Prime Mover April 2019

®

April 2019

G1 Logistics

A MAN for all Seasons

APRIL 2019 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320 04

9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Lilydale Instant Lawn Safety: Australia Post Feature: Dana Superduty 300 Personality: TCA GM Strategic Development

Innovation Fleet: Daisy’s Garden Supplies Feature: Renault Electric Kangoo Test Drive: Fuso Super Great Final Mile: Isuzu D-Max

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

ISUZU F SERIES

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With our F Series Trucks you get a choice of four or six cylinder engines, and different transmissions, suspension types, and wheelbase options. So instead of getting an almost-right truck, you can build a truck that suits your business down to the ground.

Find out more at isuzu.com.au or from your nearest Isuzu Truck Dealer.

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®

April 2019

G1 Logistics

A MAN for all Seasons

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

APRIL 2019 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

John Murphy | Managing Director

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.

Luke Applebee | Managing Editor, Transport Group

Luke has a background in copywriting and content marketing, working with a range of businesses from solar and engineering to freight forwarding and 3PL. With a special focus on digital marketing and content creation, Luke has a strong strategic edge and can draw on years of experience in social media campaign management.

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9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Lilydale Instant Lawn Safety: Australia Post Feature: Dana Superduty 300 Personality: TCA GM Strategic Development

Innovation Fleet: Daisy’s Garden Supplies Feature: Renault Electric Kangoo Test Drive: Fuso Super Great Final Mile: Isuzu D-Max

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

managing director

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 Peter Shields writer peter.shields@primecreative.com.au

Terry Wogan terry.wogan@primecreative.com.au

0417 474 752 advertising sales

business

Sarah Leptos

development sarah.leptos@primecreative.com.au manager

0403 485 140

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.

Peter Shields | Senior Feature Writer 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.

art director Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au

design

Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

journalist 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

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Sarah Leptos | Business Development Manager

Sarah comes from a corporate background, having worked very closely engaging and growing some of Australia’s small to medium sized businesses whilst working in financial services. She has experience in client relationship management and business development with a strong focus on investing time into improving client business growth.

www.primemovermag.com.au

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

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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.

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THE ALL-NEW STREET SMART TRUCK HAS ARRIVED.

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CONTENTS

Prime Mover March 2019

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46

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COVER STORY “We measure our kilometres per accident and we’re now at our lowest percentage of accidents which has been at its lowest since I’ve been here.”

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NO LAUGHING MATTER

Prime Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS

26 MAN for All Seasons G1 Logistics provides a national network for the linehaul transportation of food, wine and beverages. As a mass accredited road transport business it asks the most of its commercial vehicles and its new fleet of MAN TGX D38s have not disappointed.

30 Covering Ground Lilydale Instant Lawn has built a business on strategic investments in resources, products and equipment. By doing so it has protected itself against the uncertainties of both climate and economic forecasting.

TRUCK AND TECH

42 Upgrading for Downspeeding In the drive for optimised fuel economy and emissions reductions, the latest heavy-duty trucks are geared to produce mountain-munching peak torque outputs at lower RPM than ever before. To cope with this increased demand, highly experienced driveline manufacturer Dana has released the SuperDuty 300, its sturdiest on-highway driveshaft.

48 It’s Not Easy Being Green As part of a contract with IKEA, Sydney-based Flatpack Assembly Services has commissioned a new Renault Kangoo ZE to join other small vans in its operations. While the

company’s lofty goal is to have a 100 per cent ‘green’ fleet by 2025, it believes governments need to offer financial incentives to encourage wider uptake of the clean, green machines.

TEST DRIVE

54 No Laughing Matter The Fuso Super Great was released in Japan in 2017 and is currently undergoing local trials prior to production models becoming available here later this year. ‘Project Black Panther’ is already going a long way to making sure the replacement for the current generation Fuso Heavy will be fit for local purposes.

Regular Run 08 From the Editor 10 Prime Mover News 70 Personality 74 Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association 77 Australian Trucking Association 78 Australian Logistics Council 79 National Road Transport Association 80 Truck Industry Council 81 Victorian Transport Association 82 Peter Shields’ Number Crunch

FROM THE EDITOR

Event Horizon

William Craske Editor

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The Viva Energy Geelong Refinery, the subject of a profile piece in our latest edition of Prime Mover, supplies, as part of its Shell aviation business, fuel direct through its pipeline to Avalon. It was here recently, as part of the Australian International Air Show, where pilots of the latest military aircraft from around the world, showed off their wares over skies southwest of Melbourne. For many of the 200,000 spectators gathered in dry, sweltering conditions on the Sunday of the three-day public event, it was a rare occasion to glimpse the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from Lockheed Martin.

The stealth aircraft, one of 72 set to be delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force by 2023, demonstrated the ease of which it could perform sudden vertical climbs powered by its imposing Pratt and Whitney F135 engine. As one of the most complicated weapons systems in the world, with 8 million lines of code, the F-35 is something like a flying software platform, designed to interface with armed forces, naval vessels, combat helicopters and the Wedgetail command and control aircraft, a kind of roaming satellite in the sky boasting some sophisticated aerodynamic flying capabilities of its own. Even though it looked to have clear superiority in the air over the FA-18 Hornet, another of the attractions of the day, the F-35, which has been tested by select RAAF pilots since 2014, features levels of onboard connectivity a truck as advanced as the Ford F-Max, with its GPS-based Predictive Cruise Control function, is only in the early stages of achieving.

Equipping allies on the battlefield with more information is a way in which data sharing, at least theoretically, can

prevent fatalities in real time. The helmet worn by the F-35 pilot has a visor that works as a head’s up display, like those seen on the more sophisticated passenger vehicles that offer fuel mileage on the windshield. In the F-35 it allows the pilot to see, at once, behind and below the aircraft itself through half a dozen cameras that transmit images to projectors inside the helmet.

Road transport has already seen a preview of this innovation with its transparent trailer tech while the latest and safest prime movers are already working on these peripherals with event triggered cameras for collision avoidance and lane departure systems.

For sheer spectacle, however, there’s no substitute, on the road or in the air, for raw power. The highlight at the Avalon event was the F-22 Raptor. Upon approach from the haze of the nearby mountains, with its sheared delta wings and ergonomic carriage, it looked like an apocalyptic sugar-glider. On its first low flyby, thrusting past the crowd at an estimated 1000 km/h, the roar of its ground-quaking close-set twin afterburning turbofan engines removed, even at these acceptable speeds, the hats off the folks in the front row. Although well short of what is required to realise its sonic capabilities, punters returning to the carpark at the close of the day would have been more than justified in checking that all their mirrors and windshields were still intact.

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PRIME NEWS

> Daimler turns to US legend for dealer leadership

Dan Stevens and Daniel Whitehead.

Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Daimler Truck and Bus Australia, has secured a truck industry legend from the US to further strengthen its dealership network.

Dan Stevens, a just-retired Daimler Trucks Dealer Principal, has more than 40 years of experience, including 14 years as President, Equity Partner and Chief Operating Officer of three major Daimler Trucks North America dealership groups.

The last dealership group he led featured 25 Freightliner dealerships employing 1,100 people and delivering approximately 7,000 new and used vehicles per year.

Stevens will reportedly travel to Australia regularly and visit individual dealerships, run coaching sessions, implement continuous improvement plans, provide consulting services and provide 10

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feedback to Daimler Truck and Bus senior management.

Daimler Truck and Bus President and CEO, Daniel Whitehead, said Stevens will be a great asset.

“Dan has been a remarkably successful dealer for the best-selling truck brand in one of the largest heavy-duty markets in the world, so he has a vast amount of knowledge to share,” he said.

Daimler Truck and Bus Aftersales and Network Development Director, Greg Lovrich, said Stevens had already made an impression on Australian dealers.

“We brought Dan out to Australia to speak at a sales conference a few years ago,” said Lovrich. “He was so impressive and our dealers told us his presentation was extremely valuable. So when we had to chance to bring Dan on as an advisor and mentor, we jumped at the opportunity.”

Stevens said he is looking forward to spending more time with Australian Daimler Truck and Bus dealers, who look after the Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Fuso and Alliance Truck Parts Brands.

“The timing couldn’t be better to engage with the Australian Daimler dealer network,” he said. “Mercedes-Benz already offers the best cab-over product in the market and the release of new Freightliner and Fuso models in the next year will mean Daimler products are unsurpassed no matter what work they need to perform.

“The best products sold and serviced by the best dealers is a winning combination on any continent.”

Last month, Daimler Truck and Bus Australia recognised dealer RGM Maintenance Townsville for setting new standards of customer service in its respective region.

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PRIME NEWS

> Hino announces dealer of the year

Megumu Yamashiki, Prestige Hino’s Angelo Valerio, Sam Suda, Newcastle Hino’s Kevin Purcell, Steve Lotter.

Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Hino Australia, has named its best dealers at a ceremony last month. At the annual Dealer of the Year Awards held at Sydney’s Westin Hotel Hino named Prestige Hino in Dandenong as the Metropolitan Dealer of the Year.

It was the fourth year running the Victorian-based dealer had been crowned the top prize.

Regional Dealer of the Year went to Newcastle Hino, the fifth time it had claimed the title.

Dealer Principal of Prestige Hino, Angelo Valerio, who accepted the award on behalf of his team said his employees were committed to their customers and applauded the managers in having successfully driven a performance culture every day.

“I look forward to 2019, because if the last four years are any indication, our

team will continue to improve on what we currently have to excel even further for Hino and our customers, which we hope will result in a sixth Dealer of the Year title for Prestige Hino,” he said.

Newcastle Hino Dealer Principal Kevin Purcell said his team was focused on being the best it could be.

“To have our efforts recognised and applauded is awesome,” he said.

“I am immensely proud of everybody at Newcastle Hino and it is a continuing pleasure and privilege to lead such a committed group of people.”

Prestige Hino also claimed the 2018 Salesperson of the Year award recognising the efforts of Danny Timewell.

The Customer Experience Awards, for the first time, were split between Sales and Service departments, and awarded at both a regional and metropolitan level.

Pacific Hino (Cairns) was successful

in clinching the Customer Experience – Service award at a regional level while Sydney’s Adtrans Hino won the metropolitan title. In the Customer Service – Sales title, the metropolitan award was awarded to Prestige Hino and the regional crown went to Port Augusta’s Northpoint Hino. In a nod to longevity of service, West Orange Motors was recognised for its 40year partnership with Hino. According to Steve Lotter, Hino Motor Sales Australia Chairman and CEO, the strong dealership network was in large part responsible for the brand’s excellent sales results for 2018.

“With an increase in sales of 17 per cent in 2018 compared with 2017, Hino outperformed the market, taking our market share to 15.8 per cent – likewise we achieved record results in both the service and parts divisions of the business,” he said. “Our ongoing focus on the customer has translated to a continued high customer experience score which provides us with the strong foundation we require for further growth.”

Among the 300 guests were new Hino Australia President and COO Sam (Takashi) Suda, Hino Motors Limited’s Managing Officer Megumu Yamashiki and Supercars legend and Hino Ambassador Neil Crompton, who was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

> Truck museum closer after $1M invested in Shepparton Construction of a truck and transport museum in the northern Victorian town of Shepparton is getting closer.

Over $1 million in contributions from investors and partners has been raised for the project which is scheduled for construction later in the year, possibly as early as May. As part of the Museum for Vehicle Evolution (MOVE), it was allocated $2.5 million in funding from the Federal Government in March last year as part of the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages scheme.

The Greater Shepparton City Council 12

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gave in-principle support to the project back in October 2017 as part of an ongoing showcase of the Goulburn Valley area as a major national transport hub and one of the nation’s leading food bowls.

Featuring an events hub, the Shepparton Truck and Transport Museum will include curated exhibitions, fixed displays and multimedia to showcase the rich heritage of trucking, transport and agriculture in the region.

The dedicated Museum and outdoor covered events space is expected

to significantly bolster the region’s cultural tourism offering along with events capability.

MOVE has been projected to cost $6 million and will house trucks, cars, motorcycles and bicycles on the site of the Shepparton Motor Museum and Collectables.

“The project builds on the success of the Shepparton Motor Museum and Collectibles and will create 14 jobs during construction and 4 ongoing positions,” said Damian Drum Federal Member for Murray.

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PRIME NEWS

> BMG Kenworth DAF Mount Gambier named DAF dealer of the year

Andrew Hadjikakou, Brad May, Jim Cornolo, Barry Maney, Mick de Boer, Raoul Wijnands.

PACCAR has named a South Australian business as its DAF Dealer of the Year.

BMG Kenworth DAF Mt Gambier was honoured with the 2018 DAF Dealer of the Year in an awards ceremony in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Andrew Hadjikakou, Managing Director PACCAR Australia presented the Dealer of the Year trophy to BMG Kenworth DAF Mt Gambier Dealer Principal, Jim Cornolo, congratulating the dealership for winning the hotly contested DAF prize and crediting them for their benchmark performance.

Based on the dealer’s performance across all areas of their DAF business, the DAF Dealer of the Year award acknowledges excellence in customer support in a high performing business PACCAR said in a statement.

It’s the second time BMG Kenworth DAF Mt Gambier has been recognised with the award following a win in 2014.

The Mt Gambier dealership, which is part of the Barry Maney Group, was also presented at the event with the 2018 PACCAR Financial Dealer of the Year award.

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PACCAR Australia’s Andrew Hadjikakou said key factors in the success of the dealership had been its ability to be a consistent high performer over a long period and sustain a culture that focuses on delivering quality customer service.

“2018 was a big year for PACCAR Australia with the first locally produced DAF CF85 rolling off the line at our Bayswater facility in August,” he said.

“Backed by the support of the Australian dealer network, we are dedicated to providing DAF customers with a quality product, excellent sales and service support,” said Hadjikakou.

“BMG Kenworth DAF Mt Gambier is an excellent example of a DAF dealer.

Constantly exceeding their customers’ expectations, they strive to deliver the highest level of support across all areas of their business. They are a first class dealership and one that continuously invests in staff, equipment and facilities.”

BMG Kenworth DAF Mt Gambier Dealer Principal, Jim Cornolo, said the award was a group effort and the team had worked hard throughout the year to

achieve the DAF Dealer of the Year title.

“A lot of work goes into what we do and the staff has been exceptional, whether it’s trucks, parts or service, I can’t speak highly enough of all the people in the business,” he said.

“Everyone does a terrific job – we’ve really focused on our customers and supporting them in every way possible.

The DAF range is engineered to the highest standards and is well suited to a variety of applications, from innercity delivery to regional and national delivery. Supported by a team of professionals we are able to offer DAF customers a full lifetime ownership experience with modern equipment and facilities.

“We are also supported by exceptional customers. There are often challenges, which we meet head-on and the customers continue to support us.”

New Zealand’s Southpac Trucks was awarded the Kenworth Dealer of the Year from a field of more than 25 dealers across Australasia.

It was the second consecutive year the dealership which has branches in Hamilton, Rotorua, Palmerston North and Christchurch and head office in Manukau City has won the award.

“Southpac’s ongoing commitment to the industry and continued investment in its people and facilities is commendable, providing customers with the latest products and services and industry know how,” said Hadjikakou.

Maarten Durent, Southpac Trucks CEO, dedicated the award to his team.

“We are again honoured to win this award and for being recognised as the top performing dealer among an excellent cast of dealers,” he said. “The relationship we have with our customers is paramount to our success, and we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service and support. The Southpac team is committed to quality in all they do and has made winning this award possible.”

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PRIME NEWS

> West Gate alternative to remove 9000 trucks from roads The Labor Government in Victoria has introduced legislation into parliament as it seeks a framework for the management of the West Gate Tunnel when it opens in 2022.

Ahead of approaching tunnelling works set to commence later in the year, the Andrews Government said its legislation will help decrease the presence of trucks on roads in the inner west as it moves ahead with lawful truck bans.

It intends to remove 9000 trucks from the roads.

Fines collected from truck ban offenders will be reinvested in local transport projects and programs.

In a statement the Andrews Government said the proceeds of fines would benefit local communities via the Better Freight Fund, with a focus on those who may be impacted by changes in the truck numbers.

“The West Gate Tunnel Bill and amendments to the CityLink Concession Deed will provide a fairer tolling regime for all for Victorians and remove historical clauses that would see Transurban

Revenue from fines will be reinvested in local projects.

compensated for State projects that divert traffic off its network,” the government said in a released statement.

An exposure draft of the West Gate Tunnel Bill and CityLink Concession Deed was released in 2017 when contracts were signed for the West Gate Tunnel Project, as part of a range of documents released for the project.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said it took only one crash to turn the West Gate Bridge into a car park.

“We desperately need this second river crossing and we’re not wasting a minute delivering it,” he said. “The Westgate Tunnel will slash travel times, create thousands of jobs and get trucks off local streets in Melbourne’s west.”

> Isuzu Australia announces top dealerships Nine of Isuzu Australia Limited’s best performing dealerships have graduated under its 2018 Dealer Excellence Program the bestselling commercial vehicle manufacturer has announced. Under the long-running program Isuzu Australia dealerships are examined across all aspects of business from staff training, business management to service and parts over the course of a year. In a media release, Isuzu said the program helped cultivate its industry-leading sales and after-sales approach which has seen it the most popular commercial vehicle brand in Australia for the last 30 years.

The dealerships that come out on top across all these categories are then awarded the coveted status of ‘Excellence’. According to Isuzu the dealerships awarded Excellence for 2018 included North East Isuzu in Adelaide; Major Motors in Perth; Patterson Cheney 16

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Trucks in Melbourne; Suttons Motors Arncliffe in Sydney; Tony Ireland Isuzu in Townsville; Winter & Taylor in Geelong; Crokers Truck Centre in Mackay; Ballarat Isuzu in Victoria; Port City Isuzu in Hervey Bay. Retiring Isuzu Director and Chief Executive Officer Phil Taylor applauded the dealerships on their achievement.

“Isuzu had a massive year in 2018, with sales records broken and the milestone of 30 consecutive years of truck market leadership achieved,” he said. “Off the back of that exceptional performance, we’d like to thank the entire Isuzu dealer network for their contributions that have helped us reach this milestone. Isuzu’s Dealer Excellence Program is our way of acknowledging and highlighting the outstanding work done by our topperforming dealerships over the past year.

“We’re thrilled to award nine Excellence

honours from 2018 and acknowledge these businesses for exceeding the expectations of Australian truck buyers through consistent professionalism and expertise.”

The Dealer Excellence Program, according to Taylor, is one aspect of IAL’s tireless effort to improve its service and provide greater levels of peace of mind to customers.

IAL National Sales Manager, Les Spaltman, said that the Isuzu Trucks dealer network was integral to the brand and the Dealer Excellence program was a motivating factor to reinforce their commitment to Aussie customers.

“The Excellence Program is a very competitive initiative that urges Isuzu dealerships to constantly improve their customer service in every possible way,” he said. “After all, it’s about offering the very best to our fiercely loyal customers.”

Safer for everyone under the southern cross.

Australia Post has been traversing this great southern land delivering everything from Gran’s postcard to your latest online purchase, for over 209 years. One of the core values they share with Volvo, is safety, so when they say their people matter more than anything, they really mean it. In partnership with Volvo, Australia Post drivers and the communities they serve enjoy the latest safety features built into every Volvo truck. When Australia Post choose Volvo, they are helping to keep all road users safer as they deliver their precious cargo all over Australia.

To find out how Australia Post and all Volvo customers are helping to keep everyone safe under the Southern Cross, visit volvotrucks.com.au

PRIME NEWS

> Penske Commercial Vehicles names Supplier of the Year Donaldson Australasia has been recognised by Penske Commercial Vehicles as its Supplier of the Year 2018. Evaluated over several categories, Donaldson Australasia, were recognised as a proactive partner to Penske Commercial Vehicles having achieved excellence in account management and effective communications across the wider dealer network.

The Central Coast filtration tech company based in Wyong, NSW, was also singled out for its high quality products that were perceived to exceed standards.

Managing Director Penske Commercial Vehicles Kevin Dennis applauded Donaldson Australasia for the valuable contribution it had made to Western Star Trucks, Man Truck & Bus and Dennis Eagle product range.

“We assessed suppliers against various categories and Donaldson proved time and again to be the cream of the crop in 2018,” he said.

In a statement Donaldson Australasia said the award was recognition of its core values.

According to Richard Ward, Donaldson Australasia National EAFM Sales Manager, the company strived for excellence across its operations.

“Our manufacturing, distribution, and sales teams very much enjoy partnering with Penske Commercial Vehicles and its dealer group, and it’s wonderful to be rewarded,” he said.

“We’d like to thank Mike Hickey, Penske’s General Manager – Parts, and the broader parts team at Penske for this recognition and their ongoing support.”

Richard Ward and Kevin Dennis.

> Isuzu joins Truck Assist in Supercars Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Isuzu Trucks, has partnered with Truck Assist in sponsoring the TEKNO Autosports team for the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

It represents Isuzu’s debut in the world of supercars where it will feature as part of livery on the TEKNO Autosports car driven by Jack Le Brocq, last season’s rookie of the year.

According to John Walker, Isuzu Trucks Limited (IAL) Head of Marketing and Customer Experience, the opportunity to join long time partner Truck Assist was the ideal introduction to the racing format.

“The fanbase for the Virgin Australia Supercars racing series has a very strong alignment with the Isuzu customer base, so naturally it’s exciting that we are able to have our customers engage further with the series,” he said. “It’s fantastic to be partnering with a team that has the Bathurst winning pedigree of TEKNO, while we are also partnering with Jack on 18

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a personal level, as we see him having a bright future in the sport.

“IAL has enjoyed numerous successful partnerships with Truck Assist and parent company NTI, with Isuzu’s 24-hour roadside assistance service provided by Truck Assist for many years.”

Alan Hasted, Truck Assist General Manager said it was exciting for the company to be bringing together TEKNO Autosports, Le Brocq, Truck Assist and Isuzu Trucks for the 2019 Supercars season.

“Between Truck Assist and our parent company NTI, we have enjoyed a long-term relationship with Isuzu Trucks as the brand’s preferred service partner, with a focus on 24-hour roadside assistance,” he said. “This partnership is a natural extension of that collaboration and is exciting for everyone involved.”

IAL joins Hino, Freightliner (Brad Jones Racing) and IVECO (Red Bull Holden Racing Team) in sponsoring the 2019 season of Supercars.

Isuzu will sponsor TEKNO Autosports.

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PRIME NEWS

> Renewable diesel hits critical milestone in Australian first trial In what is likely the first trial of its kind in Australia, a Scania test engine is operating solely on 100 per cent renewable diesel fuel made from waste plastic, old vehicle tyres, agriculture and forestry waste, and biosolids.

Southern Oil’s Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant at Yarwun, near Gladstone, is pioneering the refining of renewable diesel fuel with the aid of the Palaszczuk Government’s Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund.

for decades to come.”

Palaszczuk said the trial was a critical milestone for the development of the renewable fuel industry in Queensland.

Over the next 12 to 18 months, according to the premier, Southern Oil will be running the test engine solely on renewable diesel to prove it performs identically to petroleum-based diesel in terms of performance and wear-andtear on the engine.

“Warranty by an original equipment

Annastacia Palaszczuk and Cameron Dick.

The high-end Scania V8 test engine is being used in a power generation role for the testing, which includes assessment of exhaust emissions, performance and response, fuel efficiency, cost and engine lifetime.

According to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, renewable diesel is a much greener alternative to mineral diesel.

“Our government is committed to creating a sustainable, export-oriented biofutures industry in Queensland,” said Palaszczuk. “Southern Oil is aiming to build a commercial-scale renewable fuel refinery within five years, which would create significant job opportunities and improve domestic fuel security for our state. A state-based renewable fuels industry would underpin Queensland’s domestic fuel security 20

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manufacturer like Scania is also crucial to commercialisation and uptake of the fuel, as it must have the identical performance and characteristics of fossil fuel,” she said.

Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick, said the Palaszczuk Government is committed to delivering a $1 billion sustainable and export-oriented biotechnology and bioproducts sector by 2026.

“Our government attracted Southern Oil’s $25 million biofuels pilot plant to Queensland in 2017 with a grant through the Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund,” said Dick. “As a result of the trial, renewable fuels company SynBio – a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Oil – will immediately relocate from New South Wales to Queensland.”

“Within six months SynBio anticipates creating at least 11 direct and 25 indirect jobs in Queensland,” said Dick.

“This is a great result for our state as we continue to solidify our place as a global biofutures leader.”

Before warranty is secured, an estimated one million litres of the renewable diesel will be trialled at Southern Oil’s advanced biofuels laboratory – the leading facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Member for Gladstone, Glenn Butcher, said renewable diesel could eventually be used to power heavy transport, marine and industrial equipment.

“The Scania test engine is similar to diesel engines currently used in various transport modes, from fire trucks to superyachts; prime movers to cane trains,” said Butcher. “It’s this diversity of use that will result in the creation of new biorefineries to produce renewable diesel – bringing high-value jobs to our regions and creating new markets for our agricultural sector.”

“There’s also a need for diesel generators in Queensland – especially during natural disasters – and generators operating on renewable diesel could produce enough electricity to power about 50 domestic houses.”

Southern Oil Refinery and SynBio Managing Director, Tim Rose, said Queensland is leading the country in biofutures and renewable fuels.

“We’re witnessing the first step toward proving renewable diesel refined in Queensland from waste products can be chemically indistinguishable from petroleum-based diesel,” said Rose.

“Having a company like Scania endorse our fuel is crucial to creating commercial demand for our diesel and moving from pilot scale into demonstration scale.

“Today’s demonstration shows there’s a huge opportunity to produce 100 per cent renewable diesel fuel in Queensland from waste products, which could lead to a significant reduction in industry’s reliance on fossil fuels.”

G500 punches above its weight Scania’s New Truck Generation G500 6x4 prime mover is a real surprise packet.

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GLOB AL NEWS

> SEA Electric launches trucks in US Australian automotive tech company, SEA Electric, has announced it will launch its brand in the United States – with two display trucks.

The vehicles are based on popular Ford and Isuzu platforms as part of a showcase at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.

Both trucks, which are at an advanced build stage, will also appear at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.

The Ford F-59 ‘Stripped Chassis’ is being built at Ford’s DCP assembly facility in Detroit while the Isuzu NRR is being assembled nearby at a third-party plant.

As part of its expansion the company has established a site in Los Angeles where it has recently appointed its first US-based employees to oversee the newest products and future projects through US certification and distribution.

Establishing a foothold in the United States is a logical first step forward for the company according to SEA Electric Group Managing Director, Tony Fairweather.

“We see a lot of opportunities in the States, it’s an extremely large commercial vehicle market with a strong interest in sustainability – the US is an important part of our growth plans,” he said. “The country’s high urbanisation and sprawling cities also provide conditions where EV can deliver operators a lot of efficiency gains, not to mention the obvious environmental

benefits.” The Ford F-59 Stripped Chassis is powered by the SEA-Drive 120b power-system which produces 150kW of continuous power and 250kW of maximum power.

In addition to this the vehicle delivers continuous torque of 1230Nm and a maximum torque figure of 2500Nm SEA Electric said in a statement. The Pantech-bodied Isuzu NRR also features the SEA-Drive 120b power-system. With operating ranges of up to 350 kilometres, both vehicles according to SEA Electric remove ‘range angst’ for operators. Shortly following the Work Truck Show, both vehicles will enter in-service trials with major US fleets.

SEA Electric also has a Ford Transit van program underway which will enter a trial stage this month. The van features the SEA Drive 70 power-system which provides continuous power of 75kW,

maximum power of 134kW and 700Nm of maximum torque for an operating range of up to 350km also (220 miles). Batteries for all three vehicles can be fully charged overnight in 4-6 hours using a 20kW on-board charger. This allows them to be plugged-in and charged from any threephase power source. Fairweather said that the SEA-Drive powered vehicles were ideal for urban and metropolitan back-to-base distribution applications.

“For back-to-base operations EV technology is extremely attractive because at the end of the working day, these vehicles are conveniently charged overnight and ready to go again the next morning,” he said. “Operators can expect a payback period of less than four years on their SEA-Drive powered truck or van, so with a battery lifecycle of approximately 10 years, there are great efficiencies to be gained over the whole life of the vehicle.”

> Nikola backs hydrogen network following electric truck announcement Hydrogen truck maker, Nikola Motor Company, will debut a battery-powered unit alongside its Class 8 prime mover in April at a three day showcase dubbed Nikola World. A battery electric vehicle (BEV) option has been added to the hydrogen vehicles of both the Nikola Two and Nikola Tre. Nikola One, its linehaul truck is not part of the proposed plans at this stage.

The company has insisted it is not shifting its focus away from hydrogen but, rather, exploring battery offerings for shorterrange, non-weight sensitive applications.

On Twitter the company insisted the 22

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development had zero implications on its commitment to hydrogen as it reiterated that it was moving ahead with 700 filling stations.

Australia would be part of the rollout.

Nikola also confirmed that it had to date $14 billion in non-binding preorders.

“BEV customers don’t compete with hydrogen as they are mainly for inner city and much less range,” Nikola tweeted. “We believe both have their place.”

Nikola confirmed it expects 50 times more sales of hydrogen than electric.

The company was steadfast in its position on hydrogen-equipped models which

Nikola Two.

it said were 5,000 pounds lighter and offered lower operating costs in long haul applications even after factoring hydrogen costs.

Nikola will unveil the trucks in Phoenix on 16-17 April.

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THE INSURANCE MINDSET

PETER JOHANSSON Peter Johansson is a 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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SAVING COSTS THROUGH SUC DRIVER MANA

I

ncident and claim costs can be minor compared to the losses experienced by transport companies with a culture of poor driver management – especially for those that operate in the heavy vehicle space. For these companies, the churn of drivers and inefficient driving of vehicles will likely cost significantly more than driver crashes and insurance. That’s why risk assessments are heavily weighted towards drivers and driver performance management, comprising about 80 per cent of the assessment, with the remaining 20 per cent focusing on journeys and vehicles.

Effective driver management goes well beyond ensuring a driver’s safety on the road. It extends into loss control and having the right support in place to both reduce the frequency of crashes and minimise the mental, physical and emotional costs to drivers who are involved in a traumatic incident.

Keeping open conversations about home life is also an important way to keep a handle on driver performance – by recognising when a driver may be under stress and at risk of being involved in a crash. And if a driver is involved in an incident, a good driver management program will give the driver the space and time they need to ensure they’re in the right headspace to return to work.

As we’re a global insurer, I get to see

best practice examples from all over the world. One of the most impressive initiatives I’ve seen in recent years was from a fleet operator overseas. They were a bulk dangerous goods carrier and were having more than 20,000 telematic events and between five and six rollovers each year. Individual driver incentives had proven ineffectual in improving driver performance, so the business moved to driver team-based incentives where the whole team was rewarded based on the performance of the whole team (rather just the individual driver).

This resulted in drivers starting to manage each other and alerting senior management to which drivers should drive which routes based on their skills or stress and fatigue levels. The business reduced its telematics events from 20,000 a month to approximately 2,000 and no rollovers for three years.

You don’t need expensive technology or incentives for good driver management programs. A horse float operator I met about 15 years ago displayed an innovative, tech-free approach to driver safety. They transported race horses worth millions and employed horse handlers who could drive, rather than drivers who could handle horses.

The owner of the fleet would dip the fuel tanks upon return and if he saw anything unusual about the fuel levels, he’d talk to the driver directly.

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AND LIVES CESSFUL GEMENT

“What’s going on at home?” he’d ask.

“You’ve guzzled more fuel than normal and I know it’s not the rig, because I’ve just had it serviced.” His approach was very old school, and for his fleet it was highly effective. While telematics have their place, not all fleets have the money or time to invest in them. Looking at your fuel records and tyre wear for each driver can often tell you just as much as telematics can.

Research shows that 98 per cent of road incidents occur due to human error, but the greatest opportunities for improvements can be found by digging deeper into the underlying reasons why incidents occur in the first place. You can’t just rely on data from telematics.

You need to see and talk to people in person, so you can understand the causes of underperformance. Note crashes are just one form of underperformance.

There are much better lead indicators of drivers service and safety and what’s going on for them outside of work. It’s common for drivers to have issues at home or the occasional bad night of sleep – that’s just part of normal human life. And it’s why an effective driver performance management program that looks at all the factors affecting your drivers can not only save you money, it can also save lives. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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MAN COVER STORY

FOR ALL SEASONS

The TGX is the first MAN commercial vehicle rated for B-double application in Australia.

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G1 LOGISTICS PROVIDES A NATIONAL NETWORK FOR THE LINEHAUL TRANSPORTATION OF FOOD, WINE AND BEVERAGES. AS A MASS ACCREDITED ROAD TRANSPORT BUSINESS IT ASKS THE MOST OF ITS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND ITS NEW FLEET OF MAN TGX D38S HAVE NOT DISAPPOINTED.

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ocated on the fringes of a desert in the tristate corner where the Murray River crowns its northern edge, Mildura, boasts the distinction of having been the nation’s first irrigated settlement. In 1887 a pair of Canadian brothers using steam-driven pumps channelled water from the river into a basin of which the many citrus orchards and vineyards the region has long been

associated were first cultivated. Skyduster palm trees, now scattered across the town, look at home in the semi-arid climate.

The numbered streets, a throwback to the California heritage of its initial town planning, have survived. So too has one of its renown freight operations. In fact it has thrived.

G1 Logistics, as part of the GTS Freight Group, has been headquartered in Mildura since 1980 when Don Matthews established a business to service local wineries on the back of a lone semi-trailer. Nearly 40 years later, it now runs B-double linehaul fleet services across the country, vectoring from its strategic location goods west to Adelaide, south to Melbourne and east to Sydney and further north to Brisbane. Don’s son Damien Matthews is now the Managing Director and sole shareholder. With another depot based in Adelaide, the group employs a fulltime equivalent staff of 300 across its facilities. This includes site employees, tow operators and contractors. The GTS Freight Group, according to Damien, is continuing to grow. It added a refrigeration arm as recently as January 2019 and as part of its upward trajectory a new 10,000sqm

warehousing facility requiring 40,000sqm of concrete is nearing completion.

Construction started last winter.

“Because we’re growing so quickly as a business we’re building the infrastructure to service it otherwise it’s not sustainable,” says Damien. “The new facility in Mildura is geographically a good hub for a national domestic distribution for our customers. For the linehaul business it gives us the ability to create all the changeovers and maintenance, handle the fatigue management side of things and the utilisation of equipment.”

The new facility will be fully automated with robot pick and pack and put-away technology with autonomous forklifts. In addition to a domestic national distribution centre that will benefit the logistics operation, there will also be container packing facilities, providing access to export freight markets.

“It’s in a good position to do domestic distribution because of where it is situated on the map,” says Damien. “As a food, wine and beverage carrier the busiest times of the year are October through to Christmas and then again in the lead up to Easter. That’s customarily as busy as we get but there’s a

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COVER STORY

lot going on all year around.”

In 2018 the business grew 20 per cent.

For this financial year alone Damien expects G1 Logistics to see 25 per cent growth in revenue.

“The forecast for the next financial year is for another 20 per cent,” he says. “For a long time the wine and beverage industries represented the core part of the business but in the last 12 months it has grown significantly through the supermarket supply chains.”

As G1 Logistics creates a network around the customers it services nationally one of the recent challenges, according to Damien, has been geared around diversifying not just for ongoing demand but to ensure the fleet is utilised all year contingent upon seasonal economic conditions.

“We had to keep that in mind so we got into refrigeration and invested in curtainsiders initially because we have so much back-up freight already in sideloading with existing clients,” he says.

“So we can use fridges when they are in demand and we can use existing crates when the refrigeration is not in demand to limit the down time.”

In the past G1 Logistics has been able to supply ambient services using straight deck 36-pallet trailers. When demand increased, in order to service it, they moved to 36-pallet drop deck trailers. They invested again when there was demand for high

MAN TGX is fuel optimised with MAN EfficientCruise.

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Driver acceptance prompted an additional order of 31 TGX D38s.

cubic capacity PBS-approved 4.6m triple drop decks of which they now run a small fleet of 16 sets. Extra room created behind the suspension of these trailers allows for additional pallets which can be double stacked in the mezzanine deck. When Damien started at GTS the business had no warehousing, B-doubles or Tautliners, with just half a dozen trucks equipped with flat top trailers. Across the entire group the fleet now consists of nearly 150 B-double specified prime movers and some smaller metropolitan suited rigids on top of that. There’s close to 450 pieces of

trailing equipment.

Long haul of this repeat nature, at 68 tonnes gross concessional mass every day over vast stretches of the East Coast of Australia, is incumbent on a powerful heavy vehicle with a big engine – 580 horses in fact.

“We’re mass accredited so we need high horsepower,” Damien says. “As a high percentage of our fleet is now pulling 36 palleters we’re running weight and at full length.”

Agreeing to a 12-month trial of the new MAN TGX D38, G1 Logistics took only six months to reach a decision in the affirmative. Not only was it the right truck for the job but, subsequent to the evaluation, the company wasted no time in committing itself to an order of 11 prime movers.

Late last year G1 Logistics invested in another 31 MAN TGX D38s. Driver acceptance and fuel economy were, to note two of the standout factors in the decision, first rate recalls Damien.

“We certainly get the highs and lows of weather out here and the trucks cope with the extremes well. The MAN TGX is well appointed with a suite of safety features.

The data that we see coming out of the trucks both with our MT Data and out of the MAN data confirm our average speeds are high, the engine brakes are strong and

trip times are always good,” he says. “For us the driver acceptance – and my fleet manager will also endorse this – is really good. They present well.”

With branding crucial to most road transport groups, the MAN commercial vehicles impress in the distinct black and purple colours now uniform among the G1 Logistics fleet. They’re also, for something with such pulling power, unobtrusive in operation with noise levels, for drivers at the wheel for 12 hours, pleasantly restrained.

Not unlike most growing businesses of this mode, G1 Logistics was attracted to the competitive pricing offered by Penske Commercial Vehicles, including its contract maintenance deal.

“Penske Truck Rental has a network of rental trucks that are available through different seasonalities so if we need to hire trucks we’re also covered,” Damien says.

The first MAN model to be rated for B-double application in the country, the TGX flagship has been established as a 15-litre linehaul option and rated at 2,900Nm while possessing ample maximum torque of 930 rpm. Fuel optimised with MAN EfficientCruise which features GPS connected cruise

control resourcing topographical map data to gauge route gradients, the vehicle, following its launch by Penske in October, 2016, promises a comfortable ride with an automated manual 12-speed Traxion Transmission.

“It’s been built specific with B-double applications in mind and during our year-long testing we had confidence to purchase it after just six months,” Damien says. “The numbers we’ve bought of the MAN stands alone in terms of the services being good. It’s early days but at the moment we’re pretty excited about continuing our working relationship with Penske.”

G1 runs a large workshop of 12 full time staff not including the fleet manager who oversees it and a workshop manager.

The business, like the town of Mildura, has long been home. Damien has resided here most of his life. His father relocated from Portland in coastal Victoria to Gol Gol, across the Murray in New South Wales when Damien was two. He still lives there despite the business relocating to Mildura in the mid 1980s. He took over as sole shareholder of GTS in 2008.

Next year he will have marked working at the company three decades. In that

time he’s seen massive changes across the industry. Safety precautions and new practices to protect staff and its drivers an appreciative measure he regards as instrumental for all involved.

“To bring in all the fatigue management and speed limits and mass limits has been one of the best things for the industry to have effected across the board,” Damien says. “We measure our kilometres per accident and we’re now at our lowest percentage of accidents which has been at its lowest since I’ve been here.”

Reputation is part of the company’s success according to Damien. He says its core values help ensure it remains a trusted industry partner.

“Our history shows a good track record.

What we have done is try to set a culture and a standard in our business that safety is paramount and if people don’t want to work in the way that we respect safety we’d rather not have them employed,” he says. “All the people that we are lucky to have do a really good job of just following the culture of safety number one, and number two, it’s all about the service and making sure the customer is happy and they get what we sell and how we provide it.”

580 horsepower engines help pull 68 tonnes on long haul.

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FLEET FOCUS

COVERING

GROUND LILYDALE INSTANT LAWN HAS BUILT A BUSINESS ON STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN RESOURCES, PRODUCTS AND EQUIPMENT. BY DOING SO IT HAS PROTECTED ITSELF AGAINST THE UNCERTAINTIES OF BOTH CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC FORECASTING. IT RECENTLY ADDED SCANIA COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IN A BID TO DELIVER ADVANTAGES TO ITS DAILY URBAN OPERATIONS.

Scania NTG G500.

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idespread use of Sir Walter DNA certified Buffalo lawn in Victoria was driven in large part by drought in 2002. By 2007, as catchments diminished, water restrictions had reached an alarming Stage 3a. The supposedly drought-proof Thompson Dam fell below 20 per cent for the first time in its history. Lilydale Instant Lawn, a Melbourne-based business had identified the need for a drought tolerant premium

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lawn and had started growing Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo in 2000 at their Yarra Glen farm – the decision to change from thirsty cool season grasses was partly due to the need to reduce water use at the Yarra Glen property where dam water was limited according to the company’s General Manager Steve Cole.

The transition to warm season grass production at Lilydale Instant Lawn at the start of the Millennium drought meant that Lilydale Instant Lawn had positioned

itself well ahead of wider community demand for water saving and long before drought and population growth made it compulsory.

“Water reduction and high quality lawn were the drivers to get into that market and it has since proven to be a giant positive for our business because when the real drought hit Victoria back in 2007 we were well ahead of the game,” Steve says. “As we were already heavily invested in Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo, and warm seasons

grasses were by that stage a core part of our production, we picked up a lot of the market during that time.”

Lilydale Instant Lawn operates across the suburban expanse of Melbourne, from residential to industrial estates, contracting for council and commercial lawn supply with projects ranging from front and back yards through to larger projects like golf courses and Sandown racecourse.

In 1985 the company commenced its operations in Yarra Glen on 70 acres. In 2000 they added a farm on 100 acres in Pakenham. Five years later, adjacent to the same property, they added another 100 acres. By 2012 the business had acquired a large farm in Bairnsdale of around 1150 acres. It represented a considerable strategic investment. As of today 350 acres on the Bairnsdale site are currently under irrigation production. The remainder according to Steve has since been leased out for dryland sheep. All of the irrigated farms including the 350 acreage in Bairnsdale produce turf, otherwise known as instant lawn. Aside from the Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo, Lilydale Instant Lawn predominantly specialises in three other lawn varieties. These are a couch lawn called TifTuf Bermuda, a newly bred lawn that thrives in low water use, which is especially suited to the sports field market; Sir Grange, a grass purpose-grown for shaded areas and premium sites; and Eureka Premium VG Kikuyu, a benchmark grass for nature strips and council applications like green spaces and parks.

As a seasonal business, Lilydale Instant Lawn has accelerated its means of production so as to limit the impact of being at the mercy of the weather all year round. The climate in Bairnsdale is very mild, Steve says, allowing the company to harvest volumes of lawn in winter greater than it ever has been able to before.

“The addition of the Bairnsdale farm has balanced out that seasonality. As most of the lawn comes out of Bairnsdale in winter time our business changes during those months to accommodate more linehauling back from there,” he says. “Because we’re not delivering as much lawn at that time of year to customers we’ll utilise our fleet to move the lawn back from Bairnsdale and,

Steve Cole.

as we move into Spring, we start to utilise Grinters Transport to subcontract from Bairnsdale to Pakenham so our fleet can be out and delivering and doing what it’s designed to do. Craig at Grinters has been a key partner with us since we commenced operations at Bairnsdale.”

The customer base is mainly split between home owners who represent about half the daily business which requires getting its trucks and trailers into backstreets for up to ten deliveries a day on each truck.

The other half of the business says Steve is commercial, across new estates, sports fields, golf courses, and council works.

“It’s normal for a semi-trailer to do that many jobs in a day,” he says. “Eight drops are the average for a truck handling front and back lawns.”

Lilydale Instant Lawn runs its trucks all over Melbourne in dense traffic conditions in contrast to the relatively uninterrupted 500km run out to its farm in Bairnsdale.

Those same trucks can often be navigating suburban back streets the very next day.

Running high volume deliveries in high density areas has dictated, by Steve’s own admission, a preference for European commercial vehicles. As each prime mover is covering an estimated 80,000 kilometres per year in and out of traffic, fuel efficiency and handling is of paramount importance.

The company is now running a Scania R480 and New Generation G500, the newest addition to its fleet. According

to Steve, the two-year old R480 brought about a noticeable improvement in fuel burn when it came on board and the latest Scania, which was added in December 2018, has since delivered an improvement on top of that.

“We’re seeing fuel efficiency improvements with the G500 and the best we’ve seen so far on the Scania monitoring report would reflect roughly a ten per cent improvement for mileage of performance per litre,” Steve says. “In freight we know that’s variable but that’s our best to date.”

It’s now essential for Steve and his team to try and replicate that performance going forward. Having two Scanias running at the same time has allowed for greater insights into the driver rating, should it decrease or improve. More of the same kind of trucks running, according to Steve, makes it’s possible to benchmark the fleet.

“When you start comparing the two trucks over a period of time they ultimately do the same work,” says Steve. “Over a month one might do a bit more country run while the other might be around town the same day. That’s the variable I’m talking about we see at the moment.”

Truck performance, Steve believes, as a rule, can be compared to driver performance. In that sense, from an operational perspective, the two go hand-in-hand.

“The benefits that you see in fuel consumption are also likely to drop off following a poor driver rating,” he says. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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“The driver can have as much impact on a truck as what the truck itself can do. From that perspective we’ll be looking at Scania Driver Training to ensure we’re getting the utmost out of these vehicles.”

The G500 features a Euro 6 six cylinder AdBlue New Generation engine. Reece Lines who’s responsible for operating the truck, claims it to have the best in-cab visibility he has encountered.

“The turning circle is sensational and the visibility, in my opinion, is second to none,” says Reece. “When you’re backing blind around corners and side streets the more visibility you’ve got the better.”

“I’ve only driven it once and it was beautiful” says Steve who tends to drive only in emergency situations or when one of the drivers is away or off duty. He says the company policy is one truck, one driver. The drivers have their name on the door as a rule. Generally speaking it’s their truck and that means they are expected to maintain and look after it.

“We’ve got a quality team at the moment.

There’s no challenges there,” Steve says.

“Our drivers have to be knowledgeable in the product, capable in the drive and also capable and personable with the customers. We get great feedback about our drivers from our customers. Your truck is only as good as the guy you’ve got sitting in the seat.”

Having to co-ordinate 7,000 direct deliveries a year might involve up to 1500 of these being directed to repeat locations in which a site requires multiple loads. The remainder of the drops entail random addresses most days.

“It’s an absolute credit to the team of drivers we’ve got and we’ve got a great team of drivers,” Steve says. “We work really hard with our drivers on having a work/life balance, too. We’ve worked hard to get a team that’s really on the ball.”

Through Chain of Responsibility they assess every delivery via Google Maps.

Office staff use a rating system for the proposed jobs according to easy, medium or hard, as preparation for the drivers who will have to make a decision on how far they can venture into a street with a semitrailer. On the rare chance they decide it’s not viable to take a truck all the way into 32

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the location, Lilydale Instant Lawn will work closely with the client to formulate another plan. This might involve running the forklift at a reasonable distance from the site or using a ute and trailer at a higher cost.

“We’re quite careful nowadays to not put ourselves in a position where we’re unable to get in or out of a location,” says Steve.

“Our drivers are unbelievably good at what they do. They have to be thinking on their feet the whole day.”

Lilydale Instant Lawn uses Poyntz Covered Wagon trailers custom built by Vawdrey Australia. The trailers function with an automated rollup side via the flick of a switch. It takes around 15 seconds to deploy and is ideal for their deliveries as both sides open up in an instant. Running at low heights of 3.7 metres to navigate trees and bridges, the trailers are mounted with a Moffett forklift on back. The newest of the forklifts is only three months old as part of an ongoing process to update their equipment. It’s an approach also applied to the harvest.

Having to mow up to 2 million metres of grass three times a week across their farms requires 10-metre wide mowers to cover the ground. According to Steve, they run a fleet of around ten John Deere tractors, another brand he highly rates.

The business has imported four automated harvesters from the United States. Only

Poyntz Covered Wagon trailer custom built by Vawdrey Australia.

ten years ago every physical metre was put on the pallets by hand. Now it’s all done mechanically. The harvesters represent a massive change in the process.

“We were very early on the uptake,” Steve says. “Automation allowed us to increase productivity. Looking back to when we bought our first harvester we were only running two twin steer rigid trucks. We’ve now got four automatic stackers and seven prime movers and semi-trailers.”

The growth in the fleet side of the business, according to Steve, has correlated with their ability to harvest more grass.

“Obviously we’ve bought more farms and increased our production capacity and that all ties together,” he says. “One of the early restrictors was the physical side of it – the time it took to harvest. That helped open up the doors and created the opportunity for the business to grow.”

There was an internal push by his drivers, whose lobbying for the Scania found further support in the workshop mechanic who was partial himself to the brand, Steve relates, having made the case for the Scania’s superior running gear, safety features and technology.

“Ultimately, one of the main reasons as to why we went to Scania is because it came with a retarder. For around town usage we believe they are a big advantage.

The enhanced visibility for safety and fuel efficiency round out the package for us.”

BETTER FASTER STRONGER LONGER

COME AND SEE US AT THE BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW 2019 IN THE PLAZA FOYER

FLEET FOCUS

HAUL PAS S Safety is a greater choice than price according to James Dixon.

AS A GLOBAL BRAND ON THE FOREFRONT OF AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION IN BOTH PASSENGER AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, VOLVO HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH SAFETY. FEATURES THAT RANGE FROM THE LATEST SUITE OF ELECTRONIC DRIVER AIDS TO ITEMS AS FUNDAMENTAL AS CABIN DESIGN AND STRENGTH HAVE SINCE BECOME IMPORTANT FACTORS IN AUSTRALIA POST’S OPERATION OF ITS VOLVO PRIME MOVERS.

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hy do accidents happen at all?

It remains a big question. Volvo’s research shows that the basic causes are 90 per cent human, 30 per cent environment and 10 per cent vehicle. The reality of the situation, before readers start questioning the mathematics, is that various combinations of the three main factors can be the root causes of accidents.

On the surface it would at least seem easier to concentrate on eliminating 34

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drivers from the equation as they are an overwhelming factor, but Volvo Trucks recognise that is, in most instances, an impractical solution to the problem both now and well into the future.

From the three-point lap sash seatbelt that became standard equipment in Volvo cars in 1959 to leading edge autonomous and electric vehicle projects today, in the final analysis it remains the customer who determines the application or abandonment of fresh technologies.

“We go to market and we look at the

different submissions and safety at the end of the day is a greater choice for us than price,” says James Dixon who is the General Manager Transport and Aviation at Australia Post. “We did look pretty stringently at the Volvo, mainly about the capsule of the interior of the truck and how it takes an impact. That was after we had a major incident with one of our drivers who was driving through fog and hit an aluminium water tanker that had rolled in the middle of the highway. He couldn’t see it and hit it head-on, yet he was able to

Volvo safety values align closely with those of Australia Post.

From our perspective we think the design of the Volvo and its driver compartment is the safest truck in the world.

James Dixon General Manager Transport and Aviation at Australia Post

walk away with just a broken arm.”

It’s that level of occupant protection inherent in Volvo cabs which is recognised by operators such as Australia Post and StarTrack.

“From our perspective we think the design of the Volvo and its driver compartment is the safest truck in the world,” says James. “We’ve seen in recent times the video of a Volvo driver up in the Pilbara who has hit a roadtrain that had become disconnected. He hit it at 85 kilometres an hour up and walked away.”

Australia has what is universally regarded as one of the toughest truck markets in the world. Not only do we have heavier loads and extreme weather and environmental conditions, the marketplace itself is crowded with some world class local manufacturing and assembly plus the best that manufacturers from North America, Europe and Asia can provide. Australians are spoiled for choice which probably makes the decisions more complex than they otherwise could be. In such circumstances the sometimes-competing factors require prioritisation as Australia Post’s National Fleet Manager Terry Bickerton explains.

“The safety values that Volvo embraces align very closely with the core values of Australia Post,” he says. “They want people to return home in the same shape that they started the job.

The safety and innovative features that Volvo provide in their vehicles certainly help support that.”

In the area of safety Volvo continues to be deeply immersed in the development of active safety systems which use an understanding of the state of the vehicle to both avoid and minimise the effects of a collision. On November 1 2015, systems for collision warning with emergency brake and lane keeping support became a legal requirement on all new heavy vehicles in the EU. Volvo Trucks has continued to expand upon the numerous benefits of connectivity and is well beyond the basic vehicle tracking and fleet management modules. Volvo’s ever-evolving connectivity programs remain very customer centric and go a long way to maximise uptime, optimise the vehicles’ operations and enhance the safety for the trucks’ occupants as

well as other road users. In a development unveiled in Sweden last year Volvo trucks and cars can be connected via a cloudbased computer system that provides real time safety warnings between vehicles in similar locations.

“We look at our minimum requirements like ABS and lane departure where available, and we look backwards at ergonomics and environmental factors and ask ourselves what are the emissions like? The load carrying capacity? What’s the service network like? There’s a lot of things that come into play,” says Terry. “But the key criteria for us is safety and reliability.”

Fatigue and inattention are significant issues in the industry and Australia Post is tackling these head-on with its workforce via a multi-pronged approach. According to James, Australia Post is currently trying several initiatives around these areas but says there’s always more to be done.

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

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FLEET FOCUS

Driver training at Australia Post is used to maximise safety and productivity from its Volvo trucks.

Our Board is 100 per cent supportive of anything we need to do to remain a leader in the CoR space.

James Dixon General Manager Transport and Aviation at Australia Post

“We schedule our drivers where they do change-overs so they are back at their home bases every night or every day depending upon their shift,” he says.

“We ask for our contract suppliers in the Australia Post world to run to the same schedule. We’re also looking at other technology we can use to help us.”

The Volvo prime movers in the fleet contribute to fatigue safety with advanced technology such as lane departure warnings and Australia Post is seriously looking at other emerging technologies to further enhance the safety bottom line.

“We recently started dialog with a couple of fatigue technology people who are charting face and eye movements,” says James. “But we haven’t progressed with that at the moment because there is a lot of conjecture around whether it’s the right way to go or not. So we’re actually just looking at what’s 36

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out there. We sent a delegation of people to Israel to a forum sponsored

by Telstra not long ago to look at how telematics and technology can improve collision avoidance and fatigue management. We’re just working on it from that perspective at the moment.”

Driver training aimed at maximising safety and the productivity of the Volvo prime movers is carried out by Australia Post’s in-house trainers in each major state with supplementary support from the factory trainers available through Volvo. Servicing for the trucks is

also a combined exercise.

“With our prime movers at Volvo,” says James, “we stick with the service and maintenance program with the supplier.”

Recent changes in Chain of Responsibility (CoR) legislation are taken very seriously by Australia Post and StarTrack. According to James CoR has become what he calls a Tier One risk and receives regular Board attention.

James says he leads CoR for the organisation and reports to the Board every month on any infringements or breaches to the legislation.

“Now the Board is asking us to go to the next level and start showing them any non-conformances we capture,” he says.

“Our Board is 100 per cent supportive of anything we need to do to remain a leader in the CoR space.”

James Dixon is as passionate about safety and responsibility within one of the largest organisations in Australia that literally has contact with every community.

“We want to be market leaders in this,” he says. “It’s compliance and innovation but it’s making the network safer and our Board is so supportive of it.

We’ve got some great Board members who have a history in logistics and transport worlds and they are a fantastic support for us.”

Volvo prime mover in B-double configuration promoting ‘Stay Alert! There’s a Life Riding on it.’

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

37

TRUCK & TECH

Extrusions are polished before the tipper body is mounted to the trailer.

DESIGN FOR

LIVING AS TRANSPORT COMPANIES INCREASE AWARENESS AROUND THEIR BRANDING, THE DESIGN FEATURES OF A TRUCK CAN DO MORE THAN JUST CREATE A PRETTY PICTURE. NOT ONLY DOES DAISY’S GARDEN SUPPLIES SET HIGH STANDARDS ON THIS FRONT, QUALITY CUSTOMISATION FROM PACCAR PARTS JUST MIGHT BE PLAYING A PART IN HELPING TO RETAIN DRIVERS.

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randing around a business, according to marketing principles, should be unique, simple and consistent. For transport companies, trucks and the trailers they haul, are often rolling billboards in which to associate a company identity with a product.

Daisy’s Garden Supplies, a Melbourne-

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based business that celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, adopts a distinct uniform approach to its fleet with an inherent awareness that brand vision often dictates growth. The core business remains retail garden supplies to builders and landscapers although the bigger trucks, like the 12 Kenworths it runs out of a considerable fleet of 80

vehicles, supplies its bigger customers with larger volumes of material as they replenish stock levels.

In 1979 the company was borne from little according to Director Evan Mulcahy whose parents Neil and Margaret established the business with a lone tipper out of a location in Ringwood where they had a permit for a garden

supply business. His father, who passed away two years ago, was a diesel mechanic and a truck purist. Evan, who continues to drive, is very much in the same vein. In the early 1990s Neil and Margaret purchased an additional five acres in Carrum Downs, augmented with a workshop and, as the business grew, so did the fleet. Machines and equipment were soon added. In 2003 they purchased a pebble quarry in Bright, in northeast Victoria serviced most days by three of the Kenworths. A third retail site was purchased in Ashwood back in 2008.

They have a production facility in Hallam where they mix and blend soils from raw materials which they sell out of their own yards and also to local councils and landscaping projects.

The company, according to Evan, purchased its first Kenworth, a T650, in 1990. Since then each subsequent

Kenworth has been purchased with superchrome alloy rims, sun visors and stainless air cleaners from the factory spec’d in accordance with his preference.

“It’s the brand to have. The first one sold us on its reliability and the backup service,” he says. “It was the whole package and we never looked back from there. My dad and I have always been truck people. If you’re a truck person you see the extra value in the cost to buy a Kenworth.”

Seeing a return of about half of what the business puts into a Kenworth after having had the best out of it when they sell them is part of the attraction says Evan. Design elements such as sweep backs, grill bars and gauge covers have always helped to make it an imposing commercial vehicle.

Each prime mover is ordered from PACCAR with a black chassis and yellow cab, generally with a white roof. The tipper body and Hercules trailer are later mounted, with the extrusions polished prior to the body being put together.

“Superchrome alloy rims are fitted all around truck and trailer before they get sent to the painters at Total Fleet Imaging in Laverton,” Evan says. “The stripes are done so that they match the body at the same time.”

Once the prime mover is painted a premium shield clear wrap goes over the paint work to protect it. The process evolves from there.

Originally the colour scheme for Daisy’s Garden Supplies was green bodies and yellow cab with white stripe. In 2010 when Evan bought two Kenworth K108s he changed the colour scheme on the bigger trucks to what it is today, dynamic yellow.

“They’re a great advertising tool and the drivers take a lot of pride in the trucks and what they do,” says Evan. “So they really like a flash paint scheme and the rest of the accessories that go with it.

And they look good out on the road and delivering into sites.”

Customers of PACCAR can nominate the accessories they want added on at the Dealership on the Kenworth T610 and T610SAR. Each of these models can be pre-delivered with decorative extras.

By offering high quality accessories available at the Dealership according to Michael Long PACCAR Parts – National Sales & Marketing Manager, it also helps to reduce delays in getting the truck on the road.

“Our truck sales guys at the dealerships can now have these conversations with

Accessories can be nominated at the PACCAR dealership prior to purchase. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

Superchrome alloy rims, sun visors and stainless steel tank skirts are customised at the Kenworth factory.

the customer to option up T610 and T610SAR with accessories which wasn’t something they could fully do through the dealership prior to late last year,” he says. “Customers would have had to send it out and get it fitted by an Accessories Workshop. Now the dealership can be a one stop shop and cut out that step of getting your truck fitted out by a third party, ready for use. The wait on which can be months.”

This same customisation will be available on the new model Kenworth T360 and T410 released later in the year as they share similarities with the T610 and T610SAR models. The better they can make the Kenworth product look, according to Michael, the easier it is to sell it.

“Drivers are scarce these days and we need to make sure we hold onto them.

People love driving Kenworths and love being seen in them especially the more visually striking ones. If that can keep a driver working longer for one of our customers than that’s good for all of us.”

Kenworth trucks he says are an aspirational product.

“It’s the pinnacle of products in road transport. We recognise that a lot of our 40

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customers particularly on the Kenworth side of the business like to customise their trucks and individualise the experience of operating one,” he says. “This is the next level of that customisation.”

This year at Daisy’s Garden Supplies, Evan will have his second driver to reach the milestone of 20 years of service with the company. The average years of service across his drivers, however, is difficult to estimate.

“They start and they don’t leave,” Evan jokes. “They come here and tend to stay.

The longevity of the staff gives you a bit of stability and that makes it a little bit easier in your day-to-day operations to be able to plan ahead and if you want to grow things or stay the same if you’ve got that support behind you. It makes it that bit easier.”

All drivers are uniformed and are responsible for the upkeep of their truck.

It helps set a standard and as a result Evan says they take greater pride in their work.

He expects a lot from the drivers given the business hinges on providing the highest levels of service for their customers.

That means having the best drivers that are available.

“We go to some tricky spots where it’s

very tight and people will say it’s too hard to get in there and we’ll get in there,” Evan says. “That’s part of the role of the driver which is ultimately to make the customer happy.”

At Bright, where Daisy’s Garden Supplies excavates pebbles out of the old dredge tailings, the product is then hauled as far as Mount Gambier in South Australia or Sydney, New South Wales and various garden supplies across regional and metropolitan Victoria. PerformanceBased-Standards has allowed the company to carry more in its truck and dog combinations. Because of that the trucks have gotten bigger and so too have the distances they now cover. This often entails the drivers being away from home for a night or two during the week.

“I tend to build the trucks to suit that.

The new big cab we’ve gone for has a bunk cooler, TV and microwave for the driver which makes it more comfortable for him when he’s not at home,” Evan says. “I appreciate the effort that they put in and their level of commitment. So I try and do what I can to make it easier especially when you’re not out there yourself it’s important to do what you can for them.”

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C L E A N E R S

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TRUCK & TECH

UPGRADING

DOWNSP IN THE CONTINUAL DRIVE FOR OPTIMISED FUEL ECONOMY AND EMISSION REDUCTIONS, THE LATEST HEAVY-DUTY TRUCKS ARE TUNED AND GEARED TO PRODUCE MOUNTAIN-MUNCHING PEAK TORQUE OUTPUTS AT LOWER RPM THAN EVER BEFORE. TO COPE WITH THIS INCREASED DEMAND, HIGHLY EXPERIENCED DRIVELINE MANUFACTURER DANA HAS RELEASED THE SUPERDUTY 300, ITS STURDIEST ON-HIGHWAY DRIVESHAFT BY A COUNTRY MILE.

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any transport operators who grew up in regional areas had their first taste of lorry driving at a very early age on farms scattered all over Australia.

Back in the ‘60s, ’70s and early ‘80s the typical farm truck was either an Austin/ Leyland, Bedford, International or Dodge.

At that stage Japanese domination of the medium-duty truck market led by Isuzu and Hino was still a very distant blip on the horizon. As a rule of thumb, these poor old single-drive five-tonne rated relics were regularly loaded with ten tonnes of grain before ‘Farmer Brown’ would scurry off to the local silos, all the while hoping the Department of Main Roads Inspectors had knocked off early for the day. Many a youngster would have been intrigued by the tinkling sound, not unlike

the call of bellbirds, that would emanate from beneath the overloaded farm trucks at clutch take-up point just before they started to move. This came from the flexing of the thin-walled steel tube in the lengthy drive shaft – centre bearings were rare in those times – as it desperately struggled to initiate gear rotation inside the diff on the vastly overloaded truck.

Thanks largely to the generally flat country on and around grain properties and the woefully feeble torque outputs from the typical six-cylinder petrol ‘power’ plants of the day, most driveshafts managed to survive. But it really is a wonder considering their light-weight construction that more of these didn’t wind themselves into something resembling a stick of liquorice.

This brings us to the Dana Superduty 300

Dana Superduty 300.

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and the reason why most old farm trucks of that era, apart from those lovingly restored and residing in museums for the benefit of posterity, have long since been relegated to the junk yard.

Put simply, today’s trucks are engineered for vastly superior performance compared to the relics of the past. Roads are far better, speeds are much faster and proportional to the number of axles, loads are a lot heavier, which all adds to an immense demand on the entire powertrain. And, of course, the driveshaft, along with the transmission and drive axles, is a critical component in delivering the turning effort to the tyres.

As previously mentioned, the current trend towards downspeeding – where cruising RPM is reduced to a minimum in the quest for optimum fuel efficiency – is placing even more strain on driveline components like the driveshaft. It’s for this reason that driveline component manufacturer Dana has risen to the challenge of designing and producing a super-duty driveshaft that is well up to this formidable role.

As forerunners in the fuel efficiency charge, European truck and engine manufacturers are well versed in downspeeding and have been developing the principle for many years. For North American manufacturers like Cummins, however, this is a concept that is relatively new and one that the company has embraced with gusto as it seeks to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from its engines. Cummins

FOR

EEDING understands that to get the desired outcomes for its customers, it must ensure the complete drivetrain from engine to diff is well up to the task of managing the increased engine torque at lower RPM developed by its downsped engines. In other words, the last thing Cummins wants is for a jack-shaft to come adrift from a customers’ truck because it can’t handle the torque.

As such, Cummins has developed what it calls Cummins Integrated Powertrain which involves the development of the engine, transmission and driveline as a complete package. In terms of integration between the Cummins X15 engine and Eaton UltraShift Plus automated transmission, much work has been done through collaboration between the companies to enable optimum electronic communications in terms of transmission shift points to suit the higher torque output produced at lower revs from the Cummins X15 engine.

The flow-on effect is that the other driveline components like driveshafts and axles need to be beefed up to handle the extra torque or turning force exerted on them. To put it in simple terms, it’s like having a short lever and a long lever to move a given load. The long lever moves the load with less effort, but it must be moved a greater distance – this represents an engine geared to cruise at higher RPM. The short lever requires greater effort exerted over a shorter distance to move the load which represents an engine geared to cruise at lower RPM. Somewhat confusingly, the diff or final drive ratios that are closer to 1:1 and therefore enable cruising speed at lower RPM are called ‘tall’ while the ‘higher’ ratios such as 4.44:1 are called ‘short’.

Kenworth K200 2.8 Aerodyne comes equipped with the Dana Superduty 300.

This terminology is also at odds with the previously mentioned lever principle where the ‘short’ lever relates to a ‘tall’ final drive ratio and vice versa.

The diff or final drive ratios for highway trucks, depending on application, have traditionally been 4.33, 4.11 or 3.9:1 with the latter formerly considered ultra-tall. However, with recent on-road testing Cummins has been trialling the previously unheard of in truck circles 3.73 and 3.58 diff ratios behind respective Euro 5- and Euro 6-compliant engines to determine the optimum ratios for

on-highway applications.

It’s important to remember that there is a ‘sweet spot’ in ratio selection and that down-speeding too far is in fact counterproductive. From our experience during a recent drive of a Kenworth K200 with a Euro 6-compliant Cummins X15 and the 3.58:1 diff ratio, there would be no benefit in using a taller ratio than this in a full-weight east coast B-double application.

Relating all this to the Dana SuperDuty 300 driveshaft that the company has endowed with the necessary brawn for down-speeding applications, Mark Wallace, p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

Dana SD300 is rated to cope with 2,210lbft (2,996Nm) of torque.

Executive Vice President of Dana, says the benefits of engine downspeeding are undeniable.

“We are partnering with industry leaders to advance this efficiency-boosting technology,” Wallace says. “Joint collaboration with Cummins and Eaton allows Dana to take a comprehensive systems approach, examining the integration of all components throughout the vehicle in an effort to fully optimise performance and make further drivetrain enhancements.”

As previously explained, an engine running at lower RPM needs faster axle ratios to maintain the same vehicle speed and performance in all driving conditions. This, in turn, requires significantly higher torque output from the engine. The higher torque places added stress on axles, driveshafts and inter-axle shafts, with the potential to significantly reduce the life of these and other related components, especially universal joints. It was for these reasons specifically that Dana set about developing what it describes as the most robust driveshaft it has ever manufactured for onhighway truck applications, the SuperDuty 300 (SD300).

Prior to the development of the SD300, the on-highway industry standard Dana driveshaft was the SPL250, which has a torque capacity of 1,850lbft (2,500Nm).

In comparison the SD300 is rated to cope with 2,210lbft (2,996Nm) of torque which is well in excess of the 2,050lbft (2,779Nm) peak torque produced by the latest downsped Cummins engines.

The higher capacity is due to a number of changes, not least a 1.0mm increase in the shaft wall thickness from 5.0 to 6.0mm and the use of larger journal diameter universal joint said to be the highest torque-rated of their kind in the industry. Importantly, the tube outer diameter remains the same at 130mm, providing a compact swing diameter which aids installation in space 44

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limited applications.

Other design features that enhance durability and minimise maintenance in high torque applications are a proven service-free slip joint, the splines of which are treated with Dana’s patented GlideCote process. This is a permanent blue coloured surface coating that minimises friction between the moving parts. As with the universal joints, the slip joint is lubricated and sealed for life with synthetic grease at assembly.

Other features that bode well for a long service life under extreme operating conditions include cross-serrated flanges and a four-bolt attachment system. With an appearance similar to the cross-hatch pattern on calamari served in a restaurant, the cross-serrated flange features something of a vestigial spline in that it positively aligns the male and female yokes to ensure correct engagement and provides the strongest possible mating interface, meaning the sole purpose of the bolts is to clamp the two yokes together.

Another key point that will please many Australian operators is that the SD300 is

manufactured locally at Dana’s Australian facility in Keysborough. This is fitting considering the Kenworth trucks to which it is installed are also manufactured in Australia at nearby Bayswater.

“Typically the driveshaft is seen as the weakest link in the powertrain so even though a suitably strengthened SPL250 would do the job in the downsped trucks its projected lifespan of eight to ten years could be reduced by two years due to the extra torque,” says Paul French Dana Australia OEM Sales Manager. “So in developing the SD300 our objective was to provide the same eight to ten year service life in the more demanding downsped applications.”

According to French, the SD300 was developed from the company’s GWB range of super heavy-duty industrial driveshafts produced in Europe, which have torque ratings ranging from 2,400Nm (1,770lbft) to a mind-boggling 16,300,000Nm (12,022,263lbft).

Dana’s GWB driveshafts have been produced since 1946 and are said to be the first that were developed specifically for diesel locomotives in the 1950s. This was followed a few decades later by the introduction of the first maintenancefree driveshaft.

With credentials like that, it would seem the present and future driveshaft demands of heavy-duty downsped trucks like Kenworth are in safe hands.

The shaft wall width of the SD300 has been increased to 6.0mm.

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TRUCK & TECH

EXTREME MEASURES

A PROCESS OF RIGOROUS EVALUATION OVER MANY YEARS HAS GONE INTO DEVELOPING THE NEW API CK-4 DIESEL ENGINE OIL RANGE. USING NEW INNOVATIONS LIKE THOSE PROVIDED BY SYSTEM PRO TECHNOLOGY, CASTROL HAS BEEN ABLE TO ARRIVE AT AN EXTRA PERFORMANCE RESERVE IN WHICH VECTON LONG DRAIN 15W-40 CK-4/E9 EXCEEDS MINIMUM CK-4 SPECIFICATIONS BY UP TO 45 PER CENT IN SOME INSTANCES.

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he Australian market poses a unique set of driving conditions for road transport fleets whose operations must endure the daily challenges of inhospitable terrain and extreme, often sweltering weather. As road train combinations locally are approved for loads that dwarf those in North America and Europe, the average fuel burn across Australian fleets is, according to Castrol field trials, 50 per cent higher than the US market and as high as 90 per cent more than in Europe.

As testing is often standardised for repeatability and consistency by the American Petroleum Institute and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across global markets, Castrol has fostered extensive further evaluations to ensure the extreme conditions of Australia have been factored into the performance of its CK-4 products. If you can make it there, to borrow a line from a popular song, you can make it anywhere.

Claudia Sclosa, Castrol Lubricants ANZ Expert Technologist says data for the OEM service intervals has often originated overseas.

“OEMs that play a big part in our Australian Market will have their service intervals set by the global business after the required testing has been completed.

Their local business will then take these recommended intervals and assess them 46

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Trials began in 2015 and covered 2.5 million kms with 16 prime movers.

for Australian conditions where they may be altered to allow for our road and weather conditions and our loads.”

For Castrol the process behind Castrol Vecton Long Drain 15W-40 CK-4, a part synthetic heavy duty diesel engine oil, which began when the company started testing additives to meet the new CK-4 requirements, was about delivering a long drain product endorsed and accepted by local transport fleets.

Castrol worked with some of its fleet partners including AHG Refrigerated Logistics to trial the CK-4 products to cover all seasonal temperatures and environmental conditions. Covering

over 2.5 million kilometres with 16 prime movers, the testing involved the latest engine technology offered by Cummins ISXe5, Detroit Diesel DD15, Mack MP8 and Volvo D13 and D16 G600 engines on a range of roadtrain configurations with mass limits upwards of 110 tonnes in some instances. In a bid to confirm its oils would continue to perform beyond OEM recommended oil drain intervals, the oil drain intervals for VECTON Long Drain 15W-40 CK-4/E9 were extended out to 80,000kms.

As fuel burn is determined by several elements including environmental factors, driver input and the actual age

of the truck itself, it was crucial for Castrol to not only exceed the original recommendation but go well beyond the approval rating in its evaluation process.

By analysing oil samples at regular intervals through an independent laboratory Castrol monitored levels of oxidation, viscosity, aeration and wear by looking at determining factors like Total Base Number, Total Acid Number, Kinematic Viscosity, soot and the metal quantities detected.

“When we actually ran the trials we tested and monitored about 18 different elements but wear elements were of major concern and these include iron, lead and copper,” Claudia says. “Acid build up in the engine oil can lead to corrosive wear. Acids are introduced into the oil via the combustion process of a diesel engine. We have formulated our latest CK-4 oil to maximise total base number and be able to neutralise acids for longer drain periods. Total Base Number and Total Acid Number monitoring during the trials proved acids are neutralised so that corrosion wear doesn’t become a problem.”

Measurements from the testing show that Castrol kept total acid number under control even when pushing past 50,000km, the recommended oil drain interval for severe duty application.

Extending the drain interval to 80,000km from which the ‘extra performance reserve’ is derived, the total

Total acid number was kept under control even when pushing well past 50,000kms in the trials.

base number averaged three times that of the total acid number, a generous reserve. For fleet managers there is greater confidence knowing the risk of engine corrosion has been reduced especially when drivers might be prevented from making a scheduled stop on a long haul assignment.

Soot, a by-product of diesel engine emissions, was also monitored as part of the used oil analysis. As it can cause deposits of larger particles that are abrasive to engine surfaces, soot is best suspended in the oil so as not to affect the quality of oil film according to Claudia.

“Soot particles tend to act like magnets.

Smaller particles attract each other to form larger ones that can be quite abrasive. This causes wear deposits

VECTON Long Drain 15W-40 CK-4/E9 oil drain intervals were extended out to 80,000km.

that may collect on your ring liners increasing the chance of gas blow by leading to more acid formation resulting in corrosion and corrosive wear. It’s an endless cycle of related engine damage.

We minimise this risk through the detergent dispersant chemistry that’s in the oil,” Claudia says. “Our results show that the chemistry is able to keep soot under control throughout the 80,000km drain.”

In that sense detergent cleans soot deposits on the metal parts of an engine while the dispersant keeps it suspended in a fine form preventing potentially harmful clusters. According to Castrol’s results, soot in the trial remained well below OEM limits – another advancement for longer lasting heavy duty engine oils.

Being a premium brand, Castrol, according to Claudia wanted a CK-4 product that delivered additional benefits for Australian operators, whose freight task, often with older equipment, is immense.

“The results of our trials are aligned with our Vecton brand and the System Pro Technology that provides that extra performance,” she says. “We don’t formulate with off the shelf add packs. We are actually involved in the development of the technology so that it clearly differentiates us in the market.

Less frequent maintenance is a win for fleets and transport companies.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

IT’S NOT EAS

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AS PART OF A CONTRACT WITH IKEA, SYDNEY-BASED FLATPACK ASSEMBLY SERVICES HAS COMMISSIONED A NEW RENAULT KANGOO ZE TO JOIN OTHER SMALL VANS IN ITS OPERATIONS. WHILE THE COMPANY’S LOFTY GOAL IS TO HAVE A 100 PER CENT ‘GREEN’ FLEET BY 2025, IT BELIEVES GOVERNMENTS NEED TO OFFER FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE WIDER UPTAKE OF THE CLEAN, GREEN MACHINES.

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enault’s Kangoo ZE is a pioneering electric van that is designed to better meet customer requirements and environmental targets.

The technical innovations built into the Kangoo ZE – a new high energy density battery mated to a new motor, plus a heat pump and a new charger that is twice as powerful as before – have, according to Renault, resulted in a driving range gain of more than 50 per cent, along with a faster, simpler charging process.

The new Kangoo ZE’s driving range is now 270km, as measured on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Renault says this is equivalent to 200km in real-world summer-climate driving, compared with 170km under the NEDC achieved with the earlier version.

This extended range is thanks to the Kangoo ZE’s new, high-efficiency battery, promising a 50 per cent range increase compared to the previous battery. It also comprises a new motor, which delivers 48

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greater efficiency along with a new on-board charging system delivering faster recovery.

The new battery, mated to the new motor and incorporated with a heat pump for cab interior climate control, all combine to produce the best driving range in the electric LCV (light commercial vehicle) market, Renault claims.

Charging the Kangoo ZE is also said to be faster and easier. Renault says its battery can now be fully charged in as little as six hours, while a one-hour lunch break allows enough time to add a 35km top-up, helping users optimise their working day.

The Kangoo ZE comes with another innovation in the electric light LCV realm with the incorporation of a heat pump in the climate control system to maintain driving range even in cold weather. By using the pre-conditioning system in which the trigger time can be adjusted via the vehicle’s steering wheelmounted controls, the new Kangoo

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A heat pump in the climate control system maintains driving range in cold weather. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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Renault has incorporated ZE Voice to warn pedestrians and cyclists of the vehicle’s approach.

ZE cabin can be heated, or cooled, in advance while charging.

Due to the near silent operation at low speeds, Renault has incorporated ZE Voice which emits a whirring sound that serves to warn pedestrians and cyclists of the vehicle’s approach at speeds of up to 30km/h, above which tyre and road noise are deemed sufficient to alert pedestrians and other road users.

The sounds it makes were developed in association with organisations for blind and visually impaired people, with different sounds able to be selected depending on the owner’s preference.

The ZE driving experience embodies a unique blend of punch and tranquillity; punch thanks to its brisk acceleration and pick-up response, with a level of torque that is particularly welcome when carrying a full load; and tranquillity thanks to the absence of engine noise and vibrations, which help reduce driver fatigue.

The new Kangoo ZE is a particularly manoeuvrable vehicle that can be adapted easily to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of trades and endusers, thanks to the wide variety of configurations and options available.

The R60 electric motor delivers maximum torque of 225Nm in a fraction of a second, enabling brisk 50

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acceleration and pick-up from low speeds. This level of torque truly comes into its own when the vehicle is fully laden.

Acceleration is seamless and perfectly linear, giving the impression that the vehicle is equipped with the best automatic or continuously variable transmission (CVT) on the market. This is of particular benefit to those who spend the majority of their day on the road for work purposes.

Kangoo Z.E. in action The Australian division of Flatpack Global, Flatpack Assembly Services is a Sydney-based company that assembles flatpack furniture for IKEA customers.

Committed to helping ensure the sustainability of the planet, the company is working with IKEA to have a 100 per cent ‘green’ fleet by 2025.

“We bought our Renault Kangoo ZE as part of that commitment, and because we do our best to be a good corporate citizen,” says Andrew Wilcox, National Operations Manager Flatpack Assembly Services.

“We deliver and assemble flatpack furniture at IKEA customers’ homes and take away the cardboard packaging for recycling. At present we utilise the vehicle mainly around the city and

suburbs of Sydney because there’s better access to charging stations. We’re on the road a lot and currently getting 275 – 300km per charge which gives us around two days of usage before we have to recharge,” he says. “However, in the near future this could change because IKEA has undertaken to provide free charging stations at its stores, which means we’ll be able to top up the battery while we’re there, and so will customers. This will potentially enable us to use the Kangoo ZE for more distant jobs.”

For Andrew Wilcox there’s only one issue that needs to be addressed with the Kangoo ZE to make it a viable alternative to conventionally-powered vans – the purchase price.

“We have franchisees doing our work who simply can’t justify the extra $10,000 or so over and above the cost of an equivalent diesel van,” he says.

“As 2025 approaches we’ll have more of these vans as they become more affordable and we move towards our sustainability goal. It would be great if the government would encourage smaller businesses to also go green with some type of subsidy or tax benefit for using these vehicles. Imagine the difference we all could make!”

KANGOO MAXI ZE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS • M otor: max power 44kW and max torque 226Nm • 33kWh Lithium-ion battery • 11.9m kerb-to-kerb turning circle • 650kg payload • Charging time single phase 3kW: 11hr • Charging time single phase 7kW: 6hr • 270km NEDC range • 200km real world range

EVOLUTION OF THE AFTERMARKET ADVERTISE IN OUR JUNE 2019 PROMOTIONAL FEATURE. No OEM or equipment brand can survive without a strong aftermarket and spare parts division. Despite being notoriously difficult to manage, what happens after the initial sale can often determine the strength of a business relationship for the long run. Prime Mover’s June Promotional Feature is the perfect opportunity for you to shed light on the complex business environment known as ‘aftermarket’, explain why the same component made by the same company can be available in different boxes – and what the difference can mean for the success of Australian transport businesses. Braking solutions will also be part of this showcase.

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Industry Fleet: Lilydale Instant Lawn Safety: Australia Post Feature: Dana Superduty 300 Personality: TCA GM Strategic Development

Innovation Fleet: Daisy’s Garden Supplies Feature: Renault Electric Kangoo Test Drive: Fuso Super Great Final Mile: Isuzu D-Max

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TRUCK & TECH

S U S TA I N A B LY I M P R O V I N G ROAD CONDITIONS WITH END OF LIFE TYRES A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL IS WORKING ON AN INNOVATIVE NEW ROAD SURFACE TO DELIVER A HIGHLY SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION FOR DEVELOPING ITS INFRASTRUCTURE.

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he Australian transport industry is likely to see substantial benefits from an increase in the use of crumbed rubber in local roads according to Tyre Stewardship Australia.

The City of Mitcham, in South Australia, is working with Tyre Stewardship Australia, an industry body devoted to tackling the tyre recycling challenge, testing recycled crumbed rubber in asphalt. This is known to deliver more durable and safer roads and generate less noise for neighbouring communities.

To date, a stretch of 335 metres of this innovative road surface has been laid in the municipality and is currently undergoing rigorous durability and performance

City of Mitcham is testing recycled crumbed rubber in asphalt.

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testing. As part of the evaluation, a range of factors such as cracking, rutting, moisture retention and longevity will be assessed.

These factors directly impact both safety as well as vehicle maintenance costs – and crucial downtime for up tempo transport operations.

Only 10 per cent of the 56 million endof-life tyres Australians generate each year are currently recycled domestically.

The successful outcome of this test, it is anticipated, will potentially increase the use of this type of road surface nationwide.

The City of Mitcham has used approximately 850 end-of-life tyres in the asphalt resurfacing of Stanlake Avenue.

Almost two end-of-life passenger car tyres were used for every tonne of asphalt laid

The resurfacing of Stanlake Avenue has used up to 850 end-of-life tyres.

in a demonstration that presented no workability or fuming issues, despite a high ambient temperature on the day.

“We are trialing the crumb rubber asphalt because of the significant environmental benefits as well as the opportunity to improve the quality and life of road pavements, particularly in areas of reactive clay soils,” said Heather Holmes-Ross, City of Mitcham Mayor.

Lina Goodman, CEO of Tyre Stewardship Australia, welcomed the innovative thinking of the City of Mitcham in conducting the test.

“The Council has grasped the opportunity to deliver better infrastructure whist addressing a major challenge in sustainability. Improved roads are a benefit for all to share and the value for the transport industry, through greater safety and smoother, more durable surfaces, is obvious,” she said. “Transport Fleets can join TSA at no cost and enjoy the benefits of having their vehicles operate on upgraded roads. Furthermore they will also become associated with the obvious environmental and social benefits that result from the use of a recycled product.”

The work of TSA in the domain of crumb rubber asphalt continues to be a major focus in developing value for tyre-derived products.

TEST DRIVE

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THE FUSO SUPER GREAT WAS RELEASED IN JAPAN IN 2017 AND IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING LOCAL TRIALS PRIOR TO PRODUCTION MODELS BECOMING AVAILABLE HERE LATER THIS YEAR. ‘PROJECT BLACK PANTHER’ IS ALREADY GOING A LONG WAY TO MAKING SURE THE REPLACEMENT FOR THE CURRENT GENERATION FUSO HEAVY WILL BE FIT FOR LOCAL PURPOSES.

Working title: Fuso Super Great.

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UGHING TTER T he harlequin vinyl wrap on this Fuso Super Great assessment vehicle is hardly necessary as the cab’s basic sheet metal remains unchanged from the current Heavy, other than the front panel, bumper and grille. The shapechanging illusion it provides parallels the winter soldier camouflage being used to partially disguise the Freightliner Cascadias currently doing extensive trials in Australia.

Daimler Trucks continue to demonstrate their commitment to put trucks destined for the Australian market through rigorous local testing well prior to offering them through their dealerships.

Across all of its brands Daimler Trucks have not been averse to implementing some improvements as the testing progresses to better suit conditions here.

The current Mercedes-Benz Actros went through a number of versions prior to its

commercial release which have resulted in strong sales because the truck was made to be more suitable to Australian operators’ requirements. Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia is also undergoing rigorous trials both here and in the USA and when the Australian versions of the Cascadia ultimately become available here some time in 2020 we can be assured that they will be manifestly suitable for the local market.

Although most of the exterior of the Fuso may be the same under the vinyl skin the driveline and the interior have been subjected to a great deal of attention. The influence of the Mercedes-Benz Daimler heritage is evident in many areas and can be as subtle as the Actros-style steering wheel and the rebadging of some components.

This assessment truck has Japanese style mirrors fitted to the ‘A’ pillars with mirror heads the same as found

on the local Actros trucks in deference to local Australian Design Rules which prohibit wider angle convex glass for the main mirrors. The kerb side mirror is extended forward similar to bus mirrors and its mounting arm is electrically articulated to fold it forward closer to the windscreen when negotiating tight confines. The extreme forward mounting of the spotter mirror provides excellent vision of the space immediately in front of the truck as well as a good view of the kerbside steer wheel and complements Fuso’s transom window in the passenger door in reducing blind spot areas. The effective combination suggests it may be time for Australian trucks to break away from decades of door mounted west coast mirrors.

The driver’s suspended seat is comfortable and easy to adjust with a cam style lever for the dump valve which drops the seat to enhance entry and exit.

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12-speed automated transmission is known as ShiftPilot in Japan.

The interior is new, logically arranged and comfortable. The squab of the unsuspended passenger seat folds up to improve access to the bunk space and a higher roof version of this cab will also be available. The quality of the panel fit and ingress protection provided by the door and window seals is evidenced by the red dust residue that remains on unsealed surfaces from the Fuso’s exposure to a dust storm in western New South Wales a couple of weeks prior to our own drive – with no evidence of any of it getting past the seals.

The control for the transmission is now integrated with the engine brake controls using a stalk mounted on the left side of the multi-way adjustable steering column. Lights and wipers are operated by a similar stalk on the right hand side.

The headlights are super bright with long lasting LEDs for low beam and halogen beams for high beam.

The camera that is the eyes of the lane departure system is mounted in the centre of the windscreen alongside the rain sensor for the automatic operation of the wipers while the radar unit for the proximity control system is located low in the centre of the grille. The integrated adaptive cruise function has easy adjustments for the gap between the Fuso and any vehicle in front. Due to the light traffic on this section of the Hume we finally settle to cruise speed at 56

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99km/h with a 3 km/h buffer. The Fuso’s acceleration and engine braking work well together to maintain speed without much input from the driver or risk of exceeding the limit.

The eco rolling function which neutralises the transmission and allows the vehicle to coast down gentle slopes will be a significant contributor to fuel savings for applications that involve a lot of highway driving.

Powered by an OM470 from the Daimler family, the engine in this Fuso application has been labelled as the 6R20T4. It displaces 10.7 litres which

The transmission is now integrated with engine brake controls.

is smaller than the 12-litre used in the current Fuso Heavy yet still develops the same 460PS (455hp) and 2,200Nm of torque. The smaller and lighter engine should be a significant contributor to fuel economy. Maximum power is at 1,600 rpm and the maximum torque output is available from 1,100 rpm.

The 12-speed automated transmission is known as the ShiftPilot in Japan and shares much of its hardware with the current INOMAT II used in the Fuso Heavy. However, the calibration and control systems have undergone significant improvements including the

fitment of the eco roll system. We’re loaded to a gross of 38 tonnes and the final drive ratio of 4.625:1 helps the Fuso move quickly off the mark and pull well in situations such as coming out of roundabouts.

Production models for the Australian market will get alloy fuel tanks.

Consideration is being given to relocation of the battery box to enable to fitment of an additional fuel tank on the driver’s side.

This test truck has Fuso’s mechanical suspension which uses leaf springs with a six-rod set up and the truck exhibits good stability with no bucking when negotiating bridge humps at cruising speed. A four bag air suspension similar to the current model will also be offered. At highway speed, the quietness of driveline is remarkable. Roll down the one touch driver’s electric window and the noises from the driveline and

Daimler Trucks continue to demonstrate their commitment to put trucks destined for the Australian market through rigorous local testing well prior to offering them through their dealerships. exhaust are almost impossible to discern leaving only some mild wind noise and a muted rumble from the quite chunky Bridgestone drive tyres on the pavement.

Daimler Trucks tell us the Super Great (or whatever it will be called here) will be available in 6x4 and 8x4 configurations, with the 8x4 featuring Fuso’s effective load sharing suspension which is important for sectors such as the waste industry.

Fuso are keeping tight lipped about the nomenclature and it is likely when it

makes its official public debut at the Brisbane Truck Show in May that it won’t have ‘Super Great’ badging.

Daimler Trucks show good intent in ensuring the ‘Australianisation’ of the Fuso products and in its final forms the Super Great should be lighter even than the inappropriately named ‘Heavy’.

This new model is an excellent example of Daimler Trucks’ global modular strategy where common components are shared with brand-based and localised tweaks.

The driveline is remarkably quiet at highway speed. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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LOVING

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Isuzu D-Max has been designed from the ground up.

WITH STYLISH AND SPORTY FRONT-END TREATMENT, A BULLET-PROOF POWERTRAIN AND SERIOUSLY RUGGED CHASSIS AND UNDERCARRIAGE, THE LATEST ISUZU D-MAX IS A MIGHTY FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. PRIME MOVER TAKES A MID-SPEC DUAL CAB TRAY-BACK UNIT FOR A LENGTHY TEST AND FINDS IT ACTUALLY PERFORMS BETTER WITH A LOAD IN THE BACK THAN WHEN UNLADEN.

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here’s something rather unique about the Isuzu D-Max ute that sets it apart from the rest of the ute crew. It’s produced by the company that recently notched up the unprecedented feat of 30 straight years as overall truck market leader in Australia.

Given this, it’s an undeniable boon that the new D-Max boasts a high-performance version of the engine that powers its ‘big 58

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brothers’ – the lighter versions of Isuzu’s indefatigable N Series range of lightduty trucks which has spearheaded the company’s charge to total truck market domination in this country over the past three decades. It should therefore come as no surprise that this powerplant provides the D-Max with ample oomph to simultaneously carry a one-tonne payload and haul a braked trailer with

an all-up weight of 3.5 tonnes.

And it does all this while providing a full-size family car-like cabin environment with plenty of space for five adults. This is an important point because some dual cabs in the past, due to constraints with body and chassis lengths and widths, offered less than ideal legroom and comfort for rear seat passengers. However, the modern dual cab, as typified by the

D-Max, has been designed from the ground up as a dual-purpose passenger and load carrier, and as such does a sterling job on both fronts.

The engine is Isuzu’s 4JJ1-TC Hi-Power 3.0 litre in-line 4-cylinder turbo diesel featuring a diesel particulate diffuser (DPD) for emissions control. With bore and stroke dimensions of 95.4mm x 104.9mm, it delivers a punchy 130kW at 3600 rpm backed by a healthy peak torque of 430Nm at 2000 rpm. Also assisting in this respect are electronic high pressure common-rail fuel injection with variable swirl system (VSS), a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) and charge air cooler.

Stirring the pots are either Isuzu’s own 6-speed manual with high torque capacity and a 275mm diameter clutch plate or an electronically controlled Aisin 6-speed automatic with sequential shift and brake shift lock. The auto features Adaptive Logic Control and a fuel-saving lock-up torque converter on gears three to six. It also sports an Uphill/Downhill Transmission Control System which holds the appropriate gear on grades to enhance engine performance and engine braking during respective ascents and descents. Both transmissions feature double overdrive ratios for maximum fuel efficiency at highway speeds. The sixth ratios are 0.63:1 and 0.58:1 for manual and auto respectively.

The D-Max Prime Mover tested is an automatic 4x4 SX dual-cab fitted with a drop-side alloy tray. With the drop sides easily detached, we load the tray with a zero-turn mower weighing about 350kg which provides an interesting comparison to running empty. While this is less than half the maximum weight this vehicle can carry, it nonetheless represents a somewhat average payload that this type of vehicle possesses when kitted out with toolboxes and other tradie necessities.

Interestingly, the vehicle seems to relish having some weight onboard and actually performs better than when empty. The ride is also much improved compared to the firmness felt from the heavy-duty rear leaf suspension when unladen. However, the high capacity is undoubtedly necessary when toting a full payload.

The engine and auto transmission with its well-spaced ratios work in seamless synch, keeping the revs mostly within the fuel-efficient torque band between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. When called upon for rapid acceleration the transmission is quick to kick-down one or two gears and the engine happily spins to 3,000rpm and beyond. Yet it is equally at ease ambling at the 1,500 rpm mark which ensures relaxed 100km/h cruising on the highway in the double overdriven sixth ratio. The low revs at cruising speed also contributes to an impressively quiet interior.

During the test we also had the opportunity to do some mild off-roading which the D-Max handled with absolute ease. Features like ample ground clearance, underbody protection plates and snorkelled diff breathers bode well for offroad work of a more extreme nature. The 4x4 system Isuzu calls ‘Terrain Command’ features a 2.482:1 low range and enables shift- on-the-fly between high range 4x4 and 4x2 at speeds up to 100km/h.

Traction control is also a standard feature across the range.

While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the top-spec versions, the SX dual cab is equipped with enough creature comforts to enable this practical no-nonsense workhorse to conveniently double as a family hauler. Nice interior touches include a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 7-inch touch screen infotainment system incorporating reversing camera

display as well as Bluetooth and USB ports. It also has very comfortable and supportive seats trimmed in what appears to be a highly durable yet attractive fabric upholstery.

We found little to fault with the vehicle apart from a few minor niggles. The remote lock/ unlock buttons on the key are too sensitive and on a number of occasions after locking it and pocketing the key the familiar ‘clunk’ sound indicated it had been inadvertently unlocked. The instrument panel also seemed a tad disjointed with a central red digital display for odometer, trip, fuel and temperature readings that was hard to read in bright sunlight, flanked by white numeral and needle analogue speedo and tacho. And there is no variable dwell function with the intermittent wiper setting.

The positives, however, are myriad. After a mix of mostly highway hauling with a bit of off-road and metro thrown in for good measure, the D-Max returned a creditable 11.5km/l or 32.5mpg in the old money.

All up, we came away mightily impressed with the new Isuzu D-Max as a versatile load lugger that feels and looks equally at home in the Coles carpark. The lionhearted 3.0 litre diesel displays the brawn of its truck heritage while returning excellent fuel economy along with refined drivability.

This is one dual cab ute we’d definitely take home to meet Mum.

Leather-wrapped wheel and reversing camera are nice touches. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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INDUSTRY

NERVE CENTRE

THE VIVA ENERGY GEELONG REFINERY IS A HUB FOR ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS, OPERATORS, MAINTENANCE WORKERS, APPRENTICES AND CONTRACTORS. IT ALSO PLAYS AN ONGOING AND VITAL ROLE IN BOTH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL ECONOMIES INCLUDING THROUGH SOME OF ITS LONGSTANDING CUSTOMERS SUCH AS THE RIORDAN GROUP.

F

or 60 years the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong has manufactured quality fuel products that can be bought through the Shell Coles Express Network as well as Shell and Liberty branded service stations across the state. Long associated with the community of Victoria’s second largest city, the refinery currently employs more than 700 staff and estimates suggest that over $200 million of wages and services makes

their way into the Geelong region annually. It supplies more than half of Victoria’s fuel, making it a major contributor to the state economy and remains the sole manufacturer in Australia of avgas, solvents and bitumen.

In recent years the Geelong Refinery has committed itself to long-term investments to build a sustainable future.

A new 100ML crude tank, which is the largest in Australia, was completed on schedule in October 2017, at a cost of

around $50 million. The tank increases the refinery’s crude oil storage capacity by around 40 per cent and according to Viva Energy, holds enough oil to produce all the fuel required to meet Victoria’s needs for about three days, further improving fuel supply security for the state.

A $23 million pumping station has also been installed to increase fuel supplied by pipeline to Melbourne while there has also been a $4 million upgrade to the p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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Before fuel is moved it is assessed under the Product Quality System of Checklists.

jet fuel gantry to improve and diversify supply to Melbourne and Avalon airports. On top of these developments, a $15 million bitumen export facility is underway in addition to a $23 million, 25 million-litre gasoline tank. A further $13.1 million renovation of the crude distillation unit furnace has also been completed. All of these investments represent more than a $300M commitment to local manufacturing.

In addition to manufacturing and supplying fuel to hundreds of retail service stations across the state, Viva Energy also supplies to several major industries who all rely on highquality fuel for productive, daily business operations, including the Riordan Group.

Riordan supplies fuel to agricultural industries and regional freight and busline businesses in addition to transporting many thousands of tonnes of agricultural commodities to and from 62

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regional communities across southeastern Australia using fuel sourced from the refinery. The longstanding relationship between the two companies, according to Andrew Howley, Riordan Group Chief Financial Officer, works though the convenience network of service stations and unmanned tank network across Victoria and southern NSW. “Throughout our relationship we have the utmost confidence in the quality, reliability and consistency of fuel produced by the Geelong refinery and its operations,” he says.

Before the fuel is moved via pipeline to the terminal it is assessed by what is referred to as a Product Quality System of Checklists. The checklists define the testing of fuel samples and how often and where each sample was taken. Should a variation in the test results from the expected outcome be detected it is immediately referred to

the Product Quality team for review.

Viva Energy critically assesses the quality of all of its products at each point in the supply chain.

The exact number of deliveries made by Riordan Fuel will depend on the time of year. During peak periods, where the weekly volumes being moved spike at 2.2 million litres, the company brings in additional subcontractors. In off-peak periods the fleet delivers an estimated 1.6 million litres of fuel per week. The storage capacity of the trucks used for this task range from around 35,000 litres for single tankers and up to 55,000 litres for B-doubles tankers.

“Our tankers cart fuel for third-party customers and deliver to our distribution network,” says Andrew. “The process of pick up is relatively straight forward, with each type of fuel dispensed from the same location on site.”

Fuel deliveries, however, is a more varied process, as it will often include multiple

deliveries by one tanker.

“A tanker may be required to deliver motor spirits and distillate to a service station and the balance of its load to an unmanned tank or to a third party service station or bulk delivery to a customer operating a commercial freight business,” he says. “As Riordan Fuels’ tanker drivers are often the face of the business when it comes to contact with Viva Energy’s employees at the refinery or terminal or with our customers it is imperative our drivers operate safely, efficiently and courteously.”

On-site the Riordan Fuels tanker drivers present swipe-through-accreditation at the refinery/terminal security gates before proceeding to a loading bay.

Fuel is then loaded into the tanker through a gantry arm with a large hose and typically takes between 15 to 20 minutes to fill. Drivers need to be accredited with all relevant licences including Dangerous Goods, permits and access for the site and to operate the tanker safely at all times.

It’s no meagre operation to service the fuel needs of many regional communities and industries. Riordan Fuels’ distributes fuel to unmanned tanks and Shell branded service stations across Victoria and southern NSW. “We provide direct employment in regional towns and partner with regional communities to provide access to fuel through our unmanned tanks where other alternatives are unviable,” Andrew says. “We actively support regional communities through our sponsorships ranging from sporting clubs, educational institutions, community funds and community facilities.”

Viva Energy shares in this dedication to supporting local communities, by not just providing jobs, but by also supporting a range of local community programs. Viva Energy’s national community program supports initiatives with a focus on mental health, substance mis-use, and Indigenous participation. In addition, Viva Energy

has partnered with Northern Futures, a Geelong community organisation devoted to addressing unemployment in the North Geelong area and works with individuals most at risk of longterm unemployment.

Funds have also been raised to support the Mental Health Role Models program, an initiative to help upskill members of headspace Youth Reference Groups in and around Geelong with formal training across a range of disciplines. The participants are encouraged to share their stories and help others as part of reducing the stigma of mental illness among young people. Elsewhere, the Viva Energy Role

Model Scholarship program subsidises the cost of Certificate 1, 11 or 111 training courses and associated expenses such as transport and meals.

In support of local grass roots sporting clubs, Viva Energy also supports nine local sporting clubs as well as running the Club Legends Award which recognisises volunteers and sporting club unsung heroes.

As one of only four hydrocarbon refineries remaining in Australia, the Geelong Refinery is working hard to build a sustainable future with the goal of keeping the refinery competitive and continuing to provide around 700 valuable local jobs.

The Geelong Refinery supports around 700 local jobs. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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ROAD

THE SHEER SCALE OF ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS THAT ASSEMBLE AT THE BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW MAKES IT A WORLD CLASS EVENT AND FOR MANY IN THE COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY IT REPRESENTS A MECCA IN WHICH TO VIEW AND ENGAGE WITH THE LATEST VEHICLES, NEWEST EQUIPMENT AND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY MADE AVAILABLE IN SEMINARS AND SHARED INFORMATION SESSIONS.

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ating back to 1968, the biennial Brisbane Truck Show on 16-19 May occasions a pilgrimage to Southeast Queensland for many in road transport where four days of product showcases will offer a glimpse into the near future of the industry. Located at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre for the fifth time, the event is supported by the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council. South Bank Parklands will again help to co-ordinate the extension of the show into the entertainment and restaurant precinct providing it with additional atmosphere in the evenings.

Part of this transformation involves the launch of the South Bank Roadhouse.

The Penske Group returns this year, with offerings from the latest in its Western Star, Detroit and MAN product range.

Daysworth has confirmed it will display its next generation Diamond Reo while both SEA Electric and Foton Motor are on board with the latest advances in technology for light-heavy and heavy vehicles.

The general public will also get a glimpse of commercial vehicles currently undergoing evaluations long before much anticipated launches in the market. Brisbane-based manufacturer Mack is widely tipped to debut its new Anthem, which until now has made rare appearances at events largely reserved for select media. PACCAR will showcase the latest in Kenworth technology including the remodelled T360 and the new T410.

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For many attendees the Brisbane Truck Show is the first opportunity to take in the test models of the Freightliner Cascadia ahead of its arrival next year. MercedesBenz are expected to display its new SoloStar concept, a roomy interior with a lounge set-up boasting a 900mm bunk, making it the biggest bed on the market.

There’s also speculation that the mirrorless, partly autonomous Mercedes-Benz Actros on show at Hannover last year will also be part of its display in Brisbane.

One of the highlights at this year’s event will be the National Apprentice Challenge, which has attracted a record amount of entries from all parts of the country according to Steve Power, Heavy Vehicle Industry Association National Manager Communications.

“It’s quite a dynamic audience driven event with commentary and interviews going on over the whole four days of the show,” he says. “Heats take about an hour and a half and the event will culminate with a final on the Sunday.”

Sponsored this year by IVECO, the National Apprentice Challenge will feature three identical vehicles with faults pre-programmed into them. Each team is required to solve the issue in a race against the clock. The contest is run with help from Queensland TAFE SkillsTech, as part of an initiative to develop talent and nurture career paths within the industry.

Through a schools-to-industry program, 800 students are bussed in from high schools from around the region and put

through a series of seminars from a variety of exhibitors to showcase career paths. This has led to the creation of a Jobs Hub which includes a Jobs Exchange where employees and employers can be matched across over 200 jobs.

“This initiative is about promoting our industry more broadly and the career paths that are available,” says Steve.

“Typically people think you have to be a driver or mechanic to be involved.

That’s not the case. The new Jobs Hub highlights the broad range of career paths available across the different sectors of the industry and the possibilities of working internationally and in leadership positions for major companies.”

The Job Exchange allows attendees to submit their resumes and get matched, appropriate to their skills and experience, with jobs online and real employers in the flesh. Steve equates it to speed dating.

“I think the program is going to be a real highlight. It will generate a lot of interest within and outside of the industry,” he says.

The National Road Transport Association will hold its annual NatRoad Conference in conjunction with the Brisbane Truck Show on 15 May. This year’s main points include technology innovation and safety; improving business health by adopting forward-looking processes and systems; a focused approach to building a diverse workforce and making the industry a career choice for a younger generation; sustainability and keeping

SHOW This year’s Brisbane Truck Show takes place 16-19 May.

abreast of industry news and changes to rules and regulation.

Another feature of the event is the Insight Centre sponsored by KPMG who is currently conducting a major study on the road transport industry footprint covering manufacturing, sales, maintenance, service and distribution on behalf of the HVIA. The Australian Trucking Association, NatRoad and the Queensland Trucking Association have all confirmed that they will be running sessions at the Insight Centre over one of the four days. These presentations, according to Steve, will provide real value for visitors with helpful information about managing internal finances, fatigue management and making improvements to their business.

Another of the sessions will be dedicated to navigating the National Heavy Vehicle

Regulator portal from an operator’s point of view.

“Like any event what we’re trying to do is make every visitor’s experience even stronger,” he says. “It’s going to be a useful resource and give them an extra bang for their buck.”

Scania has confirmed it will have a New Truck Generation V8 flagship, a Scania XT tipper, a G-series prime mover and two P-series rigids as part of their exhibit.

In line with Scania’s commitment to innovative sustainability solutions one of the rigids is dedicated to running on alternative fuels.

Drake Collectibles celebrates its tenth anniversary at the event. The celebrations will include original tooling from their first ever model, merchandise, new diecast product announcements and Q&A sessions on how the models are created.

The Drake Group will showcase the premium finish and high quality of its Drake and O’Phee heavy haulage trailers.

JOST Australia will unveil its latest development in towing hitch technology with the help of its ROCKINGER range.

Part of its showcase will involve the RO*50E towing hitch which it claims permits gentle coupling even at difficult drawbar eye angles. ROCKINGER has also developed a camera which acts as a driver’s third eye whereby the driver is able to see the exact position of the drawbar eye and can engage the coupling in a targeted manner minus visual misalignment.

Under the umbrella of Australian Heavy Vehicle Industry Week, the Brisbane Truck Show will continue to announce additional keynote presentations, forums and entertainment in the following weeks. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

G O O DY E A R D U N LO P

PRESSURE POINT GLOBAL TYRE MANUFACTURER, GOODYEAR, OFFERS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF TYRES AND REDUCE DOWNTIME WITH ITS TYRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM.

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here are many well understood benefits of maintaining correct tyre pressure. Despite this it often can be difficult to achieve particularly for commercial vehicles. Checking pressures takes time and requires access to the vehicles that often don’t stay still for long. Accessing the valve stems can have ergonomic challenges and in some cases can even create new leaks counteracting the benefit. To improve the way pressures are managed, Goodyear Dunlop Australia have begun trialing real-time Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS). The system uses battery powered sensors on each wheel transmitting pressure and temperature data every two minutes.

A telematics box is mounted to the vehicle collecting the tyre information and transmitting it to a cloud server via mobile networks. To ensure maximum availability the device works with multiple mobile networks switching automatically based on signal strength.

Algorithms are applied to the data

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collected to detect issues before they become problems. If an issue is detected or limits are exceeded an automatic alert is sent to the fleet or service provider. The algorithm considers the varying tyre temperature and the effect it has on inflation pressure. A standard pressure check does not compensate for temperature making it difficult to detect small pressure changes, particularly when the tyres are being driven. By taking this into account small leaks can be detected and flagged for attention sooner. The advantage of rectifying a puncture before there is a large pressure loss can be significant. Early action can extend the life of the affected tyre and in dual applications it’s partner tyre also.

Receiving an alert early can prevent the need for road side repairs as it often allows time to plan repairs in the fleet depot or tyre store. In the Australian trials multiple events have been detected and early intervention has been applied.

This has avoided additional damage and is helping ensure the full value of the tyres can be realised. A common

Goodyear Dunlop plans on releasing TPMS in the second half of 2019.

example is a small puncture that is difficult to detect visually. An additional application for the temperature data is to highlight mechanical issues such as dragging brakes or uneven axle loading.

Goodyear Dunlop Australia are planning to introduce this TPMS solution as a service in the second half of 2019.

Along with other technologies this will be displayed at the upcoming Brisbane Truck Show.

Globally, Goodyear has already installed thousands of TPMS systems with strong growth forecast. Millions of data packets per month are being received, analysed and summarised into reports and alerts.

To date less than 1 per cent of the tyres tested need urgent attention but the challenge is knowing exactly which tyres and where they are located. By using a real time TPMS system problem tyres can be identified and located in minutes.

Compared to manual checks this can offer both efficiency and performance gains in tyre maintenance.

KMAX: Up to 35% More MileAge *

In our industry, every kilometre comes at a cost. That’s why we created KMAX, a premium quality tyre underpinned by Goodyear’s tried and tested IntelliMax technology.

This proven technology provides up to 35% more mileage compared to previous designs, as well as tyres that perform reliably in wet or dry conditions, wear evenly over their lifetime and have the durability and resistance to cracking that Australian long-haul routes demand.

goodyear.com.au * Comparative rests made by Goodyear Innovative Center Luxembourg on size 315/80R22.5 between July 2011 and June 2013 show that new Goodyear KMAX S and KMAX D steer and drive tyres offer an improvement in mileage potential up to 30% and 35% respectively vs. Goodyear RHS II and RHD II + tyres.

PRIME MOVERS AND SHAKERS

A W AY O F

LIFE

PHYLLIS JONES HAS BEEN AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT FRATERNITY FROM THE TIME SHE MET HER LATE HUSBAND, NEVILLE, IN THE EARLY 1960S. SHE IS ADAMANT THAT EVERY TRUCK OPERATOR SHOULD BE PART OF AN INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION.

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or people like Phyllis Jones, or Phyll as she likes to be called, road transport is so much more than an occupation – it’s a way of life.

After she was married, Phyll embarked on a steep learning curve in regard to all the ins and outs of running a transport business and also managed to raise four children along the way. After nearly half a century in business, she still enjoys the challenges and rewards of being a part of the ever-changing transport landscape.

“When Neville and I were married in 1964 he was working for his father who owned earthmoving equipment and trucks,” she recalls. “Neville would sometimes be away for up to six weeks at a time, often driving to Darwin for his Dad, so about nine Jones got her semi licence in 1972 and drove for 11 years.

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months after the birth of our first child in early 1969, we decided to start our own transport business so that Neville would be able to spend more time with us.”

The couple started the business with a second-hand B-model Mack pulling a stock crate, mainly carting sheep and cattle within the south-western region of New South Wales surrounding their home town of Hay. As the business developed, Phyll was increasingly involved in all aspects from administration right through to helping load and drive the trucks. Livestock haulage and tipper work have continued to be the mainstay of the business.

“The second truck we owned was an International R-190,” she says. “To buy it we had to trade in my ‘dream car’ – a

Valiant station wagon – which was the first new car we’d owned!”

As the business grew throughout the early 1970s a number of drivers were employed and then in the mid-‘70s a rather unsavoury turn of events left Phyll in no doubt about the immense value of belonging to industry associations.

“By this stage we had five drivers working for us and a man who wanted to start up his own transport business in opposition to us got in the ear of the union and told a lot of lies about us, resulting in us being black-banned from sites all over Australia,” Phyll explains.

The chaos lasted about four months and over that period Phyll says she was overwhelmed by the generosity and solidarity of people within the industry who heard about their plight and wanted to help in whatever way they could.

Transport companies from as far away as Queensland, she recalls, were offering to come and do their work for free to help out.

“It was extraordinary and it made me realise that there are many, many goodhearted people within our industry that far outweigh the few bad eggs,” she says.

“Fortunately, we managed to hold it together and get back on our feet without losing any customers.”

It was during this difficult time that Phyll got involved with the Australian Small

Phyllis Jones.

Business Association at Deniliquin and at one of its meetings she was introduced to Paul Gaynor who was in the process of starting NatRoad.

“So we joined NatRoad and that was a real lifesaver for us, literally, and from there I continued to be involved as much as I could to keep learning and to stay abreast of the new regulations and procedures we needed to implement,” Phyll says.

“You need to know your legal rights when faced with an issue like what we went through. Our associations are like a safety blanket – they provide the information and help that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. I think every

transport business should belong to an association. It should be like compulsory third-party insurance.”

Over the years Phyll has received many accolades for her selfless contributions to the industry she loves. In 2004 she was inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs.

Her other awards include: The 2001 National Road Transport Woman of the Year; The Annual Rotary Club of Hay Award for Good Service; the 2000 inaugural Rotary International Club Businesswoman of the Year; Inductee, Department of Primary

Industries 2011 Hidden Treasures Roll; 2003 NatRoad Quiet Achiever.

Phyll is also a former board member of Transport Women Australia. Meanwhile, Phyll has hung up her truck driving boots and is looking forward to spending more time with her seven grandchildren as they grow up. Sadly, Phyll’s husband Neville passed away at the start of this year. Their second son Wayne, however, is carrying on the long-held family tradition, running his own transport business in Hay with five prime movers and a number of employed drivers. It’s a testament to Phyll and her lifetime of tireless service to the Australian road transport industry. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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PERSONALITY

SWITCHING ON

ACCESS

TRANSPORT CERTIFICATION AUSTRALIA PERFORMS A CRITICAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING THEGavin Hill.

APPROPRIATE ADOPTION OF TELEMATICS. GENERAL MANAGER STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION GAVIN HILL RECENTLY SPOKE WITH PRIME MOVER ABOUT A RANGE OF ISSUES AT THE LIVESTOCK, BULK AND RURAL CARRIERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN GRIFFITH.

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ransport Certification Australia (TCA) is the Australian government body responsible for providing advice, accreditation and administration services for public purposes involving the use of telematics and related intelligent technologies. Gavin Hill joined the organisation in 2011. He has led national and state-based reform to deliver public purpose outcomes and managed the implementation of national regulatory and non-regulatory telematics and ITS programs.

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PM: First, a common question. Is it necessary to have multiple ‘black boxes’ in any transport vehicle when using something such as the Intelligent Access Program (IAP)?

GH: There is no need to have multiple black boxes. The issue can arise when operators who already have telematics services for their own purposes want to operate under a particular access arrangement where the IAP is required as a condition by road managers. The IAP, as a regulatory telematics application with legislative provisions, requires hardware

which needs to meet certain integrity and security requirements. This means that sometimes hardware needs to be upgraded or replaced if vehicles need to be in the IAP. There have been cases where providers end up offering two separate devices for the one consumer. It shouldn’t, and it doesn’t need to, be like that. It highlights the need for providers to do the right thing by consumers. TCA is available to assist transport operators if they ever have questions about the advice they are receiving from providers. You might need to upgrade the existing device to meet IAP

requirements but you still should only need one device. It should be noted that over 45,000 heavy vehicles are already fitted with hardware which meets TCA performance requirements, which are able to support the IAP. The good news is that the decisions made by transport operators to invest in the right kind of telematics hardware – which supports their future needs – means that the need to upgrade or replace hardware is significantly lower than it has been in the past.

PM: Are the performance requirements for hardware too stringent?

GH: The hardware requirements needed for the IAP reflect its use as a regulatory telematics application under the heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). As I said in my presentation to the LBRCA Conference TCA offers different levels of assurance through the National Telematics Framework – not just the IAP. We are not policy makers, we simply make sure that the equipment and associated systems are fit for purpose. During February this year TCA released the latest update (Version 3) of the Telematics IVU Functional and Technical Specification. We’ve been able to identify areas where requirements can be made less stringent, without compromising performance-based outcomes which relate to robustness, accuracy, reliability, tamper evidence, data storage and security.

PM: Why is that?

GH: When we’re talking about the IAP we’re talking about a telematics application that has the integrity and robustness similar of, say, a speed camera.

But we’re also saying that not every use of telematics for heavy vehicle access needs to have the rigour of the IAP. Let’s get beyond that. At present road managers and regulators are saying we need certificate based evidentiary data (known as Level 3) and whenever you’re saying that it means something in terms of the device in the vehicle. However, the new applications approved by the Transport and Infrastructure Council (TIC) including the Road Infrastructure Management (RIM) application which I

covered at the LBRCA conference, presents 16 new initiatives for road managers and regulators to have access to other tools, not just the IAP. That’s why I say don’t use a hammer when you need a screwdriver.

A similarity is you look at the road network and there’s speed cameras, red light cameras and traffic cameras. Speed and red light cameras have high levels of integrity and legislative underpinning for compliance purposes. But you don’t use a speed camera if you just want to monitor traffic on the network. So when you look at telematics you don’t need the IAP as a regulatory telematics application – the broad equivalent of a speed camera – if you just want to use telematics to collect, aggregate and de-identify data for road network management purposes.

PM: Should that make the IAP and other telematics applications more attractive to both operators and road managers?

GH: In my personal view the IAP has sometimes been used for the wrong reasons and that has led to frustration, not with the technology, but the reason the data is being collected and how it’s being used. There are also frustrations with what the IAP doesn’t do and that’s fair enough because the IAP was designed to manage compliance. If the vehicle goes off route an exception based report is generated. That’s all it does. If you want it to do other things like collect data across a greater population of vehicles, fleet network management, mapping of where vehicles are going, times of travel, congestion then we are talking different applications of technology not the IAP. In other words, when we talk about telematics it’s similar to talking about different apps on a phone.

PM: Has the IAP been overtaken by technology developments?

GH: No. If you look at the technology and service offerings through the IAP today they’re light years ahead of even two or three years ago. The IAP isn’t a stand-alone technology, it’s the same technology, just with different regulations that underpin their operation with

different checks and balances on factors like security and calibration and how the data is collected and used.

PM: Are there any issues surrounding unapproved devices or systems?

GH: We promote an open technology market and we work closely with providers throughout the telematics industry and hold bi-annual Telematics Industry Group (TIG) meetings which involve a much wider group from the market than just certified providers. We know there are providers out there that, for a variety of reasons, don’t offer Level 3 certified regulatory services, and they’ve made their own business decisions not to be in that space. There’s a select few that operate at the really high level and then you’ve got everyone else. It goes to back to how you want to use the telematics.

Use the data and that drives what level of assurance you need.

PM: The EU has legislated for some common telematics platforms so that various truck brands can communicate with each other. Is this something we should be considering here?

GH: We’re plugged into those international developments and TCA is part of international task groups that are focussed around harmonisation. We’ve got our role to play representing Australia’s needs in that international space.

PM: How do you see telematics in five years’ time?

GH: I think we’re going to see more OEM telematics equipment coming as standard in vehicles. I think we’re already seeing a shift where the days of retrofitting devices will become less common. It will be driven by the manufacturers themselves who probably don’t want third party electronic equipment being installed anyway. There are a lot of providers out there today and we’re going to see increasing consolidation in the market.

Regardless of what government or TCA does there are major investments flowing into this telematics industry and it’s a multi-national business now, not small start-ups as it was 10 years ago. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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1 ST - 3 RD APR I L 2020 ME L B O U R N E CO N VE N T IO N & E XH I B I T I O N C E N T R E

SUSTAINABILITY | AUTOMATION

I N D U ST RY 4 . 0 | E - CO M M E R C E

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

Electric vehicles for Australia PETER ANDERSON

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Senate select committee* recently investigated the potential for uptake of electrically-driven vehicles (EVs) in the car, truck and bus sectors.

The recommendations produced seem sensible. Here are some that I want to comment on: 3.

EV Targets should be set for uptake of EVs in the light passenger, light commercial and metropolitan bus sectors. Targets would speed uptake.

Will government subsidise EVs? 5.

A national public charging network should be established. Slow EV chargers can provide between 3.5 – 22.0 kWh and fast chargers between 22.0 – 43 kW. In 2018 there were 783 public charging stations in Australia, the great majority being slow charging. There are more than ten times this number of hydrocarbon fuel stations.

6.

A CO2 emissions rule should be introduced for non-electric vehicles.

Despite coal- and gas-fired electricity generation producing CO2, EVs produce a net reduction.

9.

The federal government should implement a 10-year EV manufacturing roadmap covering research and development, vehicle and system design, battery manufacture, telematics, supply chain and component manufacture.

In the light and medium duty truck segment, there is an opportunity 74

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for OEM suppliers to import ‘glider’ trucks which are fitted out locally.

There is also potential for EV technology to be installed on trailers, in which case the tractive effort could be spread throughout the combination vehicle. This would provide regenerative retardation where more is needed on the trailer and allow the size of the truck diesel engine to be reduced. Australia could lead in the trailer segment.

12. A pprentice and trainee programs need to be established. EV technology will require greater electrical knowledge in workshops.

We need to be training more auto electricians! *https://www.aph.gov.au/ Parliamentary_Business/ Committees/Senate/Electric_Vehicles 13. Electricity network infra-system development will be needed to cope with widespread adoption of EVs. Widespread uptake of EVs will alter the electricity load profile and this will require electricity grid development.

17. S tandards Australia should develop a series of national standards relevant to EVs. Sound technical standards will be needed to lessen fire risk and promote co-ordination of multiple traction centres on a (multi-) combination vehicle.

The basis for Australian standards exists as the AS/ISO 6469 series – Electrically propelled road vehicles.

EVs are a significant threat to road funding resulting from fuel excise, as

there is no excise charge for electricity.

Eventually government is likely to introduce a road-user charge that is independent of the fuel used. The federal government is currently funding an investigation into road-user charging models. It will be difficult for the heavy logistics sector to argue for special treatment (such as a fuel excise rebate) under a new charging model. Diesel trucks are likely to be penalised by losing the fuel excise rebate.

The range that a vehicle can achieve depends upon three factors: the energy stored, the efficiency of energy conversion and the level of ‘regeneration’ energy capture. Lithium ion battery energy density is currently about 1.45 MJ/L. For comparison, the energy density of diesel fuel is about 38.6 MJ/L, nearly twenty-five times greater based upon volume. The efficiency of energy conversion with diesel fuel is probably about 30 per cent whereas for an EV battery it is probably 90 per cent. Therefore, taking account of efficiency, but ignoring regeneration, the expected range of a diesel truck will be about nine times more for the same volume of energy storage.

What about the relative costs? One litre of diesel fuel costs ~ $A1.30. The same amount of electrical energy, assuming 1kWh of electricity costs $A0.20, costs ~ $A2.00. However, allowing the better efficiency of the electrical drive, the electrical cost is about half that of diesel fuel. So, the viability of electric traction for long distance heavy vehicles is limited by range and not fuel cost.

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Viability depends mainly on achieving a higher energy density that the 1.45 MJ/L that is possible from current generation battery technology.

So, what about technical aspects? We don’t seem to have come to grips with the new safety considerations that will arise with EV technology. EVs probably have DC battery voltage of 200 Vdc. The inverter then produces a three- or six- phase AC voltage of say 450 Vac. These voltages are well above the unregulated voltage domain (Extra Low Voltage < 50 Vac and < 120 Vdc). Therefore, workshops who work on EVs probably need licenced electrical workers.

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) rules are applicable to EVs. EMC risk is that the control system on the vehicle will be adversely affected by ‘noise’ coming from the EV traction system.

EVs in Australia should have been proven to comply with AS/NZS CISPR 12 or as an alternative, ECE Regulation 10. Both standards require immunity and emissions testing of a typical vehicle under laboratory conditions.

I worry about the safety risks of batteries with high energy density.

Internal insulation failures within batteries do occur with consumer-level LiPo batteries. There will occasionally be internal battery failures. The main electrical cables on EVs should be run in cable trays. This will separate them from other systems and help define which cables have dangerous voltages on them. If the hotchpotch of electrical

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Vehicle range is dependent on energy stored, the efficiency of the energy conversion and regeneration of energy capture.

cable installations used on some diesel-powered trucks were applied to EVs, serious fire risks and safety risks would arise.

It should be noted that EVs have the potential advantage of regeneration but the disadvantage of needing electric motors to drive the air conditioner, power steering and air compressor.

Because the usable energy density of diesel is about nine times more than for LiPo battery, fuel cell technology is being actively considered. For example, the ‘Nikola’ electric truck that is under development in the USA has a fuel cell that is supplied by hydrogen. A fuel cell is like a battery that consumes its electrolyte. A hydrogen storage tank is needed. However, hydrogen is difficult

to store because it has a low volumetric energy density and it leaks out of most metals. Therefore, the fuel cell technology with on-board hydrogen storage seems to be a long way off. It is unlikely that fully electric traction on long distance trucks will be viable within the next two decades. However, electric traction on trailers might be viable beforehand.

Dr Peter Hart ARTSA *Note: With Martin Toomey recently named the new Chairman of ARTSA, Peter Hart will continue in his role writing a monthly technical column in Prime Mover. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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Tackling the big issues – together

GEOFF CROUCH

I

t’s time. It’s time for you to join us and stand up for trucking. It’s time for you to join us and get serious about safety. It’s time for you to join us as we tackle the big issues – together.

Tackling the big issues together is what Trucking Australia 2019 is all about.

This is the chance for all members of the trucking industry to come together, have positive discussion, collaborate and develop real solutions for the key issues that our operators and drivers are dealing with every day.

With a federal election looming ahead of us, we need to highlight the importance of the Australian trucking industry and get the issues that matter on the agenda and into the spotlight.

We have interesting and critical times ahead. Trucking Australia is an opportunity for everyone in the industry whether they be a driver, manager, operator or supplier to put their point forward and have their voice heard. Regardless of which party forms government, the ATA will stand up and hold either party to account on behalf of Australia’s 50,000 trucking businesses and 211,500 people. We will work with our national leaders to ensure the decisions they make result in viable, genuine benefits for the entire industry.

We have engaged Deloitte Access Economics to provide an overview of the industry and its important role in the national economy as well as taking a deep-dive into why fixing

truck regulation matters. In 2011 the Australian Government estimated that improving truck regulation would deliver $11 billion in national economic benefits.

It is time to quantify exactly how much of an impact these benefits have had.

At Trucking Australia, Deloitte will review those estimates and how things have worked out, identify the policies that would cut red tape and improve industry performance, and assess the economic benefits of those policies with new economic modelling.

The trucking industry is a vital contributor to the Australian economy and it’s crucial it remains viable and sustainable.

Trucking Australia is about collaborating with grassroots operators to develop practical solutions to a range of key issues. We’ll pick the brains of professional drivers and work with delegates to design the perfect rest area, with the results to form a strong foundation for ATA lobbying activities.

We’ll also discuss how to upgrade driver licensing and training, hear ideas for better fatigue systems and focus on the truck law review.

Following strong lobbying by the ATA and our members, the National Transport Commission is reviewing the eastern state truck laws. It will start from scratch and aim to improve safety and slash red tape. Our delegates will have their say on what the laws should look like and what can be learnt from Western Australia. We will have a robust discussion about what works, what doesn’t, and develop a strong proposal that we can take forward to the regulator.

To get serious about mental health and wellbeing, we need to stop talking about it and start taking real action. For years we have talked about the issues, looked

at resources and demonstrated how to run ‘toolbox talks’, but no more talk… we need to do something.

The ATA’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee has put out a call to action, inviting you to join the conversation and offer input as to what the trucking community can do to shape a mentally healthy industry. We want you to walk away from the discussion knowing exactly what practical measures you can use in your workplace.

While Trucking Australia is a time for robust discussion, it’s also a time to celebrate what makes our industry great and build positive relationships.

Each year we recognise industry excellence during the Foundation Sponsors Gala Awards Dinner where we reveal the winners of the prestigious National Trucking Industry Awards.

Each award finalist and the welldeserving winners have gone above and beyond to improve the trucking industry and it’s important to recognise their achievements.

The conference will also see the industry come together to recognise the incredible achievements of Australia’s Kenworth Legends. The Legends have put in the hard yards, building their businesses from the ground up. For them trucking is not just a job. It’s a way of life and something to be admired.

Don’t miss this opportunity. This is your chance to tackle the big issues and make your voice heard.

Trucking Australia 2019 will be held in Perth from 3-5 April.

View the conference program and register now at www.truckingaustralia.com.au Geoff Crouch, Chair, Australian Trucking Association p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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Budget must establish the road to reform

KIRK CONINGHAM PETER ANDERSON

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he Federal Budget on 2 April will be the last prior to the expected release of the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy.

Freight logistics industry professionals have already invested a significant amount of effort to help the Federal Government shape the content of the Strategy. This year’s Budget is the Government’s opportunity to deliver a return on that investment by supporting initiatives that will help Australia meet a growing freight task. Accordingly, ALC’s pre-Budget submission to the Federal Government put forward specific recommendations to invest in critical infrastructure and to pursue regulatory reform initiatives that will enhance the performance of our supply chains. This includes key opportunities to undertake reform in the road sector.

In 2016-17 the Australian road freight task equated to approximately $228 tonne/kilometres. This is up from $202 billion tonne/kilometres just four years previously. Given that strong growth in Australia’s freight task is expected to continue, it is vitally important therefore that heavy vehicles can operate efficiently and safely.

As an industry leader, ALC has played a role in supporting this objective by working to develop the industry-wide Master Code for Heavy Vehicle Safety, in partnership with the Australian Trucking Association.

With the Master Code having been 78

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registered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator in late November 2018, it is now available for the use of all industry participants.

But there is scope for the Federal Government to do more.

The Commonwealth Government’s National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 is another vital initiative for enhancing the safety of our road networks.

ALC continues to support the National Road Safety Strategy and is pleased that since 2011 the number of fatalities from crashes involving heavy vehicles has reduced. However, ALC is also mindful of the fact that Australia is currently not on track to meet the road safety targets agreed by all governments in 2011.

In its submission to the Inquiry into the progress under the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 undertaken last year, ALC again recommended that the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) should require heavy vehicles to carry telematics equipment, and that operators should be required to meet a National Operating Standard. These priorities should be pursued as part of the review of the HVNL being undertaken by the National Transport Commission this year.

Additionally, ALC’s pre-Budget submission also recommends the Federal Government prioritise investment in educational initiatives designed to educate light vehicle drivers how to safely interact with heavy vehicles.

ALC further suggests that the Budget support a feasibility study into the establishment of a Federal Office of Road Safety, to progress and monitor the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 (and its successor strategies), as well as to drive greater national consistency in the design and implementation of road safety initiatives.

ALC also views this year’s Budget as an opportunity to do something meaningful about one of the freight logistics industry’s

biggest challenges – a lack of consistent data that can help to monitor and measure supply chain performance.

This lack of a solid evidence base makes it difficult for governments to prioritise investments and accurately measure the impact of new policies or infrastructure investments. Similarly, a better pool of data would also help the industry more effectively utilise existing infrastructure – boosting the sector’s productivity.

To address these issues, ALC has called for the Budget to fund the establishment of a Freight Observatory. This body would be responsible for monitoring and measuring supply chain performance, developing performance indicators, and making data available to public and private decisionmakers to permit better investment and operational decisions.

In support of this objective, ALC has also asked that the Budget ensure the Bureau for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) is properly resourced to continue the Road Freight Telematics Data Project.

This project is designed to develop experimental indicators that could help to identify congested networks and measure average travel speed and travel times on key freight routes, as well as the location and duration of rest breaks for drivers.

These indicators could be used to inform operational decisions and infrastructure investment – including new heavy vehicle rest areas.

The professionals working in the road freight sector deliver the goods that are essential in the day-to-day activities of all Australians. Incorporating investments such as those outlined above in this year’s Budget will help them to undertake their work more efficiently – and get home to their families safely.

Kirk Coningham CEO, Australian Logistics Council

NATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION | INSIGHT

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WARREN CLARK

H

eavy vehicle accreditation schemes were first introduced in the mid-1990s as an alternative method of compliance to meeting the prescriptive regulations. There are currently three main accreditation schemes in operation: • The National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) • TruckSafe – an industry-led scheme managed by the Australian Trucking Association • Western Australia Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme – a state-based scheme administered by Main Roads WA. The NHVAS and TruckSafe are voluntary whereas accreditation in WA is mandatory for anyone who operates truck and trailer combinations over 42.5 tonnes gross mass in WA, including interstate operators.

Operators participating in accreditation report that it helps them improve their safety standards and provides assurance to customers and regulators of their compliance with the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). The NHVAS also provides participants with regulatory concessions such as access to higher mass limits and more flexible work and rest hours.

It is estimated that only around 20 per cent of heavy vehicle operators are accredited.

A review of heavy vehicle accreditation

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The future of heavy vehicle accreditation “Operators are unlikely to join an accreditation scheme if the costs are not offset by clear safety and productivity benefits, including through regulatory incentives and reduced on-road enforcement of accredited operators.”

Warren Clark CEO, Natroad

schemes was completed in 2018. The recommendations are currently being considered as part of the broader review of the HVNL. NatRoad supports a number of these recommendations, in particular: • Developing a single national accreditation framework to improve consistency across schemes and allow mutual recognition • Applying a safety management system approach to accreditation, with enough flexibility for operators to adapt requirements to suit the nature of their operations • Extending regulatory concessions to operators across all schemes who meet the required standards We do not support the recommendation to establish mandatory accreditation requirements. In effect this creates an operator licensing system and removes the competitive advantage for those who undergo the effort and expense of becoming accredited. A move to primary duties and less prescriptive

regulations in the review of the HVNL makes accreditation as an alternative compliance mechanism less attractive.

It is therefore necessary to review the role of accreditation under a new legislative framework and the benefits the schemes provide to operators to ensure their viability.

Operators are unlikely to join an accreditation scheme if the costs are not offset by clear safety and productivity benefits, including through regulatory incentives and reduced on-road enforcement of accredited operators.

Alongside the broader debate about the future design of accreditation schemes, the NHVR is currently considering changes to the NHVAS Business Rules and Standards, including amalgamation of the BFM and AFM standards. NatRoad will be preparing a submission on these changes and is interested in hearing your views.

Warren Clark, CEO, NatRoad p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

79

INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

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Great Australian road infrastructure myths

TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

H

istorically we have been told

by Australian governments, particularly the Eastern State ones, that constraints imposed by Australia’s road infrastructure prevent them allowing wider and higher axle mass limit vehicles on our roads. This push back by many State and Territory governments prevents alignment with many international dimensional and mass limits for road freight vehicles. Dimension and mass limits are fundamental to heavy vehicle design. A truck manufacturer starts with the dimensional and mass ‘envelope’ regulations as the commencement point of any truck design. Many globally developed trucks cannot be brought to Australia without significant redesign and modification, resulting in cost increases and the reduction in heavy vehicle model availability here. Despite record new truck sales in Australia last year, Australian new truck sales represent just 0.8 per cent of global truck production in 2018. It is unrealistic to expect global truck manufacturers to redesign their model ranges to suit Australian unique dimension and mass limits, when our market accounts for less than one per cent of global truck sales.

I would like to reflect on a couple of comments that get trotted out by a number of the road engineers whenever the discussion turns to increased vehicle width or increased axle mass.

Myth #1: Australian lane widths are narrower than European road lanes. This

80

a pr i l 2019

is simply not the case. In the Austroads guidelines for Australian road design, 2010, the following widths apply: General traffic lane widths - 3.3m to 3.5m Freeway/Motorway lane widths - 3.5m minimum High Occupancy Vehicle (Bus) lane width 3.5m to 4.5m Whilst the typical road design widths in Europe are: Minor road lane widths – 2.75m to 3.5m; arterial road lane widths – 2.75 to 3.75; and freeway/motorway lane widths - 3.5m to 3.75m The minimum design width for some types of European roads is in fact narrower that the Australian Austroads design limit and yet width limit on general road freight vehicles in Europe is 2.55m, while refrigerated road transport vehicles in Europe have a maximum width limit of 2.6m. Some Australian road engineers will argue that older Australia roads are narrower than the Austroads limits detailed above and this may be the case, however Europe has many roads that are centuries old, many designed for horse and cart only, particularly in and around their older cities, yet 2.55m and 2.6m trucks run on these roads every day, interacting successfully with other trucks, cars and vulnerable road users.

Myth busted.

Myth #2: Higher axle masses will cause more pavement damage. Again not true, if smart vehicle design and mitigation measures are deployed. For example, the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) Performance-Based-Standards (PBS) vehicle’s effectiveness paper, August 2017, detailed that the current 4,600 PBS vehicles operating for one year will reduce the freight task by 2.5 billion tonne-km, reduce truck movements by over 440 million kilometres, as well as

reduce spending on road infrastructure maintenance by approximately $65 million. Other significant advantages accrued by those same PBS vehicles were: 46 per cent fewer major crashes than the existing non-PBS vehicles had saved at least four lives during 2014-16. These were projected to save about 120 lives over the next 20 years, with 24.8 per cent productivity gains across all commodities, saving 94 million litres of fuel in 2016, which reduced the CO2 emissions by about 250,000 tonnes, as detailed in the NTC’s report. Continuing the theme of additional axle mass, Austroads Report APR505-16 made recommendations in late 2016, that the steer axle mass of a truck could be increased to a safe limit of 7.0t, up from the current 6.5t limit, provided that the axle is fitted with tyres of a section width of greater than 375mm and in doing so, road damage would be actually reduced. Myth busted. The Austroads recommendations have been implemented

by Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Other States have, to date, not acted on the report’s recommendations.

The Truck Industry Council (TIC) believes that Australia must align with international dimensional and axle mass regulations to take full advantage of globally developed safety, environmental and productivity truck technologies. This alignment should start with a move to 2.55m maximum vehicle with and a 7.0t steer axle limit.

TIC requests that the Transport and Infrastructure Council, within Council of Australian Governments, move on these recommendations as soon as possible.

Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION | INSIGHT

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Industry must prepare for the on-demand worker

PETER ANDERSON

T

he proliferation of digital technology that has defined the start of the 21st century has made fundamental transformations to communities and cultures, and the day-to-day interactions we have as individuals, suppliers, consumers of goods and services, and employers of people. Just as the combustible engine forever changed how communities, businesses and cultural institutions interact, today’s equivalent – the mobile phone or handheld tablet – has upended how we interact and communicate.

If the legacy of the Model T Ford or the de Havilland Comet was their ability to bring people closer, history will cast the technology behind these platforms as the advancement that brought us even closer.

Transport operators have embraced new mobile technology and quickly identified where it could create greater efficiencies, safer workplaces and faster deliveries, with customers and consumers being the ultimate benefactors.

The latest development every sector of the economy is having to adjust for is the ondemand worker, a worker classification made possible from technology that has converted mobile phones and tablets into veritable noticeboards for jobs and income. Transport is feeling the greatest impact of this because travel is essential for virtually every on-demand worker transaction. Over one-third of new businesses created in Australia over

the past year was in the transportation sector, according to CommSec, with ride-sharing businesses alone soaring by a massive 39 per cent. The on-demand worker manifests in the form of the Uber driver that takes you home from work or delivers your evening meal, or the concreter you found on Airtaskr to pour the slab for your new home extension. By and large, they work for themselves and set their own hours, which is one of the greatest appeals for gig economy workers who want flexible hours and working conditions. Governments and industry sectors have rightly identified there may be unintended consequences of the rapid rise of the gig economy and on-demand worker, with the Victorian Government recently calling for submissions to its Inquiry into the Victorian on-demand workforce. For all their lifestyle and social benefits, on-demand jobs remain generally unregulated, which has consequences for remuneration, superannuation, occupational health and safety and other aspects of employment that are typically covered under employment laws and regulations.

In its submission, the VTA expressed concern that persistent and unregulated proliferation of on-demand jobs could compromise the living standards workers have become accustomed to because remuneration erosion is inevitable in an increasingly competitive on-demand worker economy.

Most rational people will opt for the driver that charges $3 to deliver their pizza than the one that charges $5. Extrapolate this across the broader economy and ondemand workforce and the potential for unintended consequences are clear.

Our submission focussed on the need to land on an accepted economy-wide definition of the on-demand worker, and that such a definition should not be confused with piece, casual, oncall, home-based or other labour hire definitions. Such a legal definition of the

on-demand worker would be significant because it is the key threshold question that determines which regulatory framework applies across areas including wages and conditions, health and safety, workers compensation and taxation.

Whilst our submission acknowledged independent contractors and casual workforces continue to have their challenges, employment arrangements and contractor engagements generally understood and manageable in the transport and logistics industry, regulation of on-demand workers in the ‘gig’ economy, however, needs immediate attention. This is evident in payment standards, employment contracts, and adherence to the handling of accruals, shift loadings and entitlements such as holiday, family and long-service leave, superannuation and accident compensation that are currently unavailable to the on-demand worker.

Notwithstanding their advantages, the on-demand worker’s dependence on digital platforms can enable avoidance of industrial relations responsibilities.

For example, current regulatory gaps can be exploited to avoid application of workplace laws and other statutory obligations. This is unacceptable and clearly places employers that operate professionally and comply with relevant industrial laws and within statutory requirements at a competitive disadvantage.

There is no doubt the on-demand worker and the gig economy they work in is here to stay. The challenge is to sensibly regulate their growth in a way that upholds living standards, provides clear career pathways for skills development, and avoids an underclass of workers that would subvert standards we have worked so hard to establish.

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

81

PETER SHIELDS’ NUMBER CRUNCH

Holding the line year the category is down 52 units (-5.8 per cent) at 892.

The combined truck and heavy van market is down 3.9 per cent on last year which turned out to be the biggest 12 months in Australian truck sales history. The first half of this year is likely to be affected by the sometimes, intangible, reduction in confidence given there will be a Federal election held sometime in May. The exceptional result achieved in the market in 2018 is always going to be a tough act to follow regardless of the nation’s, indeed the world’s, economic trends and even being a few percentage points away from a record still shows that the Australian new truck and van market remains strong.

Sales of new trucks increased by 583 in February compared with the January results to achieve 2,383 units for the second month of the year according to the industry statistics compiled by the Truck Industry Council. The hard realisation comes, however, when the year-to-date total for the first two months of 2019 of 4,183 units is compared for the same period of last year in which an additional 153 units at 4,336 were registered. Put simply, it translates to the cab chassis and prime mover market being down 3.5 per cent so far for this year.

It’s not a cause for concern at this very early stage and the February results did include good news for some manufacturers such as Scania. With the supply problems due to extended industrial action at one of its major component manufacturers now behind them, the commercial vehicle manufacturer is quickly delivering on the back log of orders held up during the last quarter of 2018. There has also been an insect issue affecting delivery from some European ports.

The Heavy Duty sector didn’t follow the slightly downward trend of the overall market with February’s 963 units just ten trucks less than in February last year and the year-to-date total of 1,732 is actually three trucks more than for the same period last year thanks to January’s results.

The Medium Duty February result of 546 units is down 143 for the month but January’s strong result helped ease the pain and the year-to-date total of 1,026 is only 40 trucks short (-3.9 per cent) of where the market was at the same time last year.

The Light Duty sector achieved 874 units in February, 62 less than February 2018 (-6.6 per cent) and the two month accrual for the year so far of 1,465 is 7.3 per cent less (-116 units).

Heavy vans managed 444 units for February, up 48 from January but compared to the opening two months of last 82

a pr il 2019

Feb-19

Change

ISUZU

638

-5.2%

HINO

434

3.5%

FUSO

259

-11.5%

KENWORTH

187

7.4%

VOLVO

156

38.6%

MERCEDES-BENZ

136

-10.3%

IVECO

106

-39.0%

MAN

93

-35.3%

MACK

83

-1.4%

SCANIA

72

101.5%

UD TRUCKS

38

-16.8%

RENAULT

42

231.6%

WESTERN STAR

26

7.8%

FIAT

16

-18.3%

DAF

31

-2.0%

FREIGHTLINER

24

-41.9%

FORD

16

27.8%

HYUNDAI

13

90.9%

INTERNATIONAL

12

0.0%

DENNIS EAGLE

1

-90.0%

CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

2383

-3.5%

M-B VANS

122

-19.0%

RENAULT VANS

91

-4.3%

FORD VANS

96

-4.5%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

66

9.0%

FIAT VANS

35

6.1%

IVECO VANS

34

47.7%

444

-5.8%

2827

-3.9%

TOTAL

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