Prime Mover March 2022

®

March 2022

Eurocold MA RCH 2022

Ice House

pr imem ov er ma g.co m.a u

MARCH 2022 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320 02

9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Clenton’s Transport Feature: Drivetrain Australia Showcase: Alternative Energy Vehicles Personality: Leigh Smart

Innovation Fleet: Vac Truck Industries Technology: Zero Emission HPVs Test Drive: Hino 700 6x2 Delivery: Europcar

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

Delivery Magazine inside: Pages 57-71. cover.indd 1

MAGAZINE

18/2/2022 10:30 am

Carry more.

Worry less.

Ready-to-Work NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 – $52,990 Drive away*.

Visit twusuper.com.au/insurance With an Isuzu Ready-to-Work Traypack, you can carry over a tonne more than with your typical ute. And that’s on the same car licence you already have. What’s more, the new NLR Traypack comes with three years’ included servicing and a six year factory warranty, all for $52,990 drive away. So start off the new year with a new truck… and carry more and worry less. For details, head to isuzu.com.au or visit your nearest Isuzu Truck Dealer. *The NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 Traypack Truck Drive away promotion is available only on new NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 Traypack Trucks sold between 1 January 2022 – 31 March 2022 (Promotion parts and accessories. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer. Fleet and Government purchasers are not eligible. †Drive away promotion includes a 3 year Isuzu Total Service Agreement bodies, and all AWD/4x4 models are covered by a 3 year factory warranty. The NLR 45-150 AMT MY21 Traypack comes with a 6 year, 24 hour roadside assistance program. Offer available while stocks last.

Period) and deliv package and is o Visit isuzu.com.a

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18/2/2022 10:30 am

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*

22 (Promotion ice Agreement ile stocks last.

Period) and delivered by 30 June 2022. Featured drive away price $52,990 includes GST, 12 months registration, stamp duty and CTP, and dealer delivery costs. Drive away price excludes any additional package and is only available on new NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 Traypack Trucks sold during the Promotion Period. 6 year factory warranty, covering the cab and chassis only. Any Ready-to-Work truck Visit isuzu.com.au for full terms and conditions. FSA/ISZS706

®

March 2022

Eurocold

MEET THE TEAM

Ice House

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.

John Murphy | CEO

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.

MARCH 2022 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320 02

9 771838 232000

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

MAGAZINE

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

Peter Shields | Senior Feature Writer

Paul Matthei | Senior Journalist

Innovation Fleet: Vacuum Truck Industries Technology: Zero Emission HPVs Test Drive: Hino 700 6x2 Delivery: Europcar

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

Delivery Magazine inside: Pages 57-71.

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.

Industry Fleet: Clenton’s Transport Feature: Drivetrain Australia Showcase: Alternative Energy Vehicles Personality: Leigh Smart

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 OV E

design journalist

Ashley Blachford ashley.blachford@primecreative.com.au 0425 699 819 Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au Kerry Pert, Aisling McComiskey 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

subscriptions

03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Prime Mover magazine is available by subscription from the publisher.

The right of refusal is reserved by the publisher.

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articles

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher.

The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

copyright

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

All material in PRIME MOVER magazine is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher.

The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

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

A SMALL STEP ON OUR PATH TO CHANGE FROM 2021, ALL CASTROL PRODUCTS WE SELL IN AUSTRALIA WILL BE

COMMITTED TO CARBON NEUTRALITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH PAS 2060** A SMALL STEP TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

CONTENTS

Prime Mover March 2022

38

44 48

24

34

COVER STORY “The expectation from the ISOKIT Italian head office was to move half a dozen containers in the first year. We’ve moved 21 containers and we have subsequently ordered a lot more than that for next year.”

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PRACTICAL MAGIC

Prime Mover Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS 24 Ice House Recognised as being at the forefront of temperature-controlled road transport, ISOKIT Isothermal Solutions gives the leasing and rental arm of Brisbane-based bodybuilder Eurocold, its exclusive distributor in Australia, a winning edge when it comes to fleet access for cold chain customers.

30 Practical Magic Vac Truck Industries is a leading Australian manufacturer of versatile hydro-vacuum excavation and high pressure jetter trucks.

34 Pick a Box Clenton’s Transport specialises in the efficient road transport of shipping containers throughout the greater Sydney region.

TRUCK & TECH 38 Blue Sky Mining In the extremely harsh conditions of underground mining operations, Kovatera stands head and shoulders above anything else. Equipped with Dana TM4 electric drivetrain components, the KT 200e does its thing while burning no midnight oil whatsoever.

42 Zero Effect In the right application, explains Tiger Spider Managing Director Marcus Coleman, opportunities will arise to maximise the full potential of PBS and take productivity to the next level as industry confronts the challenge posed by Zero Emissions Vehicles.

TEST DRIVE 48 The Heavy Hitter The all-new Hino 700 Series shows Hino is serious about its Heavy Duty aspirations as the truckmaker forges ahead with its latest market leading technology.

Regular Run 08 10 52 54 57 72 74 76 77 78

From the Editor Prime Mover News Personality Prime Movers & Shakers Delivery ARTSA-I Life Members National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Trucking Industry Council Victorian Transport Association Peter Shields’ Number Crunch

FROM THE EDITOR

William Craske Editor They gathered on a frigid Sunday morning, 23 January, at a weigh scale in Delta on the outskirts of Vancouver.

Dozens of British Columbia freight workers could be glimpsed through thick fog as temperatures hovered around 4 degrees Celsius. Interstate long haul here is made challenging this time of year by the presence of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, which tower over the city to the east. By the time the fog had cleared, the truckers had been joined on highway by scores of vehicles of varying shapes and sizes from Canada’s far western province, all bound for the nation’s capital. More drivers would arrive, linking up at various points on the Trans-Canada, Lougheed and Yellowhead Highways.

The convoy, as it gathered momentum, found with it growing support. A GoFundMe account soon had close to 90,000 separate donations. By Friday, as the trucks approached Kingston, Ontario, the funds had, like the vehicles themselves, nearly doubled. Eyewitness reports claimed the fleet extended 70 kilometres.

Sidelined through medical mandates

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when an already critical driver shortage had exacerbated existing supply chain upheavals, the Canadian truckers, en route to parliament, were ready to make direct demands of the minority government. The immediate withdrawal of all COVID vaccination requirements would be the first. Two years into co-ordinated international efforts to impose a new system of rule on the populace was unlikely, however, to make it their last.

The Canadian Freedom Convoy, as it was subsequently characterised, from its outset, had been difficult to gauge in size. While never the sprawling, singular Carthaginian column, it was initially made out to be, the convoy, a loosely wedded series of truck chains involving everything from Class 8 big rigs to two tonne pick-ups, eventually on a chilly Saturday converged in Ottawa where the so-called separation of powers between the parliamentary, judicial and executive were no longer to be found. Nor, for that matter, could Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who had fled the capital, abdicating, at least in theory, his duty to engage with some 50,000 supply chain workers and farmers from all parts of the country and surrounding US borderlands. Their grievances have been downplayed and comically misrepresented by most sections of the online corporate media swarm including those in Australia which have been utterly dispossessed of felicitous insight. The violation of fundamental human rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is apparently no biggie. The protestors were supposedly a fringe minority — a description Elon

Musk, who had donated $42,000 to the campaign, thought more apt of government. Indeed, a consensus on the demise of western democracy was, for better or worse, being undertaken by the truckers, who were opposing the growing encroachment of an absolutist biosecurity state two years into its assembly. To judge by the support the Freedom Convoy had been attracting at overpasses and small towns all over Canada, where thousands of people braved freezing temperatures to cheer on the drivers with placards and flags, there was still an appetite, at least in regional areas, for freedom under a pluralistic federal constitutional monarchy.

Convoys materialised in other countries, too, as the Netherlands, Germany and Australia joined the movement. Quebec soon dropped its planned segregationist tax. The Canadian Conservative Party leader was ousted. All of this happened within a week.

In terms of geopolitics, truck drivers were fast demonstrating that they had more courage and resonance on a global scale than the alliance of Hollywood, Silicon Valley and legacy news media whose primary job, apparently, was to defame the truckers, a vital group, who they lived off of.

Truck drivers, as Walter Kirn put it, spend “their days, their weeks, their years, their decades in hard-working round-the-clock, honest and dignified obscurity. If they choose to speak up it means something.”

XAVIER_HINO38401.3

The Leftovers

IT TAKES A GREAT TRUCK TO ATTRACT THE BEST DRIVERS THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

THE ALL-NEW HINO 700 SERIES - SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY AND DRIVER COMFORT. Work conditions play a vital role in attracting the right people, that’s why the all-new 700 Series has been designed around

the needs of the driver. Quite simply it offers increased comfort with everything you need at your fingertips. Starting with the next-generation driver’s seat, wraparound dash, new steering wheel controls and either an automated manual or automatic

XAVIER_HINO38401.3

transmission for a smoother and easier driving experience. A safer one too because the all-new 700 Series features an

enhanced Hino SmartSafe package, which will act as an aid to safeguard your drivers, the community and your business.

The all-new Hino 700 Series – built with the driver in mind. Find out more at hino.com.au

PRIME NEWS

> New Kenworth motorhome hits speedway circuits

Kenworth T410 motorhome.

Kenworth and DAF dealer Brown and Hurley at Yatala has supplied a new Kenworth T410 that has been transformed into a spectacular motorhome and race transporter combination for Nicastri Motorsport.

The motorhome and its matching trailer were built by Front Line Trailers in Crestmead (QLD) for Ross Nicastri, who with his son Ben owns Nicastri Motorsport.

The T410 is powered by a PACCAR MX-13 engine rated at 510hp, coupled

with an 18-speed Eaton UltraShift automated transmission feeding into Meritor 46-160 diffs.

It features the latest Kenworth safety inclusions such as electronic stability control, adaptive cruise, lane keeping support and autonomous emergency braking.

The motorhome features walkthrough access from the cockpit and is equipped and certified to carry six passengers in luxurious seatbelted comfort.

“Ross wanted a vehicle that he and his son Ben could use to transport their race cars all over the country as well as something he and his wife could go travelling in,” said Brown and Hurley Yatala Salesman,” Ben Sparrow.

Ross Nicastri said while he has had numerous race transporters over the years, none have come within a bull’s roar of this latest unit.

“We’ve had a motorhome before and a truck with a trailer, but this is the first all-new purpose-built outfit we’ve owned and we are really impressed with it,” said Nicastri. “Front Line Trailers did an amazing job from start to finish, with everything done exactly how we wanted it.”

Nicastri, who spent quite some time working and travelling in the United States, said he drew inspiration for his new combination from similar vehicles he saw over there.

“It certainly turns a lot of heads and we’re very excited to put it to good use in the future,” said Nicastri.

The current surge in COVID cases, according to Nicastri, has temporarily put on hold speedway racing around the country.

“We’re looking forward to heading up to Tamworth for a race meet later this month,” he said.

> Isuzu continues selling spree with 33-year unbroken lead With the close of 2021, Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) has celebrated the unprecedented achievement of 33 consecutive years as Australia’s bestselling truck brand. The company’s continued overall market domination comes following a challenging year — with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related supply chain issues affecting retail trade across numerous industries.

Despite this, IAL still managed to set a creditable new high watermark of 10,175 truck deliveries in 2021, surpassing the previous all-time sales record set by the brand in 2018. The company finished the year with a 24.6 per cent 10

share, up 23 per cent compared to 2020 and outpacing the market growth of 20 per cent.

Predictably, IAL continues to lead the way in the light-duty segment, with 5,593 units sold for a 39 per cent share.

In medium–duty sales the company also blitzed it, increasing its sales volume in the segment by 15 per cent to snare a remarkable 41.5 per cent with 3,067 units.

At the heavy end, Isuzu held onto third spot, with 1,515 units sold for a hard-fought 11.7 per cent share of the market segment.

IAL National Sales Manager Les

Spaltman reflected on the results in the face of what he described as the numerous obstacles the company surmounted over the course of the year to achieve the sales record.

“We certainly don’t believe that the challenges we faced in 2021 were unique to IAL. We know that pretty much every sector of industry and the economy bore the brunt of pressures that upended well established practices and processes,” said Spaltman.

“And we’re all too aware that our products play an integral role in the smooth running of consumer and industrial supply chains.”

ma rch 2022

FRE1

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19/1/22 6:48 pm

PRIME NEWS

> Key industry bodies work together on world first coupling strength investigation The ARTSA Institute, Australian Trucking Association (ATA), Truck Industry Council (TIC) and Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) are investigating dynamic loads on the couplings on heavy high productivity freight vehicles (HPFV) and PBS combinations vehicles. The safety of couplings project is funded by the Commonwealth Government through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative.

In what is considered a world first, the initiative will fill a gap in knowledge and provide evidence to update relevant Standards and Rules.

Chair of ARTSA Institute, Martin Toomey said the current Australian Design Rules cover heavy coupling requirements but they do not provide any guidance beyond a roadtrain GCM of just 125 tonnes.

“As increasingly higher productivity vehicle combinations enter the Australian heavy vehicle fleet, evidence-based guidance is required to support engineers, regulators and fleet managers, so that couplings can be safely specified,

inspected and maintained,” he said.

Coupling failure on high productivity vehicles has the potential to lead to death and injuries, major traffic disruption and reduced public confidence in heavy vehicle safety according to HVIA CEO, Todd Hacking.

“It is important for regulators and industry to be confident in the relevance and integrity of the Standards that guide the safe selection of components,” he said.

Commenting on behalf of the TIC, CEO Tony McMullan said Australia, in pushing truck equipment to its limits, was often doing what no one else does anywhere in the world.

“Couplings are a prime example with quad trailer roadtrains exceeding 150 tonne GCMs,” he said. “This project will help define coupling safety factors and requirements for multi trailer configurations around the world.”

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the joint investigation will help accelerate the introduction of new safety technologies to support safe and securely loaded

heavy vehicles.

“The NHVR is proud to support this project that will help mitigate the safety risks posed by non-compliant couplings and enhance the safety of vehicles operating under higher productivity schemes,” said Petroccitto.

The project will conduct investigations of coupling dynamic forces using on road testing and follow-up laboratory testing to confirm the strength of the couplings.

Couplings to be validated in the project include fifth wheel and automatic pin couplings used in heavy combination roadtrains including the various innovative Quad roadtrain combination types.

Because of the complexity of the project, Wayne Baker has been appointed project manager as he has significant subject matter expertise and extensive industry experience. A working group from ARTSA-I, TIC, ATA and HVIA has been formed to provide project guidance.

The project is expected to be completed

by June 2023.

A Kalari high productivity vehicle on a PBS access route.

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FUS6

510HP THERE WILL BE TORQUE TH E ALL- N EW S H OGU N 510

Introducing the all-new 13 Litre Shogun 510, the most powerful Japanese HD truck in Australia.

A truck that combines the best of Daimler technology with Japanese reliability, and a suite of class-leading safety features.

With 2500Nm available from just 800rpm the Shogun 510 delivers big torque for those with big jobs to do.

Available in prime-mover and tipper spec, the Shogun is not only the most powerful – but the safest – with Advanced Emergency Braking including pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, driver fatigue management and adaptive LED headlights – all covered by a class leading 5yr/500,000km warranty.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE POWERFUL SHOGUN 510 AND ITS SUITE OF CLASS-LEADING SAFETY FEATURES VISIT FUSO.COM.AU

*Approximate figures. Detailed power/torque curve available on spec sheet.

FUS6010437_FUSO Shogun 510_Owner Driver_FPC_210x297mm_March22_V1.indd 1

12/1/22 5:02 pm

PRIME NEWS

> Hino rises above challenges with record year The Hino 300 Series enjoyed strong sales in 2021.

Hino Australia has recorded its largest ever volume of new vehicle deliveries including strong sales across the new Hino 300 Series, which was further bolstered by encouraging orders in the Hino 700 8×4 load-share front axle models and hybrid vehicles. At the end of December Hino had reported a record-breaking 6,278 truck sales resulting in an impressive 18 per cent market share somewhat diminished by the global shortage of semi-conductors according to Sam Suda, Hino Australia President and CEO. “Despite receiving tremendous support from Hino Motors Ltd. Japan, maintaining continuity of new truck supply during 2021 to meet customer demand has been challenging – a situation that, unfortunately, we expect to continue moving into 2022,” he said.

“Customer reaction to the all-new 700 Series has been phenomenal, with orders across our heavy-duty range 14

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exceeding pre-launch expectations – we achieved a market share of 4.5 per cent, which was consistent with our 2020 result but restricted by supply issues.

“In particular, we have taken more customer orders for the FY3036 and FY3048 8×4 load-share front axle models during the past five months than over the past four years.”

In the first complete year of sales since its mid-2020 launch, the 300 Series has been embraced by Hino customers with 3,346 sales, which translated to a 23.3 per cent light-duty segment share, an increase of 0.9 per cent compared to 2020. An important option for customers in the 300 Series range are the hybrid models, which meet Euro 6 exhaust emission standards.

“2021 was one of our strongest years ever for hybrid with over 50 orders,” he said.

Supply challenges heavily impacted the delivery of 500 Series Standard Cab in

the second half of 2021, leaving Hino with 31.4 per cent market share in the medium-duty segment.

“While this is a decrease compared to recent years, we are confident the strong customer order base positions Hino for a strong year in 2022,” Sam Suda said.

Further reinforcing its commitment to its customers, Hino Australia opened a new 9,272m2 state-of-the art purposebuilt Parts Distribution Centre (PDC) in mid-2021.

Hino ended 2021 with a record-breaking year-on-year parts sales growth of 12 per cent.

“It’s an exciting time for Hino Australia – with 80 years of global experience in design and innovation, we now provide Australian customers with a complete line-up of next-generation transport solutions coupled with customer-focused support,” concluded Sam Suda.

THE NEW D190 FULL TIME PUMP HAS ARRIVED D190

E NG I N E E RE D & BU I LT I N AUSTRALIA For more information contact Dana on 1300 00 DANA or visit us at www.Dana.com.au

Strength • Power • Endurance

PRIME NEWS

> Hyzon announces Australian manufacturing headquarters Melbourne will be home to Hyzon Motors Australia’s headquarters, under a new partnership agreement with the RACV. Hyzon, a leader in hydrogen powered commercial vehicles will, in conjunction with the RACV at their Noble Park location, develop a purposebuilt facility including corporate offices, showroom, assembly warehousing and workshop.

Over a 100 localised engineering and manufacturing jobs are expected to be generated through the new facility by 2025, with hundreds more indirect jobs expected through the supply chain.

The partnership also includes a first order of hydrogen powered vehicles for RACV owned subsidiary Nationwide Group, making it an inaugural order of such vehicles for a Towing company in Australia. These will be trialled by Nationwide Group on arrival which is scheduled for end 2022.

Hyzon Motors is expected to deliver three locally manufactured Hyzon HyMax TT7 tilt-tray trucks and one of Hyzon’s fully imported HyMax prime movers, to the Nationwide Group.

Managing Director for Hyzon Motors in Australia and New Zealand, John Edgley, said the announcement was exciting news not just for the local economy, but for Australia’s

energy transition aspirations and the manufacturing jobs of the future.

“We are focused on generating new jobs, new manufacturing and technology facilities, and a fundamentally new industry in Australia and New Zealand, that will underpin a sustainable future for the region,” he said. “With governments across Australia and New Zealand shifting their focus towards hydrogen as a cost- competitive and zero-emission fuel source, Hyzon stands ready to support and partner on key projects and initiatives.

“Hyzon has already hit the ground running in the region, with scheduled 2022 deliveries including coaches to Fortescue Metals in Western Australia, prime movers to Coregas in NSW and TR Group in New Zealand, roadrain prime movers to Ark Energy in Queensland and the HyMax GSL garbage trucks with Superior Pak across the region,” continued Edgley. “The opportunity to partner and work with the RACV, a trusted brand, across the home, motoring, mobility, energy and leisure sectors is an exciting prospect for our business.”

RACV Chief Executive Officer, Neil Taylor, said the partnership with Hyzon Motors aligned with the company’s objective to support a cleaner

energy future.

“RACV is a strong supporter of the transition to a cleaner energy future,” he said. “We have a purchase power agreement with Snowy Hydro which covers all our company owned sites in Victoria, are a major and fastgrowing player in the Solar Installation Market via RACV Solar and have other investments in Cleaner Energy such as Chargefox, Restart EV and have installed Solar Power at all RACV Victorian Resorts.

“We see building a bigger portfolio of Cleaner Energy assets and businesses as a strong part of RACV’s future, both within Victoria and across Australia,” Taylor said.

“Our partnership with Hyzon Motors is the first of its kind in Victoria and will generate new local jobs and contribute significantly to a cleaner energy future over many years to come.”

Nationwide Group Chief Executive Officer, Michael Stephenson, said the business was excited to be exploring how hydrogen can play a part in the future of road transport in Australia.

“Nationwide is keen to assess the performance of these vehicles in a realworld test for towing and transport and is thrilled to be part of this new industry leading partnership,” he said.

Hyzon’s heavy duty fuel cell powered hydrogen vehicle.

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PRIME NEWS

> IVECO finalises separation from CNH Industrial

IVECO X-Way Highway B-double.

With its formal separation from parent company CNH Industrial ratified on 3 January, 2022, IVECO has embarked on a new chapter in its transformation.

The move saw the separation of CNH Industrial’s ‘on-highway’ assets, providing the IVECO Group with complete control of the way it manages itself and develops in the future. IVECO Group brands will be spearheaded by the core IVECO and FPT (Fiat Powertrain) businesses, while sub brands IVECO CAPITAL, HEULIEZ, IVECO BUS, IVECO Defence Vehicles, ASTRA and Magirus will also form an important part of the onhighway offering.

A key benefit of the spin-off will be IVECO’s renewed emphasis on better meeting the existing and future needs of on-highway customers, by taking a more targeted approach to their requirements.

Among these areas of interest is to 18

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further develop the group’s alternative fuels and propulsion capabilities.

Already a proven leader in low emission natural gas technologies including CNG and LNG, as well as electrification with the likes of the Daily Electric van, the IVECO Group’s new direction will also allow it to form closer ties with joint venture partners such as Nikola.

The two companies have been working together since 2019, and in September last year the partners unveiled details of their state-of-the-art Ulm, Germany manufacturing facility having recently completed the first of its new Nikola TRE battery electric (BEV) trucks.

IVECO Australia Managing Director, Michael May, said he saw only positives from the spin-off, for IVECO owners in Australia and New Zealand.

“This spin-off will unify IVECO and provide the added freedom to further develop the brand’s potential as an

exclusive on-highway business,” said May. “The change will also allow a more targeted management focus, which will assist in accelerating innovation goals and the rate at which new products are brought to market, while also responding more nimbly to customer requirements.”

May said that along with these goals, he was confident that IVECO owners would now also enjoy enhanced levels of customer service and support.

“We’ve worked hard last year to elevate the IVECO customer experience – existing and prospective operators should see a further streamlining of these efforts in the 12 months ahead,” he said. “In addition to providing a high-quality product, we want IVECO ownership to be as rewarding and cost effective as possible, by offering more value-added services, improved parts availability and other broader support offerings.”

GLOB AL NEWS

> IVECO partners with Air Liquide on hydrogen heavy duty mobility IVECO will collaborate with Air Liquide on a joint venture dedicated to heavyduty fuel cell electric long haul trucks.

A Memorandum of Understanding to develop hydrogen mobility in Europe has been signed by the two companies who will dedicate means and resources also to the deployment of a network of renewable or low-carbon hydrogen refuelling stations along the main transEuropean transport corridors.

The partnership will contribute to materialise clean mobility by leveraging the two companies’ complementary competencies.

Air Liquide, a world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, provides expertise across the entire hydrogen value chain, from production and storage to distribution, while IVECO brings to the table its legacy as a provider of advanced, clean sustainable transport solutions.

In parallel, both companies will jointly promote initiatives to encourage hydrogen mobility by involving all stakeholders along the entire value chain.

This partnership is in line with the companies’ ongoing collaboration in the HyAMMED (Hydrogène à Aix-Marseille pour une Mobilité Ecologie et Durable)

IVECO S-WAY prime mover.

project in the South of France, to develop the first European fleet of fuelcell electric 44-tonne trucks associated to the first high-pressure 1 tonne/day hydrogen refuelling station, targeting the decarbonisation of long haul freight mobility in Europe.

“We are committed to the development of a hydrogen economy and are excited to collaborate with Air Liquide in researching the most effective way to provide operators with this sustainable alternative transport fuel,” said Luca Sra, designated President, Truck Business Unit, Iveco Group. “It is essential that we all focus on reaching global net zero-emission targets, working

together to propel the industry faster in accomplishing this.”

According to Matthieu Giard, Air Liquide Vice President, supervising hydrogen activities, hydrogen can significantly contribute to reducing emissions of the transportation sector as it is particularly well suited for long haul heavy-duty vehicles.

“Air Liquide is pleased to join forces with a leader such as IVECO to explore how to set this revolution in motion,” he said. “In line with its sustainability objectives, Air Liquide acts in favor of the development of hydrogen ecosystems and contributes to the emergence of a low-carbon society.”

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> Isuzu announces electric truck with Cummins Cummins and Isuzu Motors Limited have announced an agreement to create a prototype medium-duty, battery electric truck. The truck, which will be developed for North America, represents the first zero-emissions solution facilitated by the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership (ICPP) formed in May 2019.

Through this arrangement, Cummins will integrate the Cummins PowerDrive6000 into Isuzu’s F-Series truck and will pilot the truck with prominent North American fleets beginning in 2022.

Following a successful demonstration and pilot phase, Isuzu will explore opportunities to commercialise medium-duty, batteryelectric trucks with Cummins-powered 20

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systems across North America.

“As addressed in Isuzu Environmental Vision 2050, we will advance global environmental actions including reducing greenhouse emissions and securing a prosperous and sustainable society,” said Koichi Seto, Director of the Board, and Senior Executive Officer at Isuzu.

“As part of the path to carbon neutrality, it is significant for us to start this joint BEV prototype project in North America.

Through our partnership, we commit to continuing to explore further opportunities in the next generation power source, including electric powertrain technologies in addition to the existing powertrain collaboration.”

The joint commitment to innovation with Isuzu would provide Cummins customers with safe and reliable zero emissions solutions according to Cummins Vice President and President New Power, Amy Davis.

“We are excited to be working with Isuzu to accelerate decarbonisation within the partnership,” she said.

Cummins and Isuzu continue to innovate and advance the future of power to support customers in achieving zeroemissions.

Benefiting from each other’s unique strengths, the companies will seek opportunities to further expand collaborations to drive global growth.

tigerspider.com.au | (03) 9537 1027 | 106/181 St Kilda Rd, St Kilda VIC 3182

SUPERANNUATION INSURANCE MINDSET MINDSET

USING TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY Peter Johansson Peter Johansson is Senior Risk Engineer at Zurich Financial Services Australia.

With more than 20 years’ experience in loss control, he helps Zurich customers develop effective driver performance management programs that save them much more than just the cost of fuel.

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Incorporating new technology can improve the relationship between operators and drivers, attract new talent to the industry and provide meaningful cost savings.

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he relationship between operators and drivers is shifting to create a safer environment for everyone on the road.

Operators are empowering drivers to control their routes, while giving them more tools to assess their ability to drive safely.

The technology being supported by insurers like Zurich may be new, but these changes have been happening for years. Looking back nearly two decades, one of our customers received a report about the effects of sleep apnoea on safe driving. We worked with the operator to raise awareness and provide services to treat the condition, something that was not only a success from an organisational perspective in supporting the health and wellbeing of staff but also on an individual level.

A couple of years after the campaign began a driver tracked me down to say thanks. He was diagnosed with sleep apnoea and provided with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device and, as a result, lost a lot of weight and had a lot more energy. It was amazing to see the positive effects on his quality of life in person – and it was the most excited anyone has ever been to see someone from an insurance company!

It’s easier to incorporate new ways to

manage, monitor, and support people along the logistics pipeline. It’s about improving how you make use of the data your business is already collecting.

An ageing workforce and a lack of new talent was already weighing on the industry ahead of COVID. By using new technology, we can maximise the capacity of the existing workforce while supporting the mental and physical health of drivers. We can also make the industry more attractive by focusing on safety and security as part of a long and fulfilling career.

Real business benefits We’ve seen excellent results from the integration of tech to prevent crashes by tracking and measuring telemetric events like fuel efficiency, g-force and driver alertness. This results in cost savings of anywhere from 8-20 per cent in operating and fuel costs — a not insignificant reduction to one of our biggest expenses.

Many companies are already doing a lot to support drivers including tech-based solutions that pre-empt problems. These solutions can provide a lead indicator on drivers, including alertness levels and psychological metrics that can help drivers assess their ability to do the job.

This provides an objective measure of readiness which is more useful than

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simply ticking a box on a form saying that you’re good to go.

Not all technology solutions need to share results with the office. Some can simply provide real-time driver feedback around alertness and attention, lane deviation or speed. They’re little things that add another set of eyes to help keep everyone on the road safe. These devices monitor the driver and report back only to the driver to identify problems. This empowers drivers to continue to take ownership of their work and routes.

The operators that are already supporting drivers like this will have the easiest time adding more options to support their fleet.

For others, gradually adding programs to driver routines may be the way forward.

Tools to support safety Many of the tech-based solutions can be added to tools that drivers are already using (smartphones and tablets) as part of their routine checks and add just a few

minutes to their regular schedule. Here are some of the initiatives that Zurich are currently supporting via Zurich Resilience Solutions’ service programs for customers: Preventure enables drivers to reduce their own injury risk using wearable technology to measure movements, receive alerts when they move in an unsafe or inefficient way and set challenges/earn rewards.

AlertMeter® is a cognitive test on a tablet / smartphone device that takes less than 120 seconds to indicate to a driver how alert they are compared to their personal baseline. It is a powerful enhancement to traditional Fit-for-Work (FfW) programs.

FatigueFit is an online compliance assessment to ensure regulatory requirements under the WHS/OHS Act for fatigue risk management are met. The output report is generated immediately and links to a practical, online toolset, including SleepFit solutions to improve driver well-being and productivity.

SleepFit solutions are all about creating

better mental health and physical health through the power of sleep. Did you know 40 per cent of us don’t get enough sleep? SleepFit’s digital programs help drivers with sleep awareness, screening for sleep disorders and kick-starting healthy sleep habits.

What’s great about these tools is that they provide an objective measure of performance. It can help build trust between an operator and driver because it’s not about how you feel but whether there is an issue that’s been identified that can cause a problem.

The program’s success is only as good as their operator support. It comes down to implementation and communication. Like anything, if you throw tools at people but don’t show the benefits or provide training and ongoing support, they will not be as effective as they could be. Well-supported programs like these can reduce downtime, increase efficiency and ultimately prevent major losses (including injury and death).

Zurich Resilience Solutions offers customers a number of tech tools. p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

Avraam Solomon.

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ICE HOUSE

Brisbane-based bodybuilder Eurocold is the exclusive distributor of ISOKIT Isothermal Solutions. As it remains at the forefront of temperature-controlled road transport, it gives the leasing and rental arm of the business a winning edge when it comes to fleet access for cold chain customers. p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

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ormed two years ago on the provision that it would become the exclusive ISOKIT distributor for Australia, Eurocold offers longand short-term rental solutions for cold chain food businesses on a steep upwards growth trajectory.

The isothermal range it offers across all rigid vehicles currently in operation ranges from vans and utes, including 14-pallet jumbos. Regarded globally as a market leader in innovation and technology, especially for its Isothermal solutions, Italian company ISOKIT, is a brand long synonymous with the forefront of temperature-controlled transport technologies. Securing the exclusive distribution rights for the local market has been something of a master stroke by Eurocold Managing Director, Paul Piert, whose own background before forging a relationship with ISOKIT, was in the passenger vehicle rental market. Last year

Inside the Eurocold body building facility in Brisbane.

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Avraam Solomon joined the organisation.

Formerly, with Scully RSV, Avraam, brought with him a strong foothold in the food service and logistics space for refrigerated vehicles and a relationship with Isuzu Australia Limited dating back 25 years, making him a logical fit with the business. He serves as Eurocold Chief Executive Officer.

“The expectation from the ISOKIT Italian head office was to move half a dozen containers in the first year,” he says.

“We’ve moved 21 containers and we have subsequently ordered a lot more than that for next year.”

The decision by Paul to commit considerable investment to having stock on hand in Australia has proven to be another major accomplishment. That move 12 months ago ensured Eurocold safe passage through a COVID economic climate fraught with uncertainty, helping to avoid transportation delays brought

about from waiting on containers commonly moved on ships made to sail around Singapore where they can sit idle for up to two months before returning.

That investment, to date, has resulted in having an estimated $3 million worth of bodies on the ground at Eurocold’s Brisbane facility.

“In the normal trading environment that could have been less than half of that,” says Avraam. “But Paul took a position which has paid off and it’s also shown Italy that we’re committed to the Australian market.”

There’s perhaps no better time to establish a hire business than during a crisis or pandemic like the one which has wrought both economic and supply chain turmoil the past two years. That vision now being realised by Paul is especially prescient in a market hesitant to invest in assets.

“That’s certainly the case in the food services sector with shutdowns and

restaurants closing which all affects food services operators,” notes Avraam. “But at the end of the day they still need vehicles.

Food still needs to be moved around.”

Indeed, it was the hire business that kept the Eurocold factory full and production going as the option to rent a vehicle for a year or two became an attractive proposition.

After the first 12 months of business the rental fleet has grown to 50 vehicles. By June 2022 they will be on track to hit 100.

By mid-2023 they expect to have grown the rental fleet to 200 units. The business, according to Avraam, has the capital and bodies to achieve that.

“We’re committed to growing our fleet.

The mid to short-term goal for us is to get to 200 vehicles,” he explains. “We don’t have any of our vehicles sitting on the lot waiting for someone to come and rent a vehicle for one or two weeks.”

The Eurocold business, in essence, is really

about partnering with food providers or logistics companies that want to rent a vehicle longer term. When a truck emerges from the Eurocold factory it is destined, wherever it ends up, to go there for a minimum of between 12 months to four years according to Avraam.

Some of the best and biggest logistics companies in Australia are taking orders of the vehicles such is the quality of the Eurocold product.

For the part of key supplier Isuzu, Avraam couldn’t be happier with the support Eurocold have received.

“While everyone at the moment has stock shortages, we’ve stayed ahead of that with Isuzu. We’re still sitting on chassis which should see us out until June,” he says.

“Moreover, we’re ordering more for the second half of next year. Let’s just hope Japan keeps giving them what they need.”

Aside from the small fleet of F Series Isuzu trucks it offers its rental customers,

Eurocold leased 11 Isuzu vehicles into JD Refrigerated Transport late last year that are delivering Ingham chickens into a fast food chain.

“We gave them everything that they wanted and they’re rapt,” says Avraam, who, as it happens, worked many years ago with JD Refrigerated Transport Managing Director Joe Joseph. The 11 Isuzu FVLs recently deployed into JD Refrigerated Transport are specified as 12-pallet trucks to go into local distribution as volume increases of foods in the fast food sector are felt right across the market. Something similar is also going on in the burgeoning home delivery sector — another sector on the up for Eurocold.

While last mile delivery for the supermarkets is booming, the other home delivery domain seeing a revival is the prepared meals sector. Youfoodz recently came on board as a client for

ISOKIT’s isothermal body boasts one of the highest K-factors in the industry.

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COVER STORY

Eurocold. Youfoodz, according to Avraam, is particularly pleased that they can rent these vehicles over a specific period of time.

“They might start with a two-pallet truck but a year into it they might need a sixpallet truck,” he says. “We’ll take back that two-pallet truck and deploy it somewhere else and give them a brand new six-pallet truck. That way they’re not stuck worried about how they are going to dispose of assets or when they’re going to lose money or make money. We take all that headache away.”

The vehicles are fully maintained by Eurocold who have installed tracking devices in each. It not only gives them tracking of the vehicle and the chassis but a temperature control around the vehicle right across the delivery cycle so they can give their clients assurance that the temperature of the product that they’re carrying is protected the whole way. It’s not uncommon for Eurocold to have up to four cameras on its long-term hire vehicles, a specification requirement as it turns out.

“The word flexibility for us has become part of our culture and what we do,” says Avraam. “There’s a lot of truck bodybuilders in Australia that can sell assets and there’s a lot of banks who will finance our customers, but they will not give them flexibility. If you go to a major bank and you buy your asset and even put it on a chattel mortgage for five years, you can’t go to the bank two years in and ask them to take it back because you want to buy a different one.”

Flexibility also comes in the form of the ISOKIT isothermal body that, at present, boasts the highest K-factor – the capability to hold temperature and pull it down – in the Australian market.

The body itself is approximately 18 per cent lighter than the nearest competitor’s truck body. To build something that has got the best K-factor but also weighs considerably lighter improves, among other selling points, payload.

“Isuzu already gives us a good payload but by putting a lighter body on top of that it might mean another 300 kilos which is enough to sway a customer knowing 28

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Avraam Solomon with Joe Joseph, JD Refrigerated Transport MD.

they can maximise their loads,” explains Avraam. “We’re the only bodybuilder in Australia that can give a five-year warranty on the floor. The technology around how the floor is manufactured in Europe and is tested gives us an advantage. Being able to give a five-year warranty on the floor is not normal and we’re very proud that we can give that. Forklifts drive into the back of trucks all day long but they’re not all built the same and not all of them can handle a forklift driving on them every single day and we know that our floor can handle it.”

With less body weight the customer is outlaying less on fuel, saving on wear and tear costs for their fridge unit and increasing their payload. Fridges, under these friendlier conditions, don’t have to work as hard and generally last longer.

The benefits, in other words, speak

for themselves.

The advantage in Eurocold having at once ISOKIT and the body building business enables it to better control the production inventory of what’s going to go into the rental business.

“We don’t depend upon a manufacturer or a body builder to deliver us a vehicle specc’d how they want it on time. We’re in control of that. That’s the advantage. We’re not dependent on a third-party provider,” says Avraam. “We know what stock we’ve got and we allocate that well in advance so we can guarantee the supply for a rental customer.”

The confidence in the Isuzu product has been built over a quarter century for Avraam, who for 20 of those years was an end-user in a food wholesale business.

Given customers already have the buy-

in on what remains the market leading brand, it also makes it easier, too. There’s no hard sell required of the customer.

They know Isuzu is an established brand in the market synonymous with reliability.

“For us it makes sense because it’s the perfect partner,” Avraam adds. “When they tell us they have chassis put aside for us we know they’ll be there in two monthstime. We know the product development is there and that it cycles every five years.

They’re also competitively priced. As a buyer we always want to pay less. You’re getting a really good product and you’re getting it at a reasonable price. They’re the factors we’re looking at – the reliability, the payload and the price. Isuzu really tick all those boxes for us.”

Eurocold’s Isuzu product offering is split between the FVL and FVD range

mated with a full-automatic Allison transmission. The wheelbase is ideal for 14- and 12-pallet vans giving them an optimal payload.

“The FVD is a great vehicle for loading docks as it sits higher than a lot of the competitors,” says Avraam, noting its versatility. “A lot of people only want a 10-pallet truck. With the supermarkets going through what they’re going through we’re seeing a big increase in 10-, 12- and 14-pallet vehicles. It’s been good for us.”

And demand is only set to increase according to Avraam. Activity over the next two years, conservatively speaking, will only grow to the point that every truck, before it comes out of the Eurocold factory, will already have been allocated.

“It’s keeping our pipeline full. Even if we’re building stock trucks we know that

once we’ve got them ready to go that the market is taking it,” he says. “Even if the supermarkets are not investing in every single asset themselves we have seen a big increase in contractor work and the contractors are looking for good reliable assets quickly.”

For the moment Eurocold is seizing the opportunity while it can. Being that the business is very focused on long term rental and relationships, the future, at least in the short-term, is likely to hold expansion plans as the company looks to partner with more dealers across the country.

“Australia is only growing and the supermarkets are only growing and they’re going to need more trucks,” says Avraam.

“It’s probably not a bad time to be building refrigerated trucks.” p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

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PRACTICAL

Vac Truck Industries is a leading Australian manufacturer of versatile hydro-vacuum excavation and high pressure jetter trucks.

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pecifically designed and engineered for the collection and disposal of various liquids and debris, vac trucks as they are commonly known, have been instrumental in changing the way many excavation projects such as trenching and under road boring are being performed across Australia. The operations involve high pressure water jets being used to loosen the soil on

Matt Clough with a new Hino 700.

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the targeted surface, while a powerful vacuum boom sucks up all the mud, debris, liquids, slurry or sludge back into a truck mounted ‘spoil’ tank which can have a capacity of up to 10,000 litres. The liquid is then transported to a suitable location for disposal in an environmentally correct manner.

There is an increasing demand for equipment with the capabilities to perform minimally invasive hydro-

excavation work and to remove the resultant spoil and sludge, while still remaining straightforward to operate and maintain.

“These days for anyone who is doing hydro-excavation work, they essentially can’t dig unless they have a vac truck,” says VTI Managing Director Matt Clough. “Australia has a complex network of underground assets such as gas, water, telecommunications,

AGIC electrical and stormwater systems just waiting to be struck at any given moment when excavating by traditional methods. Because of the significant liabilities companies can’t afford to take out any services, or worse, risk worker injury or death.”

Located at Arundel on the Queensland Gold Coast, Vac Truck Industries (VTI) is emerging as Australia’s leading OEM manufacturer in its sector, providing complete vacuum truck solutions to a broad number of sectors including the construction, civil, electrical, infrastructure, mining, drilling, and oil and gas industries in Australia. Over just a few years VTI has grown to become a major national supplier across these various sectors. Key to VTI’s success has been focus and investment in development of evolving technology to produce Australian designed, engineered and manufactured hydro-excavation vacuum trucks, high pressure hydro drain cleaning systems and liquid waste collection systems.

Since its beginning, VTI has expanded and diversified its offerings significantly, with various packages and specifications designed to meet the changing demands of their clients’ industries. The equipment covers a range of volume sizes and power capabilities as well as various sizes of tanks for fresh water and spoil.

VTI was established four years ago with the intent to provide the local market with readily available, high-

Matt tilts the telescopic arms of the tank via remote control.

quality Australian-made and supported products and the Directors Matt Clough, Ned Popovic and James Hennessy, can draw upon more than 50 years of combined industry experience.

“We based our manufacturing processes around Australian assets with a priority of keeping jobs in Australia,” says Matt. “Our focus is to build trucks which suit the challenges of Australian conditions, and at the same time make a conscious effort to keep their operation simple. With no disrespect to vac truck operators, it’s vital to keep them userfriendly by being simple to use and simple to maintain.”

The level of simplicity is evident with

equipment such as the pumps and blowers fitted to VTI trucks being hydraulically driven by the trucks’ engines via the power take off (PTO) connection, obviating the need for an auxiliary engine. The result is a less complicated truck with a lower tare weight and lower noise levels when operating, which is important for residential or night works. Using the truck’s engine to power the equipment also has the benefit of reducing emissions to the Euro 6 standards met by the current model trucks used as the platforms for the hydro and vacuum equipment. Those same exhaust emission standards may not be p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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necessarily met by an auxiliary engine.

Practical, well-researched design and quality manufacturing are just the first steps of the journey VTI maps out for its customers.

“We pride ourselves on the aftersales service and support we provide. It’s all well and good selling something, but it’s also important how you manage it after the initial sale and how you support your customer. Frequently when people buy one of our trucks, they’ll be back to buy another one and we find we do a lot of repeat business.”

Operating in a market which is considerably specialised, yet highly

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competitive, the VTI business has grown rapidly from its beginnings.

“It took us nine months to put our first unit out due to the amount of research and development necessary to achieve the end results we insisted upon, and since then we’ve delivered nearly 100 trucks,” says Matt.

Initiated prior to VTI’s manufacturing operation, Vac Truck Rentals Australia continues as an important factor in VTI’s overall offering and currently has ten trucks of differing sizes and capacities available. The hire operation also provides the opportunity for potential buyers to experience the benefits of the

locally made units before committing to purchase their own. The hire option also allows potential customers to remain agile in their markets and improve their operational productivity in reaction to fluctuating industry demand and prices.

After importing some equipment from the USA, Matt, Ned and James soon became convinced they could manufacture superior equipment locally and build trucks which were better suited to Australian conditions and were compliant with the relevant Australian Standard AS1210 in the construction of the pressure vessel components which are vital to the successful operation of

this type of vehicle.

The performance and efficiency aspects of VTI vacuum trucks are much more than just details of velocity, airspeed, and suction specifications, as innovations such as remote controls along with outstanding reliability are crucial factors as well. The result for VTI’s clients are robust, without having overly complicated pieces of Australian engineering which are adequately backed by spare parts and service expertise.

“The one comment that is frequently made is our trucks are really easy to use,” says Matt. “Our truck design is

simple compared to others that have so many different things on them you have to be a rocket scientist to operate them. Consequently, we can give an operator a ten-minute rundown over the phone and they can immediately begin operating efficiently and safely.”

VTI hasn’t allowed COVID to affect the company’s export aspirations.

“We recently sent a truck to New Zealand and obviously couldn’t get over there to do the familiarisation for it, so we did it over the phone,” recalls Matt. “They know how to operate it because it’s very simple and that simplicity is definitely a key point of Hino 700 8x4.

difference between our trucks and those of our competitors.”

VTI delivers trucks which can go straight to their first job with the pre-delivery preparation extending to include the safety items necessary for operational and worksite compliance.

The cab-chassis which are the basis for VTI’s vehicles are not restricted to one brand, although Hino has been becoming more dominant in recent years. VTI acquires all Hino trucks through Sci-Fleet dealerships which strengthens the ability to offer a complete package to a customer at a competitive price with the advantage of a single invoice and finance application.

“Hino are easy trucks for us to build on,” says Matt. “The Allison transmission is our preferred option but we can work with other drivelines as well. I reckon the new 8X4 Hino 700 is a bit of a game-changer for Hino because the cabin is very European and people like that European look. We’ve got a couple more on order already.”

Vac Truck Industries has attained a unique position in the Australian market and provides equipment and services to some of the largest and most respected companies including BHP and Rio Tinto. An extensive supplier network of trusted industry brands is backed by a highly-skilled and industrytrained team of technical specialists which can provide full service delivery to its customers.

Vac Truck Industries’ reputation has been deservedly built on its delivery of reliable, efficient and safe vacuum trucking solutions, which universally prove to maximise clients’ return on investment due to the integration of high quality components, including the cab chassis bases from leading manufacturers such as Hino.

Moving forward, the company is not standing still and remains at the forefront of industry development by working closely with customers to best understand their needs and to provide them with competitive advantages into the future. p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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PICK A

BOX Clenton’s Transport specialises in the efficient road transport of shipping containers throughout the greater Sydney region.

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ccording to a recent report from NSW Ports, almost half (42 per cent) of all goods found in a typical Sydney household are imported via shipping containers through the facilities at Port Botany. In its position as the state’s main container terminal, Port Botany handles 99.6 per cent of the state’s container movements, totalling around 2.7 million during the 2021 financial year, which represented a growth of 11 per cent on the previous year.

Australia is a nation of consumers and even the COVID-19 situation hasn’t caused much disruption to the level of imports as during lockdowns more Australians simply switched to

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purchasing goods online rather than via traditional “bricks and mortar” retail premises. The benefits provided by shipping containers, for both imports and exports, requires a system of land side transport with a similar level of efficiency in order to quickly move goods between the docks and the distribution warehouses. Provision is also required for the return of containers once they have been emptied of their contents.

Jason Clenton’s father Greg operated a transport business handling airfreight to and from Sydney airport for 40 years and when he retired in 2015 he sold his single truck operation to Jason who set about examining different business opportunities. Jason quickly recognised

the looming potential for the road transport of shipping containers, not just to and from the local suburbs around his base, but also for the greater Sydney region.

Prime movers and skel trailers quickly followed as the Clenton fleet kept pace with its rapidly growing enterprise.

“I only ever wanted five trucks,” says Jason whose fleet has now expanded to 12 prime movers and a variety of trailers including Hammar side loaders.

Jason was an early adopter of the benefits offered by high productivity combinations under the umbrella of the Performance-Based Standards (PBS) scheme and his interest in wanting to operate high-productivity freight vehicles

The newest DAF deliveries at the Clenton’s Transport facility in Sydney.

led to the NHVR granting the route approval for 85 tonne GCM 30-metre A-doubles operating from Port Botany to the Clenton Transport facility at Smeaton Grange, a distance of about 60km. This was the first such approval in New South Wales and has opened the road corridor from the port precinct to the growing industrial area of southwestern Sydney.

In an engineering sense, another first on that initial Freighter A-double combination was the inclusion of a rigid drawbar dolly which improves the tracking of the overall trailer set, reduces the ‘whip’ at the rear of the second trailer and improves stability when braking.

The trailer fleet currently includes four Freighter A-doubles from MaxiTRANS which have the flexibility to carry two 40-foot containers or four 20-foot containers which provides a significant reduction in truck movements.

“We wanted to be part of something new and fresh that hasn’t been done before and we’re definitely reaping the benefits from the investment”, said Jason at the time of putting the first PBS vehicle into action.

A recent development in the Clenton’s

Clenton’s Transport Allocator, Gavin Foster.

Transport fleet has been the acquisition of four new DAF prime movers including a Super Space Cab XF and three CF models, all loaded with the latest suites of active and passive safety systems and powered by 13-litre PACCAR MX-13 engines developing 530hp and 2,600Nm. To complement the new truck’s appearance Jason had Armoury Group at Penrith add some subtle customisation items including bullbars

fitted with integral LED light bars, stainless steel deck plates and wrapped fuel tanks which require no polishing, and some pin-striping to enhance his company’s corporate graphics. The initial decision to move to the DAF brand was essentially decided by the ready availability of DAFs with the necessary specifications and with short delivery times. Jason was quite impressed with the XF, as is the driver who mainly p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

performs trailer work around Sydney.

“He’s a big boy and spends twelve to fourteen hours a day in it and loves the comfort and quietness,” says Jason. “He’s not getting bounced all around the cab.”

The success of the DAF XF has led to the acquisition of the CFs which mostly work in the sideloader division.

Jason has also taken advantage of the maintenance and service agreements available through the local PACCAR dealer Gilbert and Roach.

“The DAF CFs offer a great level of visibility and they’ve got a back window which my guys say is important,” he explains. “It seems to ride low to the ground which is a perfect combination for our side loader division and two of

Euro 6 DAF CF powered by a 13-litre PACCAR MX engine.

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the three are on sideloader work.”

The third DAF CF is involved in a relatively new situation for a client based in Melbourne who has Clenton’s Transport performing its Sydney operations with a specialised tipping skel trailer equipped with an on-board diesel powered blower which is used to empty resin products from within a 20-foot container locked onto the trailer via the container pins.

“We wanted to have a new vehicle dedicated to that work so we put our best foot forward with the new equipment. They supply the trailer and we provide the truck,” explains Jason.

“A major part of the reason they came to us was their previous operator’s yard

was bumpy and potholed with water and mud and when their trailer left the yard it would be covered in mud. We’re carting food grade resin so you can’t be showing up to a client where your trailer is absolutely filthy. We can offer them something that’s better than that.”

Demand planning is a major factor in the Clenton’s Transport operation in order to satisfy customers’ needs and comply with the mostly inflexible requirements of the port operators. An integrated allocation system combined with Teletrac Navman tablets in each of the trucks ensures efficiency and compliance. Each driver also uses the tablet at the start of each shift to declare they are fit for work as well as perform

a full pre-work check of the truck and trailers.

The implementation of the Freight Tracker management system keeps tabs on vehicle movements and availabilities, and is also capable of tracking individual containers. Not every business premise has the capacity to store containers, so clients are able to take advantage of the opportunity to store containers on either short- and long-term basis at the Clenton’s Transport premises which also has 24/7 security. Client costs such as demurrage fees are kept to a minimum due to the rapid return of empty containers to the allocated parks at the port.

Clenton’s Transport has built a

reputation as not just a good place to do business, but also a good company to work for. There is a widely acknowledged shortage of good truck drivers in Australia, yet as Jason’s company has expanded and required additional drivers, he has yet to find much difficulty in recruiting new people.

“We actually get good people come in here wanting to work for us,” he says.

Ask most operator’s about their main challenges and the almost universal answer is “drivers.” That is certainly not the case according to Jason who has recruited a great team of dedicated professionals. Instead, as challenges, Jason points to the ever escalating port fees and road tolls and the

sustained upwards creep of fuel costs in recent times.

Jason considers the relationship between his business and his clients as being a mutual partnership and Jason, along with his entire team, are always striving for the ‘win-win’ balance.

“We’ve progressed to the point where we are certainly now big enough to get the job done quickly, but small enough to still treat them like a partner rather than a number,” he says. “We continue to focus on the principles that helped us expand past our first truck and still hold each individual job as the most important part of our day, focusing on safety as the underpinning of everything we do.”

DAF XF super space cab is connected to the trailer by Tybie Foster, Gavin’s son.

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TRUCK & TECH

Kovatera KT 200e.

BLUE SKY

MINING In the extremely harsh conditions of underground mining operations, Kovatera stands head and shoulders above anything else. Equipped with Dana TM4 electric drivetrain components, the Kovatera BEV range does its thing while burning no midnight oil whatsoever.

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rivetrain Australia, the local distributor for Canadianmanufactured Kovatera underground mining service vehicles, will receive its first Kovatera, the battery-electric version of the diesel-powered KT 200, in Australia this year.

Drivetrain believes the industry is not yet satisfied with the battery-electric vehicle offering available on the local market and there is an opportunity to trial the high quality Canadian-built machines in Australian conditions.

“The KT Bev range of vehicles are fit-

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for-purpose underground hard-rockmining-ready vehicle vastly superior to the electrified on-highway vehicles available locally to the customer,” says Mark Griffith – General Manager Sales & Business Development at Drivetrain Australia. The vehicles will come to Australia standard with up to 88kWh battery and a range of between 50-90 kilometres between charges, depending on operating conditions.

“The Cummins diesel powered Kovatera KT 200 already has a well-established presence in the market, and we expect the electric powered range to build a

strong following also,” Mark says.

Unlike other vehicles in the segment that are essentially modified versions of 4x4 cab/chassis utes, the Kovatera KT 200 is purpose-designed and built from the ground up for underground mining applications.

“They have an industrial strength driveline which includes enclosed wet brake agricultural-style axles and a power-shift torque converter transmission coupled to the Cummins engine,” Mark says.

The other big difference, Mark explains, is the chassis and body panels with the

former constructed from beefy T-bar steel rails and the latter made from steel sheet that’s twice as thick as regular automotive panels. Furthermore, the cab structure is suitably strong to enable it to pass roll-over protection (ROPS) and falling object protection (FOPS) tests without any additional internal or external bars.

A big benefit of the T-bar chassis is that it is self-cleaning with no boxed sections to trap mud and moisture and cause corrosion.

“The average automotive-style underground vehicle lasts between two and a half to a maximum of four years, depending on the type of mine, whereas the Kovatera will survive for eight to nine years or 10,000 working hours under similar conditions,” Mark says. “They last three times longer and carry twice as much – up to 2.7 tonnes – and the other big benefit is superior availability due to the lower maintenance requirements.”

Suspension is heavy-duty parabolic leaf at the rear and coil springs with

heavy-duty shock absorbers at the front.

According to Mark, machine availability is typically close to the mid 90 per cent mark which he says is unheard of with other ute-based vehicles. Both the diesel and electric versions feature Dana driveline components, with the electric versions sporting the Dana TM4 driveline consisting of a battery-powered electric motor feeding into Dana axles.

Drivetrain Australia has been the local agent for Dana Spicer off-highway products for over 15 years and Mark says that taking on the Kovatera distribution has been a dual benefit for the company because it has enabled the use of Dana components which have made the vehicle more suitable for Australian conditions.

“The diesel-powered version didn’t have Dana axles initially but after we took on the distributorship we were able to ensure it was equipped with Dana axles which improved the vehicle for Australian conditions and also increased our market presence,” Mark says.

In terms of projected sales of the

Kovatera electric vehicles, Mark says the company has competitors in the same space with electric vehicles, but he cites as a distinct advantage the fact that Drivetrain Australia has been selling the diesel version for some years.

“In some ways I think we’re ahead of others because we have an established market with our diesel version here and since the proven platform is common to both vehicles, we can concentrate on highlighting the merits of the electric drivetrain,” Mark says – adding that the company has to date sold around 20 diesel-powered Kovateras and counting, and that there are a number of companies looking at the electric version and how it will fit into their operations.

“There are a few people out there going through their paces and learning what it takes to make a vehicle operate effectively in Australian mining conditions,” Mark says. “It’s not a simple process but it’s something we’ve done and are experienced at doing. I think one of the key benefits of the partnership between Kovatera and Drivetrain is that we have

Drivetrain Australia head office in Perth. p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

the engineering capability. We have a comprehensive understanding of mining conditions and we have the network and maintenance capabilities to support whatever we put into the market.”

When the diesel version was introduced to the local market Drivetrain, not unlike the electric unit, spent a considerable amount of time ‘Australianising’ it. “Now we have a really effective product and we expect the same with the electric version,” he says. The company teamed up with the University of Adelaide to do

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a testing program on the floor strength which involved impacting the floor with a variety of rods at different angles and degrees of sharpness and analysing the effects.

“With the existing floor we had mild penetration so we decided to develop a heavier gauge floor which was subsequently tested to the same degree and proved impenetrable,” Mark says.

“This enabled us to significantly improve this important safety aspect of our underground utility vehicles.”

In addition, Mark explains, Drivetrain provides a five-year warranty on the chassis because in his words they are “pretty indestructible.”

“We recommend a midlife overhaul at five years where the various driveline components are replaced which enables the vehicle to provide another five years of effective service, by which time we recommend the vehicle is replaced with a new unit,” Mark says. Safety is of utmost importance in underground mining applications. Each of the batteries is

individually enclosed and has a forced cooling system and safety systems so the instant there is any sort of failure the electric system is isolated to mitigate the risk of fire or explosion. All of the electronics, what’s more, are mine duty spec which Mark notes is also important.

Another safety feature of the electric Kovatera is the regenerative braking. It enables the vehicle to hold a steady speed on steep downgrades with minimal service brake application.

The combination of Dana electric drivetrain componentry and axles in the robust Kovatera underground mining vehicle gives Drivetrain Australia the ideal vehicle — a vehicle to take its customers forward into the electric age that is slowly permeating every type of application.

Tony Stone, Executive General Manager, Mark Griffith, General Manager - Sales and Business Development, Peter Gale, General Manager - Operations.

cummins.com.au

TRUCK & TECH

ZERO EFFECT

In the right application opportunities will arise to maximise the full potential of PBS and take productivity to the next level as industry confronts the challenge posed by Zero Emissions Vehicles explains Tiger Spider Managing Director Marcus Coleman.

Marcus Coleman.

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ustralian High Productivity Vehicles like B-doubles, roadtrains and PBS combinations have a unique set of challenges and opportunities when it comes to Zero Emissions.

Compared to smaller urban trucks and buses HPVs travel long distances and consume huge amounts of energy.

Battery electric powertrains have proven to work for buses and show promise for urban delivery and garbage trucks which travel less than 250 km per day and return to base for overnight charging.

Elon Musk is promising an affordable Tesla prime mover with 500 km to 800 km range. It remains to be seen if this will hold true towing an Australian tri-axle semi reefer van let alone an 85-tonne PBS A-double.

We’ve modelled various heavy

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electric powertrains using available electric motor, battery, and fastcharge technology and certainly some applications are feasible.

But long distance electric High Productivity Vehicles are still some time away without significant battery improvement, massive fast charger deployments or advances in hydrogen based product options. However, the bevy of new EV technologies does provide ways to improve high Startability, Gradeability and Acceleration Capability performance.

These PBS standards will become increasingly relevant as we progressively overcome road infrastructure limits.

On-highway engine power has been constrained by emissions regulations and Australia’s reliance on overseas suppliers. While engine manufacturers have larger options available, they don’t support on-highway emissions beyond 600hp and 700hp. This is critical for PBS since speed on a 1 per cent grade performance caps GCM. The NHVR has been negotiating with road managers to remove the prescriptive pavement horizontal loading requirement which limits GCM of tandem drive prime movers to 70 tonnes (Level 1), 85 tonnes (Level 2), 110 tonnes (Level 3) and 150 tonnes (Level 4). This follows

recommendations made by the 2015 Austroads PBS Level 3 and Level 4 Standard Review. It is a useful change but only helps a little with existing prime movers.

PBS vehicles are supposed to offer equivalent or better performance to the existing fleet, but this is impossible if we add an additional axle group or two (often between 15 to 50 tonnes more payload) and don’t increase power and tractive effort for Gradeability (A) - maximum grade percentage and Gradeability (B) - speed on a 1 per cent grade.

PBS driveline requirements are already difficult to achieve for PBS Level 3 and Level 4 vehicles. Main Roads WA overcame this for remote and regional areas by relaxing the Level 4 standards and requiring only that a more appropriate prime mover is not readily available on the market. This is a pragmatic approach, which works for remote areas, but won’t be accepted by the Eastern states and in higher traffic areas.

Ultimately, more power is required and that’s been too difficult to achieve with on-highway emission requirements.

But electric motors don’t have these constraints and are already available with peak power ratings over 250kW per axle. With this technology we could

soon see 1000+hp powertrains on a PBS combination.

Of course, an electric motor is only as good as the energy source supplying the electricity. This is where the current technology is lacking, and the costs mount up. Nevertheless, in the right application there is no doubt opportunities to maximise the full potential of PBS and take productivity to the next level. With the right government support and incentives combined with freight industry ingenuity, there’s no reason we can’t accelerate the introduction of High Productivity Zero Emissions Vehicles in Australia.

The 80/20 rule applies. Australia’s fleet is 80 per cent passenger cars and 20 per cent commercial vehicles. Again, 80 per cent are light commercial and 20 per cent heavy commercial; 80 per cent are rigids or buses and less than 20 per cent articulated trucks. But despite making up less than 0.5 per cent of fleet numbers, articulated trucks are responsible for 80 per cent of tonne-km travelled within Australia.

Passenger cars and light commercials consume around 80 per cent of Australia’s transport fuel where Heavy vehicles consume around 20 per cent.

It makes sense for High Productivity Vehicles to be the last heavy vehicle class to make the transition to zero emissions. The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) have announced a target of 30 per cent of new truck sales to be Zero Emissions by 2030. Buses will be the first heavy vehicle category to move in a serious way with most Australian State governments setting goals for all new buses by around 2025 and NSW promising to transition their 8000-vehicle city bus fleet by 2030.

This is well behind China, who established electric vehicles as a key national science and technology industrialisation project in 1995. In 2004 China’s National Development and Reform Committee specified R&D focuses in three electric drive technologies (fuel cell, electric, and hybrid vehicles) and three associated components (battery, electric motor, and electronic control system) with funding in the order of $USD290 million. From 2006 to 2010 the focus moved from R&D to scale production and investment in the sector exceeded $USD1.5 billion.

In 2007 China defined New Energy Vehicles (NEV) to include Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), Battery Electric

Vehicles (BEVs), Fuel-Cell Vehicles (FCVs), hydrogen Internal-CombustionEngines (ICE), and other vehicles with new fuels (National Development and Reform Commission, 2007).

In 2009 the Chinese central government announced subsidies for New Energy Buses of up to CNY 500,000 (≈AUD 80K) for battery electric buses and CNY 600,000 (≈AUD 100K) for fuel-cell electric buses. Further subsidies were provided by provincial governments and additional financial support was provided through the Asian Development Bank (ADB) who in 2013 approved the Clean Bus Leasing Program for up to $USD275M to support up to five financial leasing companies to provide leases for clean buses in the Peoples Republic of China.

Consequently, China now has over 500,000 electric buses in operation.

With the adoption of electric vehicles, new entrants like BYD and Tesla have emerged as market leaders.

Australia leads the world in High Productivity Vehicles and we can lead the World in High Productivity Zero Emissions Vehicles. But if the Chinese model is anything to go by, it will take time, coordination, and serious government support to achieve.

A high productivity vehicle carts logging materials over a mountain. p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

ULTIM

THE BURN

As the world powers irrevocably towards a zero carbon emission future, each commercial vehicle manufacturer is frantically searching for the best methods to achieve this goal.

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et’s face it, with the latest Euro 6 and forthcoming Euro 7 compliant diesel engines featuring supremely advanced technology that essentially turns them into giant vacuum cleaners, releasing exhaust with fewer particulates into the atmosphere than the air they take in, the last bastion of purity that can be conquered is eliminating carbon emissions. And seemingly the only way to do this successfully is to stop burning fuels of any kind altogether.

This reality has led to a flurry of activity among the auto manufacturing world in recent years, with each manufacturer seeking to establish the optimum platform to take it into the brave new world where the words fuel and burning will increasingly be regarded as the dirtiest words in the vocabulary.

For its part, Iveco Australia, has recently undertaken an organisational restructure that it believes will help facilitate the company’s transition towards more sustainable transport solutions beyond its current Euro 6 model range.

The appointment of a dedicated resource is part of a broader global initiative, and has seen long-time Iveco Senior Product Manager, Marco Quaranta, take on the role of Strategic Projects and Industry Relations Manager with a focus on propulsion. In his new position, Marco will be heavily involved in setting up the necessary internal infrastructure and associated support systems to back Iveco’s future alternative energy ambitions. In relation

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to electric vehicles technology, he says the technology was rapidly advancing. “I believe that electric power is the future for commercial vehicles,” Marco says. “Battery power will be key for local pick-up and delivery, refuse collection and other backto-base applications, but ultimately for longer distances it will be hydrogen electric fuel cells.”

Marco says that thanks to Iveco’s joint venture partnership with Nikola, Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Fuel Cell Battery Electric Vehicles (FCBEV) for heavyduty applications are becoming a reality.

Meanwhile, Isuzu Motors Limited and Cummins Inc. recently announced an agreement to create a prototype mediumduty, battery electric truck to demonstrate in North America. This is the first zeroemissions solution facilitated by the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership (ICPP) formed in May 2019. Through this arrangement, Cummins will integrate its PowerDrive6000 into Isuzu’s F-Series truck, with pilot vehicles expected to commence operation in prominent North American fleets in 2022.

Following this, Isuzu will explore opportunities to commercialise mediumduty, battery-electric trucks across North America.

Long-time rival, Hino, has also flagged a strong environmental commitment at an Australian and global level, citing a series of new global joint ventures and collaborations aimed at creating nextgeneration vehicles.

“Hino is involved in a number of joint ventures, partnerships, and collaborations aimed at reducing emissions and waste to support the Hino Environmental Challenge 2050, which is a set of longterm goals adopted by Hino to help create a sustainable society for the future,” says Daniel Petrovski, Manager of Product Strategy for Hino Australia. Accordingly, Hino aims to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of its vehicles by 90 per cent, which includes the development of next-generation vehicles such as plug-in hybrids, BEV and FCBEV. For example, Hino has established a 50/50 joint venture with Chinese battery company BYD on commercial development of BEV. Another is between Hino and Volkswagen parent TRATON for e-Mobility in order to plan and provide e-mobility products.

Most recently, Hino has announced a new partnership in commercial vehicles with Isuzu and Toyota. The three companies will combine Toyota’s CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric) technologies with the commercial vehicle foundations cultivated by Hino and Isuzu.

For customers ready to move in that direction now, the SEA Electric SEA-Drive 120a paired with a Hino M Series chassis is commercially available today with the City of Newcastle debuting the first vehicle of this kind in its operations only recently. In Australia, Hino has also collaborated with Melbourne-based SEA Electric on their localised solutions and supplies Hino Semi

Freightliner eCascadia.

ATUM Knocked Down (SKD) Glider Kits for use in two SEA Electric models.

Meanwhile, Daimler Trucks with its Mercedes-Benz, Fuso and Freightliner brands is continuing to advance its quest for carbon neutrality with a project called Ambition 2039. Together with the energy supplier Enovos and the Norwegian energy producer Statkraft, Mercedes-Benz is expanding its green power portfolio – which is made up of solar, wind and hydropower – in Germany. Electricity is generated in a solar park near Ingolstadt and by more than 200 wind turbines throughout Germany as well as from hydroelectric power plants, so that the green electricity supply is said to be guaranteed at all times. The cooperation will reportedly enable CO2-free electricity to be purchased from renewable energy sources from this year onwards and forms the basis of CO2-neutral production.

In Germany, in addition to the production plants for cars, vans, trucks and buses, all other Daimler facilities, including the headquarters and administrative locations, are also supplied with green electricity.

In other Daimler developments, the global truckmaker and the world’s largest independent engine manufacturer, Cummins, have signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a global strategic partnership. Under the new deal, expected to begin after 2025, Cummins will invest in the development of mediumduty engine systems for Daimler Trucks and Buses.

“We are pleased to announce this important strategic partnership with Daimler to provide the medium-duty

Hino Hybrid 300.

engine systems for Daimler Trucks and Buses in global markets,” says Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO, Cummins. “Our partnership is a terrific opportunity for both companies to be more competitive, drive global innovation, expand offerings to customers and reduce emissions. Cummins will establish an engine plant within the current MercedesBenz engine facility in Mannheim, Germany. The facility will utilise existing resources to produce medium-duty engines compliant with the Euro7 emissions standard for Mercedes-Benz. Cummins has also committed to using its existing footprint and production and supply chain networks in all other regions for use in other Daimler Trucks’ brands, such as Freightliner of Daimler Trucks North America.

“The memorandum of understanding between Daimler Truck and Cummins makes engine production at the Mannheim

location fit for the future and at the same time strengthens our competitiveness,” says Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management at Daimler Truck and member of the Board of Management at Daimler.

“With the changeover to Euro 7, we would have to invest considerable resources in the further development of our medium-duty engines. We are now freeing up these funds to focus them on the technologies that are crucial to our long-term corporate success in the transformation of our industry.”

Daimler said it anticipates the partnership with Cummins will enable the company to increase and accelerate its development efforts on alternative and emerging technologies, including non-diesel engines. The global group will focus on the further progression of zero-emission drive technologies as well as further development of commercial heavy-duty drivetrains. p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

Dashcam footage can help resolve insurance claims.

DASH L A N D I N G When it comes to collisions it’s often one driver’s word against the others’. Or is it?

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hat happens when one of your drivers is involved in a collision? He swears the other vehicle swerved in front of him, but the other driver blames him, and there are no independent witnesses.

How do you disprove the accusation?

What evidence can you rely on? When driving a truck, this scenario can be all too common.

This is exactly the kind of situation that smart dashcams and fleet management solutions help to deal with according to Andrew Rossington, Teletrac Navman Chief Product Officer.

“Camera-based solutions let you clearly see what happened before, during, and after an incident in high-definition, 46

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paired with all the insights you need analyse what happened,” he says.

“Because the cameras are fully integrated into the telematics platform, the video is instantly available.”

For businesses it provides a complete picture of the route, speed, environment, conditions, and activities around the vehicle. That complete data set will help protect drivers, vehicles, the company, and, ultimately, its reputation. It’s irrefutable visual proof of your driver’s awareness and behaviour as the incident occurred — key to avoiding legal and repair costs when your driver was not at fault.

Smart dashcams feature advanced lenses and sensors built into the driver-facing and forward-facing cameras. It plays

a crucial role in keeping drivers safe as they capture activity throughout a journey, including the road environment and the driver’s awareness to ensure they get home safely after each journey.

By detecting unsafe driving behaviours, the internal camera supports the safety of company drivers. Factors like phone distractions, drowsiness, and seatbelt negligence all add up to a dangerous journey, which, if left unchecked, can prove fatal according to Andrew.

“Installing internal cameras will pinpoint these issues and allow you to proactively prevent collisions from happening,” he explains. “They ensure your drivers are doing the right thing on the road and keeping both themselves and others safe. And if someone

falsely claims that negligence on your driver’s part caused an accident, you will have clear and reliable evidence to prove otherwise. No arguments, no legal costs.”

Forward thinking Forward-facing cameras are the real game-changers for a litigation defence.

By installing one as part of a telematics solution in each vehicle, fleet manager and business owners will capture evidence that they can review, analyse and then use to support a case for any incident their vehicle is involved in.

Sensors within smart dashcams work to keep drivers safe by detecting first-hand any unsafe driver behaviours. These can include traffic light infractions, stop sign violations, illegal u-turns, and unsafe following distance. All this, according to Andrew, ensures the driver is practicing safe driving habits behind the wheel.

“As the holiday road toll has shown,

serious incidents and collisions are all too common,” he says. In December 2021, 102 Aussies lost their lives. Even though it’s lower than the average of 109 lives lost in the last five Decembers, it’s still a harsh reminder to fleet managers across the country to stay proactive when it comes to their drivers and their vehicles according to Andrew.

“Installing telematics and in-vehicle cameras is a smart choice,” he says.

“It will help you pinpoint dangerous behaviours that might, if unchecked, cause a crash.”

Driver and forward-facing dual cams can also give a valuable driver training tool to help improve behaviour to ensure safety; enhancing the overall safety culture across the business. Technology like this will continue to help keep insurance costs down by sending an insurer a clear signal that the business is serious about fleet safety and provide evidence for notat-fault events.

“There barely goes a day where dashcam footage isn’t capturing aggressive, speeding, or dangerous driving on Australia’s roads,” says Andrew.

“Motorists not abiding by road laws, swerving lanes, and losing control, these are just the tip of the iceberg. Dashcams provide irrefutable visual evidence to show exactly what happened and who was at fault.”

By taking advantage of technologies like smart dashcams, businesses that rely on vehicles are protecting themselves against the ‘what ifs’. In the end it’s all about peace of mind, both for the company and for its drivers says Andrew.

“You eliminate the guessing game of ‘who, what, where, and when’. By deploying technologies, you achieve multiple benefits, including improved driver behaviour, enhanced overall fleet safety, reduced insurance costs and protection against false claims,” he notes.

“Your company will thank you for it.”

Much more than truck insurance.

Zurich helps to improve safety in the trucking industry through market-leading fleet risk management services.

We work closely with customers to optimise business processes and driver behaviour.

This helps to reduce claims, keeping your trucks on the road.

Ask your broker about Zurich today.

This information is general advice only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situations or needs. You should obtain and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Policy Wording (as applicable) from zurich.com.au before making a decision. A target market determination is available at zurich.com.au/GI-TMDs or by calling us on 132 687. The issuer of general insurance products is Zurich Australian Insurance Limited (ZAIL), ABN 13 000 296 640, AFS Licence Number 232507 of 118 Mount Street, North Sydney NSW 2060. ZU233775 V3 01/22 LEWG-018092-2022

p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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TEST DRIVE

HEAVY THE

HITTER

The all new Hino 700 Series shows Hino is serious about its Heavy Duty aspirations as the truckmaker forges ahead with its latest market leading technology.

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ompetition in the Heavy Duty sector between Japanese truck brands has been instrumental in all of the OEMs’ making serious efforts to outdo each other as each wave of new model is planned and subsequently released. This results in the current situation where the decision of one over another can be a difficult choice. The buying decision has recently become even more complicated because of the availability of the latest Hino 700 Series in which, to quote Hino Australia’s Product Strategy Manager Daniel Petrovski, “everything other than the chassis rails has been changed”.

Hino’s commitment to the Australian market is unquestioned as evidenced by the range on offer here currently standing at 178 models, with the 700 Series expanding from ten models to 19. The specifications and real world performance of this latest 700 series range show that Hino is now as serious about the heavy duty end of the market as it has previously been in its more traditional light and medium duty sectors where it has earned solid sales successes over many years.

The 6x2 truck provided for this test is the FS2632 model, fitted with a curtainsider body typical of trucks suited to short haul and metropolitan distribution applications. The Hino is loaded to a gross weight of 18.5 tonnes, well short of its 26 tonne GVM,

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but certainly enough to provide an indication of the 700’s performance with a realistic average load aboard.

The 6x2 configuration is becoming increasingly popular as operators seek to maximise payload while still reducing initial and operational costs.

The standard fitment of polished Alcoa wheels across the entire 700 Series adds to both payload and visual appeal. The front axle rides on taper leaf springs while at the rear Hendrickson’s road friendly certified HAS airbag suspension provides a smooth and stable ride. A sixrod mechanical rear suspension is also available as an option on this model.

The test route incorporates a variety of roads and conditions ranging from the NSW Central Coast to the Illawarra area including the challenging Mount Ousley, and back up into the Southern Highlands with everything in between including braving the Sydney traffic.

There are three cab heights available across the new Hino 700 Series and all meet the current ECE R29 cab strength standard and are air suspended on all corners to insulate the occupants from the road. The interior of the cabs have a Tardis effect due mostly to the additional 40mm of headroom achieved by locating the hood lining closer to the cab’s roof structure. The test truck’s cab has three bar chrome grille elements which indicate it is powered by the 9.0-litre engine (13.0-litre models have a similar

designed four bar grille.)

The new Euro 6 A09C long stroke engine is a variant of 9.0-litre engine available in the Hino 500 Series Wide Cab and also shares some heritage with the all-conquering Hino Dakar Rally racing trucks. There are two power Hino 700 FS2632.

ratings of 320hp and 360hp available in the 9.0-litre powered 700s depending upon the model and wheelbase. The 320hp engine has exceptionally flat power and torque curves and delivers maximum torque of 1,275 Nm between 1,100 and 1,600 rpm. It is backed by an Allison 3200 torque convertor transmission which has over drive ratios on the top two of its six-speeds. The rear axle ratio of 5.25:1 combines well with the intuitive Allison to provide a good balance of lively acceleration, hill conquering torque and all the while delivering good fuel economy. According to the HinoConnect telematics, over the test distance of 248 kilometres the Hino returned an average of 1.95 km/lt, with a high of 2.6km/lt across a 51 kilometre section of mostly freeway driving.

The engine meets Euro 6 emission standards through the combination of Diesel Oxidation Catalyst, a Diesel Particulate Filter and Selective Catalytic

Reduction using AdBlue fluid. The emission system has been tweaked to the tune of using up to two per cent less AdBlue fluid then previous models which may not seem much, but in this current world of AdBlue shortages every little bit helps. The complex yet efficient exhaust system provides the added benefit of significantly reducing the engine’s noise.

The new Hino 700 range now features an Electronic Braking System (EBS) combined with the Hino Taper Roller brake system, which enhances braking performance and reduces maintenance requirements. Hino has moved from S-cam braking to the taper roller design to reduce tare weight, decrease compressed air requirements, and deliver a smoother brake feel for the driver. The reduced maintenance is due to less moving parts. The braking performance is significantly boosted by the engine’s Jacobs Brake which

provides perfect speed control on declines such as Mount Ousley. The effects of the blended braking system is as good as anything from Europe.

Hino’s approach to safety is further showcased by the integration of its SmartSafe system which has Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) as its cornerstone and now includes a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Detection (PD), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Reverse Camera and a suite of other standard safety features including a driver’s airbag and a pre-tensioning seatbelt integrated into the ISRI seat. The driver’s seat has significantly increased aft travel compared with previous 700 Series and in combination with the multi adjustable steering column, should accommodate any driver’s physique. The LDWS incorporates a ‘weaving’ warning

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49

TEST DRIVE

Staggered, illuminated steps make access to the cab safe and easy.

if it detects the truck is excessively moving within its lane and signals the driver even prior to the wheels crossing a painted line.

There is a degree of additional

The engine system uses up to 2 per cent less AdBlue fluid than previous models.

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confidence achieved from being aware the VSC can help prevent the truck from rolling over when entering or exiting a corner too fast. VSC is also able to enhance vehicle stability on slippery surfaces by autonomously reducing engine power and applying the brakes to individual wheels, helping to keep the truck on the driver’s intended path in almost all conditions.

A Driver Monitor system has been added into the Hino SmartSafe package which includes a camera mounted unobtrusively on the A pillar which constantly monitors the driver’s attention to the driving task by using key metrics such as driving posture, face orientation, and eyelid status. The system provides a visual and audible alert if it detects recognised signs of drowsiness or a lack of attention from the driver. Driver performance is monitored and reported via the HinoConnect telematics system and is also displayed on the 7-inch LCD screen located in the dash bezel in front of the driver. The colour display changes

subtly from blue to green according to the level of fuel-efficient driving and includes driver reminders about such matters as excess idle times or unnecessarily harsh acceleration.

Assess to the cab is via a safe set of staggered and illuminated steps and well positioned grab handles. The ergonomics stylists have provided a functional yet very comfortable driver focused interior which features a wraparound dash which delivers a ‘cockpit’ feel with all controls and logically arranged switches easily accessed without having to stretch to reach any of them. Our test takes place on a summer day and the automatic climate control is a refreshing addition with its “set and forget” function.

Australia is an important market for Hino and ranks fourth or fifth globally in terms of annual unit volumes.

Similar to its parent Toyota, Hino is turning its vision to the middle of this century. It’s worth noting, that a hybrid version of the 700 is already available for sale in Japan.

SMART DASHCAM

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1300 111 477 TeletracNavman.com.au

PERSONALITY

ADBLUE ASTRA Leigh Smart has the background and skill set to provide informed comment on the AdBlue shortage which began to become a serious concern to Australian trucking in late 2021when China cut off exports of the product.

Leigh Smart.

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he Managing Director of Formula Chemicals in Sydney where he operates his own in-house fleet of dangerous goods vehicles, Leigh Smart, is also a chemist and sits on the Policy Council. A former Chairman of Road Freight NSW, he was the winner of the ATA Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry Award in 2019. He is regarded by many in the industry to be an expert on the transportation and manufacture of dangerous goods.

Prime Mover: Is there much difference between agricultural urea and Diesel Emission Fluid (DEF) or AdBlue?

Leigh Smart: There are different grades of chemicals which are basically normal, technical and pharmaceutical grades. The issue with DEF is that manufacturers such as Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL) mainly make 52

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agricultural grade urea to go to farms so it’s not of the quality standard required by trucks. The urea used for AdBlue requires stricter manufacturing controls.

Agricultural urea is a fairly basic chemical made without a lot of quality control and it can have everything in it from bits of pallet and bits of gravel, most of which doesn’t matter because it’s destined to be spread on the ground. To achieve the technical grade required by DEF there is a challenge to prevent cross contamination between the different types of fertiliser manufactured at the one site and that requires things like dedicated front end loaders, forklifts and trucks because we can’t have contamination of the DEF grade product.

PM: What about water, the other ingredient of DEF? LS: You can’t just use tap water because it likely contains heavy metals. The sensitive truck AdBlue systems will pick up contaminants which can block injectors or doser pumps and lead to expensive repairs. So the water has to be processed to ensure quality, usually by a process known as reverse osmosis. A problem with DEF is it crystalises if the urea comes out of solution and it can set like concrete. Even if the system is flushed with water there may be still the need to remap the Engine Control Unit.

PM: What sort of implications are there in simply not using AdBlue during this shortage?

LS: We can’t just say we’ll ignore Euro

6 emissions in Australia for a couple of months because we’re short of AdBlue.

The trucks’ AdBlue systems can’t be just switched off. It’s not just about volume but concentration as well. The typical ratio of DEF is 32 per cent urea and 68 per cent purified water and a truck’s AdBlue system works on a specific concentration, so if you dilute it 50 per cent you’ll use twice as much.

PM: Given the quality control requirements AdBlue seems straightforward to make but is the market in Australia large enough to justify manufacturing it locally?

LS: It would be nice to have a local manufacturer and not rely upon overseas supply. It’s similar to the fuel situation where we rely on imports. DEF is not hard to make with just the two ingredients being urea and water and it can’t be stuffed up as long as the ingredients are the right grade. Agricultural grade urea is manufactured here in Australia so it’s just another phase to take it from ‘ag’ grade to a DEF grade. The manufacturing plants that are here probably have that capability if the people who own them are willing to spend the money. IPL are spending a lot of money on their plants to make a ‘green’ type of ammonia to use as fertiliser as they want to move away from the old style urea.

That will affect the market here when it comes to urea for DEF manufacture. If IPL walk away who’s going to do it?

PM: The Federal government recently awarded a $29.4 million subsidy to

IPL to keep the Gibson Island factory operating until the end of 2022. Does this alleviate the situation?

LS: Almost $30 million for a 12 months’ supply of urea just doesn’t make sense.

Why are we giving it to a $6.2 billion company which only supplies around ten per cent of the local market? It’s disappointing because they have indicated the plant at Gibson Island is going to close anyway.

PM: Do you think the government grant will lead to a long-term solution?

LS: Not by doing this. AdBlue is just as essential as diesel to keep trucks on the road. When IPL leave the market in December 2022, we will no longer have an Australian manufacturer of DEF grade urea. Who will then be responsible to manufacture AdBlue and supply enough product in Australia to meet market demands?

PM: Do you think the Department of Industry’s $319,000 supply and demand analysis report from McKinsey Consulting will reveal anything new?

LS: The Department is still considering allowing operators to use their vehicles without AdBlue, yet the truck manufacturers have already blasted the idea last year. They need to talk with industry and regulators such as the NHVR. PM: In late December 2021 the Minister for Trade, Dan Tehan, announced he had a significant amount of refined urea coming in from Indonesia. Will that address the short-term shortage?

LS: It was confirmed the Indonesian government was to provide 5,000 tonnes of refined urea in January but how do we turn that into AdBlue unless it goes to another manufacturer?

PM: Are the government’s celebrations premature and should the government be doing more than just reassuring the industry that everything will be OK? LS: Late in 2021 they formed the AdBlue Task Force with the former CEO of IPL, the former Chairman and CEO of DOW Chemical, and Australia’s Chief Scientist.

DOW has never made AdBlue or urea in Australia.

PM: What needs to happen?

LS: The government says it’s all solved but it’s not all solved at all. DEF supply also affects the agricultural industry so when it comes into the seasons where they’ve got to harvest cotton or grain if there’s no AdBlue for the harvesters we’ve got problems. The only way we are going to solve this is to have a long-term local manufacturer and not rely on urea supplies from China. Even if Indonesia is willing to do a deal to supply the right grade of urea we should still have local manufacture.

Around 80 per cent of transport operators have ten trucks or less and don’t have the buying power of the majors. If not enough AdBlue is available an operator with three trucks may have to park one. There’s 30 per cent of his business gone but he still has to pay lease payments, registration and the driver. It’s not just COVID affecting supply chains, it’s the shortage of AdBlue as well.

The final delivery stages of Rapid Antigen Tests are not delivered on B-doubles, it’s done by light trucks and courier vans which also need AdBlue. Australia needs to start having a conversation about sovereign risk to our supply chain and what we cannot do without as a nation.

The Formula Chemicals site in West Ryde, Sydney. p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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PRIME MOVERS & SHAKERS

MAKING S A A LOCAL I A local approach to heavy vehicle road safety is having some excellent effects in rural Victoria John Ernst.

J

ohn Ernst is the Executive Officer of the South Gippsland Safe Freight Network and Project Manager for Safe Freight Networks Australia.

John’s background is in community development work and he has had a keen interest in road safety since the beginning of his professional career in rural Victoria in 1987. John’s extensive experience in developing communitybased programs to address specific issues has been fundamental in the establishment of the Safe Freight Network organisation.

It began when John was working for the South Gippsland Shire. He had met Allan Pincott, who had organised a road safety meeting. Allan was then an inspector with VicRoads and made a presentation in relation to the high number of truck rollovers in the Shire.

“We got 240 drivers together in a room and had a bit of a chat,” says John. “Allan

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did his roll over presentation and drivers’ jaws started dropping. We presented the statistics for South Gippsland which showed at the time there was a rollover every fortnight in just this tiny little shire of 19,000 people, which was just ridiculous.” Subsequently John was able to utilise Council resources to bring major stake holders to the table including major fleets, the police and VicRoads. Within 12 months truck rollover crashes had been reduced by 80 per cent and that result was sustained for the next ten years.

“A lot of the companies began sharing their data and information and I didn’t realise this wasn’t happening anyway.

Log truck drivers and milk tanker drivers actually sitting at the same table together sharing information about how they make their operations safer had never happened before,” he recalls. “Everyone might know each other but they don’t actually sit down

and talk about it.”

John immediately recognised that the problem was bigger than South Gippsland — half of the trucks are not even from the area.

The establishment of Safe Freight Networks eventuated with its core aim to facilitate a local response for safety in the broader freight task by holding round table meetings between stakeholders in the road freight industry who were interested in making a safer road environment for all professional road users.

“This is best achieved through a greater understanding of what is happening at a local level,” says John. “We believe that the experts in local road safety are those who are involved as professional organisations and the drivers who engage in the freight task on a daily basis.”

The program was immediately successful and in 2015 won the National Award for Local Government Excellence in Road Safety. The program also won the inaugural Transport Accident Commission ‘Toward Zero’ award in the same year.

John then sought ways to quantify the effect the road environment may have on road accidents and found there was plenty of information. But the message just wasn’t getting through to where it was needed.

“In 2019 Rural Roads Victoria came to us and said they had some money which needed to be spent on the western roads or in the Victorian section of the Green Triangle area and asked us what were our priorities,” he says. “We couldn’t answer because we didn’t know ourselves. Everyone had a vague idea but nobody could actually say for sure.

Most companies keep records of vehicle damage as the result of roads and we

S AFETY I SSUE sought a way to unlock the information and use it productively with road owners to show certain sections of some roads need attention. We’d been struggling with this for eight or nine years and then I came across this company called CrowdSpot in Melbourne who work with the cycling people.”

CrowdSpot carries out research work for vulnerable road users including pedestrians and cyclists through engagement with local government bodies such as shire councils.

“When shires are thinking about putting in new cycling infrastructure they use them to get it right,” John explains. “Cycling’s Amy Gillett Foundation also uses them every five years to audit of cycling infrastructure in various major cities around the country.”

In conjunction with CrowdSpot’s expertise in producing interactive map-based reporting tools John set about developing a similar system for truck drivers to use.

Two pilot areas in the Green Triangle and Gippsland were set up in early 2021.

“The idea is the truck drivers can log on with an app on Apple or Android systems or via the website, and a map comes up of all the roads,” he explains. “It’s even got every by-road marked and as they drill down they can actually go to the location that is causing them a problem. They just drop the flag on there and it also allows them to put a comment up on the side.”

The combined information produces ‘heat maps’ which indicate areas where particular problems occur and the report generated provides a list of the top ten areas which need attention.

“Straight away, Rural Roads Victoria in western area of the state picked up on it and said some of the rectification works can be done as part of cyclic maintenance,”

says John. “It was just a matter that they needed to be made aware of, and within days they were clearing the overhead branches and the vegetation from the roadsides.”

The program is being initially funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and has also been instrumental in changing the allocation of funds by addressing priorities including the redesigning of intersections.

“The idea is to get the reports back to the NHVR and have a look at this as a methodology which could be rolled out across the country,” says John. “Until now, there hasn’t been a way for the ordinary drivers to feed into road condition reports and what’s come out of the Safe Freight Network meetings in both Gippsland and the Green Triangle is the road managers wanted a way to actually have their drivers have direct input.”

For the authorities and road managers the new program represents value for money and has already proved to be a good

public relations exercise with the transport industry taking a degree of ownership.

Some results are already being realised.

An unexpected benefit has been Safe Freight Network’s involvement in discussions about repurposing old road infrastructure as the basis for new rest areas when a bypass is constructed.

“In Gippsland they have already done that in three locations and it cost very little compared with building brand new stuff,” John says. “The drivers have invested time and are already seeing outcomes.”

It’s a win for the road owners, too, as they can say they are actually responding to what the industry wants.

“Some of what they can do will be under cyclic maintenance and is not going to cost us anything extra, and some projects will need engineering solutions so we’ll need to do a bit more investigation and do a safe systems assessment,” John says.

“Due to having the list of priorities they can also slide in whenever they have additional funding.”

A Kenworth hauls goods near Hall’s Gap in regional Victoria.

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

www.deliverymagazine.com.au ISSUE 106 MAR 2022

EUROPCAR

THE EXPANSE NEXT GEN FORD RANGER | ISUZU D-MAX SX

MAR

CONTENTS

THE EXPANSE

22

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DELIVERY NEWS

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LATEST FROM THE INDUSTRY

RIDING SHOTGUN

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THE EXPANSE

Vehicle rental business, Europcar, is expanding its footprint in Australia as it

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diversifies its customer offering.

ONSITE

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NEW RANGE OF RANGERS

Ford is leaving few stones unturned in the pursuit of versatility and practicality in the Next-Generation Ranger.

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MAXIMISING VALUE

Tray back utes continue to have a place in the Australian market with their appeal to tradespeople, farmers, and delivery drivers.

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REIMAGINING T H E S U P P LY C H A I N

PROUD PARTNER

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E H X H I B I T I O N C E N T R E

NEWS

PREMCAR CLOSES IN ON 1000 VEHICLE MILESTONE

The Premcar team in Epping.

Proof that Australian automotive manufacturing is once again operating strongly in Victoria can be seen in the more than 750 examples of the Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar having already rolled off the production line.

Premcar’s Epping facility and its 35- strong Warrior team are on track to produce its first 1000th vehicle by the end of March. The Nissan Navara PRO-4X undergoes extensive remanufacturing at the Premcar premises to deliver the ‘world’s toughest Navara’, with the team engineering a unique vehicle which is tailor-made for Australia and local conditions.

Key updates include enhancements to the Nissan’s performance and capability with wheel, tyre and suspension changes combined to deliver improved ground clearance, 60

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a wider stance and improved ride and handling.

“We’ve been hard at work on Warrior 2.0 from almost the moment we finished work in the first Warrior,” said Premcar Engineering Director Bernie Quinn.

“This is so much more than some kind of sticker pack. This is an extensively re-engineered vehicle that’s designed, engineered and built by some of the world’s most talented automotive manufacturing experts, right here in Victoria,” he said. “This is not just a win for Nissan, and for Premcar, but for the automotive manufacturing industry more generally. We have always had world-beating talent, and it’s so rewarding to watch them produce world-beating vehicles again.”

The new flagship model of the Nissan Navara range is based on the rugged PRO-4X. Put through ten manufacturing

stations at Premcar’s facility before the metamorphosis into the Warrior occurs, the Nissan ute undergoes a transformation that takes more than ten hours to complete including the fitting of the winch compatible bullbar with its integrated light bar, as well as full underbody protection including a new bash plate and a 3mm steel second stage protection plate.

The revised suspension is complemented by 17-inch Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3 tyres with increased tread depth, and an off road focused tread pattern, all covered by a full set of Warrior-specific fender flares.

The suspension package includes new spring rates for more front-end support and reduced body roll, plus revised front and rear damping for greater control and improved isolation from impacts plus a reduction in “float” when towing or carrying a load.

AUSPOST DELIVERS 52 MILLION PARCELS DURING CHRISTMAS FRENZY

Australia Post executed 5 million ETA alerts in December.

Last year’s December peak saw national carrier, Australia Post, deliver 52 million parcels in the lead up to Christmas. More than 5.6 million Australian households shopped online during the traditional gift giving season, and with volumes in October and November also higher than in previous years, it demonstrated a desire on the part of consumers to plan ahead and shop early amid persistent supply chain woes.

In order to meet demand Australia Post said it had moved more packages by air than ever before. Up to 25 dedicated freighters took to the skies each night, with more than 8.7 million kilos of parcels flown across the country throughout December, up 13 per cent on the previous year, with a massive 556 tonnes

moved on the busiest December day.

Australians also managed their deliveries through Australia Post’s app and website in record numbers, with more than 83 million visits, while almost 5 million new ETA (estimated time of arrival) alerts in December helped customers plan during the busy festive season by notifying them of the two-hour window parcels were to arrive ahead of Christmas.

More than 20 million customers visited Post Offices to send cards and gifts and collect packages, including more than 3.9 million from PO Boxes, while more than 475,000 items were also collected from Australia Post’s free parcel lockers around the country during December, the most ever in a month.

Group Chief Executive Officer &

Managing Director Paul Graham said many months had been spent preparing for the festive season and despite the continuing challenges presented by the pandemic, the entire Australia Post team had delivered a great Christmas for Australians.

“That we have seen another 52 million parcels delivered at Christmas demonstrates the dedication of the people in our Post Offices, our Licensed Post Office Partners, and everyone working across our processing, delivery, customer teams including more than 5000 new team members who helped make it possible,” he said.

“We thank Australians for their patience and support during these challenging times, and with so many customers heeding our call to shop and send early we saw a really big November for both deliveries and online shopping ahead of our traditional December peak,” said Graham.

Among the top online buys for Christmas were books (up more than 22 per cent) and specialty food (up more than 5 per cent), while there was also an increase in the purchase of pharmacy items (up more than 9 per cent on the previous month).

ISUZU UTE AUSTRALIA SMASHES YEARLY SALES RECORD Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) has achieved an all-time record, chalking up 35,735 new vehicle sales in 2021.

Revealed in the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Annual Report, the figures show the marque soundly trounced its previous annual record of 27,640 vehicles sold in 2018.

IUA grew its sales by a mammoth 61.6 percent compared with the previous year – a result the company attributes to the successful introduction of the new-generation MU-X seven-seat wagon in August 2021 and the burgeoning popularity of the D-Max ute range. This resulted in the brand achieving 11th place overall in the Australian market.

“Rounding out the year in 11th overall was quite an accomplishment for our young brand comprising two model ranges – a result only made possible thanks to our loyal customers, who have been patient and understanding as we meet the unprecedented levels of demand,” said IUA Managing Director, Hiroyasu Sato.

“I’d like to take this moment to not only thank them for their patience and understanding, but to apologise to those customers waiting for their vehicle orders, some of whom have waited months for their vehicle. We look forward to welcoming them to the Isuzu family as soon as possible.”

By the end of December 2021, a cumulative total of 230,977 units – 169,607 D-Max Utes and 61,370 MU-X wagons – had been delivered since IUA was founded in 2008.

Isuzu D-Max and Isuzu MU-X. d el i ve r y m a g a z ine . c o m . a u

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NEWS

UBER TAKES CONTROL OF SHARED CAR SERVICE Uber has acquired Car Next Door, an Australian company it has announced.

First launched in Sydney in 2012, Car Next Door is a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform that offers convenient access to cars for renters, that in turn can provide revenue to car owners, making it easy to turn any car into a shared car. The service operates Australia-wide, with vehicles listed in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart, Launceston, and Newcastle.

In a statement Uber said it was focused on offering Australians an easy, affordable, and convenient alternative to private car ownership. The addition of Car Next Door to the Uber suite of products is anticipated to bolster its ability to offer Uber riders a reliable option for trips that are less suited to rideshare, such as running errands and day trips.

The deal, according to the media statement, builds on Uber’s ongoing investments in electric vehicles, micromobility, and public transport to reduce over-reliance on the private vehicle and help achieve greener, more liveable cities.

Post-acquisition, Car Next Door will report into Uber’s Australian team, but will otherwise operate independently, with its existing leadership team remaining focused on building and scaling their technology in more cities across Australia.

“This year marks ten years since both Uber and Car Next Door launched in Australia. A lot has changed in that time but one thing has stayed constant: a shared vision that we need to make transport not just safe, convenient, and affordable – but also sustainable,” said Dom Taylor, Uber Australia and New Zealand General Manager. “Over the last decade, Uber has created shared rides options like Uber Pool, invested $800 million globally to drive electric vehicle uptake, and integrated micromobility, and public transport options into the Uber app.

“What our app users haven’t had though, is the option for those mid-range and longer-distance trips. This deal will change that, and mean that the Uber platform can be a reliable and convenient alternative to the choice to own a car.”

According to Will Davies, Car Next Door

CEO and Co-Founder the sale represents an opportunity for the business to achieve its mission of “freeing people and the planet from the one person one car mentality” years before the company otherwise could have.

“By working with Uber we can scale up our ambitions and look to move Australians away from the over-reliance on the private car which is damaging our planet and making our cities less liveable,” he said. “We know that many of our members are already combining carshare and rideshare with shared bikes and scooters, walking and public transport for a mobility mix that suits their lifestyle. We’re hearing from more and more people that they no longer feel the need to own a car, because getting transport on demand saves them money and hassle.

“In the ten years since Uber and we launched in Australia, attitudes to car ownership have really started to shift.

We see this deal as a big step towards making car-free or car-light living accessible to more people in more places and freeing up space for people, not parking.”

Uber is building a fleet as an alternative to private car ownership.

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HILUX UNBREAKABLE, UNBEATABLE IN DAKAR RALLY Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Nasser AlAttiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel have skilfully guided their new GR DKR HiLux T1+ to overall victory in the Dakar Rally. Widely acknowledged as the world’s most gruelling off-road motorsport event, the 2022 Dakar Rally had been held in Saudi Arabia earlier in the year.

The Qatari/French pair led from the start, with their vehicle reportedly performing faultlessly in the harsh conditions to give Al-Attiyah his first win in Saudi Arabia since the Dakar was moved there in 2020, finishing with a winning margin of 27 minutes and 46 seconds.

The winning HiLux was part of a fourcar team running under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner, with the South African pair of Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy crossing the line in fifth place after a broken oil pipe put paid to their podium aspirations

mid-race.

Fellow South Africans Shameer Variawa and co-driver Danie Stassen finished the 4,261km of competitive stages in 15th place and, with a final stage win, Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings climbed to an overall 31st place.

Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said Toyota Australia congratulated all the Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers and co-drivers on a sensational result.

“In just six years, Toyota Gazoo Racing has grown to become a global motorsport powerhouse with victories in the World Rally Championship, the World Endurance Championship and iconic races like Le Mans and Dakar,” said Hanley. “It’s from this activity that Toyota is building the GR brand and importantly for our customers, GR cars like the GR Yaris and forthcoming GR86

that continue to push the performance envelope,” he said.

The winning GR DKR HiLux T1+ was built specifically for this year’s Dakar and features larger wheels and tyres, dramatically increased wheel travel and the 3.5 litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that also powers the new Toyota LandCruiser GR Sport in some markets.

On taking his second Dakar win for Toyota Gazoo Racing, Nasser Al-Attiyah said it was such an incredible feeling to win.

“We led right from the start, and managed to control the pace throughout the race, making it an amazing win,” said Al-Attiyah. “I’d like to thank Toyota Gazoo Racing and all our sponsors for the support. I’d also like to thank our Team Principal and Technical Manager, Glyn Hall, for building this fantastic new HiLux T1+.

“It was an amazing Dakar and I am extremely happy,” he said.

HYUNDAI BOOSTS HYDROGEN REFUELLING INFRASTRUCTURE Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) is investing $1.7 million to upgrade its hydrogen refuelling station at its headquarters in Macquarie Park, Sydney. The upgrade is part of a broader vision by HMCA to help establish a nationwide hydrogen refuelling network for passenger and commercial vehicles – of which the company is a key manufacturer.

In a statement, the company said its state-of-the-art facility – expected to be operational by late 2022 – will produce green hydrogen via an integrated electrolyser at the rate of up to 20kg per day. It will replace HMCA’s existing hydrogen refuelling station which has been operational since 2014 and has conducted fills of both Hyundai and competitor Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen forklifts.

HMCA will work with Australian gas technology company ENGV in the construction of the new refueller

that’s said to provide 700bar refuelling capability. This will reportedly enable refuelling of the Hyundai NEXO FCEV in less than five minutes, with a claimed range of up to 666km on a single tank.

HMCA Chief Executive Officer, Ted Lee, said Hyundai is proud to be investing in the Australian hydrogen economy as part of a move towards a clean motoring future.

“This investment forms part of Hyundai’s long-term commitment to a zeroemission future for Australia. Hydrogen fuel cell mobility is anticipated to play an integral role in the country’s transition to cleaner drivetrains and we intend to help lay the stepping–stones toward making this vision a reality,” said Lee. Hyundai has selected US-based PDC Machines and IVYS Energy Solutions to supply the hydrogen refuelling station, known as the SimpleFuelFast, with ENGV responsible for local integration, installation and ongoing

operational services.

This engagement follows CSIRO’s Victorian Hydrogen Hub announcement in mid-2021 which will see ENGV, PDC Machines and IVYS Energy Solutions working together to construct a hydrogen refuelling system at the national science agency’s Melbourne facility.

According to ENGV CEO, Sean Blythe, Hyundai’s project will leverage the experience gained through the CSIRO project as well as the company’s delivery of the first public hydrogen refuelling station, commissioned by the ACT Government in Canberra.

“We are excited to bring our handson experience developing hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across Australia to the HMCA project, said Blythe. Together with Hyundai, we are committed to growing the country’s hydrogen sector in a safe and sustainable way.” d el i ve r y m a g a z ine . c o m . a u

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RIDING SHOTGUN

THE EXPANSE

Vehicle rental business, Europcar, is expanding its footprint in Australia as it diversifies its customer offering.

L

ate last year Europcar Mobility Group announced it was adding 3000 vehicles to its Western Australian operation and increasing the Europcar station network on the back of the franchise agreement with AUS Fleet Solutions (AFS). On top of the announcement, it would introduce more commercial vehicles into its

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rental model, which it was continuing to adapt to better suit the current market. The acquisition of additional commercial vehicles reflected its confidence in expansion and growing commitment to the transport and logistics sector, particularly the last mile delivery space with vans.

“The business has been looking at how supply chains are evolving and

the impact of that with ecommerce growth,” says Jonathan Dexter, Europcar Australia and New Zealand Commercial Director. “Last year we saw some good growth, particularly in the courier and last mile area. That’s part of the story of why we’ve taken on more vans and we will continue to look at opportunities to adapt our offering to meet market demand – a key part

to our purpose of being a mobility solutions provider. We see the demand continuing to be strong into 2022 in transport and logistics.”

As a mobility solutions provider, part of what that means for Europcar is diversifying their value proposition.

The range of products Europcar offers is certainly changing, not only to better reflect the requirements of its customers but also to adapt to a rapidly changing market and consumer behaviour.

“That fits with our global strategy,” says Jonathan. “We want to grow the van and truck business along with our cars. We understand different customers have a range of needs.

For instance, some require a number of vehicles to scale up for projects based on seasonality, whereas for others, it is the preferred model to other vehicle funding and ownership alternatives. Added to that, the

pandemic is driving or accelerating change and adaptations in sectors which create opportunities for us, where potentially rental would not have been in the customer’s consideration set historically.”

Europcar sees the type of vehicles on range being a cornerstone to their offering. Passenger vehicles extend from compact vehicles, SUVs and prestige. Commercial vehicles concentrate on utilities with specifications up to mining, as well as vans and Pantech trucks.

“What we want to deliver is a range of vehicles that can apply for a customer’s varying use cases as well as addressing sector specific requirements,” Jonathan says. This ties into what Europcar calls its high customer satisfaction mission.

“Clearly we want our customers to enjoy the product they’re driving and be safe. Whether that be for people

that are moving house for a weekend, holidaying with family, in a replacement vehicle following an accident, driving to mine/construction sites or professional courier drivers,” Jonathan explains. “In our NPS scores, vehicle quality is one of our key strengths and we want to keep it that way.”

The new vehicles Europcar is bringing into the fleet increasingly have enhanced sustainability credentials.

Limiting both emissions and fuel consumption furthers the alignment with the company’s corporate sustainability goals.

“Sustainability is a core element of our vision and mission,” says Jonathan.

“It’s a key requirement for where the world is going and what we need to do as a social and economic imperative.

It’s a critical part of what we do and will continue to adapt to face current and future challenges within mobility.”

Economic forecasting has helped deal

A sampling of the new IVECO Daily vans on the Europcar lot. d el i ve r y m a g a z ine . c o m . a u

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RIDING SHOTGUN

Jonathan Dexter.

with the ongoing disruption of supply chain strangulations, COVID outbreaks, government mandates and fluctuations in product availability. That means paying special attention to customers’ requirements and outlooks.

“While predictability has been difficult, particularly with the volatility we have seen over the last 24 months in travel, the better we understand our customers’ needs and direction, the more agile we can be to manage during dynamic market settings,” Jonathan says. “This works in concert with our fleet procurement 66

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and management, along with operations across the network.”

In terms of fleet procurement, one of Europcar’s key milestones for their sustainability objectives is reducing carbon emissions for its car and van fleet to reach an average of 93 g CO2/ km for passenger cars and 144 g CO2/ km for vans respectively, by the end of 2024. This translates into having more electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are expected to drive the company car fleet around Australia moving forward.

“We have had electric vehicles in our

Europcar is looking to grow its van and truck business to reflect changes in the market.

New Zealand fleet since 2017 and in 2021 launched them in Melbourne and have since expanded into Sydney,” says Jonathan. “We are also bringing in more plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles, particularly with the offering from manufacturers expanding. We see opportunity and appetite for lower and zero emission vehicles in a range of settings and use cases.”

For instance, providing corporations with lower emission vehicles for business travel or their fleets and consumers, for that matter, enables them to run a level of electric vehicles

in a nimble way according to Jonathan.

“By linking that to our overall strategy, over recent years we’ve been evolving our offering as a rental player, into increasingly an ‘on demand’ model by the hour and also an alternative to car ownership via our longterm rental solutions and vehicle subscription,” he says.

These types of offerings, he explains, can be a trial to ownership or preownership so that customers can test it out on their terms.

“From the initial customer feedback we received in the early days, range

anxiety was an important issue to address with EVs,” Jonathan says.

“Our experience is that education, dissemination of user information on the vehicle and support are really important for customers adopting electric vehicles in their rental and/ or fleet mix. Ultimately, for most, the reason for reducing emissions is clear, it’s more a question of how it works practically that we need to help address.”

Looking ahead in 2022, Jonathan is optimistic about Europcar and the market.

“Internally, we have some new mobility products launching this year in Australia that I believe will provide real benefit to our customers, along with some exciting customer experience initiatives,” he says. “Externally, we’re expecting more openness of interstate borders and gradually the return of inbound business. Add to that the arrival of new commercial and passenger vehicle models and the first full year with our new franchise partners, AUS Fleet Solutions, it makes for a thrilling year ahead”. d el i ve r y m a g a z ine . c o m . a u

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ON SITE

NEW RANGE OF RANGERS Ford is leaving few stones unturned in the pursuit of versatility and practicality in the Next-Generation Ranger.

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he Next-Generation Ford Ranger will be available from Australian dealers mid-2022 and Ford has employed a customer-centred approach to the new range, delivering a comprehensive rework of such fundamental elements as the ute tub itself, or “cargo box” as Ford prefers to call it. A V6 diesel engine is also on the menu, as Ford discontinues the engine line up which has been with

us for the past few years and aims to provide the power and economy combinations that customers want.

Ford invested a lot of time with pick-up owners around the world, conducting more than 5,000 interviews and dozens of customer workshops to understand how customers used their pick-ups or utes and what they wanted and expected in the Next-Generation Ranger.

Beneath the Ranger’s new bodywork

is an upgraded chassis riding on a wheelbase 50mm longer and a track 50mm wider than the prior Ranger model. More space has been created in the engine bay for the optional V6 engine and the larger engine bay helps future-proof the Ranger for other propulsion technologies such as battery power. The revised chassis also opens up at the front to allow more airflow and more efficient cooling particularly

The next gen Ford Ranger rides on an upgraded longer wheelbase.

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Widening the Ranger by 50mm has helped add capacity to the cargo area.

when towing. Moving the front wheels forward increased the approach angle and relocating the rear suspension dampers to outboard the frame rails gives drivers and passengers a better ride both on and off road. Widening the Ranger by 50mm may not seem like a lot, but it makes a considerable difference to the capacity of the cargo area which now can claim the ‘best in class’ cargo volume of 1,233 litres. Ford claim the cargo area can accommodate a standard 1,200mm x 800mm European pallet, but the distance between the wheel arches of 1,139mm will make it an awkward fit for a 1,165mm square Australian standard pallet. There are six fixed tie-down points plus an internal rail with spring loaded adjustable cleats on either side. Wildtrak models are fitted with aluminium extrusions that double as tie down rails which run the full length of the cargo box.

Plastic top and tailgate capping provides durable protection to the upper edges.

The optional powered roller shutter can be operated by the key fob, a switch in the cargo area or a switch on the dash.

An access step attached directly to the load box by two steel supports makes access much more convenient and safer

and there will no longer be a need to use the tyre as a step.

The tailgate has also been the subject of the engineers’ attention and is equipped with springs and dampers in order to allow it to be easily raised or lowered with just one hand. The tailgate inner surface can be used as a work bench when open and two clamp pockets concealed by spring loaded caps are designed to help secure timber or other project materials.

Tailgates on models with a spray-in bed liner have a built-in ruler with 10mm increments. The optional drop-in bed liner incorporates functional divider locators so that owners can create their own compartments to store items they might normally carry in the cabin.

Inside the cab a redesign of the underseat storage has created more room in the bins beneath the seats which allow for ‘over-filling’ the bins while still allowing the seats to be dropped back in place. The rear seat back also folds flat creating more space to carry additional items.

The current 2.2- and 3.2-litre four- and five cylinder engines will be discontinued and the Next-Generation Ranger will have the option of single-turbo and bi-turbo 2.0-litre four cylinder diesel

engines in addition to the 3.0-litre turbo V6 ‘Power Stroke’ engine which will be mated to a new 10-speed automatic transmission and a full-time all-wheel drive system. The V6 was an option in the F150 pickups in the USA until mid2021 and while Ford are yet to reveal output details at the time of writing, it can be pretty safe to expect something similar to the 185kW and 600Nm ratings when fitted to the larger F150, although it may be slightly tweaked in order to be able to claim to out-power the Volkswagen Amarok The bi-turbo four will have the option of the 10-speed auto or a new six-speed manual. Also, and yet to be confirmed at the time of writing, is the expected availability of the 2.3-litre ‘EcoBoost’ four cylinder petrol power plant, which is currently an option in the Mustang for those few buyers who for their own reasons don’t want a V8 in their performance car.

The Next-Generation Ranger project has been led by Ford’s Product Development Centre in Australia, drawing upon the combined expertise of an international 2,000 strong team of dedicated designers and engineers working around the globe. d el i ve r y m a g a z ine . c o m . a u

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MAXIMISING VALUE

Tray back utes continue to have a place in the Australian market with their appeal to tradespeople, farmers, and delivery drivers.

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or over a decade, the Isuzu D-Max SX Single Cab Chassis has been a viable alternative to the sector’s biggest seller. According to sales statistics reported by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the D-Max has been a constant runner-up in the 4x2 1-tonne ute segment for many years and has sold an accumulated total of 42,018 units since its introduction here in 2008.

It comes as no surprise that the SX Single Cab Chassis 4x2 has been the most popular model within the D-MAX 4x2 line up and accounted for over half of all 4x2 D-MAX models sold during 2021.

The D-MAX single cab chassis for 2022 includes the option of a new 1.9-litre diesel engine which delivers 110kW and 350Nm of torque with a drive away price tag under $30,000. For buyers 70

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wanting more power, the option is still available for the familiar 3.0-litre engine with its 140kW/450Nm ratings.

As with the rest of the D-Max range, the SX Single Cab Chassis has been awarded with the maximum 5-star ANCAP safety rating, due in part to the advanced suite of driver safety and assistance technologies which are components of Isuzu’s Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS). At the top of the list of standard IDAS technologies integrated with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection systems is Autonomous Emergency Braking with Turn Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control on automatic models, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist, a rear vision camera and other potentially lifesaving features such as eight airbags including a knee and centre airbag.

Other electronic based standard equipment includes automatic wipers and headlights. The updated interior is unashamedly utilitarian while remaining comfortable for occupants with a practical heavy duty vinyl floor covering as well as hard wearing surfaces throughout the cabin’s main touch points. The interior features the same high level of standardised equipment as the rest of the D-Max SX range including cloth trim seats, electric power steering and windows, and air conditioning. Commanding the centre dashboard is a 7-inch high-definition infotainment system, which has voice recognition, DAB+ radio, and the latest in smartphone mirroring with wired Android Auto and wired or wireless Apple CarPlay, both of which provide the driver with legal full hands-free operation while driving.

The smart steering wheel has controls

The Isuzu D-Max 1.9l engine boasts fuel stops of up to 1000kms.

for audio and cruise control and is equipped with sufficient reach and rake adjustments to accommodate and optimise the driver’s position and comfort. The 1.9-litre engine has been evolved from the durable 3.0-litre and features double overhead camshafts with roller bearing rocker arms actuating the four valves per cylinder. Automatic hydraulic valve lash adjusters maintain the optimal valve clearance at all times and assist in reducing engine noise to a minimum.

The electronically-controlled variable geometry turbocharger has constantly variable exhaust vanes within the exhaust turbine housing to control boost pressure, maximise efficiency, and reduce turbo-lag. The pressurised intake air charge is passed through a high-mounted aluminium air-to-air intercooler.

Isuzu’s Diesel Particulate Diffuser (DPD) is maintenance-free and plays its part in the engine in meeting Euro 5 emission protocols without the need for an AdBlue injection system.

Power is transferred to the wheels via either Isuzu’s six-speed manual gearbox or an Aisin six-speed automatic transmission.

The 1.9-litre engine’s maximum power of 110kW is developed at 3,600pm and the peak 350Nm of torque is available across the range of 1,800-2,600rpm.

Impressively, more than 80 per cent of the maximum torque output (300Nm) is

available from only 1,550rpm through to 3,700rpm and results in a linear delivery of torque across the entire revrange with strong mid-range response, which aids in both drivability and performance particularly when carrying or towing a load.

Equipped with a 76-litre diesel fuel tank, the 1.9-litre powered D-Max utes are capable of travelling close to 1,000kms between fuel stops.

A 2,550mm x 1,777mm alloy tray with drop down sides and plenty of internal tie-down points is included in the package. The 1.9-litre manual SX single cab has a payload of 1,405kg with 1,380kg for the automatic variants.

The 3.0-litre has a slightly lower

payload capacity of 1,300kg for the automatic and 1,305kg for the manual, due to the higher vehicle kerb weight of utes fitted with the larger engine.

Maximum braked towing capacity of the 1.9lt SX Single Cab Chassis is 2,800kg for the manual versions and 3,000kg for the automatic models. All 3.0-litre powered Isuzu D-Max vehicles are rated with a 3,500kg braked towing capacity.

The D-Max cab-chassis comes with a six year/150,000km Warranty with up to seven years roadside assistance when serviced through Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) dealers and a sevenyear capped price servicing program is available.

Strong mid-range response aids performance when carrying or towing. d el i ve r y m a g a z ine . c o m . a u

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INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE

Freight vehicles in the world of automated driving

PETER F. SWEATMAN

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fter nearly 20 years working in the global R&D field of connected and automated vehicles (CAV), it’s interesting to revisit the trucking industry as a specific case for vehicle automation.

Please bear in mind that automated driving systems (ADSs) – machines that can drive vehicles, but not under all conditions – were not aimed at freight trucks. The huge global market for automated vehicles is largely driven by personal vehicles: these days, SUVs, light trucks, sedans, etc.

There are many explanations for the resulting R&D frenzy, but remember that there are trillions of personal trips each year in the US. Tech companies like Google realised that, if they gained a fraction of a cent for each mile traveled, they would have a bigger business than all of their current activities put together. This might come about if a vast number of personal trips could utilise a technology that has come to Aurora Driver is a Level 4 advanced autonomous system.

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be known as robotaxis. Once Google started developing their autonomous technology (currently known as Waymo), all of the legacy automotive OEMs saw a potentially devastating disruption in a century-old industry.

This had a galvanising effect on the entire automotive industry, to the extent that today’s vehicular offerings may not be automated, but they do contain the very highest level of engineering prowess. And they are gradually incorporating advanced driver assistance systems and elements of automation, all enabled by astonishing advances in vehicle data volume and velocity. The fact that we are now on the cusp of mainstream vehicle electrification also speaks to the sophisticated reimagination of vehicle systems.

The world of over-the-road freight vehicles could not be more different from the much larger, consumerist automotive industries. The cyclical freight industry cannot afford to invest in extreme technologies and is not subject to threats of disruption and extreme pressures to innovate. Nevertheless, as the development of automated vehicles has played out, unexpected barriers have appeared. For one thing, the range of operating conditions is infinitely wide; this has pushed back against the dream of universal robotaxis. If robotaxis couldn’t provide the early-adopting commercial applications, where may they be found? Attention turned to the freight industry for a couple of reasons.

At least in the US context, long haul

trucking represents a far simpler operating environment than personal vehicles which have always been much more impromptu in deployment and less purposeful in use. There is also a very direct and significant economic case in the freight sector, where driver compensation is a major target in reducing operating costs. And because many ADSs require some level of human supervision or intervention, there is advantage in the professional driver offering more potential for machine and man to work together.

Human drivers are extremely adaptable and resourceful, so the sudden appearance of new and challenging driving situations – whether related to weather, roadway conditions, other traffic, or non-recurring events — only rarely causes harm in the form of crashes.

While ADS manufacturers are expected to nominate an operational design domain for their driving machines, this currently occurs only in general terms.

It has turned out that so-called edge cases – perhaps novel situations such as animals on the road – are so numerous and diverse as to render ADSs susceptible to disablement. While this has greatly slowed the development and testing of general-use ADSs, freight operations on selected, repeated routes, with trained supervisors, offer more immediate potential for safe, commercial use. An excellent insight into the directions commercial ADSs are taking may be derived from the activities of the US

ARTSA-I LIFE MEMBERS

Powered by technology company Aurora. This ADS commercialisation company was founded by Chris Urmson who had led the development of the Waymo driverless car. With its highly credible pattern of acquisitions and partnerships, Aurora has focused squarely on freight applications.

These partnerships include major US Class 8 truck manufacturers and national fleets. In common with other innovators such as TuSimple, Aurora recruits freight shippers and carriers to carry out pilot operations that encompass loading and delivery phases, as well as actual trips. These activities will continue and expand, provided that road and traffic authorities continue to take a positive approach. Most government agencies accept that continued development of ADSs requires a strong element of testing and piloting on public roads. This is probably even more true for freight vehicles than for personal vehicles. So how do we know that ADSs are safe?

And is safety likely to be a bigger barrier for freight vehicle automation than for personal vehicles?

Safety is of course a huge question for all types of automated vehicles, and this issue has already followed a somewhat convoluted path. In the first instance, government agencies have generally encouraged vehicle automation as a desirable form of future mobility innovation. The main reason for this positive approach is the long-term potential for transformational safety improvements. If more than 90 per cent of serious crashes are caused by driver error, then driving machines of eternally high reliability offer the prospect of trauma reduction on a scale never considered possible. Policy makers had already seen and appreciated the benefits of waves of crash mitigation and avoidance technologies offered by automakers. They could scarcely ignore automated safety technology, although safety is far from being the entire objective for vehicle automation.

Because most of the cutting-edge innovation around automation takes place in the US, motor vehicle safety norms that have evolved in the US

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Peterbilt New Model 579 with Aurora Driver.

environment have tended to be the first port of call for automated vehicles.

This means a very punitive approach to placing the onus on the manufacturer, and minimalistic opportunity to shift responsibility to the government. We have already seen a few high-severity crashes that have generated such intensely negative publicity for the manufacturer that their R&D slowed, or even ceased. For example, Uber’s automated vehicle effort was acquired

by Aurora.

Expectations for the safe performance of ADSs remain very high, and it is widely believed that all ADSs need to be a lot safer than humans. It is not possible to test and certify ADSs at the design stage, and a great deal of nuance is involved in R&D that needs to be carried out on public roads. At this point, freight vehicles remain an important avenue for ADS development and commercialisation, particularly where operating conditions are well-defined.

These applications are likely to be at the higher levels of automation. As for personal vehicles, OEMs are steadily rolling out lower levels of automation: more akin to driver assistance than robotaxis. The distinctions between ADSs for freight vehicles and personal vehicles are therefore increasing rather than decreasing.

Autonomous haul trucks are widely used in Australia’s mining industry.

Australia has about 600 driverless haul

trucks, making it the world-leading adopter in this segment. The machines are programmed for a particular mine site, which greatly reduces the technical challenges that exist on public roads.

Their operation is also overseen by a human controller. This is a great example of understanding the limitations of the current technology: tightly-defined operating conditions and driving machine capabilities augmented by human oversight, remote from the vehicle.

This brings us to a final point about the extreme diversity evident in the design of ADSs. Just as operating conditions experienced by driving machines are almost infinitely variable, their capability levels have shown a huge variation in intent as well as execution. Now is the time for the freight industry to be at the table, along with infrastructure managers, to help figure out the operating conditions most relevant to early adopters of freight vehicle automation.

And close collaboration is needed with ADS manufacturers to understand necessary and sufficient capabilities for automated haulage and delivery.

Peter F. Sweatman International Enterprise Professor, University of Melbourne Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Hall of Fame, ITS America, ITS Australia Life Member, ARTSA p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR | INSIGHT

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Roadworthiness gains vital now and into the future

SAL PETROCCITTO

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he safety of our industry is at the forefront of everything we do and a key element to keeping our drivers safe is ensuring heavy vehicles are roadworthy and safe to be on our roads.

Unfortunately, when roadworthiness is discussed outside the heavy vehicle industry it is usually as a result of a major crash or incident. While there is still a way to go to improve compliance across the industry our 2021 National Roadworthiness Survey (NRS:2021) has demonstrated some real improvement over the past five years.

The survey, which measures the health of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet, was first conducted in 2016.

The NHVR is committed to the National Heavy Vehicle Roadworthiness program, which was established in late 2014 to drive safety and efficiency improvements to the mechanical condition of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet.

Last year NRS:2021 inspected 13,325 heavy vehicle units across 8338 heavy vehicle combinations in all Australian states and territories between May and June. It was great to have all jurisdictions, including Western Australia and Northern Territory involved.

In the five years between the two surveys, we have seen the rate of non-conformities drop from 48 per cent of units inspected to 31 per 74

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cent. Importantly the most serious cases of major non-conformities and groundings has dropped from 12 per cent of inspected vehicles in 2016 to six per cent in 2021.

The continuing maturity of the industry in adopting better safety practices like whole of business safety management systems and daily safety checks, have been key contributors in driving the downward trend. Our heavy vehicle operators, drivers and mechanics should be commended for their ongoing efforts in improving compliance and increasing the safety on our roads.

Some of the other findings from the NRS:2021 survey showed that again brakes remained the highest nonconforming components – although this category has reduced from 25 per cent in 2016 to 14 per cent in 2021.

And the average age of the inspected fleet was 10.2 years, compared to 9.2 years in 2016. However, there was again a strong correlation between age of fleet and roadworthiness compliance. For example, freight hauling units over the age of 12 were three times more likely to have defect, than vehicles less than three years old. Which is why the effort to continue to improve heavy vehicle roadworthiness over the next five years must include incentives for new technology and programs that allow the heavy vehicle industry to drive down the age of the fleet.

Some of our goals and work programs at the NHVR are listed in our Vehicle Safety and Environmental Uptake Plan (Vehicle SETUP). The Plan, which includes five work packages will be vital going forward.

The work packages include removing

regulatory barriers that limit the adoption of advanced technologies, offering productivity gains as an incentive for the adoption of advanced technologies and providing education to industry on the safety, productivity and environmental benefits of new vehicle technology. The results from NRS:2021 will also help inform the NHVR’s modern approach to regulation that uses intelligence to address the greatest safety risks and keeps compliant operators moving.

Finally, I’d also like to thank the operators and drivers, along with the NHVR staff and staff from transport agencies across Australia for their assistance in conducting the survey, particularly with constantly changing operating conditions due to local COVID restrictions. Despite the challenges, officers across all states and territories inspected 17 per cent more heavy vehicles in 2021, and through the use of technology and consistent inspection systems they were able to reduce the average inspection time from 45 minutes in 2016 to 31 minutes in 2021.

While the data from NRS:2021 highlights the healthy progress made due to the hard work being undertaken to improve and monitor the Australian heavy vehicle fleet, I’m determined as an industry we continue to push on and ensure that Australia has one of the safest heavy vehicle fleets in the world.

The full survey and other results are available at www.nhvr.gov.au/ roadworthiness

Sal Petroccitto CEO, NHVR

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INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

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Our industry needs facts and calm, not misinformation

TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

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ver the past 24 months, or so, of COVID, there have been many examples of how various supply chains have been stretched to their limits, some have even failed. Supply, demand and logistics are the three main elements in every supply chain. If any one of these is disrupted, the result is most likely widespread disturbance along the whole supply chain. Over the past two years, Australians have witnessed these three elements individually, or collectively, impact various supply chains at differing times and to differing degrees.

Almost from the very onset of COVID global supply chain logistics were affected.

As countries around the world imposed COVID travel restrictions, this caused an almost overnight shutdown of passenger air travel. While the majority of planes in our skies are used for moving people, the unseen use of these aircraft is for freight.

With over 40 per cent of global air freight being transported in the belly-hold of passenger planes, the impact on global freight was immediate. Couple this with COVID lockdowns reducing access to shipping vessels at major ports around the globe, the availability and reliability of sea freight faltered.

On the supply side, many manufacturing businesses have been operating at less than their maximum capacity due to COVID related closures, lockdowns, employee shortages and supply chain issues effecting the very materials required to produce their finished products. The well published 76

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global computer chip shortage is a prime example. The scarcity of micro-processor semi-conductors has slowed the supply of many consumer goods, everything from toasters and gaming consoles to new vehicles, trucks included. The virus itself has stretched the supply of masks and other personal protective equipment and more recently rapid antigen test kits, items that in a pre-COVID world would never have been in critically short supply.

COVID has also led to unimaginable demand surges, in many cases both rational and real, however at times misleading comments and unfounded scuttlebutt, even scare-mongering by some, has led to fear that has manifested itself in to irrational behaviour such as panic buying. Such action led to an unprecedented rush on some goods. There was never a supply chain issue with toilet paper, supply was constant, the logistics network was able to deliver the goods, however panic-buying and stockpiling led to a demand surge and bare supermarket shelves, all for no rational reason.

Another, more recent, and much closer to home example, was the much misrepresented AdBlue/Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) supply ‘crisis’. Australian AdBlue suppliers saw a potential longterm tightening of AdBlue supply globally, due primarily to China winding back domestic production of Urea, the key compound in DEF. These suppliers alerted government and industry leaders to this possible scenario. Though they highlighted current supplies were not affected. The Federal Government convened a task force to review both the immediate and longer-term supply of DEF. The task force determined that there was no immediate cause for concern, provided AdBlue usage

remained at seasonal levels. Government requested that industry leaders convey a message of calm and adequate supply, to their members. Those responsible industry leaders chose to disseminate this message. However, some chose to inflame the situation by making statements that suggested there was a more immediate AdBlue/DEF supply problem. This led to a degree of panic buying and hoarding of AdBlue, that in turn led to some supply issues. Sadly, this impacted those truck operators who ‘did the right thing’ and chose not to panic buy. Due to the panic buying and hoarding by some, demand outstripped supply and the price of DEF skyrocketed, something that no operator wants. This price spike is expected to ease over time, however, could have been largely avoided, if not for the irresponsible comments of a select few.

There have been many unique, unprecedented and unpredictable twists and turns that have played out in our COVID affected world since the end of 2019 and there will sadly, no doubt, be more to come. Many of these events are beyond any control that you, or myself, can hope to influence, however, there are some issues and actions that are within our sight and responsibility. As members of the road freight logistics supply chain in Australia, we each have an obligation to our industry, as well as all Australians, to act responsibably in times of adversity, we must convey the facts and promote calm, and refrain from spreading misinformation, or an attention seeking media headline.

Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION | INSIGHT

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Golden chance missed for training reform PETER ANDERSON

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raining and education have always been hot button issues for the freight and logistics industry, with the safety of our workforces and workplaces, along with that of the communities we service, often in the spotlight because of the dangerous nature of transport work. Hundreds of millions are invested by operators and suppliers every year to improve and enhance the skills of transport workers, with our industry’s social licence to operate dramatically enhanced through such investments. The dividends are clear in the form of fewer injuries and fatalities at workplaces and on the roads, and associated productivity gains from having a healthy and engaged workforce.

Training is also a major factor in alleviating the impacts of labour shortages, which the broader community is now all-too-familiar with due to COVID-19. Of course, labour shortages are nothing new for freight operators, with our ageing workforce and difficulty attracting young people to the industry both issues we have grappled with for many years. The VTA has been forcefully advocating for heavy vehicle licencing reform that would enhance driver training, and at the same time create a career pathway for people as young as 18 to operate a heavy vehicle.

Regrettably, a golden opportunity for training reform in the transport sector was missed recently, with the National Cabinet not proceeding with proposed

forklift licencing changes that would have increased training and reduced the age for forklift drivers to obtain a licence to under 18. While New Zealand and Australian driver license matters were referred to the National Cabinet Infrastructure and Transport Reform Committee for consideration, forklift changes were shelved. The proposal is similar to a licencing model the VTA and other peak industry groups have been pushing for some time to attract young people to a well-paid career as a professional transport worker. It would have dramatically increased our national pool of qualified and competent forklift operators, helping to alleviate labour shortages that are rife at warehouses and distribution centres.

The decision was widely criticised as insular and city-centric, with prominent Melbourne broadcaster Neil Mitchell highlighting how safety-conscious Germany trains 16-year-olds to operate forklifts, and forklift licences – and jobs – being available to 15-year-olds in New Zealand.

If you look at decisions to licence young people to operate certain types of heavy equipment at face value, some criticism is understandable. But if you understand the depth of these decisions in terms of ensuring individuals are trained, and have the attitude correct in the application of learned skills, then they are welcome in our workforce.

The same principals should apply to training and licencing 18-year-olds to drive heavy vehicles.

Our heavy vehicle licencing rules were written for a different generation and have passed their use-by-date. We’ve

been advocating for a new approach that recognises intense, hands-on practical training before licencing that would enable competent young people to be licenced to operate a heavy vehicle safely, and reward them with a well-paid career as a professional transport worker.

The current system discriminates against drivers that are more than capable of operating higher classifications of heavy vehicles but cannot obtain a licence because they haven’t met the current time-based criteria. For our industry to meet the growing freight task we must urgently change the system to attract young people to our profession. If we don’t, delays and shortages we have experienced during COVID will just continue to get worse.

Victoria and other states and territories have been awaiting another drawn out review of the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework (NHVDCF) by Austroads before committing to reform. Action is needed now. Our licencing system has been in a state of perpetual review for the last ten years with responsibility seemingly handballed between the various bureaucracies.

Meanwhile, our industry is in crisis and ultimately consumers will suffer through higher prices, delivery time blowouts and supply shortages. We cannot wait a moment longer for reform that will increase driver training and skills and addresses the driver shortages that are crippling operators.

Peter Anderson CEO, VTA p r i m e m ove r m a g . c o m . a u

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PETER SHIELDS’ NUMBER CRUNCH

Chickens Come Home The new truck industry in Australia continued to demonstrate its resilience and has been able to begin the New Year in a strong position, delivering 1,927 new trucks and prime movers during January according to the Truck Industry Council, a rise of 13.9 per cent over the same month last year, which in itself was 10.4 per cent up on January 2020. Essential component and labour shortages appear to be the two factors in holding product back from meeting demand.

The Heavy Duty sector grew 23.6 per cent, Medium Duty 15.0 per cent and Light Duty 5.1 per cent. The Heavy Van market was down 27.8 per cent.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.3 per cent in the December quarter of 2021. The most significant price rises during the quarter were new dwellings (+4.2 per cent) and automotive fuel (+6.6 per cent). On an annual basis the CPI rose 3.5 per cent during 2021, with automotive fuel (+32.3 per cent) the most significant contributor. Prices of goods rose 4.3 per cent through the year, while costs of services rose 2.3 per cent. Fuel prices were the largest contributor to higher goods inflation. More broadly, global supply chain disruptions and material shortages, combined with rising freight costs and high demand, contributed to price increases across a wide range of goods including motor vehicles. The strong demand for new trucks continued to be fuelled by the increased requirements to move more things around the nation, turbocharged by incentives from the Tax Office.

The fuel efficiency of new trucks has become an increasingly important factor in buying decisions. However, it doesn’t matter how fuel efficient a truck is, there are additional costs creeping in such as tolls, and the costs of rapid antigen test kits (RATs) which is something we could not have predicted just a short time ago.

The authorities appear to be attempting to steer industry and commerce away from the pop-up testing clinics which have been a bonanza worth millions to the pathology companies, and focusing, instead, on RATs where consumers (including truck drivers) not only self-test, but are left to pick up the costs as well. For many drivers this can happen several times every week. The forces of supply and demand, coupled with a few opportunistic profiteers have driven RAT prices up — to ridiculous levels in some cases.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has received almost 3,900 reports from consumers concerning the retailing of RATs between 25 December 2021 and 26 January 2022, with pharmacies the most-complained about sector with almost 34 per cent of reports, outstripping service stations which accounted for 20 per cent of reports. As we move into 2022, oil prices continue to rise but key export indicators such as the price of iron ore are trending down, which is not a good thing for a domestic economy that now has to begin addressing the massive debts incurred from the various support mechanisms launched during the pandemic.

78

ma rc h 2022

Jan-22

% Change YOY

ISUZU

622

24.4%

HINO

298

-9.1%

FUSO

288

17.1%

KENWORTH

150

33.9%

VOLVO

109

14.7%

IVECO

80

12.7%

UD TRUCKS

58

93.3%

MACK

58

190.0%

FIAT

49

44.1%

MERCEDES-BENZ

48

-29.0%

SCANIA

46

39.4%

DAF

26

188.9%

FREIGHTLINER

24

-29.4%

MAN

19

58.3%

WESTERN STAR

18

50.0%

RENAULT

14

27.3%

HYUNDAI

12

0.0%

DENNIS EAGLE

3

-40.0%

VOLKSWAGEN

3

200.0%

FORD

2

0.0%

CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

1927

13.9%

M-B VANS

106

9.3%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

47

11.9%

RENAULT VANS

21

-12.5%

IVECO VANS

17

-39.3%

FORD VANS

15

-82.8%

FIAT VANS

15

-46.4%

VANS

221

-27.8%

TOTAL

2148

7.5%

Your transport $58.5m super fund covers ‘dangerous occupations’ Payments approved by TWUSUPER in 2020-21

Many super funds don’t cover dangerous occupations like transport jobs. TWUSUPER is different.

TWUSUPER offers tailored insurance for our members so they have financial peace of mind should the unexpected ever happen. This insurance protection is available for members young and old in any occupation, even drivers, loaders and forklift operators.

Through life’s ups and downs, we’re here to help and support the people who keep Australia moving.

Choose the fund that’s got you covered If you work in transport, choose TWUSUPER.

Call 1800 222 071 Visit twusuper.com.au/insurance

Period) and delivered by 30 June 2022. Featured drive away price $52,990 includes GST, 12 months registration, stamp duty and CTP, and dealer delivery costs. Drive away price excludes any additional package and is only available on new NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 Traypack Trucks sold during the Promotion Period. 6 year factory warranty, covering the cab and chassis only. Any Ready-to-Work truck Visit isuzu.com.au for full terms and conditions. FSA/ISZS706 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.

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