first unveiled prior to Christmas.

> Coles, TWU sign ground-breaking charter A charter on standards in road transport and the gig economy has been signed

by Coles and Transport Workers Union (TWU). Focusing on safety, driver education and mental health, the charter commits Coles and the TWU to work collaboratively on ensuring high standards on safety and fairness throughout the supply chain as the two companies promote positive health and safety outcomes. The charter includes 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.

While the road transport industry accounts for just two per cent of the Australian workforce, data from Safe Work Australia shows that it accounts for 17 per cent of work-related fatalities and four per cent of workers’ compensation claims for injuries and diseases involving one or more weeks off work — around 5,100 claims each year, or 14 serious claims each day.

Coles and the TWU, who have been 18

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working towards the charter since 2018, will also aim at delivering safe and fair outcomes for workers in the rapidlygrowing gig economy. The official formal agreement covers safety and fairness for transport workers within the Coles supply chain.

Under the terms of the newly-signed charter, Coles and the TWU will now establish pilot programs with businesses in the road transport and gig economy sectors.

Coles Group CEO Steven Cain said the charter would provide the basis of a formal working relationship with the TWU and transport workers to ensure safety and fairness remain the highest priority.

“Coles relies on the skill and dedication of thousands of transport workers across Australia, and we have always recognised their right to a safe and healthy working environment,” he said.

“Health, safety and wellbeing are at the core of our culture at Coles, and the processes we will establish through this charter with the TWU will help us maintain that same focus on safety throughout our transport supply chain.”

Coles Chief Operations Officer Matt Swindells said safety was a shared passion for Coles and the TWU. “We have a common goal of improving safety through the transport supply chain, and by taking a collaborative approach we will be even more effective in achieving safer outcomes that benefit everyone,” he said.

TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said the charter was a major step forward in ensuring the lifting of standards on road safety in Australia.

“This charter is ground-breaking in continuing to prioritise safety and fairness in one of the biggest retail supply chains in Australia. For truck drivers, logistics workers and food delivery riders it means the bar has been set very high in terms of listening to their concerns and investigating issues,” he said. “For road users it means a major retailer is putting in place mechanisms to make our roads safer. Road transport is a deadly industry and it requires responsible corporate citizens standing up and acting in the interests of the community as Coles is doing.”

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GLOB AL NEWS

> MAN TGX named International Truck of the Year

Andreas Tostmann, MAN Truck & Bus CEO

The new MAN Truck Generation has scooped one of the major awards for commercial vehicles. A jury of 24 trade journalists representing commercial vehicle media in Europe announced the MAN TGX as the winner of the 2021 International Truck of the Year (ITOY), citing a multitude of factors including advances in driver comfort, working and living conditions, safety, fuel efficiency, connectivity, operator control, among others.

In a virtual ceremony, Andreas Tostmann, MAN Truck & Bus CEO accepted the award from ITOY President Gianenrico Griffini.

Tostmann said the team at MAN Truck & Bus had been working for more than five years with a single objective in mind.

“To develop the best truck for drivers and our customers and to get it out on the road,” he said. “This coveted award just goes to show we did it.”

Jury members have had the opportunity to get to know the new MAN TGX inside out since it was first unveiled in February.

From its launch, the new MAN TGX has been promoted as a new generation vehicle equipped to take as much strain off drivers and contractors as possible in their day-to-day work.

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It was designed against a backdrop of increasingly complex challenges such as growing freight volumes and ever stricter Co2 regulations, a growing shortage of drivers and the advancing digitalisation of logistical processes. As soon as conceptual development work began, MAN set about asking 300 transport companies and 700 drivers for regular feedback on their requirements for the new truck and incorporated this feedback into the design of the new MAN Truck Generation.

The new vehicles, according to MAN Truck & Bus, are even more consistently aligned with these companies’ needs with regard to operational and cost efficiency and offer the driver unique workplace ergonomics, comprehensive safety and a more relaxing environment during rest periods.

Operating efficiency highlighted by the Euro6d driveline has generated reports of 8.2 per cent in fuel savings compared to the previous version thanks in part to the aerodynamic refinement of the cab design and the GPS cruise control system MAN EfficientCruise.

The ITOY jury also recognised the MAN TGX for its high level of safety features and reducing on-road incident

exposures to other road users with its radar-based turn assist and lane change support systems, Lane Return Assist and assisted driving in congested traffic. A higher degree of connectivity has also been achieved through its electronic architecture, which is reportedly the first of its kind in the commercial vehicle sector, and including but not limited to the range of digital services associated with it.

“The new MAN TGX represents a major step forward in terms of driver comfort, fuel efficiency, connectivity and humanmachine interface. So there is no doubt why the new MAN TGX was voted Truck of the Year 2021,” said Gianenrico Griffini.

“It is a future-oriented truck that meets the transport needs of today and tomorrow,” he said.

In accordance with the rules of the International Truck of the Year award, the annual award is presented to the truck released in the last 12 months that has made the greatest contribution to the sustainable development of road haulage.

The evaluation criteria are technical innovations and refinements, but also innovation that contributes to overall cost-effectiveness, safety and environmental relief.

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MENTAL HEALTH MINDSET SUPERANNUATION MINDSET

Naomi Frauenfelder Naomi Frauenfelder, CEO of Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds, brings a wealth of experience to her role as Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds inaugural CEO. Previously Executive Director of the TrackSAFE Foundation — an Australian rail industry not-for-profit, that addresses suicide on the rail network and the resultant trauma caused to train drivers and other frontline staff, Naomi will draw upon and apply her experience to HHTS, to strengthen and grow the organisation and work to improve mental health in the trucking and logistics industry.

To date, Naomi has spent her career honing her passion for working nationally to unite industries behind significant causes such as mental health, providing individuals and organisations with the resources they need to face challenges head-on, creating cultures of care and support. Naomi holds a Bachelor and Masters from Monash University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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SHIFTING INDUSTRY FOCUS TO PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY ON A NATIONAL SCALE Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds has taken an evidencebased approach to improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes. The reasons for shifting to a national scale is compelling.

T

he postal, warehousing and road transport sector is currently ranked 19 out of 19 industries against Superfriend’s Thriving Workplace Index Score. With added pressures placed on workers due to COVID-19 there has never been a more critical time for the sector to increase its emphasis on the psychological safety of the entire workforce, Australia wide.

It’s widely understood that workers within the sector are faced by a number of inherent stress factors. Some of those are related to long hours, shift work, social isolation and pressures to meet deadlines. According to Superfriend’s Thriving Workplace Report, 38.2 per cent of workers in the sector with an existing mental health condition said their work caused or worsened it.

Undoubtedly, for the industry to retain and maintain its existing workforce as well as attract new participants, there is a need to shift our focus toward improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes on a national scale.

In response to this pressing need, Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS) has been on a journey to understanding the ways these issues can be addressed for nearly three years. While the Foundation officially launched in August of 2020, a steering committee of industry leaders came together back in 2018 to identify critical mental health priorities for the sector to create a happier and healthier workforce. Here the HHTS three key pillars were established — training and education, standards and wellness. At this time, the steering committee engaged AP Psychology & Consulting Services (APPCS) to undertake an evidence-based research project. The project reviewed existing approaches to mental health across the sector to inform the future design of interventions. The review highlighted that existing mental health approaches were primarily at the secondary and tertiary level of support. From the insights gained, APPCS recommended three critical areas of prevention to

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create significant impact across the industry: leadership capability, better workplace cultures and smarter work design.

Fast track to 2021, HHTS in conjunction with APPCS is close to delivering a three year Industry Blueprint Strategy, National Framework, Guidelines and Charter for Psychological Safety for road transport and logistics. What does this mean for the industry and its workers?

The HTTS three-year Industry Blueprint Strategy will provide a best practice approach to building a psychologically safe and thriving industry by developing and embedding a set of key deliverables owned by industry leaders and HHTS members. As part of this, organisations who become members of HHTS will be able to carry out a self-accreditation process based on a maturity model of best practice approaches to Psychological Safety. In December of

2020, a project working group made up of participants across all levels of the industry from drivers, logistic workers and experts from the mental health industry participated in workshops to review current challenges and opportunities relating to psychological safety. The insights derived from the group have guided APPCS over the past month. As of February, HHTS working groups have begun a review process and commenced an examination of the guidelines designed by APPCS. From here there will be a further process of appraisal and feedback carried out by the HHTS Advisory Board, Management Committee and Board of Directors.

The key ambition for the Foundation is to develop a strategy that is accessible to everyone within industry, right down to the individual worker. While there are inherent risk factors relating to psychological safety across the industry, HHTS aims to ensure

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that mental health becomes as everyday as safety within the sector.

Who is AP Psychology & Consulting Services (APPSC)?

APPCS is an organisational psychology and consulting firm. They empower workplaces to be psychologically safe and thrive. APPCS makes a difference through prevention, protection, promotion and support of psychological safety in the workplace — leading the way through integrated and sustainable evidence-based solutions, initiatives and approaches. APPCS is experienced and trusted in the sector and has worked with leading supply chain organisations such as Linfox and Woolworths as well as with HHTS industry partner the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

For further information on AP Psychology & Consulting Services go to: www.psychology-consulting.com

In 2018 Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds established training and education, standards and wellness as its three pillars. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

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EURO

VISION

Advanced technology looms large at Tony Innaimo Transport where considerable investment in recent months has gone into increasing its capacity for processing both freight and data.

In accordance with this plan of action, new DAF commercial vehicles have been added to complement an already established Kenworth fleet. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

Euro 5 DAF XF 530 Super Space Cab cruises through the nation’s capital.

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F

or lack of any real rail infrastructure in Canberra, the task of the domestic supply chain to deliver goods in and out of the nation’s capital, for the better part of five decades, has fallen on commercial road transport. As one of the three big road freight specialists in the area, Tony Innaimo Transport, now in its third decade operating up and down the east coast of Australia, provides interstate services across a diversified client base.

A commonality shared among many established transport companies is the origin story of a lone operator who starts out with one vehicle and rapidly builds from there. In Canberra this is heightened in a market where the absence of intermodal connectivity demands that freight operators need multiple vehicles to compete. It’s the only game in town to quote one local fleet manager. Everything that comes in must go out via road.

Founder Tony Innaimo, of course, has built the company from one solitary truck. Today the business runs over 40 commercial vehicles with 30 Kenworth prime movers now supported by additional investments in DAF commercial vehicles including a Euro 5 Super Space Cab and two Euro 6 DAF CF530s, which operate on daily linehaul duties from its recently established Newcastle depot. The company has in recent times, with increased vehicle movements, expanded its footprint with new facilities in Altona and Arndell Park. These new sites join Yass and Wagga Wagga in what is fast becoming a burgeoning transport network.

At its main base in Fyshwick, the depot is operational Monday to Saturday.

From here three DAF CF75 rigid 8x4 configured twin-steers roam the streets of the nation’s capital. The bulk of the work is episodic by nature, requiring the vehicles to stop and start at high repetitions. Even so, they have been returning fuel figures of 2.8 litres per hundred kilometres according to Fleet Maintenance and Compliance Manager John Cole.

“Those figures around town are very pleasing from my perspective,” he says.

“The DAF CF75s are on a gruelling schedule and that has been intensified further at the back end of last year.”

Each of the DAF CF75s features a 16-pallet Tautliner body with a tuckaway tail-lift. The usual regime for the DAF CF75 rigids, in which weekday work is furloughed on Saturdays for servicing, was extended to seven days of operation in December such was the demand for general freight. Within these parameters the smaller trucks, runing on a 9.2 litre engine with a SMART injection system and DAF SCR techology, have real prowess in an application without fear of altering the pulse of deliveries.

Looking to inject further potency into the fleet while intent on exploring the DAF brand, in May last year, Tony Innaimo Transport took delivery of a DAF XF530 super space cab. Designated for B-double application the vehicle has already amassed 140,000 kilometres since it went into service according to John, who is rapt by how it has, in short time, lived up to its early promise.

“We’re more than happy with the performance it has delivered. The fuel consumption average per week is anywhere between 2.25 and 2.35 litres per hundred kilometres in B-double application and again, those are the sort of figures you like to see.”

Meanwhile, a pair of Euro 6 DAF CF530s have recently been deployed for rugged linehaul work. The new trucks replace two Kenworth T409s with PACCAR engines and Eaton automatics. Both vehicles have done over 900,000 kms and have gone onto less high-volume work. One of the vehicles shuttles up the Pacific Highway to Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour; the other goes to Rutherford, Tamworth and out through the Northern Tablelands to Armidale.

According to John, one of the principal conditions for Tony when it comes to new truck purchases is the build synchronicity.

“When you can buy a truck that is assembled as one piece in the sense the engine matches the gearbox and the

“When you can buy a truck that is assembled as one piece in the sense the engine matches the gearbox and the gearbox matches the engine that’s what Tony was looking for,” he says. “So it’s a bit of a no-brainer to keep it all in unison.”

John Cole Fleet Maintenance and Compliance Manager

gearbox matches the engine that’s what Tony was looking for,” he says. “So it’s a no-brainer to our way of thinking, to keep it all in unison.”

As the Tony Innaimo Transport fleet is predominantly represented by the Australian-built American-designed Kenworth, which are popular with the drivers, contemplating a European designed truck for the highway grind the company has essentially forged its reputation on, involved some old fashioned homework. Having priced out several options and scrutinised

tare weights for vehicles, space in the cab, safety architecture and flexibility for unloading and reloading at their sites, the asset managers in the team discovered they were committed to the DAF CF530 Euro 6 space cabs.

“We are still feeling our way with these two new ones. But everything seems to be ticking all the right boxes at this stage,” John says. “I’ve just had our tracking units fitted into them. Having spoken to our drivers they are more than happy with them since they have been in service. For sheer comfort and

Fleet Maintenance and Compliance Manager John Cole. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

John Cole behind the wheel of the DAF XF 530.

One of the new Euro 6 DAF CF 530s operating from the Newcastle depot.

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manoeuvrability, on first impressions these trucks are outstanding.�

All new vehicles including trailers were purchased through Brown & Hurley Coffs Harbour where the Euro 6 DAFs will also be serviced. A couple of different fleet management programs have been integrated into its tracking system which provides alerts 3000 kilometres prior to the asset in question being due for a service. In turn, John can send notifications through to the workshop where the tasks of capturing the vehicles is then programmed in advance. That way the workshop can ensure it has the necessary oil filters and replacement parts are ready and any minor repairs can be completed. This process often begins Friday morning and goes through to Saturday morning as

the vehicles return to base. An auto electrician is called onsite most Saturdays to determine all lights and air conditioners are working correctly so that every vehicle is fully roadworthy for the next week of work.

Each vehicle in the fleet is allocated its own driver. Familiarity with both the vehicle and its logistical requirements are factored into maintaining optimal fuel economy, safety standards and delivering to client specifications. During holidays John might look at replacing a vehicle into a particular role if one of the regular drivers is on leave.

“If we can’t then we’ll just put another person in the seat while they’re on annual leave,” he says.

The linear population surge of the capital and its surrounds has been on an upwards curve since 1987 when it boasted around 150,000 inhabitants. By the year 2030 city planners, not always known for the accuracy of their modelling, expect that figure to reach half a million. A $14 billion investment in infrastructure across the city is in place just in case they’re right. If last year intimated the future prospects of consumer-driven economies despite the specter of global disruption, road freight activity in Canberra will only rise.

Growing up in Queanbeyan, John knows the area intimately having hailed from a road freight family himself. His father Barrie Cole had a transport business that serviced the region.

That was how John got his start in the industry. In fact he operated his own trucking business for seven years. The long hours away from home, a constant reality for many who have forged successful careers in road transport, however started to take its toll.

“My family grew up without me so I decided to sell up in 1999 and found a job that would afford me more time at home,” he recalls. “That resulted in managing a removal company and lasted for nine years before I started working for Tony.”

One of John’s main projects, now nearing completion, has been to bring online the first lot of handheld devices for the linehaul drivers.

“We’ve been testing that for a while and also working in cahoots with our telematics partner in regard to providing the drivers with a screen inside the cab where they can fulfill their prestart checks and record their mass management weights,” he says. “There’s also a sign-on feature that will integrate with our transport management system in terms of eliminating paperwork. It’s been a long time coming and there was a fair bit of work involved.”

Hastening to introduce the latest technology from PACCAR on the new system, the tracking programs for the new Euro 6 DAF CF530s have had alerts for harsh braking, harsh acceleration, excessive idle and overspeed built into them to trigger a warning inside the cabin.

Tony Innaimo Transport partners with Intellifleet, a company based out of Wagga Wagga. The partnership has grown over the past 12 months to the point it involves a software engineer who has put together a package to enable John to forward his job cards direct to tablet in the workshop where the mechanics

The DAF XF 530 at the Tony Innaimo Transport depot in Fyshwick.

are prompted to sign-off on tasks and contribute additional comments on future repairs. Truck and trailer combinations get serviced every three weeks as they travel up to 15,000 kilometres in that time.

“In terms of service scheduling it makes it simple,” says John.

“That’s where we see ourselves making some big gains. By simplifying our approach across operations through different digital solutions.”

The future, at least in the immediate sense, looks more than promising for Tony Innaimo Transport.

p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

CONCRETE

In addition to being one of the major players in infrastructure in Australia, Hanson is one of, if not, the largest customer of Mack Trucks. The recent purchase of 15 new Metro-Liners for its Queensland operations renews its long-term investments in commercial vehicles and reinforces its ongoing commitment to safety technology in the agitator application.

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PLANS

E

“

very time you move a heavy vehicle in a metro area there’s a risk attached,” says Scott Barber. The Hanson National Fleet Engineer & Maintenance Manager oversees one of the biggest Mack fleets in the country and understands the value of safety requirements on cumbersome heavy vehicles involved in vocational

activity in which drivers, en route to commercial construction sites, contend with all manner of city activity while commanding 30 plus tonnes of kit made unique by the huge spinning bowl on the back of the body.

For decades the concrete segment has relied on the driver and the driver’s skill to navigate roads and bends. Increasingly,

at least for Hanson, where its majority of contracts involve commercial construction and large infrastructure projects, this will entail operating in high density metropolitan areas and frequently the central business districts of major cities.

“Sometimes we think we can take a corner a little bit faster than we possibly should in some of these big rigs and this is where p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

the roll stability comes into its own,” Scott says. “It actually intervenes and starts applying brakes, giving the driver an indicator that they probably should have applied the brake five metres back rather than when they started. That’s where roll stability starts mitigating those events of, say, a driver going a couple of kilometres an hour faster into a corner and putting them at that higher level risk of rollover.”

In recent years Mack has introduced a Bendix Wingman Fusion safety pack to the Metro-Liner, making it a compelling offering in the agitator space. The Electronic Stability System is an indispensable safety feature for Hanson, whose investment includes the optional Road Stability Advantage rollover prevention. Through advanced monitoring of vehicle control, the automatic and selective application of vehicle brakes serve as a counter measure to inhibit sudden understeer, skidding and stabilises the vehicle in slippery conditions. According to Scott the advances made in roll stability innovation have been one of the biggest benefits to his operational requirements.

“As agitators have a very high bowl on the back there’s a high risk of rollovers certainly when moving around corners and at sharp angles as is the nature of where these trucks are moved,” he says. “Certainly the roll stability is key for us in trying to minimise the events that could cause a truck to rollover.”

Hanson specifies an 8x4 wheelbase configuration for its national operations in which it now runs over 320 Mack agitators.

The lower centre of gravity is another advantage for carrying a hefty concrete mixing bowl on the back. This of course presents challenges for weight bearing and visibility for the driver as a redundant rear vision mirror is no longer present in the cab. To this end, the BlindSpotter function, a more recent addition to the safety pack, using radar technology, provides operators with an even wider field of view to mitigate against sideswipe impacts.

When the newer safety features on the Metro-Liners were first rolled out 18 months ago many of Hanson’s agitator drivers required a period of adjustment.

The driver program prompted heavy 32

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consultation with operators to outline the advantages of the safety packs and explain in detail how the various safety components individually worked. As Optional Road Stability Advantage had been deployed earlier in Hanson’s tipper fleet, which is over 400 units strong, it helped to institute a holistic approach for upskilling drivers and modifying long ingrained behaviors that would need to be relearned.

available safety gear that’s out there that can come fitted with these trucks from the OEM,” Scott explains. “Because the bulk of our fleet operates in metro areas the BlindSpotter function gives us that other key safety benefit of alerting the driver when they may not be able to see something in the mirrors and it’s right beside them before they navigate a turn or lane change.”

When it goes out to market for tender,

It’s mandatory for all Hanson Mack trucks to have the BlindSpotter safety function.

“It helps when your drivers are very positive about the safety inclusions we are putting in our trucks,” Scott says.

“Particularly the roll stability stuff. We certainly took notice of comments from our drivers early in the piece when they didn’t realise they should have been applying the brakes, for instance, two metres before they did apply the brakes and it now made more sense to them.”

For Hanson, the philosophy is simple.

The company wants to operate the safest fleet possible. Not only, as a business, to prevent incidents and reduce costs but to ensure its staff return home safely to their families after a day at work. It extends this overarching principle to general day-to-day road users.

In December Hanson introduced six new Mack Metro-Liners into its Brisbane services, with another nine on the way as part of its fleet replacement management.

“It’s mandatory now on our truck specification for all trucks to have the blindspot feature. Our focus is on the

Hanson requests OEMs provide any details on additional safety options that have become available for consideration as part of its commercial vehicle specification.

“The more safety gear that comes out on trucks the more of it we will take essentially,” Scott says. “Certain key safety components are potentially precluding some operators in the market but some of the manufacturers are starting to get up to speed as well, which is really pleasing. I think it was an undervalued component within our industry and now it’s something with as much focus as the car industry.”

The Mack Metro-Liner driveline consists of an 8.9 litre 320 hp Cummins ISL rated to 996lb-ft torque at a range of 1100-1500 rpm and an Allison 3200 Series six-speed automatic transmission.

Mack also provides the FXL 14.6 Twin Steer Axle rated to 13.2 tonnes which is paired with a Meritor RT40-145GP rear axle with a nominal capacity of 18 tonnes.

Keeping down the tare weight in such an

application is naturally a big advantage and Mack have helped achieve this, to Hanson’s satisfaction, by removing the bowl sub-frame and mounting the bowl to the chassis.

“Over the last three years we’ve been working with the Volvo Group and various body builders to look at lowering the centre of gravity on the mixer bowl just to help with that roll stability,” says Scott. “One of the good things about Mack and our relationship with them is they’re willing to be a key party in those discussions and work with the body builders to see what’s achievable. Over the last couple of years all of our concrete agitators have been deployed with a low centre of gravity mixer bowl on the back of them.”

A long history exists between the two companies across both of Hanson’s fleet lines. Mack is the brand of preference in their tipper spec as well. Although the company previously purchased agitators in a 6x4 configuration it moved to 8x4 for improved safety and the ability to operate with a higher payload. The business will deliver to all customers, predominantly major construction sites and in the tipper space the vehicles will move high volumes of road base and materials throughout the state. With that in mind, the aim is to find the maximum carrying capacity allowable in a truck at any given time. The key for operating dozens of concrete agitators nationally, is to reduce the number of trips each truck is assigned. Cumulative hours of operation can be brutal over such an extended vehicle life. Mack reliability and uptime legacy is, however, an area in which Scott claims the Volvo Group excels in.

“Their aftersales support is second-tonone. I’m not just talking about aftersales while the truck is under warranty,” he says. “They’re there to help us throughout the journey through the life of the truck, essentially. So there is no issue too big or too small that I don’t feel uncomfortable in reaching out to National Account Manager Luke Barnes and discussing. If we have an engine blown in say a nine-year old truck they’ll help us understand why that happened and in some cases they will actually help us fund the repairs to a

percentage on even a truck that is old if it’s an unexpected failure. So they really do have good aftersales support and customer commitment.”

This latest order of 15 Metro-Liners reflects, in part, a growing confidence across key industries, perhaps obliged to forestall significant fleet investments just six months ago under the shadow of deteriorating global economic conditions.

With that in mind, the decision

by National Cabinet to agree that Infrastructure Australia should evaluate project proposals which require more than $250 million in Commonwealth funding – an increase from the previous threshold of $100 million – will help determine the efficiency of infrastructure decision-making and delivery. The ripple effects of such an announcement are likely to support a host of driver jobs in the concrete and construction sector.

Scott, who has been at Hanson for just over 20 years, might be considered an institution at many other companies. At Hanson, it seems, longevity is not the exception to the rule, but the rule.

“We promote a 20-year club meaning if you hit 20 years here you’re part of an alumni and that’s a very big club within

our company,” he laughs. “That says a lot about the company itself. People will stick around if it’s a good company to work for.”

According to Scott there are many staff who have been working at Hanson for 35 years or more. For his part, he started out in the IT department having worked at a foundry as a metallurgist previously.

The need for a lifestyle change saw him crossover into IT, supporting the building products division at Hanson. He was soon supporting the three head offices in Queensland in IT before moving into project work. The opportunity to take on a telematics project saw him transfer to logistics where he has been for the last seven years. In two decades at Hanson he’s been afforded myriad vantages from which to observe and involve himself in the varying facets of the organisation.

“Interestingly, my story is probably not too dissimilar to a lot of people inside our business who start out in one area and move to another and get a really good understanding of the business as a whole which is good,” Scott says. “I think it gives us an advantage that our work force truly understands the business to a greater extent than just being a solo part of the business for 20 years and not seeing the other sides of it.”

Mack’s FXL 14.6 Twin Steer Axle is rated to 13.2 tonnes. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

COMING

CLE As a niche essential business, Container Fumigation Services in Melbourne is dependent on quality commercial vehicles. The challenges of a tough 2020 have been counterweighed, in part, by an informed recent investment in four new MAN trucks.

C

ontainers arriving in Australia from overseas ports are subject to biosecurity requirements and procedures to ensure the threat of exotic pests and diseases are eliminated during their clearance. This also applies to the goods they carry by federal law. Container Fumigation Services (CFS) based out of Spotswood in Melbourne, has been immersed in this segment since it was founded by Greg Ross, a Director of the company, on 6 March, 1996. In essence the company is taking containers off the wharf as allocated, cleaning them before readying each for approval through quarantine.

The company was started on the strength 34

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of a tip Greg received that quarantine laws regarding port operators would be extended outside of the five kilometre perimeter. On the premise that customers he had unloaded for previously would bring him containers, Greg set about securing a depot.

With that the business purchased a secondhand Mack from an auction — the company’s first. Mobile equipment was acquired under this model for the first few years as they built up business which went from good to better. Over the ensuing years CFS has put together an impressive client base that now includes the likes of ACFS Port Logistics, Seacom,

SunRice, John Deere and QANTAS. However, hire trucks required to satisfy the urgent tasks that were going unfulfilled by incidents of broken-down secondhand vehicles were fast proving costly.

“We got sick of putting mounds of money into bloody repairs, hire trucks and having them parked up at great expense,” Greg says. “It was decided with my business partner that it was time to buy a new truck.

I went around to every manufacturer and got the rundown on all of them.”

It resulted in a month’s worth of data and engineering specifications to calculate.

The criteria for evaluating the best truck for their needs started at price. As that

AN was negligible in range when applied to most other brands being considered, the evaluation entered the next set of criteria as Greg and his transport operations manager, Neil Ryan, deliberated on the significant indicators of performance, service and backup.

“There’s only ever a tuppence between most of the commercial vehicles you are considering in this sort of purchase process,” says Greg. “Once you start to settle on certain factors like servicing and backup things come into sharper focus.”

The first service of 70,000 kilometres at MAN soon got their attention while the parameters around backup, in which a

hire truck was also provided by Penske Truck Rental, along with the impression made by MAN dealer Jarrod Bennetts of Westar Truck Centre, who was easy to get along with according to Greg, eventually won them over. Knowing they would have had to service their vehicles at least three times before hitting 70,000 kilometres and accessing a hire truck at no charge to keep the business running without suffering in any way, imbued the prospective buyers with a newfound confidence they had made the right choice.

“If any of these new trucks go in for a

scheduled service our fleet can complete the same numbers asked of it,” Greg says. “For mine, the MANs come out on top in every facet.

Jarrod was great to deal with and that made the decision easier. The deal we got, well, I can’t complain. If I had to buy another one I would go straight back to him.”

And he did — three more times. Container p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

Fumigation Services now operates three MAN TGS26.540s and one TGX26.540 XLX cab. All the vehicles are rated to 70 tonnes gross combination mass for B-double application. They are moving both 20- and 40-foot containers in a cabover design, comfortable for the drivers with superior vision, manoeuvrability and safety. As it foregoes an engine tunnel in the cab for more space, the TGX is slightly raised, making the vehicle a foot taller in height than the TGS. The flexible TGS, more commonly seen in interstate linehaul, is a smaller presence on the road, making it less daunting a container carrier, for other road users.

The Electronic Stability Control, a standard feature on the MAN trucks, is a musthave for relaying containers, each of which weighs around 24 tonnes, in and around the crowded port precinct. The key considerations for CFS to invest in these trucks, according to Jarrod, were the obvious safety benefits, not to mention the accurate forecasting of whole of life costs in addition to the service they would receive from the Westar dealership.

“For Greg and his team the MAN was the obvious choice. The vehicle is setup perfectly for running around the tight streets of Melbourne yet is not claustrophobic,” says Jarrod.

“The package that we have setup through the dealership means that Greg can forecast the costs for this truck for five years accurately. The only expenses are

Electronic Stability Control comes standard and is a must in port cartage.

fuel, drivers and tyres. This is a big change from the second-hand gear that they were running that would not only cost them in repairs and maintenance it would also cost in the silent money drainer, downtime.”

Hours supplant kilometres as the better metric in which to measure vehicle use.

Even so, one scheduled service per year, as it works out, means CFS are off the road for only one day at a time. The backing of a rental vehicle inside the warranty importantly ensures they can work, if need be, 365 days a year — as suits their current operational framework. For Greg’s part he starts most mornings at 3am. For the majority of weeks he is required to work six days and seven days every five weeks. In 2018-19 the Port of Melbourne reported passing 3.02 million TEUs, an increase of 3.1 per cent on the previous

year. Last year’s COVID-19 disruptions notwithstanding, the ongoing work is unabated. Greg often works a Saturday for no extra charge to his clients. The busiest times of year is the period leading into Christmas and, what is now widely referred to in shipping circles, as Stink bug season. That starts 30 September and runs to 31 May. Upon the onset of cold weather in the Northern Hemisphere, the Brown marmorated stink bug seeks shelter to spend the winter in a dormant phase known as diapause — a period of suspended development in some insects.

Regulatory requirements primarily target importers of goods and cover their responsibility to ensure that certain types of cargoes are properly treated and certified prior to arriving in Australia. The process of fumigation takes 12 hours according to

The fumigation process takes 12 hours.

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Greg, who uses a Threshold Limit Valve or TLV to carry out the work. In the afternoon the boxes, once they are unpacked for day proof, are released. Container Fumigation Services organises to have the container moved the next morning.

All up it’s a 24-hour turnaround. The paperwork is then sent to quarantine who, often working two or three days in arears, will release the box. This clears the pads so restacking containers can resume in an area certified for fumigation. It’s not uncommon for Greg to get a late call from a client who will have a container on hold in customs for up to ten days. His job is to arrange to get it off the wharf on the day by coordinating with one of his drivers to pick it up.

Drivers, at present, account for four of the company’s 35 staff although casuals are put on to meet peak demand. The CFS facility in Spotswood, which looks out over where many of the vessels come in, houses eight trucks and 15 forklifts.

As a customs, quarantine and bond yard,

CFS spec’d MAN vehicles are rated to 70 tonnes gross combination mass for B-double application.

containers can be packed and unpacked for export or goods can be stored for longer periods in a warehouse prior to being transported. CFS also has a second depot in Portland, Victoria to service the logging industry. Fumigation operations have been suspended of late after China placed bans on Australian timber exports in November.

While 2020 proved to be a challenging year for most businesses associated with international shipping, Greg has helped to future proof his operations with high performance commercial vehicles on a service package that allows him to budget

better with costs. Particularly in regards to maintenance with a service warranty that goes beyond spare parts and repairs.

What’s more, the MAN vehicles have proven popular among the drivers since the first TGS26.540 was introduced into the fleet in April, 2019.

“I’ve spoken to all the drivers about the trucks. They tell me the MAN is like driving a Fairmont,” he says. “It’s decked out with a fridge and all the modern conveniences.

You can sit back in comfort. They absolutely love them. I have not had one complaint out of the drivers.”

Reduce paperwork, save time and money with an NHVR approved EWD solution 1300 111 477 TeletracNavman.com.au

TRUCK & TECH

SUNS A faster than expected push to online retail due to distancing measures and a renewed focus on local manufacturing and production will invite growth opportunities according to a report released by Isuzu Australia Limited.

T

he release last December of the Isuzu Future of Trucking Report, the first by the leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, helped to outline the case for continued growth in last mile demand which was providing significant opportunities for fleets of all sizes despite recent unprecedented challenges. The report, conducted by independent research firm ACA Research, presents the findings of more than 1,000 road transport survey respondents bringing together a broad mix of industry and vocational voices.

With insights pulled from both the distribution and freight, logistics perspectives, accounting for in total 60 per cent of all respondents, the remaining 40 per cent of respondents hailed from a range of other service provision industries,

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including government as well as primary production industries such as agriculture and mining.

The decision by IAL to conduct the largest ever road transport survey in Australian history, was to acknowledge what it calls the rapid pace of change besetting the broader transport sector at present.

Nearly half of larger operators (46 per cent) had shown they have clear and comprehensive strategies in place to address evolving industry changes.

The large, more diverse fleets, however, remained best placed to deliver the bulk of the linehaul business across broad geographic areas.

Reflecting their more complex operating environments, larger fleets are also most likely to recognise the pace of change currently facing the industry — pre and

post-COVID according to the report.

The confidence that large fleets have in their strategy for the future suggests a strong understanding of the markets in which they operate, greatly assisting their response to the ongoing COVID operating environment. Underpinning this is the effective use of data to inform business operation, with large fleets clearly differentiated in their ability to capture and utilise data.

Large fleets are more likely, under the specter of what amount to more routine considerations for them, to have recognised the value of effective data capture, investing in fleet management technologies that can help them address fleet utilisation. This existing investment in new technologies is a key input to helping them sustain and increase business

ET

LIMITED

productivity in today’s increasingly challenging environment.

Survey work informing this report was conducted towards the conclusion of 2019, with subsequent, followup survey work conducted in mid-2020, following the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

IAL acknowledged that the report’s authors have taken into account the ramifications of such unprecedented circumstances on the economy this year. The finalisation of the report, ultimately factored in these considerations.

“Any survey marks a point in time, and our Isuzu Future of Trucking Report is no different,” IAL remarked of the report.

“The project was commenced in late 2019 and the bulk of the findings represent the sentiment of industry participants before the onset of COVID-19. The authors of the report had since saw it pertinent to revisit the market to gain an understanding of how the changed social and economic landscape had affected attitudes and opinions of those who participated in it,”

the company said.

“The current and ongoing impact of COVID-19 is a significant challenge for the world,” declared the ACA authors.

“That said, the findings in this report are important, as they combine underlying industry changes with the current COVID operating environment.”

Although broad reaching in its scope, the report’s findings can be separated into five key areas of interest: The Freight Task & Business Recovery; Changing Customer Preferences; Total Cost of Ownership; Technology and Innovation; and Chain of Responsibility.

The results in terms of Business Recovery

p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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were predominantly positive across multiple segments and vocations according to IAL, with the effects of COVID, insofar as they had gravely impacted some industries, not altogether dampening spirits for most operators who were seeing strong demand for their services into the future.

Similarly, government forecasts predicting growth in the road freight task to 2030 gave further rise to this confidence.

Of those that participated in the survey 58 per cent operate in Australia’s metropolitan areas, typically with sub-100 kilometre, back to base ranges.

Another 14 per cent fell into the long haul category, representing a far greater route range and interstate movements.

Australian truck fleets, it was revealed, expect freight volumes to increase significantly by 8.2 per cent in the next two years. Key among Changing Customer Preferences was the trending demand for immediacy and availability of turnkey, fit-for-purpose products with broad driver appeal. Within the labour market, the persistent challenge of driver and skills shortages continues to concern operators.

The findings demonstrate, however, that beyond just awareness, employers are and have been active in their efforts to review driver recruitment.

In terms of Total Operating Costs, the ongoing cost of operating and maintaining an ageing Australian truck also remained a concern for respondents.

Meanwhile, the pace of technological change dictates two key areas of focus for Australian trucking operations with the role of technology as it relates to driver safety of major interest and also the introduction and uptake of alternate drivetrain technology such as hybrid and electric options.

The report considers both functions of road transport technology are critical markers in the future operational nature of Australian road transport.

Findings for Chain of Responsibility legislation awareness were less encouraging the report noted, especially in regard to operators of small to medium fleets.

Larger fleets, at the other end of the scale, displayed an acute awareness and 40

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a practical application of management strategies to meet their obligations. Of the businsses using data to manage fleets more effectively 61 per cent had, at their disposal, upwards of 20 commercial vehicles. Of the 20 per cent who affirmed they were in the process or planning to invest in fleet management technologies, those businesses operating fleets over more than 20 trucks represented half of the sample (50 per cent).

Some key takeaways from the report include: half of truck fleets saw no impact or increased business. This rises to two thirds for those fleets working in distribution; one in three saw 30 per cent plus decline in operating revenues, making them eligible for JobKeeper; construction saw declines in growth projections, but was largely insulated, with most respondents reporting they were likely to have a decline of less than 30 per cent; Retail & Hospitality was the hardest hit sector, with almost three in four down by more than 30 per cent on revenue projections. Growth projections in the road transport sector were varied significantly by industry type in the wake of government and media response to COVID-19.

IAL Director and Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Harbison, acknowledges the Future of Trucking report was an opportunity for Isuzu Trucks to contribute to bettering the shared knowledge of the industry.

“The Future of Trucking report was

undertaken with some broad objectives in mind. Importantly, it has been a chance for Isuzu Trucks to further enhance and develop our own understanding of the industry we are operating in, but to also benefit every stakeholder in Australian road transport,” he says. “It’s been a challenging time for the nation and every industry sector has endured trials as a result of COVID-19. It remains the hope of IAL that some of the insights gathered as a part of this project can be utilised by industry participants in their daily operations.”

While it was no secret the commercial road transport sector was going through a period of change, despite this transitional period Harbison was buoyed to see that the fleets surveyed were confident about the future of the industry and anticipated continued demand for their services in the years ahead.

“With or without a global pandemic, the freight task continues to grow and now is the time to build on foundations, to reaffirm industry relationships and ensure an efficient supply chain as we work collaboratively through this next phase,” Harbison says.

In a statement IAL recognised it had enjoyed an exceptional period of success over the last three decades, and insomuch as it was extremely proud of this achievement, it was concurrently viewed as a genuine privilege. Noting that the Australian transport sector was an extremely strong, inventive and resilient entity and that Isuzu took its role seriously as the truck market leader.

“More than that, the company believes it has,” IAL notes, “an obligation to commit its own time and resources to the betterment of the collective.”

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TRUCK & TECH

HAUL

RISE Heavy-duty truck axle manufacturer Meritor has introduced its P610 hub-reduction drive axle to the Australian market.

Goldsprings Heavy Haulage has specified the product in a new Kenworth K200 8x4 prime mover.

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H

auling gross combination masses (GCM) of up to 240 tonnes up steep inclines requires axles and drivelines of Herculean proportions.

Under these conditions standard heavyduty truck axles simply won’t cut the mustard and it’s necessary to employ hub-reduction units which feature a planetary gear set at each wheel end that significantly multiplies the torque

delivered to the wheels by increasing the final drive ratio.

As a leader in the truck axle manufacturing sphere, Meritor is constantly developing and reengineering its products to meet the ever-increasing demands of truck operators, particularly those at the ultra-heavy end of the heavy haulage spectrum.

One such operator is Goldsprings Heavy

Meritor’s P610 hub-reduction axles on the Goldsprings’ K200.

Haulage, a company based at Rutherford in the NSW Hunter Valley that has been in operation for more than 25 years.

The company’s Director, Mark Goldspring, explains that he was looking for a hub-reduction axle that would be more efficient at highway speeds while still providing the low-end grunt necessary for steep climbs at maximum GCM. “We wanted to be able to maintain a higher road speed to enhance suitability for our application which involves moving oversize and ultra-heavy equipment all over Australia,” Mark says.

“After looking into the new Meritor P610 axle we decided it was the most suitable for our operation.”

Meritor’s hub-reduction axles have been available globally for some time, however the company has now considerably broadened the product’s appeal by re-engineering it to suit the Australian market. The first to capitalise on these improvements has been

Kenworth — a popular choice among heavy haulage operators.

According to Mark Goldspring, his 8x4 K200 which was delivered mid-2020 is the fifth Kenworth to be fitted with the P610 hub-reduction axles and while it’s early days and the truck is yet to cover 50,000km, it has shown fine fettle when hauling 100-tonne concrete beams up the mountain from Batemans Bay to Canberra.

Adapting the P610 axle to suit the Kenworth chassis wasn’t a simple exercise for Meritor. That’s because it required a fabricated axle housing that is manufactured in the USA. In contrast, the P610 used in Volvo trucks has a cast iron housing.

According to Renzo Barone, Meritor’s Australian Territory Manager – Truck, the thick-walled fabricated steel axle housing is extremely strong and allows the suspension brackets to be welded on in different locations to suit a variety of

truck brands of North American origin.

“The fabricated housing allows us to weld on localised suspension bracketry which you can’t do with the cast housings that the European trucks utilise,” Renzo says.

Another benefit of the P610, he explains, is that it has five planet gears in the wheel end instead of the usual four which provides additional tooth contact surface area, thus enhancing service life and durability under arduous conditions.

“This is also the reason why the P610 performs very well at highway cruising speeds of up to 100km/h and doesn’t experience high heat build-up under these conditions,” Renzo says. “The design of the hub cap assembly has ample room to allow a good flow of oil which helps dissipate the heat.”

The hub-reduction ratio of the P610 is 3.46:1 and there is a broad spread of differential ratios available starting at p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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Goldsprings’ K200 runs a 4.67 ratio for a cruising speed of 90km/h at 1,750 engine rpm in top gear.

“The twin steer axles give us an extra four or five tonnes at the front compared with a single steer axle prime mover.”

Mark Goldspring Director of Goldsprings Heavy Haulage

1:1 which provides a 3.46:1 final drive ratio through to7.20:1. There are, in fact, a total of ten final drive ratio options encompassing 3.46, 3.6, 3.77, 4.12, 4.57, 4.67, 5.4, 5.47, 6.2, and 7.2.

Renzo is keen to point out that the

differential carriers used in the P610 hub-reduction axle are common to other drive axles in the Meritor range, meaning that high levels of after-sales support and parts availability are assured.

On that point, Renzo adds that the

The 8x4 prime mover configuration is rarer on the East Coast.

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planetary gear set is readily serviceable with the sun and planet gears being easily and individually replaceable if necessary.

He also adds that there is an array of magnets positioned inside the housing to contain any wear metals away from gear and bearing components.

Goldsprings’ K200 runs a 4.67 ratio which enables a cruising speed of 90km/h at 1,750 engine rpm in top gear.

According to Renzo, this is the most popular and ideal ratio in the heavy haulage realm.

The unit also features the ultra heavy-duty Meritor Permalube RPL35 driveline which is a perfect match with the P610 axles in severe-duty applications. The tandem rides on Kenworth Six-Rod mechanical spring suspension.

The twin steer axles are also Meritor items known as MFS-66, featuring a 6.5 tonne rating which enables a combined steer axle mass of 13 tonnes, subject to taper-leaf spring capacity and legal mass requirements.

Goldsprings’ K200 8x4 represents something of an unusual configuration on the east coast, as opposed to the west coast where 8x4 prime movers are quite common. For Mark Goldspring, it was an ideal way to enable more weight on the steer, with the prime mover featuring an adjustable turntable which can be moved in small increments fore and aft to ensure the optimum weight is exerted on the steer axles.

“The twin steer axles give us an extra four or five tonnes at the front compared with a single steer axle prime mover,” Mark says. “This means sometimes we don’t need to use a dolly which makes it quicker and easier to get into tight locations.”

All up, Mark says he is very pleased with the performance of the Meritor P610 axles to date.

“The axles stood up really well to the high weights and steep climbs out of Batemans Bay and we are looking forward to seeing how they perform on the longer hauls across Australia in midsummer with big weights,” he says. “In our heavy haulage operation, I think they are going to be a good thing for us.”

RUN WITH

STRENGTH.

Meritor P610 drive axles are engineered and manufactured to deliver higher capacity and improved performance across a multitude of heavy-duty applications. Our planetary axles are known for exceptional quality, strength and toughness and each axle is backed by an intensive validation process facilitated by our global design and testing centers. Here in Australia we have been building axles that are proven to perform in Australian conditions for over 50 years.

Run with Strength. Run with the Bull. meritor.com sales.sunshine@meritor.com Š2020 Meritor, Inc.

TRUCK & TECH

ENDLESS

POSSIB Geotab has been a leading force in fleet telematics in North America and Europe over the past two decades. The company is now expanding its footprint in Australia, offering what it describes as an allencompassing open platform telematics solution tailored to the trucking industry.

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here’s no doubt that the global telematics market is growing rapidly as fleet managers seek to gain maximum knowledge about every aspect of the vehicles under their control.

Streamlining vehicle operations through optimisation of all operating parameters can add up to considerable savings across the entire fleet.

Geotab has a stated aim of advancing security, connecting commercial vehicles to the internet and providing webbased analytics to help customers better manage their fleets. The company claims its open platform and Marketplace – which offers hundreds of third-party solution options – allows both small and large businesses to automate operations by integrating vehicle data with their other data assets.

As an IoT (Internet of Things) hub, the in-vehicle unit allows device expansion to provide additional functionality.

Processing billions of data points a day, Geotab leverages data analytics and machine learning to help customers 46

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improve productivity, optimise fleets through the reduction of fuel consumption, and enhance driver safety.

The company’s products are represented and sold worldwide through authorised Geotab resellers.

Mark Bucknall, Geotab Associate Vice President Sales ANZ says the company is keen to announce its presence in Australia.

“We’re big in North America and Europe and growing strongly worldwide, and we’ve had a presence for some years in Australia,” he says.

“However, we have now established a local office and are building out our trucking solution to really help drive productivity and safety outcomes for Australian transport operators.”

The open platform, Mark says, undergirds why Geotab is confident it has the best solution in a very competitive space.

“We have a Marketplace of solutions, giving customers the ability to import and export their own data and integrate with their existing software.

That could mean connecting with sensors monitoring vehicle mass or tyre pressures, sending data to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems for tax applications, or dash cams for safety and compliance checks,” he says.

Geotab claims that after 20 years of continuous growth it has become the global leader in data collection for connected vehicles and is relied upon by more than 40,000 businesses.

In fact, the company says on a global scale it collects around 40 billion data points daily from over two million connected vehicles, of which close to 800,000 are heavy trucks.

Geotab’s fleet management platform is suitable for all kinds of fleets across the entire spectrum from the largest roadtrains to medium-duty trucks, vans and cars — whether internal combustion powered or electric vehicles (EV).

The company drives fleet performance, it asserts, by focusing on six ‘pillars of innovation’ with each pillar delivering value to its customers by managing costs, increasing efficiency, or providing

ILITIES access to its Marketplace of partner services.

The six pillars include Productivity – tracking routes and dispatching drivers to ensure a productive fleet; Optimisation – driving efficiencies and cost savings in fuel use and scheduled maintenance; Safety – analysing and encouraging safe driver behaviour with reports and in-vehicle coaching; Sustainability – reducing carbon dioxide and particulate emissions by integrating EVs into fleets; Compliance – ensuring road rule compliance with safety checklists and speeding reports; Expandability – open platform enables the customer to integrate hardware or software options in a tailored solution to drive performance.

“We understand what Australian heavy truck operators are looking for and we are building our product portfolio to fully cater to this segment of the market,” Mark says. “We are looking to provide full details of this at the Brisbane Truck Show in May this year.”

One of the unique features of Geotab’s open platform, he says, is it enables clients to import or export data to other systems.

“We have our Marketplace which is like an App store that connects a lot of different providers,” Mark explains. “If, for example, a transport operator had their own internally built Electronic Work Diary or they used a third-party EWD that has been approved by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, that’s the sort of thing that we can integrate with the telematics data.

“This means there are a lot of options for customising the platform so that it will do exactly what the transport

Mark Bucknall.

“We understand what Australian heavy truck operators are looking for and we are building our product portfolio to fully cater to this segment of the market.”

Mark Bucknall Geotab Associate Vice President Sales ANZ

operator needs it to do.”

Another benefit of Geotab’s system, according to Mark, is that the data is recorded every time something changes rather than at set intervals of every 30 or 60 seconds.

“Our curve algorithm selects the important data and discards the useless

data which actually provides a more accurate presentation of what’s actually happening with the vehicle,” he says.

In sum, Geotab’s telematics system is designed to provide the ultimate solution for data collection that is fully customisable to suit each operator’s individual requirements. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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A SAFE

BET Late last year the road transport industry achieved a big step towards a safer workforce with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s approval of Electronic Work Diaries. Teletrac Navman’s EWD solution approved for voluntary use as an alternative to written work diaries, as a digital fatigue management solution makes it easier for operators and drivers across Australia to manage their fatigue compliance.

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Toll launched an EWD pilot project involving five of its drivers last year.

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o date, drivers have been required to use mandatory paper-based written work diaries to comply with strict fatigue laws. Approved Electronic Work Diaries (EWDs) eliminate the risk of erroneous diary entries and lost diaries, while reducing data entry and inaccurate reporting. As the solution becomes mainstream and is adopted by more operators around Australia, the benefits to the wider transport industry and individual operators will become more apparent. From improved compliance and a reduction in red tape for both drivers and operators to more insightful data, proactive fatigue management will provide enhanced on-road safety for all road users.

Fatigue is one of the three biggest

contributors to deaths on Australian roads after speeding and alcohol consumption, making it one of the most important issues to address for any operator. EWDs make it far easier to manage fatigue, by giving clear indications of work and rest times for both drivers and their managers well ahead of time, giving a clear view of the driver’s day ahead so they can better plan their journey. For drivers, the EWD device allows them to manage their own fatigue in real time no matter where they are on the road, as the solution works even when drivers are driving through areas which don’t have mobile reception.

An electronic work diary enables drivers to more easily manage their responsibilities and compliance, giving fleet managers peace of mind that both their drivers and other road users are safe. Ease of use was front of mind for Teletrac Navman when designing the device, allowing drivers to record their work and rest hours by simply pressing a button, rather than spending time ruling lines and counting multiple time periods on pieces of paper. The benefits extend across other functions of the business, promoting better supply chain

management and simplifying planning tools for drivers and transport operators.

With the implementation of an EWD and fleet management solution into the business, compliance and safety become an opportunity for growth and improvement. While the business and drivers become proactive with fatigue, the competitive edge provided allow for efficiency and productivity gains according to Andrew Rossington, Teletrac Navman Chief Product Officer.

“We are proud to be one of the first telematics providers to be granted full approval from the regulator to roll out our Electronic Work Diary as an alternative to written work diaries,” he says. “The solution will empower drivers and fleet operators to manage their own compliance, giving managers peace of mind that their drivers are safe. The benefits are there for everyone: better supply chain efficiencies, simple planning tools for drivers and transport operators and better road safety outcomes.”

A long-term advocate of the solution, Toll Group is one of the first operators to roll out EWDs, launching a five-driver pilot project, with the view to expanding the technology to over 150 drivers by March

2021. Richard Turner, Global Head of Health, Safety and Environment at Toll Group, expects the solution will have a marked impact on both the value of the data being fed to back office and the obvious safety enhancements.

“The arrival of EWDs is a very exciting moment for the industry and our organisation and we’re thrilled to be one of the first putting rubber to road. As an organisation, we are safety obsessed and this switch is another example of our ongoing focus on improving safety for our people and communities by investing in meaningful innovation,” he says.

The benefit EWDs can bring to the transport and logistics sector is clear.

When the coronavirus vaccine is eventually rolled out across Australia and the country opens up more widely, the trucking and logistics sectors will face immense pressures with increases in freight. As these stresses filter down through independent operators, to the truck drivers themselves, enhancing road safety has never been more important. Not only will the rollout of EWDs make the industry more efficient through sophisticated data analysis, it will also make it safer through easier on-theroad fatigue management.

Ease of use was front of mind for Teletrac Navman when launching its EWD.

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TEST DRIVE

MAKING MOMENT The UD Croner is a prime example of the progress of globalisation in commercial vehicle manufacturing during the past decade.

T

he Croner name is derived from ‘Chronos’, the god of time in Greek mythology and fits well with UD’s positional phrase of ‘making every moment count’ in reference to on-road efficiency and maximised uptime. In the form of the UD Croner, 50

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the global reach of the Volvo Group has facilitated the melding of the best points of European and Asian commercial vehicle engineering and manufacturing know-how, and includes a degree of Australian input as a catalyst.

UD Trucks have undergone a

metamorphosis during recent years with the UD Quon staking its claim as being worthy of consideration in appropriate heavy duty applications and the UD Croner has now entered the medium duty category with similar credentials and ambitions. From its genesis as far

EVERY COUNT back as 2013, the UD Croner was always going to be more than the then Condor medium duty model with some plastic surgery or a ‘face lift’. There are many areas where the Croner is much advanced over the Condor and it can now step up to become a serious player in the medium duty sector.

Launched in Thailand in 2017 the Croner was first introduced to the Australian market at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show.

The Croner is manufactured in Thailand at a facility which originally produced Volvo and later Ford passenger cars. The Bangkok facility also builds Volvo trucks and buses and is the source for the Volvo FM, FH and FMX cabs used at Volvo’s Australian manufacturing plant at Wacol in Queensland.

The impressive quality of Thai manufacturing capitalises upon the underlying engineering of the various components which also incorporates a significant level of Australian input.

The Croner’s overall finish meets the Volvo Group’s world standards

including for factors such as paint and corrosion protection.

The Croner’s development involved 1.7 million engineering hours and in an effort to ensure the truck’s durability, a fleet of 100 test vehicles covered 1.5 million kilometres of testing in the harsh conditions found in such varied locations as the United Arab Emirates, Peru, South Africa, India, and Thailand. The Croner has never been intended for the Japanese market, and that decision has facilitated a wider influence into its design and engineering, including a high degree of input from Australia.

The Croner is available in Australia as the PK 18 4x2 with 17.5 tonne GVM and the PD 25 6x2 which has a 24.5 tonne GVM. All PD models have 8mm high tensile frame rails and the PK frames are 7mm or 8mm depending upon the specific wheelbase. GCM for both models is 32.0 tonnes.

Externally, some subtle aerodynamic improvements have reduced the cab’s coefficient of drag by five per cent compared to the Condor cabs. The Croner’s business-like cab exterior and interior belie the sophisticated mechanical and electronic engineering operating behind the dash and under the cab. For Australia, the only transmission available in the Croner is the Allison 3000 Series automatic which is a double overdrive six speed equipped with a lock up torque convertor. Much of the development of the transmission mapping was conducted locally by UD’s Brisbane engineers in consultation with the team at Allison.

The low maintenance 7.7 litre engine

(commonly referred to as the eight litre) is from the Volvo family and provides 206kW (280hp) at 2,200 rpm and the maximum torque of 1,080Nm is on tap from as low as 1,100rpm, delivering strong pulling power and easy driveability in concert with the Allison which is controlled by the familiar button pad mounted on the engine cover and is superbly integrated into the Croner’s driveline. The engine meets EuroV emission standards using its SCR system which draws AdBlue fluid from a 50-litre tank. This is essentially the same engine which is available as an alternative to the eleven-litre in the heavy duty Quon, albeit with a 57kW (75hp) lower power rating.

Fuel efficiency is assisted, and service intervals and engine life are extended, through the engine’s design and also in the ‘down-speeding’ of the engine with the standard rear axle ratio now changed to 5.57:1. The 6.17:1 ratio, as used in the Condor, is still available as an option in the Croner, although the extra 180Nm of torque from the Croner’s engine compared to the Condor’s probably makes the lower gearing unnecessary except in extreme circumstances.

The Croner certainly has plenty of ‘go’, which is nicely balanced with its braking abilities provided by the exhaust brake and the anti-lock self-adjusting ‘S-cam’ brakes on all wheels which maximise braking power and vehicle stability thanks to the Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) system.

Prime Mover had the opportunity to have a brief drive of a local-spec 6x2 manual Croner tanker in Thailand, followed by a p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

51

TEST DRIVE

more extensive road test in Queensland of a couple of 4x2 PK18s – one a curtainsider and the other a tipper and both loaded to achieve approximately 11 tonnes gross weight.

Pre-trip procedures are performed via the front hatch above the grille which provides easy access to check fluid levels. The driver’s comfort is maximised due to the air-suspended seat which has adjustable damping and provides plenty of range in its height, tilt, and fore and aft movements to complement the steering wheel’s tilt and telescopic adjustments. A driver’s airbag and seat belt pre-tensioners contribute to the safety levels and the cab itself has ECE R29 strength compliance. A sleeper berth is an unlikely requirement for most of the imaginable applications for a truck of this size, but the bunk with its 527mm wide mattress will make a comfortable resting area during extended breaks. The rear of the centre seat folds flatter than in the Condor, offering a usable workspace.

We count a total of 23 visual warning lamps arranged in a logical set out on the instrument cluster screen plus there are other warnings capable of being displayed on the driver’s information screen. This smaller screen also supports the driver with the Croner’s fuel coaching system.

The 6.1 inch touchscreen media unit has many features including a CD/DVD player, digital and internet radio, Bluetooth and is Wi-Fi enabled. A truck specific satellite

The Croner features a dual setting road speed limiter with password protection.

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Peter Shields gets the lowdown from former UD engineer Neil Carey.

navigation system is incorporated and the drivers’ manual is available to be viewed on screen. Twelve months subscription for the UD Telematics fleet management system (similar to Volvo Dynafleet) is included and produces usable reports covering topics such as operations, efficiency and emissions.

The Croner has a dual setting road speed limiter which has the security of being password protected against interference.

There is a 24 volt power socket on the dash and a 12 volt outlet on the centre console.

The Croner has more wheelbase options than its predecessor to allow for a variety of applications such as

distribution bodies, tilt trays, tippers and refuse compactors. Applications requiring a PTO are well accommodated with the Allison’s side or ‘one o’clock’ access flanges plus an option for a PTO drive at the rear of the engine. The front suspension uses parabolic leaf springs which are lighter and should provide a longer life and an improved ride than multi leaf alternatives. A front stabiliser bar is standard equipment, providing good stability for applications with high centres of gravity such as tankers and agitators.

At the rear there is the choice between multi-leaf springs or air suspension sourced from the Volvo Group CAST (Common Architecture and Shared Technology) listings. The PD 6x2 road friendly rear air suspension utilises Volvo Group sourced components rather than those of a third-party supplier.

It is obvious a lot of thought has gone into the ‘future proofing’ of the Croner, particularly in areas such as the underpinning electrical architecture with CAN bus integration to assist body builders, as well as self-diagnosis features in the Engine Control Unit.

In the form of the Croner, UD Trucks have set out to design, develop and manufacture a medium duty truck platform which is unsurpassed in its category in terms of quality, efficiency and durability while being easy to drive and straightforward to service.

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CTFD Group has helped key transport businesses like Vawdrey Trailers and Palm Trans each set up facilities in the M7 Business Hub, an increasingly vital location for freight movements in Sydney.

I

t was around 2006, while completing due diligence on a Toll Holdings project that CTFD CEO David Cameron learned that leading trailer builders Mick and Paul Vawdrey were considering an expansion into Western Sydney.

They had secured a site, under option, off the plan targeting the Gateway to the expanding M7 Business Hub in Eastern Creek.

CTFD, a boutique development business that offers site development, construction and design solutions, was engaged to consult. At that point earthworks and roads had not commenced on the property. For all intents and purposes, it remained an open space. This is important to remember as they would need it.

Initial discussions with Mick Vawdrey proved helpful in allowing David to better understand the ambitions for the site. Part of CTFD’s role was to assist the executive team at Vawdrey Trailers roll out the right facility to meet the growing needs of the business long into the future. While assessing the options it became immediately evident that a draft workshop and service centre facility would fit perfectly on the site that had been secured in advance.

However, Mick Vawdrey, according to David, realised, upon the completion of the first design drafts that there was inadequate room for the required hardstand and swept paths for the manoeuvring and parking of large trailers.

Once it was determined that they would

need more space and Mick agreed, David wasted no time in informing Mick and Paul that more land was going to be required. David then set about trying to negotiate the vacant adjoining allotment, This would in theory, solve the dilemma of accommodating a hardstand for the trailer park-up area.

In David’s line of work early intervention is crucial to understanding the requirements of the client even during the embryonic stages when a brief is first being put together.

“In this case there wasn’t much time.

We were all on the same page as to what needed to happen,” he says. “It all proceeded from there.”

At the time, CTFD was already involved in rolling out the Bridgestone Truck

The Vawdrey site at the M7 Business Hub. 54

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NG

Aerial view of Vawdrey Australia’s facility in Eastern Creek.

Centre at the M7 Business Hub. Having a clear understanding of what was taking place within the estate itself was a major advantage for David.

“Although it was early days it was clear that Vawdrey Trailers were going to need the extra 5,000sqm of space to increase their hardstand footprint,” he recalls. “Following some negotiations and introductions of Mick and Paul to the adjoining optioned site’s proposed owner, Mick then went into direct negotiations to seal a deal which gained them the increase in land size Vawdrey Trailers required.”

An extension to the adjoining allotment now afforded the new workshop and service centre breathing room. Moreover, they could be sure that future growth of the business, moving forward, would not be impeded by any unforeseen space restrictions.

With the new allotment factored into the planning and draft layouts the team were then able to take into account the bigger picture requirements to meet their

business model, which was to essentially replicate the Vawdrey home base in Dandenong, only on a smaller scale.

For this to happen David and his team made several trips to Melbourne to better understand what he calls the ‘Vawdrey way.’

“We like to get the brief right from day one,” he says. “This saves last minute changes and or costly mistakes that aren’t useful to either party. So we took the time to travel from Sydney to Dandenong to meet with the Vawdrey Team.”

Part of these visits involved inspecting the workshop, so that CTFD had a thorough understanding of how operations worked to ensure they got the concept right from day one. Key team members of the Vawdrey Group were soon engaged for input into the draft layouts and design.

Vawdrey Trailers assigned to the project some senior managers whose job it was, having been privy to the internal processes of the company, to help realise the logistics in accordance to the ideas outlined by Mick and Paul according to David.

“We quickly understood that this wasn’t Mick Vawdrey’s first rodeo and after a couple of visits to the Vawdrey Dandenong location and in depth meetings we finalised the brief and moved into full final design and specification mode,” he recalls. “Together we built a Vawdrey wish list of what was expected of us and the customer expectations of the proposed location.

It’s important to note the client requests must be understood as they know their business best. So you take on whatever it is they have to say and all of that positive energy becomes part of the building process.”

The new facility, as it came to materialise, would encompass a 2000sqm multidoor access workshop to cater for all the high volume of trailer repairs Vawdrey completes. Floor pits were carefully planned to meet client expectations.

A floor crush system, for the realignment of damaged trailers, was managed inhouse by CTFD Group in conjunction with Vawdrey and the project engineers. It p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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Street level view of the Palm Trans facility in Eastern Creek.

was designed along similar specifications to those used by global chassis alignment specialist Josam.

The facility also included a commercial sized washbay, large paint booth and first-rate amenities along with level one corporate office and board room and a reception and sales on ground floor. ““David and the Team at CTFD group were great to work with,” says Paul.

“He assisted us in various areas both in the lead up to the project and through delivery.”

Located nearby in the M7 Business Hub, expert freight handler Palm Trans set up shop backing onto the Coles Supercentre,

the biggest freight facility in the state for the national supermarket brand.

CTFD Group were engaged by Darren and Julie Palmer owners and directors of PalmTrans to find a new Sydney location for their business.

Darren and Julie Palmer had been introduced to David through a mutual acquaintance at a truck and trailer show.

“We took Dave out to our Melbourne facility to review our Melbourne operation,” recalls Darren. “Dave then went to task to locate us the right site for our new Sydney facility. This was located next to the Coles Supercentre in Roberts Road at Eastern Creek with easy access

to the M7 Hub and Motorway. The early intervention to get Palm Trans the right site in the M7 Hub was critical to us having a key freight facility for the future Sydney operations.”

Taking the reins on the design process of the new Palm Trans location following project meetings to better understand its operational requirements, CTFD compiled the planning and engineering details prior to construction including the Development Approval application process and subsequent statuary approvals to ensure it was a shovel ready project for delivery.

Aside from location, the other primary consideration pertinent to the build was B-double access. The 6,500sqm site was conceived also as a storage site, with a purpose-built area for crossdocking, to accommodate growing truck movements between Melbourne, where Palm Trans maintains a 20,000sqm facility, Sydney and the 17,000 sqm location it has in Brisbane.

“CTFD handled all the planning and approval process along with the architectural and engineering for the base building prior to construction and delivery,” says Darren.

The finished product incorporates an extra 5,000sqm from purchase of adjacent allotment.

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PERSONALITY

MAYD A Y

Michael May was appointed to the role of Managing Director of IVECO Australia in early 2020 and has steered the local manufacturer through a year of unprecedented challenges.

Michael May.

M

ichael May moved to IVECO at the beginning of 2020, following a 20 year career with Daimler Truck & Bus in Australia where he combined his engineering background with his sales management skills across a number of roles including aftersales and as a dealer principal at two of Daimler’s retail dealerships. Undaunted by the revolving door of managing directors at IVECO in recent years, May presents a clear direction of where he thinks the organisation should head in the post-COVID Australian commercial vehicle landscape.

PM: As a local manufacturer, how have you dealt with COVID? MM: We didn’t actually close down at all and we decided to keep going, although we reduced our production days. Some of the components for our ACCO and X-Way models come from Spain and I was able to see we were going to be running into trouble for supplies. When you stop the production line it’s quite hard to kick it back up, so we made a call to slow the machine down a little bit and run it three 58

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days per week. We’ve got stringent spacing and safety requirements for our staff and the company has done a good job in making sure we hold on to the people.

I’m finding IVECO is a bit like a family and there’s a real closeness to employees and making sure people are safe and retained.

PM: For the past three years IVECO has held a quite stable Australian market share. Has COVID affected this?

MM: We’ve dipped a little bit these past couple of months predominately around the light duty space. In the motorhome sector we are strong with the Daily product and it has taken a hit, but now that appears to be actually more of a delay. We’ve had the biggest order intake in the last few months from the motorhome builders that we’ve ever had, mainly because of the billions of dollars that Australian’s now can’t spend in overseas travel. We’ll go into the launch of the new Daily model in the first quarter of 2021. The demand for the vans and even cab-chassis is getting stronger as well in that smaller parcel delivery space.

PM: The loss of the Navistar-produced International ProStar leaves you locally without a Heavy Duty conventional. Is that an issue?

MM: The International brand has a very strong heritage, particularly in relation to our Dandenong facility, so Navistar’s decision to withdraw globally from right hand drive production was a hard one for us to cop. But in reality we also understand. I’ve had experience with other American manufacturers and appreciate the investment needed to produce right hand drive models in relatively small volumes. ProStar was a good product which I felt was starting to get some traction in our network and with customers. Navistar do what they need to do and it’s tough times for many of those companies in America. They need to be cognisant of their position and their future.

PM: How will IVECO meet its customers’ needs over the next few years?

MM: We have a broad range of products and I truly think we can do more with less. That’s not necessarily saying we’re going to draw lines through any particular product which we currently offer. Navistar is a different topic that we couldn’t control, but that’s not a precursor to what’s happening in our business at all.

We have some amazing products such as the Eurocargo which stacks up well against the Japanese and is competitively priced. But for the couple of hundred units we sold we had 28 different permutations to end up with what is in basic form simply a 4x2 or 6x2 truck.

Our aim as a smaller player in the manufacture of trucks is to be a disrupter and we are working closely with customers and our network to define the product market fit a bit better and see if I can bring 28 models down to even six or eight. That may mean we have got to up-spec and make the call to go with Euro VI emissions and the full safety package as standard equipment. It’s about comfort and performance and safety. I’d like to be able to quickly explain to a potential customer we’ve got a great 4x2 or 6x2, and they can change the transmission but in power and safety and emissions we’re not making any compromise.

PM: Does the rationalisation of options have an impact on support?

MM: We have a dealer network which can be multi-franchised and in a massive country like Australia you’ve got to hold the right parts. Now if you’ve got 28 Eurocargo versions covering just 300 trucks, chances are you won’t have the right bit. With some rationalisation we can offer even better technical support

and we can be sure to hold the right parts on the shelf.

PM: Overseas, IVECO is at the forefront of developments involving alternative fuels for agriculture and transport. Will Australia see any of this?

MM: The first step is natural power involving CNG and LNG, and then the next chapter is hydrogen. We’ve got to understand where we can leverage it.

We’re very strong in the waste industry with our ACCO product and maybe there is space there, and/or in bus and the light duty segment. There is a fair bit of investment potential that we could leverage locally as an innovator and manufacture, so we are looking at that with some different partners.

PM: Can we expect the latest European models such as the S-Way to be available in Australia?

MM: One of the things I think we can improve is to get in step with Europe and be closer with the products that are coming out so we can get access to the latest models and technology and not be too differentiated. In my experience if you create big gaps from the main European specifications you find yourselves two or three steps behind and always trying to catch up. The S-Way is a big step up on the Stralis and has already had good success in

Europe. Here the X-Way is already offering a lot of that latest safety equipment which takes a lot of load off our drivers. I think these are super safe features that we have got to have. The cab comfort and the connectivity are the main upgrades so we can still push a lot of the safety down into the current X-Way range, but we will step up in architecture when we get to S-Way. PM: A year ago IVECO announced a global rationalisation of production facilities. Is there a confidence about the Australian plant’s future?

MM: I’m really impressed with the calibre of people within IVECO and the smarts we have locally as Australians and New Zealanders and the breadth of what we offer and I think we really offer value. Do I see it evolving somewhat? I actually do.

I think there is opportunity for us to be a little more flexible and possibly a little more customised. We might find ourselves evolving into something that gives an opportunity for innovation to be leveraged.

I’m positive about that innovative aspect of our company and what Australia can contribute. We want to evolve to be even more innovative and more flexible for customers and body builders and there is opportunity here for sustained growth.

Leveraging the strong engineering and manufacturing skillsets we have here for the world is exciting.

Simon National Carriers National Operations Manager, Michael West with May. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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PRIME MOVERS & SHAKERS

PACE PICKING UP THE

Road transport is at the vanguard of change towards net-carbon neutral emissions. At Viva Energy Sandra Lau is at the tip of the spear.

D

uring the past decade natural gas and biofuels have demonstrated they were worthwhile steps using available technologies. The practicality of fully electric vehicles has rapidly increased due to significant advances in battery energy storage, both in terms of energy density and cost. A more radical and

Kenworth T680 hydrogen truck developed with Shell.

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effective solution may be in the adaption of hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

Sandra Lau is the Alternative Fuels Manager at Viva Energy, which through its Shell brand is responsible for around one quarter of Australia’s fuel needs. Sandra has Bachelor degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Commerce, as well as an MBA. Her years of practical

experience in mining and downstream oil and gas industries have provided Sandra with a unique appreciation of the opportunities for alternative fuels. Sandra also serves on the Board of the Australian Hydrogen Council.

Energy has always interested Sandra, especially in terms of how it can be used to improve things.

“It’s very easy to be idealistic how we should be managing our energy needs but it’s a lot harder to make the dial shift,” she says. “It is an exciting time for the energy industry and how we make our way in the new world, and I feel privileged to have a job where I can entirely focus on it.”

Despite an apparent reduction in interest in domestic biodiesel production, Sandra thinks there is a good potential role for biodiesel blends in the future with some infrastructure already in place and an acceptance of certain blend percentage levels by a number of engine manufacturers.

“The challenge in Australia is the firstgeneration biodiesel market is under huge pressure with international incentives, so our feedstock is getting exported,” says Sandra. “There is some promise with biodiesel as a renewable fuel but probably from the second- generation technologies.”

There are a number of companies globally looking at different second-

Sandra Lau.

generation technologies and commercial scale plants to make renewable diesel using different feedstocks such as forestry and agricultural waste.

Sandra is enthusiastic about the potentials to be found in hydrogen fuel cell power due to the energy density it offers and the almost-zero emissions, yet she remains pragmatic in her view of the near future.

“We need a scaled industry to get a cheap price for hydrogen per kilogram, but we also need a market to get it to achieve scale. A price of two dollars per kilogram would be competitive with diesel but it’s nowhere near that now. Battery-electric has its place in the market, yet there is so much potential in hydrogen.”

Sandra also points to the requirements in the transport and fuelling infrastructure required for a roll out of hydrogen cell vehicles, with challenges in the transport of hydrogen as a gas, at volume, from a technical perspective. It takes a lot of energy to liquefy hydrogen and keep it in a liquid state at minus 253 degrees Celsius.

“Transporting ammonia has its challenges but they are known challenges,” says Sandra. “If you’re looking at large scale transport of hydrogen in an alternative form, then the hydrogen in the form of ammonia makes a lot of sense.

“Australia’s CSIRO had a breakthrough with membrane technology a couple of years ago in which hydrogen can be stored and transported as ammonia and then converted to hydrogen gas where needed. We already have established transport systems where ammonia can be transported as a liquid at ambient temperature and pressure. Alternatively, we could one day see an ammonia fuel cell and then you won’t need to convert it, but that’s very far into the future.”

As it stands, there needs to be a level of synergy between vehicle manufacturers and fuel providers as the next revolution in fuels and drivelines occurs.

“A global OEM engine manufacturer may see a different market they want to address first, whether it be electric or hydrogen fuel cell. There’s already some fuel cell vehicles on the market and they are very good and have been proven and there’s still some evolution to come in the fuel cell drivetrain. In 2020 we saw the electric vehicle market slowing a little bit and hydrogen was previously a couple of steps behind in the stages of development but now it’s all happening with more OEMs coming to market now from a fuel cell perspective. I think 2021 will see the battery and the fuel cell OEMs picking up the pace significantly”. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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T YRES & WHEELS ADVERTISE IN OUR APRIL 2021 PRODUCT SHOWCASE. Next to maintenance and fuel, tyre and wheel management is a key expense for every Australian transport business - so much so that choosing the right tyre product for the job is now a make or break business decision.

But as the tyre and wheel market is becoming increasingly complex, so is the decision making process that will decide between financial gains and losses. The right tyre can save a company hard cash while the wrong one can cost it dearly.

As a result every professsional transport business is now in need of professional tyre management strategy that encompasses everything from pairing the right tyre with the correct wheel and implementing smart maintenance equipment at the end of the first service life. With this in mind, Prime Mover has committed to showcasing the latest in modern tyre and wheel technology in our April edition - helping Australia’s fleet sector make an informed purchasing decision while taking away some of the guesswork when tackling trucking’s big ticket item.

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Industry Fleet: Container Fumigation Services Feature: Goldsprings Heavy Haulage Spotlight: Future of Trucking Report Personality: Michael May

Innovation Fleet: Hanson Technology: Geotab Test Drive: UD Croner Delivery: Isuzu D-Max 4JJ3-TC

T H E P E O P L E & P R O D U C T S T H AT M A K E T R A N S P O RT M O V E

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AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

www.deliverymagazine.com.au ISSUE 93 FEB 2021

ALL NEW ISUZU D-MAX.

BREAK ON

THROUGH PLUS: LDV DELIVER 9 • HINO 721 • RENAULT KANGOO

CONTENTS

FEB

21

74 DELIVERY NEWS

66 LATEST FROM THE LCV INDUSTRY FINAL MILE

68 SHANGHAI SURPRISE Commercial vehicles sourced from China have until now been typically sold on price. The LDV Deliver 9 may quickly change that perception.

RIDING SHOTGUN

70 CRAFT WORK The Tumut River Brewing Company is a success story in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales and a Renault Kangoo van gets some credit for its contribution.

ON SITE

72 TORQUE OF THE TOWN The Hino 721 is a new entry into the latest Hino 300 Series range which has expanded to now include more than 60 models.

74 BREAK ON THROUGH The new Isuzu D-Max is better in virtually every respect than its predecessor and now has the goods to take the fight squarely to arch-rivals including Ford’s Ranger and Toyota’s HiLux. 64

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Welcome to Delivery…

Our new editorial department devoted to the light commercial vehicle market.

It’s here you will find technology and performance reviews of the latest LCVs, which in this unique moment in our history represent an increasingly important part of the critical commercial road transport industry. As a strong logistics and delivery system is now, more than ever, crucial in the fast developing world of supply chains we’ll cover utes, vans, small trucks, fleets — basically any recently launched two axle rigid vehicle with a cab chassis construction, with a gross vehicle mass that is greater than 1.5 tonnes.

Our goal is to help support the trades and last mile segment by engaging with OEMs and operators, while shedding light on the customers of our commercial partners whose insights are often precient as they function on the frontlines of the national economy.

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Search ‘Toyota WorkHorse Range’

CarPlay® is a trademark of Apple, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android Auto™ is a trademark of Google LLC.

NEWS

RENAULT LCV RANGE DELIVERS STRONG SALES The light commercial vehicle range for Renault has performed above expectations the vehicle manufacturer announced. Of the 1028 units the brand sold in November the LCV range accounted for 293 of these. According to an industry announcement, Renault confirmed that it had sold a total of 172 Trafics, 99 Masters 21 Master motor homes and one Cab Chassis.

Renault Australia Managing Director Anouk Poelmann said the growing demand for Master motor homes, in particular, and Trafic pointed to a strong December figure for Renault.

“The November result was the first time we broke the 1,000 unit monthly mark for the year and continues the steady growth we have seen this year,” she said. “We have increased our market

share each month in 2020.

Our strategy is clearly working and with the exciting new Captur light SUV arriving early next year we are confident of greater success in 2021,” said Poelmann.

Renault Australia also announced a record sales figure for the Koleos SUV which headlined its outstanding November sales result. With 620 Koleos sales reported for the month, it represents a new monthly watermark for the brand in Australia, and formed the lion’s share of the 1028 Renaults sold in November.

“It’s always a fantastic achievement to set a new local sales record,” said Poelmann. “It’s an even greater

Renault Trafic.

accomplishment to set that benchmark in the toughest sales year the industry has experienced.

“The Koleos represents outstanding value for money with its mix of great price, performance, safety and the peace of mind that comes with a seven-year warranty.”

COURIERSPLEASE COMMENCES DISCOVERY PHASE OF NEW DRIVER APP

CouriersPlease has embarked on a year long evaluation of CPGo.

Parcel delivery specialist, CouriersPlease, has installed a new Android and iOS-based application to assist its drivers deliver an upwards of 19 million parcels this year.

The company late last year commenced a 12-month intensive evaluation period of its new driver application CPGo which has been designed to assist its fleet of franchisees to choose the most efficient runs to expedite parcel pickups and deliveries.

CPGo works by defining the quickest calculated route each franchisee should take before they commence their run in an optimised pickup and delivery 66

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sequence, based on various parameters CouriersPlease announced in a recent media release. These include business operating hours, current traffic conditions, suburb-specific cut-off times, and pickup and delivery location. As traffic conditions evolve in real-time and parcel pickups change throughout the day, so too will the route defined for the franchisee The new application benefits CouriersPlease franchisees by eliminating the guesswork, and for their customers, the uncertainty of traffic and expected delivery times when collecting and delivering their parcel runs. It enhances efficiency for drivers by providing them with the best delivery route to improve staff performance and customer service.

Throughout the 12-month discovery phase, CouriersPlease will be analysing information and data to determine how it can harness the technology capabilities further to enhance the delivery experience for the end consumer. Every Zebra TC56 handheld device operated by over 750 franchisees has had the application installed on it.

CouriersPlease Chief Commercial

Officer Paul Roper said the prospect of analysing delivery performance via the CPGo app was part of the company’s transformative journey.

“Our franchisees each have exclusive delivery and collection rights to their respective territories, most of whom are familiar with the area. However, there’s always the element of the ‘unknown’ around every corner at any time throughout the day, which can impact the delivery experience for the end consumer,” he said.

“CPGo will not only benefit our franchisees, but it will be a valuable asset for our contractors filling in who may not be familiar with the area and best route to take,” he said.

“We anticipate that our investment in this technology will significantly reduce the number of hours they will spend each week in traffic and help avoid routes that slow down deliveries. For our customers, this technology provides increased transparency from pickup to delivery via a series of timely notifications across key milestones. We are looking forward to harnessing the power of this technology and delivering the future.”

ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM ACCELERATES INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN REGIONAL NSW The Australian and New South Wales Governments’ accelerated $398 million investment in road safety improvements through the Safer Roads Program is starting to make a big difference in regional communities. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, said the Australian Government committed $140 million towards the program in June 2020 to stimulate the economy and create jobs, while getting Australians home sooner and safer.

“We know the impacts of road crashes are devastating and that’s why we are focused on doing everything possible to move towards zero fatalities and serious injuries on our roads,” said McCormack.

“Our funding injection for the NSW Safer Roads Program is about getting boots on the ground and shovels in the dirt to ensure this critical program of works is

delivered as quickly as possible, saving lives and livelihoods.

“Fifty-nine additional Safety Road Program projects are being accelerated, which we expect will prevent around 590 serious injuries or fatalities.

“The Safer Roads Program will also create around 950 direct and indirect jobs over the life of the projects, putting reliable work on the books for local construction companies and ensuring more cash flows through local businesses and communities doing it tough,” he said.

NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole, said the Safer Roads Program was another demonstration of the NSW Government funding vital road safety infrastructure for regional and rural communities.

“Projects like these can mean the difference between someone getting home or not – and collectively make NSW roads safer for all of us,” said Toole.

“Projects being rolled out under this program are targeted at sustainable and long-term reductions in road trauma, to assist NSW to achieve our vision of a road network that has moved closer to zero fatalities.

“We know this is particularly vital on our regional and rural roads, with high-level trauma on country roads accounting for two-thirds of all road deaths in the state.

“These works will save lives and bolster the resilience of the state’s rural and regional road networks, meaning smoother, safer trips to school, work or even the shops – which will make a real difference for those in the bush who depend on them for their day-to-day lives,” he said.

The NSW Government is spending $822 million through the Safer Roads program over five years, with $258 million allocated in 2020 to accelerate program delivery.

AUSPOST TO DELIVER 13 MILLION PARCELS FOLLOWING RECORD E-COMMERCE BOOM Postal service company, Australia Post, reported online shopping growth was up more than 42 per cent for the four days to Cyber Monday compared to the same period last year. Approximately 2.2 million households across the nation participated in this e-commerce shopping spree. Popular purchases included variety stores, fashion and apparel goods and home and garden items, up 20 per cent, 41 per cent, and 50 per cent year-on-year respectively.

Shoppers were also reportedly eager to buy from major and discount stores and pet products both up over 80 per cent when compared to last year.

On a state-by-state basis, New South Wales led the way holding more than a third of total purchase volume. This was followed closely by Victoria with just over a quarter of all purchases.

Australia Post Executive General Manager Business, Government & International, Gary Starr, said this is a week for the

Australia Post saw record deliveries thanks to Cyber Monday demand.

history books, not only for Australia Post but the Australian e-commerce industry as a whole.

“What we’re seeing now is truly the culmination of what has been an extraordinary year for online shopping in Australia,” he said. “No-one could have predicted in March the seismic shift the Covid-19 pandemic would create.

It’s exceeded every expectation, and we’re looking forward to seeing how this

continues this month.”

The 2020 Black Friday/Cyber Monday online shopping sales have fuelled the biggest parcel boom in Australia Post’s history. Every day Australia Post had been delivering over two million parcels, and more than 630 tonnes of airfreight was uplifted and transported across the nation for delivery between Black Friday and Tuesday – over 200 tonnes more than in 2019. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

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FINAL MILE

SHANGHAI SURPRISE

Commercial vehicles sourced from China have until now been typically sold on price. The LDV Deliver 9 may quickly change that perception.

A

t the Deliver 9’s virtual media launch the Australian importer ATECO declared their ambitious intention to target the local large van category’s leader in sales numbers, the MercedesBenz Sprinter, by delivering a sharply priced vehicle loaded with the latest safety features that is economical to operate without feeling cheap to drive.

There are three vans in the initial offering: a standard wheel base mid-roof, plus long wheelbase models available in mid-roof or high-roof configurations.

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A LDV cab-chassis equipped with dual rear wheels is also manufactured

by SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (formerly Shanghai Automobile and Industrial Corporation) which is the largest automotive manufacturer in China so there is an expectation the range will expand. The Deliver 9 vans’ cargo capacities range from 9.66 to 12.33 cubic metres and payload ratings vary from 1,500kgs to 1,670kgs depending upon the model and transmission. Braked towing capacity is 2,800kg.

The van’s exterior incorporates

contemporary styling with moulded side protection and LED daytime running lights. The paint quality is of a more than acceptable standard with Pacific Blue available at an extra cost over the standard gloss white.

The 2.0 litre 16 valve four-cylinder diesel engine provides 110kW of power at 3,500rpm and 375Nm of torque between 1,500 and 2,400rpm. Bosch is the supplier of the electronically controlled common rail direct fuel injection system.

Exhaust gas recirculation and a diesel particulate filter combine to enable

the engine to meet Euro V emission standards. A six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed torque convertor automatic transmission transfers the power to the rear axle. Found in some GM vehicles, the automatic, from French manufacturer Punch Powertrain, is only available in the longer wheelbase models.

Rear wheel drive keeps the weight of the load over the drive wheels and contributes to a tighter turning circle. The engine has a smooth operating automatic stop-start system to assist with fuel efficiency. Eco and power modes noticeably adjust the transmission’s shift points as well as changing the throttle response.

The LDV Deliver 9 rides well, with and without any load, due to its combination of its Hankook tyres, MacPherson strut front suspension and tapered leaf rear springs and gas shock absorbers.

Safety features include the latest generation Bosch Electronic Stability Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Warning. The Autonomous Emergency Braking system is effective at speeds up to 30km/h but has no pedestrian or cyclist detection capabilities. Automatic transmission models are equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control which allows the driver to set a gap from the vehicle in front which is maintained as speeds change. The cab is equipped with six airbags.

The 10.1 inch touch screen dominates the stylish dash and includes access to Bluetooth connections and Apple CarPlay, allowing mirroring of an iPhone’s satellite navigation. Images from the reversing camera may not be the sharpest but the guidelines are clear and there are four reversing sensors connected to an audio alarm as well. The high mount of the camera provides a very wide view of the surroundings including approaching cross traffic.

An extra cost options package includes blind spot detection and lane change assistance as well as keyless entry and rear doors which open 236 degrees instead of the standard 180 degrees.

The 10.1 inch screen is complemented by a 4.2 inch LCD screen located within

Rear wheel drive on the Deliver 9 keeps load weight over the drive wheels.

the instrument cluster which details the settings for the Adaptive Cruise Control and readouts for various fuel consumption and engine metrics.

The seating features a heavy knit fabric which should wear well. The driver’s seat has eight adjustments which combine with the adjustable steering wheel to deliver a high level of comfort for the driver who also gets a folding arm rest on the left side. The passenger seat folds back and doubles as a desk with a cup and laptop holder. Underneath the passenger seats are two hidden storage compartments. There is an abundance of other storage options around the cabin including an overhead sunglasses holder and shelves above the windscreen.

The floor throughout the Deliver 9 is covered with a noise suppressing vinyl mat featuring a non-slip checker plate pattern which extends over the wheel arches which are wide enough to accommodate a standard Australian

pallet. Sturdy tie-down rings are recessed into the floor and the body frame and LED lighting is used to illuminate the cargo area. Future optional considerations could include a sliding door on the driver’s side, the availability of glazed windows and either a bulkhead or mesh barrier to separate the driver from the load area.

The warranty is 3 year/160,000 kms with a ten year rust ‘perforation’ warranty and LDV are initially offering capped price servicing for the first three years up to 95,000 kms. The LDV Deliver 9 may lead the class as a value proposition in price and the cost per cubic metre and cost per kilogram of payload metrics, but these important factors are well balanced by the vans’ comprehensive level of safety features combined with comparatively good performance and economy as well as a build quality which belies the reputation for vehicles sharing the same country of origin.

A 10.1 inch touch screen highlights the interior of LDV’s Deliver 9. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

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RIDING SHOTGUN

CRAFT WORK Tim Martin in his Renault Kangoo.

F

ormer IT professional Tim Martin’s plan was always to build a food and live entertainment business to generate tourism around the town of Tumut. As an enthusiastic brewer Tim considers beer to be a key component in the enterprise and Tumut River Brewing Company (TRBC) produces 24 different beers and ciders with such novel names as “Full Grunt”, “Deliverance” and “Voodoo Child”.

TRBC previously utilised a large van to pick up and deliver various items associated with the business. Tim realised it was bigger than needed so he went looking for a more compact vehicle.

“The thought was: let’s get something that’s cheaper to purchase but also something that’s cheaper to run and easy to navigate through traffic,’ he says. “One of the main requirements for us was to still have the ability to fit a pallet in the back and use a forklift to load it so we went for the rear barn doors.”

There weren’t many small vans 70

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which ticked all those boxes and Tim eventually narrowed the choice down to the Renault Kangoo and a similar sized unit from another manufacturer.

The Renault proved cheaper to purchase and more affordable to run.

But price and practicality were only some factors in the purchase decision.

“I had zero expectations for this little van and I was measuring everything against our larger van, knowing full well the Kangoo wasn’t going to be anywhere near the size. But everything in it was what I wanted – I needed Bluetooth, reversing sensors and cruise control because the guys spend a lot of time on the highway,” says Tim. “It had all of those things as standard.

And it had cup holders!”

As TRBC covers 100,000 kilometres every 18 months the new Kangoo was needed for practical travelling and the seats proved extremely comfortable.

The Renault also delivers pizzas around Tumut from the Brewery and once or twice a week it goes to Wagga Wagga or Canberra.

“I knew nothing of Renault when I

The Tumut River Brewing Company is a success story in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales and a Renault Kangoo van gets some credit for its contribution. bought it and I didn’t know whether they were good or bad or indifferent.

But after owning it I’d definitely own another one,” Tim says.

“I have to say, the guys at Renault in Wagga Wagga were amazing and it was probably the best experience I’ve ever had with a car dealer. I’ll definitely be talking to them when it’s time to buy another van.”

While the hospitality industry was affected by COVID more than many others, Tim has chosen to see the positives that have come out of last year’s unprecedented disruptions.

“We’ve had a lot of renewed support from many different places. I hadn’t realised there were other people who were passionate about what we did, and it turns out we had a lot more people who cared about us than we thought,” he says.

What initially started as a couple of mates having a beer in a shed has since grown to a sophisticated craft brewing operation now augmented by a stylish food and entertainment venue.

The Renault Van Range Vans that make your business work better

Renault KANGOO

Renault TRAFIC Now Available in Auto

Renault MASTER

Renault Peace of Mind Renault has extended a high five to Australian business owners with a 5 Year Easy Life ownership package.

It means every Renault Kangoo, Trafic and Master now comes standard with a five year / 200,000 km warranty, five capped price services, and up to five years’ service activated roadside assistance.

Enjoy the simple life with drama-free driving while your Renault van gets the job done.

*excludes Kangoo Z.E. For full terms and conditions visit renault.com.au/ownership

ON SITE

TORQUE OF THE TOWN

The Hino 721 is a new entry into the latest Hino 300 Series range which has expanded to now include more than 60 models.

T

he disruption of 2020 hasn’t held Hino back from launching its new 300 Series into the Australian market. According to Hino Australia, the 300 Series range represents almost 60 per cent of its sales volumes each year. One particular model, which has already captured much attention, is the Wide Cab 721 — available in either 3,500mm or 3,800mm wheelbases accommodating nominal body lengths of 5.0m and 5.4m. The 721 Crew Cab version sits on a 4,400mm wheelbase. The Hino 721 occupies a position in the market Hino hadn’t really

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catered for in previous models and opens up many opportunities in the 6.5 tonne Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) class for tradespeople and purchasers such as local councils. The 721 is available with a true automatic transmission matched to the most powerful and highest torque engine in its class. The 721 is also available with a passenger car licence rating GVM of 4,495kg for applications not requiring the maximum payload capability, yet still with the same 3,500kg towing capacity as the 6.5 tonne version.

The Hino 721 features a five litre engine which develops an impressive 205hp

(151kW) and 600Nm of torque which is the highest torque of any Japanese-built light-duty truck sold in Australia. The engine meets Euro V emission standards by employing exhaust gas recirculation combined with a diesel particulate filter system.

The engine is matched to the sixspeed double overdrive full automatic transmission that also provides the option of manual sequential shifting, with an activation button located on the selector lever for drivers who prefer to take control of the gears. Standard Cab customers can also choose a Hino

The updated grille and daytime running lamps distinguishes the Hino 300 Series from its predecessor.

five-speed manual gearbox and, for Wide Cab customers, a Hino six-speed manual gearbox option is available.

Hino is currently the only Japanese truck manufacturer to offer the advantage of a full automatic transmission in the lightduty sector. The automatic transmission has benefitted from improvements made to the design of the torque converter, including its lock-up function. The shift logic has been changed and results in improved drivability, transmission kickdown and hill climbing performance while still maintaining fuel efficiency.

Across the latest Hino 300 Series 4x2 range numerous safety features are incorporated such as driver and passenger SRS airbags, the energyabsorbing steering wheel, traction control, ABS braking with disc brakes on all wheels and Vehicle Stability Control.

What sets the new Hino 300 Series apart is the enhanced mantle of safety provided by the introduction of Hino SmartSafe suite of safety features which includes a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Detection (PD) and

Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS).

PCS can detect a vehicle in front using both radar and image sensors and if the PCS detects the possibility of a collision, it can warn the driver via both visual and audible alerts. If the system continues to determine the possibility of a collision, it can autonomously apply the brakes to mitigate damage or even avoid the collision. PCS also includes pedestrian detection and is essentially the same system which was introduced as standard equipment on the medium-duty Hino 500 Series models in early 2019.

Daytime running lamps along with the PCS radar in the bumper and an updated grille help to distinguish the new Hino 300 Series from its predecessor. The 300 Series cab has been tested to the UN ECE R-29 cab strength certification and features narrow A-pillars which ensure an almost uninterrupted forward view.

Combined with the mirrors and the high definition infrared Reverse Camera, the new 300 Series offers near 360-degree vision for improved safety when manoeuvring the vehicle.

The driver’s seat in the Wide Cab models has torsion-bar suspension with adjustable damping and is mounted on inclined rails to make adjustments easy

across a broad range to physically suit almost any driver and provide a high level of comfort with reduced fatigue.

The extensive seat adjustments are complemented by the tilt and telescopic movements of the steering wheel and column.

The Hino multimedia-unit on the truck’s dash features a 6.5-inch high definition touch screen and is the familiar standard fitment across the full Hino truck range.

The unit has AM/FM radio and DAB+ digital radio as well as USB input and Bluetooth music streaming capability plus mobile phone connectivity with voice dialing. The main screen is complemented by the 4.2 inch LCD multi-information display located in the instrument cluster, which provides the driver with a range of vehicle operational, maintenance and performance data. The multi-information display is accessed using controls mounted on the steering wheel and allows the driver to scroll through the various menus.

The example of the 721 provided for testing is an example of the ‘Built to Go’ range which Hino has developed for the 300 Series and will be a good fit for the Tax office’s Instant Asset WriteOff provisions.

Narrow A-pillars have improved the view.

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ON SITE

BREAK ON THROUGH S

ince its Australian debut in 2008 the D-Max has undergone a significant evolution which resulted in the second-generation vehicles coming very close to, but not quite matching, the lofty credentials of the long-running ‘big two’ in the current dual cab ute crop.

The recent release of the thirdgeneration D-Max has changed all that, proffering a sophisticated package with notable improvements in exterior 74

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styling, interior appointments, safety equipment levels and drivetrain refinements.

For instance, the new 4JJ3-TCX 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine boasts significant improvements over the previous powerplant. It delivers 140kW at 3,600rpm and 450Nm from 1,600 to 2,600rpm which represents increases of 10kW and 20Nm. Low and midrange torque levels are a strong suit with 300Nm produced at just 1,000rpm.

The engine is claimed to be more

thermally efficient due to a reduction in internal friction which in turn improves fuel efficiency.

Power is delivered via either a manual or automatic transmission – both of which have six forward ratios – with the automatic having been tweaked to provide smoother and quicker shifts along with more intuitive gear selection.

Shifting from 2WD High to 4WD High – along with electromagnetic engagement of the rear diff lock – can

Safety has taken a giant leap forward on the new Isuzu D-Max with its Intelligent Driver Assistance System.

The new Isuzu D-Max is better in virtually every respect than its predecessor and now has the goods to take the fight squarely to arch-rivals including Ford’s Ranger and Toyota’s HiLux. be done at speeds of up to 100km/h.

Safety has taken a huge leap ahead with the standard inclusion of Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS) across the range. The system combines active, passive and driver assistance safety technologies, with the headline feature being Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with Turn Assist (TA). FCW alerts the driver before AEB automatically applies the brakes to bring the vehicle to a

complete stop if an imminent collision situation is detected. Meanwhile, TA works in conjunction with the new electric steering to actively steer the vehicle in order to avoid a head-on collision and to keep the vehicle within its lane on freeways.

Centrally mounted in the vastly improved and restyled dash in the upper spec LS-U and X-TERRAIN versions is a new 9.0” infotainment system incorporating a high-resolution touch screen. This enables Smartphone

Interior appointments have undergone noticeable improvements. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

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ON SITE

An improved automatic transmission provides intuitive gear selection.

mirroring with wireless Apple CarPlay for iPhones, while Android devices are connected via a USB port. LS-U and X-TERRAIN models also benefit from inbuilt SatNav. Delivery tested a previous generation D-Max in 2019 and after recently testing a new LS-U dual cab can sincerely vouch for the fact that no stone has been left unturned by Isuzu engineers in the new generation’s development.

Literally every aspect of the new model feels a cut above compared with the old, and it’s hard to see how a more comprehensive upgrade would be possible.

The only potential niggle, in common with many modern vehicles, is the ‘blind spot’ to forward vision created by the chunky A-pillars.

In the test vehicle this is exacerbated further by the optionally fitted snorkel and dark tinted weather shield that unfortunately compromise the already small viewing space between the righthand A-pillar and wing mirror.

That aside, the LS-U proves to be a 76

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formidable performer both on road and off.

Particularly praiseworthy is the new electric steering which provides a level of precision and smooth-as-butter feel that is simply unachievable with conventional steering systems.

All up, the comprehensive makeover New electric steering adds to the precise feel of driving.

that characterises the new D-Max has given it a substantial look apart and a significant leap ahead in terms of safety and technology compared with the previous generation it replaces.

This has the potential to propel it to leader-of-the-pack status in the hotly contested dual cab ute segment.

ISUZU D-MAX

MAXIMUM 5-STAR SAFETY ON THE ALL-NEW ISUZU D-MAX. The All-New Isuzu D-MAX has been redefined with a 5-star ANCAP safety rating across the entire range. Thanks to the Isuzu Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS#), including Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control. Plus with 8 airbags you’re in the safest of hands wherever your journey takes you. Even when you leave the road behind. The All-New Isuzu D-MAX is REBORN!

ALL-NEW D-MAX

IDAS features are designed to assist the driver, but should not be relied upon nor used as a substitute for safe driving practices.

#

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE

How to solve the problem of supplier modifiers

PETER HART

T

here is a substantial industry in truck and trailer modifications that is not well understood.

All the rigid trucks have a body fitted. Most heavy-duty prime movers have a fifth wheel fitted at the dealership. Almost by definition, modifications are assumed to occur after the vehicle is registered. New vehicles that are modified by the dealers are in a grey-zone. Legally a ‘modification’ that is done before registration should be certified by the Federal Regulator.

To do this some modifiers get a Second Stage of Manufacture (SSM) approval from the Federal Regulator. It is for a

specific alteration to one model truck. I estimate that less than ten per cent of new modified vehicles are certified via the SSM path.

The SSM path is impractical for one-off vehicles because the process is onerous and time consuming; and because it only applies to one vehicle model. The industry gets around the certification problem for modifications on new vehicles by having the modified vehicle approved by an engineering signatory (Approved Vehicle Examiner – AVE) after it is registered, but before it is handed over to the customer. This is a fiddle to get around a legal problem.

For most rigid vehicles a body builder will construct and attach a body. The body might be a tray, a closed-sided or opensided van, a tilt tray or a tip-truck body.

These modifications are substantial. They change the description of the vehicle on the registration file.

No one seems to have estimated the size of the modification market. The Table below gives my ‘back of envelope’ estimates for new vehicles only. The total annual value of the modifications shown in the Table is $375 million. The

modification industry is larger than this because many vehicles are repurposed after their first use. They are not counted in Table 1. The heavy vehicle modification industry is significant economically and should be considered by government when it sets rules.

The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) applies to in-service vehicles. That is, vehicles that are registered and in use.

The HVNL requires that ‘modifications’ be approved. The HVNL defines a modification as a change of vehicle specification. The implication is that if the vehicle is altered from the specification that was approved by the Federal Regulator, the modification must be approved either by an Approved Vehicle Examiner (AVE) or by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). The NHVR’s ability to approve modifications is not done for routine modifications — an AVE is needed.

AVEs are individuals who are accredited by state road agencies. There is no national AVE scheme. Usually, AVEs have engineering qualifications. Sometimes trade qualified people can be AVEs for specific modification codes that are

Nature of the new vehicles

Annual number of sales

Estimated proportion modified after build

Common modifications

Average value of the modification

MEDIUM RIGID TRUCKS (4.5T – 12T)

5300

90%

FIXED OR TILT TRAY. OPEN OR CLOSED VAN.

$10,000

HEAVY RIGID TRUCKS (>12T)

3700

90%

FIXED OR TILT TRAY. OPEN OR CLOSED VAN. TIP-TRUCK BODY PLANT EQUIPMENT.

$30,000

SPECIAL PURPOSE HEAVY VEHICLES

1100

100%

ELEVATED WORK PLATFORMS. CONCRETE PUMPS. CONCRETE AGITATORS.

$150,000

MEDIUM TRAILERS (4.5 – 12T)

900

10%

FREIGHT HANDLING EQUIPMENT.

$5,000

HEAVY SEMI-TRAILERS (>12T)

8500

10%

VEHICLE LOADING CRANE OR EQUIPMENT. PLANT EQUIPMENT.

$50,000

HEAVY DOG TRAILER

750

5%

AFTERMARKET BODY FIT.

$50,000

PRIME MOVERS FOR SINGLE TRAILERS

1730

50%

FIFTH WHEEL AND TURNTABLE FITMENT.

$5,000

PRIME MOVERS FOR MULTI-COMBINATION

3700

50%

FIFTH WHEEL AND TURNTABLE FITMENT.

$7,500

Table 1 My estimates of the modifications done to new trucks and trailers.

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ARTSA TECHNIC AL COLUMN

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A new fifth wheel being installed on a new prime mover by a third-party installer. This work is a modification.

relevant to their work, although this is uncommon except in Queensland.

There is a glaring problem with arrangements for approval of modifications. ‘Supplier Modifiers’ who supply the equipment they install cannot approve installation work that they do because they are not AVEs. Often these companies are the local representative of the equipment manufacturer, or they may be the local body builder. For example, a company that manufactures and supplies fifth-wheel couplings cannot approve its own installations. This company can specify and supply the attachment hardware, provide the baseplate, and write the installation procedure, but it cannot approve the installation. Supplier Modifiers are involved in most of the modifications on new vehicles.

You might say, Supplier Modifiers should have AVEs on staff! This is easier said than done. The road agency needs to approve the AVE and the AVE must have professional indemnity insurance. This is an added business challenge, and for what good? The installation of a truck component by the company that supplied it to the Australian market is a lowrisk activity. The requirement that it be approved by an AVE adds significant cost.

These additional costs apply for example, to companies that supply and install mechanical couplings, brake control systems, Vehicle Stability Control Systems,

axles and bodies. Note that only the attachment of the body, and not the body itself, needs to be approved.

There is a new Federal certification system called ROVER (Road Vehicle Regulation System). It will soon replace the old system which is RVCS (Road Vehicle Certification System). Both these systems allow a Supplier Modifier, or any other modifier to obtain a Second Stage Manufacturer’s approval. The modifier is not required to provide details about the modification to the Federal regulator. No independent vehicle approval is required.

The Federal system assumes that the Second Stage Manufacturer is competent.

In contrast, if the same work is done to an in-service vehicle, the work must be approved by an AVE. There is a solution to this costly inconsistency. It requires a change to the Heavy Vehicle National Law. The change is simple. A new clause – call it 86A is required. Here is my suggestion: 86A Approval of modifications by approved Supplier Modifiers (1) A Supplier Modifier is an entity that supplies parts and sub-assemblies that it uses to substantively modify a heavy vehicle.

(2) The Regulator can accredit a Supplier Modifier to approve the modification of a heavy vehicle that the Supplier Modifier conducts using the parts and sub-assemblies that it supplies and

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installs on that heavy vehicle.

(3) The Supplier Modifier shall have documented installation procedures and quality-assurance procedures that if followed will result in the modification being safe.

(4) The Supplier Modifier shall ensure that modification of the heavy vehicle is done according to its documented installation procedures and qualityassurance procedures.

(5) The Supplier Modifier shall affix a plate to the modified vehicle that identifies the modification and that declares it followed safe installation procedure and that the modification is safe.

It is a good time to consider changes to the HVNL. The National Transport Commission (NTC) is conducting a major review. The NTC will make recommendations to the Transport and Infrastructure Council (the ministers) in early 2021. There are 67 public submissions that have been made to this review that can be found at https:// www.ntc.gov.au/submission/529. There are some great suggestions in these submissions. I want to highlight one, which is the establishment of a ‘National Heavy Vehicle Safety Office’.

Australia needs a National Heavy Vehicle Safety Office so that our industry can better understand and respond to safety threats. This Office would investigate some common incidents, such as rollovers, brake fade crashes and wheel-end fires to determine common causes. It would also investigate selected major crashes and workplace deaths. It might assist coroners to understand the factors that led to a major collision. This Office would publish its reports and take notice of public comments. It would make recommendations to the Transport and Infrastructure Ministers Council for rules changes and blackspot prevention. I believe a National Heavy Vehicle Safety Office could help our industry produce a substantial safety improvement in the road transport sector.

Dr. Peter Hart, ARTSA p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

79

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

SAL PETROCCITTO

T

he beginning of a new year provides the opportunity to both reflect on the successes and challenges of the past year and to set intentions for the year to come. I’m sure most people are happy to see the back of 2020 and the unanticipated tests. While we prioritised keeping the industry moving through COVID-19, industry, regulators and governments were still able to work together to progress key initiatives to ensure an efficient, productive, safe and sustainable road freight sector in our post-COVID economic landscape.

In this new year, our key priority for 2021 is to build on the good work of the industry, while our broader economy is on the road to recovery.

Key to achieving these goals around safety and productivity is the ongoing review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, which is still in progress.

To achieve a good outcome from this process, everyone in the supply chain, including user companies must actively encourage the delivery of a better law from the current review.

This rethink of the law is especially critical as innovation and new technology change the landscape of the industry.

Take for example, the significant leaps forward in fatigue and distraction detection technology, which has the potential to be a safety gamechanger.

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de c eumbe febr a r y r2021 2018

Roads to recovery For the first time we have technology that allows drivers and companies to manage the fatigue risk in real time, beyond just prescriptively counting hours. Now operators, safety managers and schedulers will be able to ‘see’ what is happening and work to stop incidents from happening — not just guess or retrospectively attribute to fatigue.

The research that is being done into these technologies has also showed that distraction events occur four times more than fatigue events do. This kind of information enables informed discussions between operators and drivers to help ensure a driver is working when they are most fit to drive.

We are committed to ensuring there is regulatory recognition of this technology and we are hoping to start running a pilot early in the new year to test some concepts around flexibility. Of course, we have also recently approved the first two Electronic Work Diary providers.

This is a critical step in moving away from the complex, prescriptive system of work diaries and counting hours. All these technologies will work hand-inhand to deliver flexibility, while keeping all road users safe.

Another core focus for the NHVR in 2021 is enhancing productivity through things like improving and modernising the access regime and through removing the barriers to newer, higherproductivity vehicles.

I want the NHVR to be a productivity ambassador for the industry rather than spending our time facilitating a permit process. Our goal is to tell industry where they can’t go, instead of where they can, thus substantially reducing the need for permits. To achieve this, we need to take people with us, particularly local and state governments.

That’s why we’re investing in projects that provide peace of mind around safety and infrastructure impact for road managers. Things like, for one example, our Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Program, which is assessing and identifying the condition of infrastructure on local roads in efforts to unlock strategic parts of the freight network.

We’re also progressing a national spatial map, which will allow infrastructure condition to be displayed in a transparent way to better plan journeys.

We have already learnt a lot from work we are doing in this space.

For example, a recent assessment of more than 100 bridges showed that when conditions are applied, like reduced speed and single lane travel, then 90 per cent of assessments that would usually be rejected are returned as approved.

We need to embrace this information to ensure it is adopted and used more effectively.

We are also focused on ensuring there

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Distraction events have been found to occur four times more than fatigue events.

is a collective focus on changing the high-risk perception around newer, safer, higher productivity vehicles and providing them with guaranteed access.

We will be pursuing improvements to the PBS scheme that will streamline the approval processes, move mature designs to the prescriptive fleet and provide greater flexibility and fleet utilization.

Following the release of our Vehicle Safety and Environmental Technology Uptake Plan in mid-2020, we will also help to enable the take up of new safety technology, through breaking down some of the prescriptive barriers, particularly around vehicle dimensions.

We have some very real opportunities to make significant improvements to safety and productivity if we embrace them the

right way. Moving our current thinking from the current prescriptive law to innovative, forward-thinking solutions.

I hope you’ve had a safe and happy festive season. I’m looking forward to working with everyone across the industry over the next year.

Sal Petroccitto, CEO, NVHR p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

81

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AUSTRALIAN LOGISTICS COUNCIL | INSIGHT

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Welcome to COVID normal

KIRK CONINGHAM

L

ast year was undoubtedly tough.

Industry rose to the significant challenges of the bushfires only to be asked, almost immediately, to dig deep to counter the unprecedented challenges of COVID. That meant digging deep all year. With 2020 now in the rearview mirror, there is much of which our industry can feel proud and, perhaps, optimistic about as we look ahead this year.

Necessity has driven deeper engagement as governments turned to industry for help.

Our common objective, keeping freight flowing while preventing transmission of the disease along the vector of supply chains, was almost universally achieved.

What started early in the crisis as grudging respect from governments has expanded into real trust.

This level of trust delivered major advances including, initially, respecting the idea that all ‘freight is essential’, this quickly moved to special privileges for our industry at borders prioritising the movement of freight over the movement of people.

Quiet, initial agreements with governments developed into the National Freight Movement Code passed by National Cabinet. Exceptional work from the ALC Safety Committee in sharing advanced COVID Safe plans with governments convinced all that our industry was deserving of special consideration.

Notable highlights for our team in 2020 also included working across Federal Departments, Ministers and State Premiers

to secure the unilateral suspension of curfews across 547 local Councils Australiawide. Governments and departments at all levels are now working with us to keep these as a permanent fixture. Significantly, enhanced trust with the Government has delivered a broader range of relationships with departments including Home Affairs, Treasury, and Foreign Affairs and Trade expanding our influence and their knowledge of the importance of supply chains Our 2021 focus will be giving effect to our new Strategic plan 2021-26 delivering a much greater focus on member value and maintaining the trust demanded to get the policy and infrastructure we need. We also have a specific focus on the future including training, technology uptake, and championing a single freight data standard to improve data-led decision making. This includes holding jurisdictions to account on their promises with our Scorecard launched in December by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, the Hon Michael McCormack MP. In 2021, ALC will push for closer industry and government consultation built off the COVID response. Governments and industry worked closely to ensure freight moved efficiently across state borders while confronting and controlling the spread of COVID-19. We want to maintain this momentum, with the partnership between industry and governments delivering smart solutions to problems and real time responses to opportunities.

This will include developing policy and infrastructure to support rapid advances in technology from automation and electric delivery vehicles to data capture and analysis. Immediate policy priorities for early 2021 include: 1. COVID -19 new normal • Permanent removal of curfews •W orking with governments to ensure safe and efficient national vaccine delivery including gaining priority access to the vaccine for all freight workers •C ontinue to prioritise the movement of

freight over passengers •M aintain momentum with partnerships with governments at all levels to improve industry efficiency and safety and support national recovery.

Research commissioned by ALC indicates that the removal of curfews in residential areas during COVID had minimal impact and broad support. ALC is pressing governments at all levels to remove curfews permanently while reviewing alternative solutions to noise reduction such as electric vehicles and soundless reversing technologies.

2. D elivering the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy •H olding jurisdictions accountable for implementation through the ALC Scorecard • S upporting the establishment of the National Freight Data Hub; and, •P romoting a Single Freight Data Standard Capturing and understanding real time data, made possible through the adoption of a national data standard and development of a national data hub, is crucial. Strong data leads to better informed policy and infrastructure choices. This includes better urban planning and longterm preservation of freight lands and corridors.

3. Adopting a National Operator Standard Required standards include: •M andating safety management systems to ensure baseline compliance • F inancial measures to ensuring heavy vehicles are safely maintained •E nsuring accurate, real time safety data is efficiently and reliably collected via telematics Nationally consistent rules will deliver a level playing field on safety. This improves community confidence and controls dangerous and unsustainable cost cutting.

National standards deliver a better, safer, and more sustainable heavy vehicle industry.

Kirk Coningham CEO, ALC p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

83

INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

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If it’s broke, then fix it — properly

TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

I

n this very column exactly 12 months ago I discussed the then, upcoming National Transport Commission (NTC) review of the heavy vehicle pay as you go (PAYGO) charging system in Australia as requested by the Council of Australian Government’s (COAG) Transport and Infrastructure Council. The last review led to COAG Transport Ministers, in November 2015, approving a freeze on Road User Charge (RUC) increases for trucks and trailers for two years because the revenue generated by the RUC was greater than the amount that States and Territories were spending on our nation’s roads. I explained how the current RUC arrangements were fundamentally flawed and could not take Australian road transport deep into the 21st century. I called for a significant overhaul of the current charging arrangement.

Well, a lot has changed in 2021, a lot more that anyone could have predicted.

COAG no longer exists replaced mid2020 by the National Cabinet, a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting shortcomings and excessive bureaucracy with the COAG federal, state and territory government processes. We have endured periods of forced lockdown, seen domestic and international travel halted in its tracks and economic hardship of levels not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. However, some things have not changed much at all. The RUC review

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was diluted to “tinkering at the edges”, rather than the broad ranging and holistic review that is so desperately required and even that much simplified RUC review has not concluded, some 12 months on.

The Truck Industry Council has been an interested participant in the NTCs review process, taking more of an observer’s role, once we found out the narrow scope that the process would take. The review has highlighted just how complex the PAYGO process has become, as successive reviews over the years have changed the financial modelling to better approximate heavy vehicle road user charges, as new vehicle designs are implemented, existing equipment is repurposed and new infrastructure is developed. Current PAYGO short falls and anomalies include PerformanceBased Standards (PBS) vehicles that vary widely in the size, number of axles and load carrying capability, electric vehicles and the mandated use of specific roads (usually toll roads) for heavy vehicles, leaving heavy vehicles paying for repairs to roads that they can no longer legally use. That hardly seems fair!

The issue of electric and low emission vehicles, gained much media attention late last year when the South Australia government announced plans to introduce a road user charge for Low and Zero Emission Vehicles (LZEVs) in 2021.

The South Australian announcement was criticised by the automotive industry and environmental groups alike. With those organisations pointing out the obvious, that such tariffs would discourage the uptake of these environmentally friendly vehicles, that are in fact encouraged by many countries around the world by government incentivisation and the

deployment of infrastructure. These countries recognise the environmental and health benefits of low and zero emission vehicles. It is likely that this charge will make South Australia the only jurisdiction in the world that actually opposes the uptake of low and zero emission vehicles, effectively turning its back on the topic of Climate Change.

As if the South Australia Government’s stance was not bad enough, the New South Wales state Government announced the following week that they too would consider taxing LZEVs. The purpose of government and their tax systems is not simply to collect revenue, there is a much higher purpose. It’s to shape society for the betterment of all. It is no accident that fresh food is excluded from the GST, that the tariff on alcohol is higher than the tariff on water and that the taxes on cigarettes are significant.

There is a bigger, long term picture that needs to be considered. This should not be a short-term money grab.

TIC has long called for a comprehensive review of Australia’s RUC scheme.

With the development of charging arrangement that ensures all vehicles pay proportionally for the damage, or lack thereof, they contribute to the roads that they actually use, the safety they afford all road users and public health outcomes they generate. TIC, again, calls upon State and Territory governments and the Federal Government to show some vision and look beyond the current road user charge discussions, to investigate and develop a road user charging scheme that will take our country out of the 20th century and into the 21st.

Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

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Let’s rebound bigger and better in 2021 PETER ANDERSON

A

fter the roller coaster year that was 2020, I hope this first issue of Prime Mover finds you back at work rested and reinvigorated, and that you found time to reconnect with family and friends after months of COVID-inspired restrictions and lockdowns.

If any industry earned a well-deserved break, it was transport after a year where we worked harder than ever to keep pace with record demand, and inspire confidence from consumers with legitimate concerns about supply shortages and not having ready access to the things they have grown accustomed to having.

Whilst the year was busier than ever for many operators, for others it was one of disruption and turmoil – especially for those that serviced parts of our economy that experienced forced closures and restrictions on trade.

The good news is that our state and national economies are well on the road to recovery. After our first quarter of recession and negative growth in 30 years, restrictions in our hardest hit state of Victoria significantly easing, a busy Christmas trading period, and vaccines progressively being rolled out around the world, are pointing to what we all hope will be a quicker recovery that was predicted when COVID hit last year.

A key reason the transport industry survived 2020 better than any other sector was the way we all worked

together to quickly adapt, solve problems, and keep our people safe and supply chains functional. The statebased industry groups worked hard to advocate for legislation and regulation that recognised despite having eight different states and territories, freight and logistics is a national and international business, and that we therefore need systems and practices that would not impede the movement of goods to keep state and local economies going.

We worked closely and effectively to encourage state governments, who had self-interest as a priority to keep constituents safe, to keep their borders open to transport, and that where travel conditions were necessary they were as simple as possible to integrate into business practices and day-to-day operations.

This attitude of working for the common good is one that the VTA and our state-based affiliates will continue to push in 2021 as we act for the best interests of our members and the industry we service. Already this year the state associations have convened in person in Brisbane late last month to discuss a range of issues, with road user charges at the forefront of our agenda.

Last May, the Commonwealth – with the backing of the transport industry – rightly decided not to proceed with a proposed increase to the road user charge, which spared thousands of transport operators around Australia with higher taxes on fuel. It was a commonsense decision which relieved pressure on transport operators that had already been hit hard by the economic

impacts of COVID-19 on the industry and the broader economy.

As an industry, we will continue to advocate for any increases to be as minimal as possible, especially in the context of uncertainty in our recovery at this very fragile time when JobKeeper and other state and Commonwealth financial relief measures are coming to an end.

Savvy operators will know and understand we are in a very pivotal stage of recovery and will do their best to run profitable businesses that service their customers well. It’s an important time to be mindful of cashflow and for businesses not to extend themselves beyond the limitations of their balance sheets. That said, for businesses that are suitably positioned, now is a terrific time to invest in your businesses, with record low interest rates and tax incentives like the instant asset writeoff extended until the end of the year to make purchasing new equipment a sensible investment.

These are some of the themes we will cover in our 2021 State Conference at Philip Island from March 14-16 which we are all looking forward to as the VTA’s first in-person event since last March. The conference will have as its major focus running business to make a profit, with speakers from industry, government, regulators and other stakeholders to help delegates best position themselves to rebound bigger and better in 2021.

I hope to see you there.

Peter Anderson CEO, VTA p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

85

PETER SHIELDS’ NUMBER CRUNCH

Year Window December, up 15.5 per cent on December 2019. The annual total of 6,523 heavy vans was 194 more than in 2019 (+3.1 per cent). Mercedes-Benz were the biggest selling van brand with 34.6 per cent market share.

For the 2020 year, Isuzu once again dominated with a 29.3 per cent share of the cab-chassis and prime mover market. Isuzu also lead the Medium Duty category with a 40.5 per cent market share as well as the Light Duty sector with a market share of 39.5 per cent. Kenworth was the only Heavy Duty manufacturer to exceed 2,000 units for the year with its 2,114 taking a 19.9 per cent slice of the market.

The year 2020 will be described for decades as a year like no other due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the global population and commerce. The new truck and van industry demonstrated its flexibility and resilience in the face of often, apparent, insurmountable challenges and has continued to achieve steady improvements in sales numbers throughout the fourth quarter. During December, the Truck Industry Council statistics show 2,868 new prime movers and cab-chassis were sold, an improvement of 10.9 per cent over November, which itself was up 5.1 per cent over October. In December 2019, 2,720 vehicles were sold while December 2020 has shown a further 5.4 per cent improvement (+148 units) on that figure, suggesting the industry, despite the myriad disruptions, is coming back.

The total for the year of 28,223 units is just 10.8 per cent under the 2019 annual total. As an indicator of how far the market has come, the monthly year-to-date accrual fell behind by as low as 20.5 per cent back in May. The Heavy Duty category accomplished 1,114 units during December, 84 more than in November (+8.1 per cent) and 28 more than in December 2019. The effects of the mid-year slump, which even saw several local factories close temporarily due to component shortages, are still being felt as the category total for 2020 of 10,616 units remained 2,117 short of 2019’s total (-16.6 per cent).

The Medium Duty category had a strong finish to 2020 with 655 units sold during December, just two less than in November and 95 more than in December 2019 (+17.0 per cent). Medium Duty had a better recovery than Heavy Duty to finish the year at 11.1 per cent down on 2019 thanks to sales of 6,589 units (-822 units).

The Light Duty category also had an improved December with its 1,069 units being 25 more than in the corresponding month of 2019 (+2.4 per cent) and 29 more than in November (+2.8 per cent). The annual total for Light Duty of 11,018 came within 4.1 per cent of the 2019 total (-469 units).

The changes in shopping habits by Australians, brought about partly by the pandemic, has seen significant increases in demand for home delivery vehicles and this has been reflected in the Heavy Van sector which recorded 610 new units during 86

febr u a r y 2021

Dec-20

% Change

ISUZU

760

8276

-4.0%

HINO

509

5195

-6.0%

FUSO

376

3529

4.3%

KENWORTH

327

2115

-10.0%

VOLVO

137

1821

-20.1%

IVECO

174

1409

-15.2%

MERCEDES-BENZ

133

1291

-20.5%

SCANIA

75

886

-22.9%

MACK

69

705

-32.7%

UD TRUCKS

39

579

-14.6%

DAF

71

503

9.1%

FIAT

61

502

-16.3%

MAN

51

359

-64.8%

FREIGHTLINER

23

257

-8.2%

WESTERN STAR

14

228

-15.2%

RENAULT

16

190

-41.0%

HYUNDAI

18

135

29.8%

FORD

7

86

-13.1%

VOLKSWAGEN

7

55

150.0%

DENNIS EAGLE

1

53

-37.6%

INTERNATIONAL

0

49

-9.3%

CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

2868

28223

-10.8%

M-B VANS

182

2163

-22.2%

RENAULT VANS

146

1239

9.8%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

75

1170

51.2%

FORD VANS

137

1065

23.3%

FIAT VANS

35

318

-28.4%

IVECO VANS

35

298

-11.8%

VANS

610

6253

-1.2%

TOTAL

3478

34476

-9.2%

Behind the people who keep Australia moving Everything we do, every day, relies on the people who literally keep Australia moving. From the fresh food in our supermarkets and the petrol in our cars, to delivering our online shopping purchases and keeping our essential services stocked. None of this would happen without transport workers.

And behind them is TWUSUPER, the industry super fund for the people who look after you.

1800 222 071 twusuper.com.au

TWU Nominees Pty Ltd, ABN 67 002 835 412, AFSL 239163, is the trustee of TWUSUPER ABN 77 343 563 307 and the issuer of interests in it. 56934

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