Prime Mover April 2021

®

April 2021

K&S Fuller Transport Super Space Age APRIL 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

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Industry Fleet: OzHarvest Feature: SAF-Holland FW351-E Showcase: Electronic Work Diary Personality: Dean Dal Santo

Innovation Fleet: OzWideFreight Technology: Morris Heavy Logistics Test Drive: Mack Anthem Delivery: Nissan Navara

T H E P E O P L E & P R O D U C T S T H AT M A K E T R A N S P O RT M OV E AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

Delivery Magazine inside: Pages 67-77.

MAGAZINE

Always Delivering

The DAF model range delivers on Safety, Fuel Efficiency, Driver Comfort and Good Design.

Whether it’s moving freight across the nation, or going the last mile, DAF Trucks are Always Delivering.

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®

April 2021

MEET THE TEAM

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

K&S Fuller Transport

John Murphy | CEO

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

Super Space Age APRIL 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

03

Industry Fleet: Legend Logistics Feature: MAN Choice Programme Showcase: Rental, Leasing & Finance Personality: Sam Suda

Innovation Fleet: Metro Skips Technology: Borg Test Drive: Kenworth T410SAR Delivery: Stoddart Group

T H E P E O P L E & P R O D U C T S T H AT M A K E T R A N S P O RT M OV E AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

Delivery Magazine inside: Pages 62-77.

MAGAZINE

ceo John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au editor William Craske

william.craske@primecreative.com.au

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.

managing editor,

transport group

Luke Applebee luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au

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

business

Ash Blachford

development ash.blachford@primecreative.com.au manager

0403 485 140

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

design production

manager

Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

client success manager

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

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

Ashley Blachford | Business Development Manager

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

www.primemovermag.com.au

Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

journalist Paul Matthei paul.matthei@primecreative.com.au

Paul Matthei | Senior Journalist

design

head office 11-15 Buckhurst Street

South Melbourne VIC 3205

P: 03 9690 8766

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articles

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copyright

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

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

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

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

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

CONTENTS

Prime Mover April 2021

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28

42 34

58

COVER STORY “Some of the drivers, particularly the younger ones, think they don’t make enough noise but when you get a bit long in the tooth like me, the less noise the better.

The young blokes who like to make lots of noise with straight through mufflers — they’re the ones the police are busy writing up when you go past.”

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BRAVO COMPANY

Prime Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS 28 Super Space Age Kelvyn and Shirley Fuller, owners of K&S Fuller Transport, have been involved in road transport for more than half a century. Among their current fleet of mostly PACCAR products, a pair of new DAF XF105 Super Space Cab prime movers stand out as flagships.

34 Rescue Dawn Sydney-based business OzHarvest repurposes excess food and delivers it to those who need it most. A large fleet of vans and Hino 300 Series trucks help carry out what has become the vast undertaking of distribution.

38 Bravo Company An operator, who values the personal touch, Luke Ashton oversees an interstate transport business whose fleet of long haul American trucks has been recently joined by a new Freightliner Argosy.

TRUCK & TECH 42 Marching Orders Morris Heavy Logistics operates a fleet of late model Volvo and Mack prime movers. The company’s owner Garry Morris believes regularly buying new equipment and engaging top-shelf maintenance and servicing

practices are the keys to long term success.

TEST DRIVE 58 Lap of Honour One of the most eagerly anticipated trucks in recent years, the Mack Anthem makes its debut on Australian roads and proves itself on-song.

Regular Run 06 From the Editor 08 Prime Mover News 50 EWD Showcase 62 Personality 64 Prime Movers & Shakers 67 Delivery 78 Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association 80 National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 82 Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds 83 Australian Logistics Council 84 Trucking Industry Council 85 Victorian Transport Association 86 Peter Shields’ Number Crunch

FROM THE EDITOR

Let’s Get Physical

William Craske Editor It’s in this physical reality we have developed key diagnostic human behaviours such as tool making, symbolic expression and language. No matter how a cloud-based future divests us of the physical reality — monetary currency, paper, storage devices for music, property — we still look to the natural world for examples of the seamless incorporation of form and function in what remains an unrivalled design.

“For a powerful and well designed fortress, you must despose and arrange the elements in the same way Nature, the true teacher of all things has ordered,” noted Vincenzzo Scamozzi in his book The Universal Idea of Architecture. It was King Lous XII of France, who adopted not a ferocious bear or tiger as his emblem but rather the humble porcupine. His motto, “From near and afar, I can defend myself,” was inspired by the porcupine, whose defensive mechanism when attacked, sees it horripilate a display of sharp quills in convincing deterrence. It formed a natural blueprint for the Spanish tercio with its mass of pikemen, the key innovation of sixteenth-century warfare. Over the next century most fortresses to withstand sieges

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integrated this design.

Animals have provided the earliest engineers templates with which to solve problems in regards to aerodynamics, agility and flight. Artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci turned to the natural world repeatedly in his many ingenious designs. He left behind blueprints for parachutes, self-propelled carts and even armoured tanks, inspired by turtles, to deflect enemy fire. To this day it’s not uncommon to hear an engine or vehicle compared to a beast. At one time they were our preferred mode of transport.

Indeed, horsepower still remains a unit to measure the power output of an engine. In more recent times engineers have emulated shark skins to optimise fuel use on navy vessels, camel toes have helped design lunar rover tyres, camera lenses were improved by studying gecko eyes, fireflies for LED light extraction, woodpecker skull shock absorbers for aircraft black boxes among a litany of others. Mimesis, the process in which we imitate the world around us to interpret it, is inherited from animal ancestors because it is an essential trait according to French anthropologist René Girard. Owls, wolves, eagles and lions, to cite some creatures that have come to embody wisdom, loyalty, freedom and nobility, depending on the going anthropological bent, are all now part of a lexicon of corporate brands we associate in our every day lives. All have, incidentally, at one time in history adorned shields or been flown on flags as markers from which allies might identify themselves. Don’t underestimate the importance of mythology. Fuso haven’t with the Shogun. The Ford Mustang or the P-51 Mustang, for that matter, are iconic as feats of engineering because they captured the imagination of the public.

We aren’t wired to aggrandise things simply because they work.

Indeed this magazine won’t be the first nor the last to point to the brawny

similarities between the haunched bonnet of the Mack Anthem and its iconic impregnable bulldog mascot. MAN has underplayed the design of the new TGX, winner of IAA’s International Truck of the Year, which, at least conceptually, shares a likeness with an alpha lion if you stare at it long enough. The integrated daytime running lights might be mistaken for lower incisors and the imposing grill as the nose of the king of the jungle.

Overarching digitisation has laid bare political and cultural divides that have long existed between the country and the city, coastal elites and rustbelt rurals.

For the moment a growing technocracy that exists in an incorporeal domain with its immaterial transactions, data mining and global connectivity is fast becoming estranged from those in the tangible world of making, growing and using real things.

Selling your DVDs to rent them online soon shifted to loaning out your private car as a resource to be exploited by the rideshare gig economy.

The digital sphere has in less than a decade invaded all aspects of our lives.

In commercial road transport the introduction of Electronic Work Diaries has been a major advancement. But as society thrusts the spotlight deservedly on the mental wellbeing of workers, virtual battles are waged on partisan tech platforms, goods are delivered to homes which double as offices where video conferencing in an immersive digital landscape is now commonplace all while the physical environment around us disintegrates. Will we recognise the point when there’s simply too much of the digital, non-physical realm in our lives? Which begs another question: what kind of ‘smart city’ ends up looking like Melbourne?

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If the system detects the possibility of a collision with a vehicle in front, using radar and image sensors, it will warn

you to apply the brakes. If you don’t respond, the truck can brake autonomously. Safety comes standard with the new Hino 300 Series. Find out more at hino.com.au

*Active safety systems are an aid to assist the driver and have performance limitations. The image used is for representation purposes only and actual product may vary. Please refer to owner’s manual for system operations and functionality.

PRIME NEWS

> Cochrane’s drives growth strategy with $20M depot

Cochrane’s Transport founder, Peter Cochrane, and CEO, Martin Robb.

Transport and logistics company, Cochrane’s Transport, has moved into its newly constructed $20 million depot in Gillman, providing instant growth and setting parcel and pallet delivery records within days.

From humble beginnings in founder Peter Cochrane’s backyard in 1974, with two trucks and a contract to deliver Women’s Weekly, the familyowned South Australian company now operates out of a purpose-built 37,000-square-metre facility.

The move, according to Cochrane’s, has already delivered significant fuel cost savings and reduced handling and haulage times, while providing better access to key metropolitan and regional routes and growing industries.

“Just days after relocating we had set new records for the number of parcels and pallets of freight that we delivered,” said Cochrane’s Transport CEO, Martin Robb.

Buoyed by a surge in online shopping at Christmas and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Robb will help steer the company through what’s expected to be a period of strong growth.

“The business has gone from strength to strength, necessitating the relocation to a more advanced, fit for purpose depot,” said Robb.

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“While plans for the new depot were already underway, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a spike in the delivery of packages to people who have turned to online purchasing to meet their shopping needs at home, which continued throughout the Christmas period.

“Our next day express freight, to virtually all of South Australia, has and continues to be a service in high demand,” he said.

“The new depot incorporates a semiautomated parcel sorting line, to reduce handling times, to get parcels to their destination sooner.

“We also provide a daily parcel delivery service to regional South Australia, more than any other operator, and this service needs to be as streamlined as possible.

“Following our relocation, there are now only two sets of traffic lights between our new Gillman depot and the regional town of Port Augusta.”

Robb is optimistic South Australia’s economy has a bright future, saying the relocation moves Cochrane’s closer to the growth industries.

“Relocating to Gillman will help Cochrane’s to leverage access to the port and the defence precinct which will undergo significant growth in the coming years,” he said.

“Our new depot represents an investment

in our company and in South Australia.

“Our largest volume customers are now based predominantly in the northern suburbs, so it was important that our location enabled us to service them as efficiently as possible.

“The new Gillman depot, and location, with significantly more capacity provides room for growth and expansion.”

Cochrane’s new Gillman depot provides 30 per cent more storage capacity and improved workflows, providing opportunities for revenue growth through Cochrane’s warehousing services.

Other features of the new Gillman depot include a drive-through truck wash, onsite mechanical workshop for maintenance and repairs, onsite gas and diesel fuel supply, axle weighbridge and adjustable loading dock.

The new depot was constructed by Woolcock Constructions, a South Australian company.

Cochrane’s employs approximately 250 staff across its South Australian operations, with depots in Gillman, Whyalla and Port Augusta. The company has acquired Northern Kope and Scholz Transport Services in recent years to support its growth.

In 2017, Peter Cochrane was awarded an Order of Australia as part of the Australia Day honours.

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PRIME NEWS

> Daimler welcomes new Fuso leader in Australia Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific, has strengthened its executive team by appointing Alexander Müller as the new Fuso Truck and Bus Australia Director.

Müller, who was previously the Head of Global Key Account Management and Vocational Business for Mercedes-Benz Trucks in Stuttgart, has vast experience across a range of Daimler operations.

This includes serving as the Head of Sales and Marketing of Fuso Europe from 2006 to 2013, during which time he oversaw a restructure of the sales network and set an annual sales record of 10,000 units.

Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO, Daniel Whitehead, said Müller is an immensely valuable asset for Fuso.

“Further strengthening our local management team is central to our commitment to deliver industry-leading products and services for Australia’s vitally important truck and bus industry,” he said. “Securing someone of Alex’s ability, experience and proven track record to lead the Fuso brand and

respond to evolving customer demand is a big plus.

“Alex knows exactly what it takes to realise the huge potential of Fuso and its range of class-leading trucks and buses.”

Müller said he is looking forward to growing the Fuso Truck and Bus business in Australia.

“This is a very exciting time to lead Fuso in Australia,” he said. “I’m looking forward to helping more customers grow their businesses with the most advanced trucks and buses backed by the best customer support packages in the country.

“It will be important for me to establish strong relationships with customers and dealers to offer the best solutions in such a dynamic transport industry.”

Müller started in his new role at Daimler Truck and Bus in Mulgrave, Victoria, in February.

He began his career with Daimler in 1999 in Stuttgart, in the role of Marketing Manager Vans. In 2002, Müller took over the role as Head of Sales and Marketing Vans in Italy, where he and his team were also responsible for building up the

Mitsubishi Fuso business.

In 2006, he returned to Stuttgart as Head of Sales and Marketing Fuso Europe until 2013, when he was given responsibility for Sales of Daimler Latina in South America for the Fuso, BharatBenz, Freightliner, Western Star, Mercedes-Benz Truck and Vans brands.

After his return from Sao Paulo in 2015, Mr Müller was responsible for the management of the worldwide Mercedes-Benz Truck Fleet and Bodybuilder business.

Alexander Müller.

> Isuzu announces 2020 winners from national dealer network Nine top-performing Isuzu Trucks dealerships have been recognised for their outstanding achievements during 2020.

Operating under COVID-19 restrictions for the greater part of the year, and facing an uncertain truck sales market, Isuzu’s national dealer network kept their head down while working to keep loyal customers on the road.

Victorian dealers were the most represented with three, followed by Western Australia and New South Wales with two.

The 2020 Dealer Excellence Winners are: North East Isuzu (SA), Major Motors (WA), Gold Coast Isuzu (QLD), Westar Truck Centre (VIC), Ballarat Isuzu (VIC), South West Isuzu (WA), Tracserv (NSW), Canberra Isuzu (NSW) 10

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and Gippsland Truck Centre (VIC).

Isuzu Australia Limited’s (IAL) dealer recognition program evaluates overall yearly performance, looking at key areas including sales, customer satisfaction, staff training, business management, service and parts.

Dealerships that rise to the top across these categories are awarded the badge of Isuzu Dealer Excellence.

IAL Director and Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Harbison, said the large national Isuzu dealer network has a critical role to play in maintaining the company’s high standards.

“The yearly Dealer Excellence Program is an important initiative that encourages dealers to exceed expectations,” said Harbison.

“It is just one of the ways we ensure

Isuzu customers get the very best customer service, aftersales support and truck expertise.”

Harbison emphasised that coming out of a year like 2020 it was even more important to celebrate the success of the top performing dealerships.

“There have been tough conditions to wade through, but Isuzu Trucks maintained its position as truck market leader in 2020 and even grew our share across segments in the market – and we acknowledge the large role our dealers had in securing this,” he said.

“We’re delighted to award these honours to our top nine dealers and congratulate the broader dealer network in its commitment to promoting excellence in the field.”

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PRIME NEWS

> Glen Cameron Group acquires 24 Isuzu trucks National freight and logistics operator, Glen Cameron Group, recently added 24 Isuzu FSR 140-240s to its near 1000-strong fleet of trucks and trailers.

Each of the 14,000kg Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) FSRs is expected to travel around 50,000km annually, making about 5,000 deliveries to customers in metro areas.

The company has been providing metro route distribution services to Asahi Beverages in Melbourne for more than 15 years, delivering iconic brands including Schweppes, Pepsi and Cool Ridge.

According to Isuzu, when Asahi Beverages ran a rigorous tender process for multi-state metro route distribution early last year, Glen Cameron Group was thrilled to have the opportunity to extend the relationship, successfully winning route distribution services in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

With three months to get trucks on the road between securing Asahi

Beverages’ multi-state contract in June 2020 and commencing the services in September, the company needed a truck supplier that could guarantee delivery, despite the fluid conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had three months to procure a new fleet to fulfill this contract – it was a tight schedule to say the least,” said Glen Cameron Group Fleet Manager, Greg Morris. “After meeting with Les Spaltman and the team at Isuzu we came away with a partnership that worked really well for us. It wasn’t just a matter of finding the right truck. It was finding the right people to execute and distribute in a very, very tight window.”

According to Morris, the four-cylinder FSRs are ideal for this urban application.

“The turning circle is very good and we’re happy with the TC-AMT (torque converter automated manual transmission), he said – adding that from an OH&S perspective,

The new Isuzu FSR 140-240s in Glen Cameron Group livery.

the low chassis height is a big bonus as the trucks are being unloaded by hand.

“We are very happy with that safety aspect in particular.”

The company also deems driver safety a chief concern, and Morris was complimentary about Isuzu’s wellrounded safety suite that comes standard with all F Series trucks. As for the bodies, they represent the very latest in beverage distribution technology out of Europe – in the form of Rapid Liner bodies with gate-rated, load-safe curtains, complete with Fleetmark livery and fitted by Alltruck Bodies.

Morris said the relationships with equipment suppliers are paramount to the company.

“At the end of the day, a truck is a truck.

They’re important, but the relationships we have with our OEM partners are more important,” he said.

“Unlike a lot of large carriers, our company doesn’t have big workshop resources in-house.

“Our business model is focussed on freight and logistics, and we partner with the larger OEMs with Australia-wide resources to give us the best outcomes for the fleet.

“To this end, we really lean on the premium aftercare support, skills and expertise that come with partnering with an OEM like Isuzu.”

> VISA Global Logistics, Mondiale merger creates $1.2B business Freight companies VISA Global Logistics and Mondiale Freight Services Limited have agreed to merge to form a significant entity in international transport and logistics. The merged company will reportedly have a combined annual revenue of $1.2 billion, with operations across Australia, New Zealand, North Asia, South East Asia, Indian SubContinent and Europe.

Both companies have made significant investments in wharf transport in Australia and New Zealand and offer a total endto-end supply chain solution in these two countries. The founding seven executive 12

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shareholders of VISA and Mondiale will remain with the company as shareholders in their executive positions.

VISA and Mondiale currently handle 500,000 containers per annum and employ more than 1,500 people globally, covering all aspects of freight forwarding, customs, wharf transport, and warehousing.

“The Mondiale and VISA teams have very close synergies and are an excellent fit in the merged company,” said Mondiale Director and shareholder, John Sargent.

“Each company has grown globally over the last 30 plus years, with

complementary global networks and a key focus on customer service,” said VISA Global Logistics Director and shareholder, Vittorio Tarchi.

Ray Meade, who has operated in the global freight markets in both Australia and New Zealand for 30 years and managed Mondiale’s Australian operations for over eight years, will become CEO of the merged group.

“The strength of the combined entity, supported by its extremely valued and dedicated staff will deliver significant advantage to both its existing and future customer base.” said Meade.

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PRIME NEWS

> Sedl Contractors acquires Kenworth T610 SAR tipper

Kenworth T610SAR tipper and quad dog.

Earthmoving and civil construction company, Sedl Contractors, has taken delivery of a new Kenworth T610 SAR tipper and quad-dog combination sold through Brown and Hurley Toowoomba.

The company was established by Max and Patricia Sedl in 1952 as a local plumbing and drainage company. As the years went by the firm progressed into earthmoving, heavy haulage and asphalt works in the Toowoomba and Darling Downs regions.

Max and Patricia’s son Michael joined the business in the late 1970s after completing an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic. He then gained his Heavy Combination licence and spent a number of years driving stock trucks in the locality.

Currently, Michael Sedl is the hands-on Managing Director of Sedl Contractors, which currently employs more than 70 people.

Of the 20 trucks in the fleet, the majority are Kenworths and, according to Sedl, the quality and durability of the product and the outstanding customer service he receives from Brown and Hurley keep him coming back for more.

“I can’t fault the service Brown and Hurley gives me – the people who work there are pleasant to talk to and deal with,” said Sedl.

“They have a good network of 14

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dealerships that work together for their customers and this makes life easier for me.”

As an agent for Kenworth trucks and Hercules trailers and bodies, Brown and Hurley managed the whole process of supplying the truck and trailer for Sedl Contractors.

“Richard Lilburne, Truck Sales Representative at the Toowoomba branch and John Cole who takes care of the Hercules trailer and body sales at the Caboolture branch worked together to supply exactly what I needed – they were excellent,” he said.

“Every step of the process went smoothly.”

Sedl said his preference for Kenworth trucks comes down to value for money over the life of the vehicle.

“They’re a bit like Caterpillar earthmoving machinery – they hold their value well and everyone wants them,” he said. “It costs a bit more to set them up but overall the return on investment is better.”

Speaking about the benefits of the T610 SAR over his earlier Kenworths, Sedl said great visibility and styling and the bigger, well-appointed cab are worthwhile improvements.

“I’m a Caterpillar man so it took me a long time to be convinced to buy a Cummins, but it’s doing the job just fine,” he said.

The new T610 SAR sports a Cummins X15 engine producing 550hp and 1,850lbft of torque, mated to an 18-speed manual RoadRanger transmission.

It is fitted with a Hercules aluminium body and hitched to a Herculesbuilt quad dog with the combination approved under Performance-Based Standards (PBS) to carry a 38.5-tonne payload with a Gross Combination Mass of 57.5 tonnes.

“This is our first PBS tipper and quad dog and we are really impressed with the payload capacity of the combination,” said Sedl – adding that having the new high payload capacity combination has opened doors for more contract work with several local concrete suppliers.

The Hercules trailer is fitted with a QuickSilver body liner which Sedl said is another first in the fleet.

“It’s a requirement of the companies we contract to and it really makes a big difference because the load tips out quicker without raising the body as high,” he said.

The Australian-made factor, according to Sedl, is another positive for the Kenworth brand.

“I have been fortunate to tour the factory in Bayswater and was very impressed,” he said.

“At the end of the day it keeps a lot of people in this country employed.”

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PRIME NEWS

> RACQ employs Hino recovery vehicles with EV charging capability Queensland motoring association, RACQ, has become a trailblazer in Australia by purchasing a brace of Hino 500 Series Standard Cab recovery trucks fitted with Electric Vehicle (EV) charging systems.

While there have been earlier concept iterations of tow trucks with EV charging capabilities, RACQ believes that the technology configuration used in its Hinos is unique in the towing space.

There are currently four Hinos in the RACQ Towing Fleet with another four new trucks on order. According to a company spokesperson, the decision to buy Hinos equipped with EV chargers was based on the need to stay at the forefront of new and emerging technologies.

With much of the company’s fleet comprised of another Japanese brand, RACQ have chosen the Hino 500 Series Standard Cab 1124 model fitted with a retracted LED Variable Message Board.

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RACQ’s Towing, Incident Management and Fleet teams reportedly chose Hino’s 500 Series Standard Cab FD1124 model due to its outstanding suite of standard safety features – including active cruise control, lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking and steering wheel mounted controls – in addition to pricing and stock availability.

The trucks are fitted with six highdefinition CCTV cameras to provide a full 360-degree view around the vehicle from the driver’s seat and also remotely via GPS tracking.

They sport a 6.2m long tilt tray with a 10.3-degree approach angle to ensure operator safety and so that low vehicles can be safely loaded without scraping the underside of the front bumper.

In addition to EV recharging capability whilst stationary, the recovered EV can

also be charged while in transit.

Other safety features include the latest technology Emergency Warning Lights which are designed to provide clear directions to approaching traffic.

Lighting patterns change depending on the vehicle’s mode – either moving or stationary – and ambient light conditions.

The Hinos are also fitted with puddle lighting to provide illumination to ground level along the sides of the vehicle in a bid to reduce trip hazards in low ambient light situations.

They are also fitted with a high-tech auto deployed and retracted LED Variable Message Board in lieu of a traditional arrow board which provides more comprehensive instructions to traffic approaching the scene of an incident.

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PRIME NEWS

> UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge winner named UD Trucks Australia has announced Steve Gould, employee of B&D Crane Trucks Adelaide, the winner of the Australian Extra Mile Challenge 2020.

The Extra Mile Challenge is run by UD Trucks International and supported by markets around the world, including Australia, challenging drivers in the local qualifying rounds to continuously improve their performance.

The driver-skill based competition tests drivers across several key areas, demonstrating how improvements in driver behaviour directly translate to safer driving, improved fuel consumption and reduced wear and tear on vehicles.

According to UD Trucks Australia, Gould showed the highest percentage increase in performance over the 12-week competition.

The plan was for Gould to travel to UD Trucks headquarters in Ageo, Japan, to compete in the Extra Mile Challenge Global final. However, due to the pandemic a virtual ceremony will take place to award all local winners from across the globe. The Australian competition saw 12 drivers hand-picked by UD Trucks’ customers competing against each other, supported by dedicated dealership Fuel Watch Managers.

Drivers were monitored via the truck’s telematics system, with the winner gaining the highest positive percentage change in driver score across the competition.

Steve Gould, Driver, B&D Crane Trucks Adelaide.

The UD Telematics system measures a range of parameters including anticipation and braking, engine and gear utilisation, speed adaptation and idle time to produce an overall ‘Driver’s Score.’

Gould managed a massive 230 per cent increase on his original starting position, finishing with the highest average of 89 out of 100.

Throughout the competition, he had regular check-ins with his Fuel Watch Manager, Chris Moar, from South Central Truck & Bus in Adelaide.

“We had several conversations where I was able to use the data from the truck’s telematics system to update Steve on

his progress,” said Moar. “We also talked about the best ways to improve in the various areas, so he could consistently improve his score and build safe and fuelefficient driving practices.”

Bob Miller, owner of B&D Crane Trucks, said his employee’s amazing driver’s score wasn’t the only improvement the company has gained from its association with UD Trucks.

“We have already found the new UD Quons in our fleet to be exceptionally fuel-efficient trucks,” said Miller. “I’m delighted to see the improvements that can be made to increase that saving even further.”

> Toll supports clothes charity Transport and logistics company, Toll Group, has partnered with Thread Together, a charitable initiative, to combat fashion waste and deliver clothing to those in need.

“We move garments every single day, ensuring they arrive pressed and ready to hang,” Toll said in a statement.

“So, it seems right that we help to deliver clothing and shoes to the people in our community who are doing it tough.”

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Toll is helping Thread Together to divert clothes from landfill and deliver them across Australia.

In five years, Thread Together claims it has distributed more than $8 million worth of clothing.

Thread Together founder and Chair, Andie Halas, said the model is very simple. The charity collects end-ofline brand new stock from clothing providers and with the support of

volunteers, the clothes are sorted and redistributed to people in need through charities across Australia.

“We believe that disadvantage should not prevent people in our community from realising their potential,” said Halas.

“As well as providing the clothes that can change how people are perceived, the personal support that we provide restores optimism, confidence and self-esteem.”

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PRIME NEWS

> Roadtrain operator reviews rigid drawbar dolly

Volvo FH XXL testing the converter dolly between Brisbane and Darwin.

After seeing the revolutionary rigid drawbar converter dolly at the last Brisbane Truck Show, respected driver trainer and industry identity, Bill Manton, was keen to give it a proper on-road evaluation in a variety of roadtrain combinations.

The evaluation took place on an 8,000km return trip from Brisbane to Darwin.

“We tried the converter dolly in various combinations, pulled by a Volvo FH XXL,” said Manton.

“It was first towed behind a B-double, then an A-double, then a Type 2 BAB quad, and finally we swapped the combination around to a Type 2 ABB quad to move the dolly further away from the prime mover.”

According to Manton, the dynamic performance of the trailers and rigid drawbar dolly, while in the A-double combination, was very similar to a B-double combination: meaning it was very stable, particularly during the dreaded task of a roadtrain driver having to drop the left wheels off the blacktop to make room for an oncoming vehicle.

“The dolly gave no kick back force whatsoever through the prime mover over big bumps,” said Manton. “It gave us drivers a lot more confidence 20

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regarding stability, tracking and overall trailer control in the various combinations.

“When we had it in the BAB quad set up, again, the handling of that combination was better than a normal type 2 triple combination – there wasn’t as much sway from side to side, giving a lot more control when having to give way to wide loads or on narrow bitumen,” he said.

Manton explained that during the trials he and his team had found the rigid drawbar converter dolly to be far superior to a normal converter dolly.

“With a normal converter dolly, there are pivot points on the drawbar so you tend to get a bit of play there,” he said. “This new dolly removes all of that because it has a solid drawbar – the handling of it is just incredible.”

It’s an opinion shared by others in the industry, including AJM Transport Group General Manager, Dennis Roohan, who was most impressed by the reduced tyre wear when the company trialled the new dolly in three different configurations – ABB quad, BAB quad and BBA quad – on a similar route between Brisbane and Darwin.

“The drivers loved it and didn’t want to

give it back, which was good, because it suffered a bit of negativity when it first came in,” said Roohan.

“It’s not something we’ve seen a lot of on the east coast. Overall, the performance was far superior to our current dollies, particularly under brakes and tyre wear, which is the thing I looked at most.”

Roohan described the tyre wear as “brilliant” compared to what the company currently experiences with traditional dollies.

“When we got the dolly, it had already travelled about 30,000km and the tyres looked brand new. On our current dollies, at 30,000km the tyres are already about a third worn.”

Asked whether he believed we’ll start seeing many more of these dollies on our roads in the near future, Roohan said, “It’s going to be an education process – until you talk to someone who has got it and has tried it.

“I know a Newcastle operator who has a couple of these dollies and uses them with his A-doubles. I’ve looked at his tyre wear and it’s outstanding – concept proved.

“Education is the key moving forward to convert the traditionalists,” he said.

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PRIME NEWS

>P rimary Connect builds $184M facility to service 260 QLD and northern NSW stores Woolworths Group supply chain arm, Primary Connect, has commenced building works on its new Heathwood Distribution Centre (DC) in southeast Queensland.

The 42,000-square-metre temperaturecontrolled facility will enable fresher, faster and more efficient deliveries of around 4,000 frozen and chilled products to more than 260 stores across Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The DC is set to open in the first half of 2022 and will be co-located with Woolworths’ meat supplier Hilton

Foods Australia’s production facility.

This will help take up to 390 truck movements off Brisbane roads each week by consolidating delivery loads to stores.

At full capacity, more than two million cartons a week will move through the Heathwood DC bringing customers chilled and frozen goods from more than 400 suppliers. The Heathwood DC is also targeting a Five Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, with a major solar panel system on the roof and charge points for electric trucks.

“In these uncertain times, we need major job-creating projects that will create certainty in job opportunities and economic growth,” said Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Adrian Schrinner.

“That’s what the Heathwood Distribution Centre will bring to Brisbane by securing around 200 jobs during construction and sustaining around 300 jobs after.

“Working alongside Hilton Foods Australia, this new facility will help boost consumer confidence while positioning Brisbane as the hub for a local, reliable food supply chain for Queensland.”

> VIC Govt invests in hydrogen research The Victorian Government will contribute more than $1 million towards the establishment of the Victorian Hydrogen Hub (VH2) being undertaken by a partnership between CSIRO and the Swinburne University of Technology.

VH2 is designed to bring researchers, industry partners and businesses together to test, trial and demonstrate new and emerging hydrogen technologies and will incorporate a hydrogen fuelling station and a program to fuel and test hydrogen vehicles.

The refuelling station will be located at CSIRO’s Clayton campus in Victoria and is a key milestone in the development of CSIRO’s national Hydrogen Industry Mission, which aims to support Australia’s clean hydrogen industry and is estimated to create more than 8000 jobs, generate $11 billion a year in GDP and support a low emissions future.

“We know hydrogen is clean and will be cost-competitive, but a major barrier to it becoming a fuel source for cars and trucks is how to refuel, and the lack of refuelling infrastructure,” said CSIRO Executive Director, Growth, Nigel Warren.

“The refueller is a significant step towards removing that barrier.”

Construction will take place as part 22

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CSIRO and Swinburne University will partner on the Victorian Hydrogen Hub.

of the development of VH2 which will be a hydrogen production and storage demonstration facility, where CSIRO, Swinburne and their partners will test ‘real world’ uses for hydrogen technology.

The refueller project will demonstrate a fleet trial for CSIRO hydrogen vehicles with the potential for expansion, providing refuelling opportunities to other zero emission Fuel Cell Electric

Vehicles (FCEVs) in the local area.

The Victorian Hydrogen Hub will be connected to a matching facility to be built by ARENA 2036 in Germany.

This research facility brings industry on campus at the University of Stuttgart.

The partnership presents a unique opportunity for those involved to work closely with the sector, across continents, to create scalable, global, hydrogen-based solutions.

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GLOB AL NEWS

> Hyzon Motors goes public through merger valued at $2.7B Hydrogen truck maker, Hyzon Motors, is set to go public after it announced a merger with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation (DPAC). Hyzon’s definitive agreement with the special purpose acquisition company announced last month paves the way for it to become publicly listed. DPAC is backed by private equity firm Riverstone Holdings.

Combined, the two companies are valued at around $US2.7 billion. Hyzon, headquartered in Rochester, New York, is a differentiated, pure-play, independent mobility company with an exclusive focus on hydrogen in the commercial vehicle market.

The merger is viewed as a necessary development in the goal of establishing a viable distribution network of storage and fueling stations. Late last year the start-up, who is catalysing the adoption of hydrogen heavy vehicles, announced plans to have 10,000 trucks on European roads by 2030.

“We are excited to partner with DCRB at an important inflection point for our company, hydrogen and society,” said Craig Knight, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Hyzon. “Deliveries of Hyzon fuel cell powered heavy trucks to customers in Europe and North America will occur this year, well ahead of our competitors, and our committed sales pipeline is proof that the world is truly recognizing the need to develop innovative solutions to mitigate climate change and accelerate efforts to move the world economy down the path to net-zero emissions.”

Knight, an industrial chemist by profession, is Australian and co-founded Hyzon with George Gu in 2003.

Gu, who serves as Chairman, said the business combination will enable Hyzon to expand deployments of its zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell powered heavy vehicles globally, and to continue leading what he described as being the hydrogen transition.

“We are incredibly excited about the dynamic mobility category as municipalities and Fortune 100 companies are rapidly embracing hydrogen as the essential pathway to a net-zero economy,” he said in a statement. “The number of countries 24

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Hyzon plans to have 10,000 vehicles on European roads by 2030.

cementing and then enhancing their national hydrogen strategies expands almost weekly, and we are extremely encouraged by both investor and public interest in the hydrogen economy.”

The transaction is anticipated to generate gross proceeds of up to approximately $US626 million of cash, assuming minimal redemptions by DCRB’s public stockholders, which will be used to fund operations and growth. This includes a $400 million fully committed private placement of common stock in DCRB, anchored by institutional investors including funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, the Federated Hermes Kaufmann Funds, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Wellington Management and Riverstone Energy Limited.

The pro forma implied equity value of the combined company is $US2.7 billion at the $10 per share, assuming minimal redemptions by DCRB’s public stockholders.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of Hyzon and DCRB. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of DCRB’s stockholders, and is expected to occur in the second calendar quarter of 2021.

Hyzon’s leadership will remain intact, with Craig Knight continuing as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, overseeing its strategic growth initiatives and expansion. Knight will work alongside Hyzon’s current executive team. The Board

of Directors of the combined company will include representation from Hyzon and DCRB. As a differentiated, pure-play, hydrogen powered mobility company and an emerging leader in the trucking industry, Hyzon, according to Robert Tichio, Chairman of the Board of DCRB and a Partner at Riverstone Holdings LLC, is a perfect match for DCRB’s investment criteria and represents a further expansion of Riverstone’s 15-year franchise in lowcarbon investments.

“When forming this investment vehicle our objective was clear: to identify a truly exceptional company that is decarbonising the global economy, disrupting an established industry with the commercialisation of innovative technologies, and is well aligned with ESG principles. We found that company in Hyzon.”

In a busy month for the start-up, Hyzon has entered into a strategic alliance with fuel and energy services supplier, Viva Energy, following an announcement it had been commissioned by a New Zealand energy company to produce zero emission Heavy Goods Vehicles. The hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks, to be assembled at Hyzon’s facility in Winschoten, the Netherlands, will be manufactured in full compliance with local New Zealand requirements and the first batch of vehicles are expected to enter service in New Zealand by the end of 2021.

Hyzon plans to have up to 1500 fuel cell trucks on the road in New Zealand by 2026 as part of the agreement with Hiringa.

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MENTAL HEALTH MINDSET SUPERANNUATION MINDSET

Naomi Frauenfelder Naomi Frauenfelder was previously Executive Director of the TrackSAFE Foundation — an Australian rail industry not-for-profit, that addresses suicide on the rail network and the resultant trauma caused to train drivers and other frontline staff. It is this experience that Naomi will draw upon and apply to HHTS, to strengthen and grow the organisation and work to improve mental health in the trucking and logistics industry.

Naomi has spent her career to date honing her passion for working nationally to unite industries behind significant causes such as mental health, providing individuals and organisations with the resources they need to face challenges head-on, creating cultures of care and support.

Naomi holds a Bachelor and Masters from Monash University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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BUILDING HEALTHY AND THRIVING WORKING ENVIRONMENTS IN ROAD TRANSPORT, WAREHOUSING AND LOGISTICS Recent findings from Monash University found that of 1,400 truck drivers across Australia surveyed, one in five drivers aged over 35 reported severe psychological distress, and that mental health problems fell into the top three most common medical conditions.

M

ental health concerns are increasingly coming to the forefront across the road transport, warehousing and logistics sector, and for these industries to survive it’s of great importance to recognise key areas that require improvement. The health and wellbeing of our nation’s truck drivers, warehousing and logistics workers needs to be prioritised, particularly at a time when demand from the general public has risen as a result of COVID-19, placing even greater pressure on the needs of these workers.

In late March, Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS) Foundation launched a Three Year Industry Strategy for Psychological Safety (The HHTS Industry Roadmap), the

Foundation’s largest milestone to date.

The delivery of this initiative was one of the fundamental reasons for the establishment of the Foundation.

The HHTS Industry Roadmap was designed by AP Psychology Consulting Services (APPCS) in collaboration with a dedicated project working group, made up of mental health experts, leaders in transport, warehousing and logistics and importantly, frontline workers. It is freely available to all operators from small and medium to large enterprises. It’s underpinned by the embedding of a bestpractice psychological safety & thriving maturity model to drive achievable improvement in psychological safety across all industry businesses, aligned to their current level of practice.

The ambition of the Foundation is

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to drive continuous improvement by supporting the implementation of the maturity model across the entire sector.

By 2024, we hope that a significant number of operators will have advanced from a ‘basic’ maturity level to ‘best practice’, meaning that they have achieved and upheld overarching practices drawn from the HHTS Industry Roadmap, including; 1. Has established policies which are intended to raise awareness or relevant issues (relating to mental health and wellbeing); 2. Conducts awareness and education

activities designed to ensure all staff understand what resources and support is available to them; 3. Targets industry specific risk factors; 4. Builds capability at all levels to provide a psychologically safe & thriving workplace; 5. Measures effectiveness of interventions and responses appropriately to ensure continuous improvement in systems, policies and practices.

We hope that the delivery of this industry-for industry initiative encourages future collaboration across all levels of the sector, where we can come

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together to promote the prevention and understanding of mental health, as well as build cultures of support around individual wellbeing. Over the coming months, we will work to embed greater understanding of the HHTS Industry Roadmap and the tools and resources available to all of industry.

We are encouraging all members of industry to visit our website to gain access to the full HHTS Industry Roadmap.

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

One in five commercial vehicle drivers over age 35 reported psychological stress in a survey last year.

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

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COVER STORY

SUP

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ER

S PAC E AG E

Kelvyn and Shirley Fuller, owners of K&S Fuller Transport, have been involved in road transport for more than half a century. Among their current fleet of mostly PACCAR products, a pair of new DAF XF 105 Super Space Cab prime movers stand out as flagships.

New DAF XF 105 Super Space Cabs. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

“We had a boom year and made a heap of money, so I thought this trucking game is the way to go,” says Kelvyn.

“I don’t think we’ve made any money since, but we keep trying.”

After that the Fullers bought a second truck – a Perkins diesel powered International AB180 with a stock crate and they also took on the running of the local Amoco fuel depot.

By this stage it was the early ‘70s and the couple had been blessed with two children, which prompted Kelvyn to reevaluate their situation.

“I was thinking that the kids would never get a job in Peak Hill because it only had a population of just over 1,000, so I decided to start doing interstate between Brisbane and Melbourne for the Swire Group which owned Frigmobile Transport at the time,” he says.

As Peak Hill is roughly halfway between the two capitals on the Newell Highway, Kelvyn’s idea was that he could call in at home and have a decent break before continuing on his journey.

“That idea lasted for about three

Kelvyn Fuller.

W

hen Kelvyn Fuller first took to the road driving trucks in the late 1960s most things were vastly different in Australian road transport compared with today.

For example, at that time the now ubiquitous Kenworth brand was in its infancy in this country, with only a limited number having been imported from the USA. Furthermore, the start of Australian Kenworth production was still some time off.

Kelvyn was born at Cootamundra and moved with his family to Peak Hill near Parkes when he was about nine.

When asked about his entrance into the trucking realm Kelvyn says it came about almost by accident.

“I was working for my father who 30

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had an earthmoving business back in those days,” Kelvyn recalls. “He bought a Leyland Comet in Sydney that he reckoned would be good for spare parts, so we went down and brought it back home where it sat in the shed for the next few years.”

By that stage Kelvyn and Shirley were married and Kelvyn’s mind was ticking over as to what he would do to provide for his growing family.

“So, I said ‘Dad, “I’m going to get that truck out of there, put some recapped tyres on it, get it registered and go carting grain’,” Kelvyn says.

He found work with a couple of local farmers and because it was a bumper crop that year, the local silos at Peak Hill soon filled up and Kelvyn found himself transporting the grain to Parkes.

The new DAFs ride on a 3.9m wheelbase.

seconds,” he says. “They told me I had to be in Brisbane the next morning. So after doing that for a while we decided to sell the fuel depot and our house and move to Brisbane.”

The truck the couple initially bought to do interstate was a second-hand Kenworth which lasted about one year, leading to the purchase of a new Kenworth cab-over powered by an 8V71T Detroit Diesel. The year was 1974 and this was the start of a long-term affinity with PACCAR products that the company has maintained to this day.

“Everyone told me I was raving mad and that I’d never pay for it,” Kelvyn says – noting that the $40,800 price was a fortune back in the day.

“I was young and like all young blokes thought I was bulletproof so I reckoned I could pay it off alright,” he recalls.

By this stage Kelvyn’s brother was working with the company and the two shared the same truck to ensure maximum utilisation.

Then about six months after buying the truck, Kelvyn had a miraculous escape from a very nasty accident after

Hill Start Aid and Drag Torque Control are among sundry safety features.

his rig skidded out of control on black ice on the New England Highway near Armidale.

“One minute I was nice and warm driving down the highway and the next I was skidding along the bitumen on the seat of my pants, literally,” Kelvyn says.

“Truck drivers didn’t wear seatbelts in

those days and as the truck tipped over the driver’s side of the cab was torn off and I was ejected, passing under the fuel tanks and the trailer before being spat out into the table drain.”

He was taken to Armidale hospital where an internal injuries specialist worked on him all night. It was then

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COVER STORY

a long recovery process of about 12 months before he could drive again.

“I’m always thankful from that day to this that I still have two arms and two legs, and that the specialist who saved my life was there at the hospital that night.” Kelvyn says.

Proving that trucking is in his blood, Kelvyn got the truck repaired with a new cab and carried on, paying it off over the next three years then buying more as the business continued to grow.

After 21 years subcontracting to the Swire Group, Kelvyn decided it was time to move on, buying his own trailers and doing local and regional work in Queensland for companies like Berri and fast-food giant McDonalds.

“We now do eight regional runs a week for McDonalds including Cairns, Mt Isa and Coffs Harbour,” Kelvyn says.

The new purchases on display at Brown and Hurley Yatala.

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“The best thing about them is the comfort.

They’re a very nice truck to drive – not much different to driving a car, really.”

Kelvyn Fuller.

K&S Fuller Transport Owner

“We stopped doing interstate about 12 years ago and now just concentrate on Queensland and northern NSW.” Today, the company runs about 20 trucks and 30 trailers including rigids, semis and B-doubles.

The association with DAF commercial vehicles can be traced back to the early 1990s and Kelvyn’s curiosity to see how a European brand might work in his business. A long-standing relationship with Kenworth and DAF dealer Brown

and Hurley at Yatala, also helps sate his current appetite for new commercial vehicles.

According to Kelvyn, the two new XF 105 Super Space Cab DAFs are doing everything right and the drivers are impressed with the comfort and spaciousness of the cab interior.

“The best thing about them is the comfort,” he says. “They’re a very nice truck to drive – not much different to driving a car, really.

“Some of the drivers, particularly the younger ones, think they don’t make enough noise but when you get a bit long in the tooth like me, the less noise the better. The young blokes who like to make lots of noise with straight through mufflers – they’re the ones the police are busy writing up when you go past.”

The two DAF XF 105 Super Space Cab prime movers K&S purchased were the very last two of the previous series Euro 5 versions sold in Australia.

Riding on a 3.9m wheelbase, they feature a gross combination mass (GCM) of 70 tonnes and are equipped with twin 500-litre aluminium fuel tanks.

They are powered by the PACCAR MX375 12.9-litre six-cylinder diesel producing 510hp (375kW) between 1,500 and 1,900rpm accompanied by 1,850lb/ft (2,500Nm) of torque from 1,000 to 1,410rpm.

The engine embodies an advanced high-pressure fuel injection system and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions control to meet the Euro 5 standards.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a ZF AS-Tronic 16-speed overdrive automated manual transmission (AMT) with oil cooler.

The steer axle, with a maximum rated capacity of 7,500kg, is supported by parabolic leaf springs while the drive tandem has a maximum capacity of 18.1 tonnes and features DAF eight-bag Electronically Controlled Air Suspension (ECAS) which incorporates axle load monitoring and is Road Friendly certified. The final drive ratio is 3.40:1.

The electronic braking system (EBS) comprises air operated disc brakes with 430mm x 45mm rotors on all axles and the MX Engine Brake and exhaust brake provide a combined retardation power of 320kW at 2,100rpm.

Active safety features include Hill Start Aid, Anti Slip Regulation (ASR), Brake Assist, Drag Torque Control and ABS. Passive safety systems include a driver’s airbag, seatbelt pretensioners on both sides and a seatbelt reminder, along with front under-run protection system (FUPS).

Optional driver support systems include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC).

Additional vision options include a side-view camera system, front kerb mirror and high energy discharge (HID) Xenon headlights.

Upon further reflection of his long career, Kelvyn says the advancement in technology of the trucks in this era, such as his new DAFs, over the older trucks, is remarkable.

With the K&S fleet now comprising around 12 DAFs, Kelvyn says the brand has proven itself to be a reliable and fuelefficient product that ticks all the boxes in terms of driver comfort, safety and longevity.

“They’re well put together and easy to fix if they sustain damage on the front end from hitting a kangaroo,” Kelvyn says – adding that the Whitlock bullbars on the new XFs are a very strong

The DAF XF 105s are rated to 70 tonnes gross combination mass.

bar that provides the necessary protection, particularly on the western Queensland runs where the ‘roos are rife.

Having built a successful business over the last half a century, Kelvyn and Shirley Fuller have seen it grow from a single truck to a fleet of 20, with more than half of which are now DAFs.

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FLEET FOCUS

RESCUE DAWN Sydney-based business OzHarvest repurposes excess food and delivers it to those who need it most.

A large fleet of vans and Hino 300 Series trucks help carry out what has become the vast undertaking of distribution.

O

zHarvest was founded in 2004 by social entrepreneur Ronni Kahn AO, after she noticed the huge volume of food going to waste from her own successful events business. Seeking a beneficial solution to the obvious waste of valuable food resources, and the food insecurity experienced by some Australian communities, Ronni started out in Sydney with one van rescuing excess food and delivering it to local charities.

With a mission to ‘Nourish our Country’ by stopping good food from going to waste and delivering it to charities which help feed people in need, 17 years and more than 160 million meals later, OzHarvest now has a staff of 250 people, 50 of its high-profile yellow vans on the streets, and a fleet of 27 trucks to support them.

Richard Watson is the NSW State Manager and a part of his role involves managing the vehicle fleet which currently includes 18 Hino 300 Series trucks (with three more currently on order from Sydney’s City Hino) and one 500 Series Standard Cab FE Model (with three more of them currently on order as well). To best suit the mostly urban

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Richard Watson, OzHarvest NSW State Manager. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

environments in which they operate, all Hinos are equipped with automatic transmissions. The Hino 300 Series 616 models each generally collect and deliver 1 to 1.5 tonnes of rescued food each day and the larger 500 Series Hino is also proving its worth and confirming the decision to introduce a larger truck into the OzHarvest fleet with the capability to handle multiple full pallets.

“In the last couple of years we took on that larger vehicle,” says Richard.

“It gives us the ability to move larger volumes of food items especially when we are working with some of the online distribution centres such as Woolworths Online and Aldi Online. It also provides us with the ability of approaching the producers direct and being able to move some of that available food in bigger quantities. The larger truck allows us to try and rescue some of the food right at its source at the farm which is

Max Gentle, OzHarvest driver, behind the wheel of the new Hino 300 Series.

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something we are really keen to do as there is a lot of food wastage from that point on the chain. Farmers are often unable to get some of their produce out to supermarkets for a number of reasons such as odd sized fruit — too big, too small, discoloured or not the right shape.”

As a consequence of the opportunities presented by this situation the three additional Hino 500 Series Standard Cab FE’s on order. Richard regards the Hino trucks as the most reliable vehicles in the fleet.

“Any vehicles we are retiring or are coming off their lease, we are looking at replacing with Hinos,” Richard says.

Providing food at no cost to other charities is not a cheap exercise and funding to enable OzHarvest to fulfil its roles in the community is delivered through corporate donations and OzHarvest’s own fund-raising events as

well as grants from various government bodies. BP is a partner with OzHarvest and a major element of its support is the supply of fuel.

“We still have the normal running and maintenance costs of any similar sized fleets, and another one of the reasons we have decided upon the Hinos is we have very low maintenance costs with them,” says Richard.

One of OzHarvest’s major challenges is to have the ability to rescue all of the food items as they become available from organisations and businesses wanting to donate their excess food.

Freshness is essential and looming ‘use by’ dates require the managers, controllers and drivers to engage in a particularly urgent logistical exercise on a daily basis where vehicle reliability is an important factor.

OzHarvest relies heavily on generating its own income, mainly by running

The Hino 300 Series trucks collect and deliver up to 1.5 tonnes of rescued food daily.

events. Due to the impact of COVID obviously this hasn’t been able to occur much over the last 12 months plus some of the regular corporate partners have been unable to continue to provide a similar level of support to OzHarvest in the way they would have during the preCOVID period.

“But not everyone is doing badly,” says Richard. “We’ve picked up some other corporates and there are some industries out there which are doing very well. We’re also working closely with both state and federal governments which is something we haven’t done much of in the past. I think they’re now understanding the sort of work that OzHarvest is doing and how they need to support food rescue organisations like OzHarvest.”

OzHarvest supports almost 1,500 charities across Australia and the past few years have seen an increase in demand for OzHarvest’s services. This not only reflects the effect wrought by the pandemic, but also shows the long lasting effects of the bushfires, floods and droughts faced by regional communities.

With a background in event logistics himself, Richard Watson stepped out of the corporate world and into the realm of the not-for-profit OzHarvest organisation about three years ago and now heads up a team which includes logistics co-ordinators and day controllers.

The drivers at OzHarvest need to be

prepared to do more than just pick up and deliver; they also act as food rescue ambassadors and engage with the businesses they collect from.

Woolworths is OzHarvest’s National Food Rescue partner and collections are also made from Aldi as well as from other generous businesses such as event centres, cafes and restaurants. Hotels and airlines are additional sources of donations of usable food, but COVID has reduced this valuable resource as travel has been very restricted.

“Our drivers are having conversations with these people every single day and through those conversations they engage with the people who are donating the food,” says Richard. “And similarly, they pick up and then deliver that food to one of the charities OzHarvest supports.

In Sydney, for example, we are looking after 400 charities. We recruit our drivers accordingly because they need to be aligned with our mission of nourishing our country and they need to be good communicators and have the ability to have great conversations with those charities about their needs in relation to the types and quantities of food.”

Drivers are mindful that their vehicles can be high profile and they are representing OzHarvest as an organisation when in the public space.

This doesn’t necessarily create any onerous expectations, however, as all of the drivers are proud of their work and contribution.

OzHarvest is becoming increasingly

involved in education, too, especially in the areas of nutrition. Richard says the education arm of OzHarvest is now as important as the food rescue element.

“Not everyone knows we are much more than a food rescue organisation”, says Richard. “We’ve got a number of education programmes such as our FEAST programme in which we go into primary schools and talk with kids in years 5 and 6 about sustainability, eating healthily, and even cooking things.”

FEAST is also being launched in secondary schools with year 7 and 8 students involved in similar subjects.

“Through our Nourish program, we put vulnerable youth through a Certificate II in hospitality and provide them with growth and employment opportunities.

We also work with communities through our NEST program, which teaches adults how to cook nutritious food on a budget. A lot of our charities work with people on very limited incomes so it’s vital to know how to buy food on a budget while still eating nutritious, tasty meals,” says Richard.

In accordance with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, OzHarvest aims to halve food waste by 2030. It is estimated that food wastage costs the nation $20 billion annually.

Conversely, almost six million Australians experience food insecurity every year.

Preventing good food from going to waste and feeding hungry people underpins the mission and underlines the ongoing success of OzHarvest. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

37

FLEET FOCUS

BRAVO C O M PA N Y

An operator, who values the personal touch, Luke Ashton oversees an interstate transport business whose fleet of long haul American trucks has been recently joined by a new Freightliner Argosy.

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

39

FLEET FOCUS

U

p until 2005 Luke Ashton had been a manager for a major national freight company and was encouraged by friends and family, including wife Rebecca, to strike out on his own, which he did with a 14-pallet rigid truck.

The Aussie success story of the proverbial ‘one man with one truck’ start-up, through hard work and attention to customer service led to the need for a second truck three years later. Exponential growth, seen subsequently to that, has prompted the operation to expand and it now operates 40 of its own vehicles, including B-doubles and B-triples, supplemented by a number of dedicated sub-contractors.

In the early days OzWide Freight concentrated on full loads before Luke put additional client management people in place to develop the LCL (Less than Container Load) opportunities for palletised freight.

Today, up to seven OzWide roadtrains per week are sent on the Brisbane-Perth route, and between 15 and 20 B-doubles leave Brisbane for North Queensland weekly.

‘Local’ services are provided to the Brisbane and Toowoomba regions as well as the OzWide’s distinctly Australian colour scheme.

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Luke Ashton.

Sunshine and Gold Coasts.

Diversification has been on the agenda for some time and Luke appointed a dedicated manager a few years ago to expand the customer base to avoid relying on just a handful of large clients. That decision has been vindicated over the past 18 months as OzWide experienced only a minimal amount of disruption due to the COVID situation. In reality, OzWide was able to capitalise on some of the opportunities presented by some of the radical shifts in the circumstances of road freight in Australia.

“It’s not often you can say ‘I’m glad I’m in transport’,” says Luke in a smiling acknowledgement of the way the road freight industry has been applauded by politicians and public alike in its response to the unprecedented circumstances.

Some years ago, OzWide initially rented 120 square metres of shed space and within four weeks was needing 1,000 square metres of space. At that point Luke was still driving trucks full time but could see that his driving days were numbered as the size of the business demanded his full-time attention. Luke also realised there would be an increased demand for additional integrated freight and warehousing services to a broad range of clients including many from the construction and mining industries, as well as health care and fast food chains.

“Around that time we had a big influx

of new work with a number of interstate transport companies asking us to do local distribution and storage for them,” he says. “From that business we obtained additional contacts and leads which we chased up and it all kept growing from there.”

In response to the needs of a number of clients OzWide now operates a purposebuilt warehouse and logistics facility covering 8,000 square metres with the capacity for 4,000 pallet spaces. OzWide’s provision of a third party logistics service in Brisbane can be an important benefit for national clients who may have their own head offices and distribution centres located in other states and need good support in Queensland. OzWide provides a full suite of 3PL services including storage, distribution, pick and pack, dispatch services and container unpacking.

“The current facility at Crestmead is fully secure with 24/7 monitored security and CCTV surveillance,” Luke explains. “We utilise the latest in warehouse management systems enabling us to monitor stock and provide to the moment reporting.”

A majority of the company’s growth, to this day a point of pride for Luke, has come from referrals from existing customers and from people seeing the trucks out on the road with their striking Aussie-themed colour schemes.

Operational efficiency can be a major contributor to reducing costs. The trucks

on the Brisbane-Perth route, to this end, aim for direct deliveries as well as depot drops.

“We always try for one direct drop when we can, even in North Queensland,” says Luke. All trucks are equipped with GPS tracking systems.

Luke prefers American-style prime movers and the fleet features mainly Western Stars powered by DD15 Detroit Diesel engines. However, the latest acquisition is a Freightliner Argosy with a similar driveline.

“I’ve been happy with the performance of the Detroits and although I knew they were phasing the Argosys out, the dealer suggested we try one and we got a pretty good deal so it was a no brainer to buy one,” he says. “The service through Daimler is brilliant.”

All except one of Luke’s current fleet of prime movers are fitted with Eaton UltraShift Plus automated manual transmissions and when, in the near future, the lone manual is traded in, its replacement will be an automatic as well.

The reasoning? Luke believes it’s getting harder to find drivers who can competently operate a manual especially given many of the younger drivers coming through have been trained and licensed in trucks with automated transmissions.

An attractive custom feature of the Argosy’s cabin is the laser-cut stainless steel inserts on the lower inside of the door panels which feature the OzWide logo and the selling dealer’s name.

The Argosy is usually combined with a Vawdrey 12-pallet drop deck Titeliner ‘A’ trailer and a Vawdrey 22 pallet drop deck mezzanine Titeliner ‘B’ trailer.

When combined with an additional 12 pallet straight deck ‘A’ trailer the triple combination has space for 62 pallets of freight.

As the OzWide fleet has continued to expand, so too has the reputation for comprehensively maintained and immaculately presented trucks and trailers.

The Vawdrey trailers and OzWide liveried Freightliner make an impressive visual impact particularly due to the trailer curtains paying homage to Australia’s military personnel.

“I got the inspiration from grandfather’s

war service and have done this as a sign of respect,” says Luke. “I don’t think there’s enough emphasis today on what they did for us. The ANZAC-inspired curtains were a way for us to honour the men and women who gave us the opportunity and the freedom to live, work and grow our own business in this great country.”

The distinctive curtains are being replicated on a new trailer set to be hauled by one of the Perth-based sub-contractors so the images will be able to be seen crossing the Nullarbor as well as along the Queensland coast. A second new set of Vawdrey trailers will carry a QueenslandWestern Australia theme.

“Maybe a cane toad riding a black swan”, jokes Luke.

A large degree of OzWide’s success Luke attributes to the management team he has assembled and all managers provide personalised service to each and every client and are directly contactable by clients without going through the filter of a call centre.

“Our people know my expectations in relation to customer service and keeping it personal. The simpler you can make doing business for the customer, the longer you’ll have them,’” Luke says. “If you start complicating things sometimes it all gets too hard for them. And we need to remember that through our growth. I don’t want to keep growing to the point where it becomes unmanageable.”

OzWide customers can book their shipments online and a paperless ‘sign on glass’ system will be rolled out during 2021.

“I’m pretty content where we are now.

We are a company that wants to get to a certain point. Is there a sweet spot? I think we’ve already been past it,” says Luke.

Current projects include the construction of a new OzWide owned depot in Townsville, which is likely to be followed by a similar facility in Cairns. Luke feels assured that the next burst of company growth will be within Queensland and has recently appointed a regional operations manager to oversee the North Queensland operations from the Townsville base.

OzWide Freight have added Ultra Vision driving lights to the Argosy.

Freightliner Argosy’s swing out step assembly. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

41

TRUCK & TECH

MARCHING

ORDERS Morris Heavy Logistics operates a fleet of late model Volvo and Mack prime movers. The company’s owner Garry Morris believes regularly buying new equipment and engaging topshelf maintenance and servicing practices are the keys to long term success.

G

rowing up in New Zealand, Garry Morris spent a lot of time around his father’s trucks, cranes, piling and earthmoving equipment. After leaving school, Garry trained to be a civil engineer but didn’t end up working in that field, instead gravitating, as it turned out, to be surrounded by trucks. He moved to Australia in 2002 and found employment as a driver and then moved into a managerial role with a heavy haulage operation, before deciding in 2015 to strike out on his own.

“My father always said to me ‘you’ll never make any money out of driving trucks’, but he came around in the end,” Garry says. “I decided to give it a shot and started with one used Volvo and a new

Mack Metro-Liner rigid live bottom.

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Drake quad float and dolly. By the end of this year, we will have seven trucks and ten trailers.”

Garry says he couldn’t have done it without the support of his wife, Melinda who juggles all the administration work along with managing their three live bottom trailers and a busy household when he’s away for most of the week.

While Garry concedes that his first truck – a second-hand Volvo FH – was a good truck, rising maintenance costs within the first year taught him the value of buying new gear.

“After the initial Volvo, I have only bought new trucks and we spend very little, if any, time broken down as a result,” Garry says.

“When I started I was a one-man-band and I soon realised it was the right move

to trade the old Volvo on a new one. That way I could ensure I wouldn’t be off the road due to unforeseen circumstances.”

The business has since grown organically and Garry has been compelled to expand it in order to keep up with the growth of his clients.

MHL does both day and night work with several high-profile road building companies in southeast Queensland as well as machinery dealers and contractors all over Australia who can’t afford to not have their equipment delivered on time, every time.

Garry purchased six new Volvo prime movers – including FH and FM models – and one new Mack Metro-Liner 10x4 rigid live bottom unit over the last five years, and all of the trucks are on either five- or

Volvo FH16 with I-Shift in heavy haulage application.

seven-year contract maintenance plans.

“My preference is to run new gear and by the end of this year when I buy my sixth Volvo I will have six out of the seven trucks on contract maintenance with the dealer Northside Diesel at Caboolture,” he says.

Fixed monthly costs for servicing and maintenance enables Garry to accurately price his work because he knows precisely what the truck will cost to run over the five-year period of the maintenance contract.

“If you blow a gearbox in the fourth year it’s on them,” he says. “The only risk you take on is if you keep them for more than five years – then you roll the dice and hopefully make some extra money with them in the sixth and seventh years.”

In addition to the heavy haulage, Garry also has two prime movers and a 10-wheel rigid with Trout River live bottoms doing asphalt work. He says the asphalt trucks are kept for longer due to the lighter work and shorter distances travelled.

“I plan to keep the heavy haulage trucks for five to seven years while the trucks on the asphalt should last for ten years because they only do about 70,000km annually,” he says.

This model works for Garry because he

has no desire to have a workshop and only has a small fleet of seven trucks.

“The bigger companies with more trucks have different depots so they can move older trucks to different roles and a workshop they have to keep employed,” he says. “With us, all the maintenance is done by the dealer, which suits me fine.”

As for specifying Volvo as prime mover of choice in his heavy haulage operation, Garry says for him the impressive ride comfort and living space in the XXL cabs, along with the silky-smooth gear changes afforded by the I-Shift automated manual transmission (AMT) are unbeatable features.

“The comfort level and the automatic gearbox are pretty much faultless,” he says. “Some heavy haulage operators swear by manual transmissions but this automatic with the crawler gears in the new Volvo is in my estimation every bit as good as a manual gearbox.”

According to Garry, if you use it right it will go anywhere with a 131-tonne Gross Combination Mass (GCM) that a manual truck will go.

“If you have to climb a steep pinch you simply put it in manual mode and pick the right gear at the bottom and it just marches on up,” he says. On long

Garry Morris.

climbs such as the Toowoomba Range it comfortably holds fifth gear all the way at 95 tonnes gross weight according to Garry.

Volvo launched the I-Shift transmission with crawler gears in Australia a couple of years back and Garry specified it in his p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

43

TRUCK & TECH

At 131 tonne GCM the Volvo with I-Shift will go anywhere a manual truck can go.

MHL relies on Drake trailers in its heavy haulage operations.

2019 FH16 700hp, seeing it as a necessary feature for his line of work.

I-Shift with crawler gears helps boost fuel economy because the truck is fitted with a taller rear axle (final drive) ratio enabling highway cruising speed at lower revs while retaining the startability necessary with high GCM loads and steep grades.

Low-speed manoeuvring is significantly enhanced by a bottom transmission ratio of up to 32:1 (and up to 37:1 in reverse), 44

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allowing the vehicle to be moved at a snail’s pace between 0.5 and 2.0 km/h.

Importantly, the crawler gear module only adds 120mm to the length and 48kg to the weight of the I-Shift transmission.

Garry also likes the fact that Volvo trucks are built in Australia, saying that the local engineering that goes into them makes them the pick of the European trucks.

“Volvo Group Australia has significantly modified the trucks to suit our demanding

conditions which is why they are the best European truck for this type of work, in my opinion,” he says.

Working on the principle of continual improvement, Garry says he has ordered two new Volvo heavy haulage prime movers that are due to be delivered later this year. They are twin-steer units enabling a higher payload capacity when pulling the quad axle Drake trailers.

He also recently purchased a new 500hp Euro 6-compliant FM prime mover to pull a Trout River tri-axle live bottom trailer for the asphalt work – replacing an FH that had done 1.2 million kilometres.

Garry says his business model, based around buying new trucks and putting them on contract maintenance, is paying dividends for him – keeping all the trucks busy and earning the respect and repeat business of several high-profile road building companies that demand top-shelf service from their haulage contractors.

This first class service is possible because the vehicles are always ready to go at a moment’s notice and virtually never have any unscheduled downtime.

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TRUCK & TECH

TURNING

THE

TABLES SAF-Holland’s most versatile fifth wheel – the tried and proven FW351 – has been made stronger and more durable with the latest upgrade known as FW351-E.

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ith more than 50 years of experience in the Australian market, SAF-Holland knows a thing or two about the considerable demands placed on fifth wheels in a variety of heavy-duty applications across the country. Some of the more demanding vocations in the transport realm include heavy haulage, logging, mining, stock crate and various Performance-Based Standards (PBS) applications where high weights and long combinations add significantly to the stresses placed on the fifth wheel.

In answering this demand, SAF-Holland has developed the FW351-E with a D-rating upgraded to 210kN and with a 23-tonne vertical load capacity which, according to the company, perfectly matches the SAF-Holland 50mm kingpin of the same rating.

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“We knew we had to go with a product that was in line with what the Australian market and new combinations demand, so the decision was made to use a ‘beefed-up’ version of our European high strength casting and to have a one-size-fits-all solution.”

Nemanja Miletic SAF-Holland Australia Engineering Manager

The company also points out that these ratings have been verified by comprehensive real-world testing of the product under the harshest of conditions, rather than being purely certified by Finite Element Analysis (FEA).

“The previous version was upgraded from a D-rating of 165kN to 190kN

and constructed in a manner that provided extra strength with reduced tare weight,” says Nemanja Miletic, SAFHolland Australia Engineering Manager.

“However, that limited the number of applications in which it could be used.

“We knew we had to go with a product that was in line with what the Australian market and new combinations demand,

A trigger handles provides an additional safety measure.

so the decision was made to use a ‘beefed-up’ version of our European high strength casting and to have a onesize-fits- all solution, so it could be used in more demanding 50mm kingpin applications such as livestock and logging without dramatically increasing the tare weight.”

According to SAF-Holland, the new FW351-E incorporates the best of the tried and tested features of the previous series with a new enhanced ruggedness, thanks to the reinforced top plate casting.

For instance, it still has the famous ‘trigger handle’ which enables singlehanded operation while providing an additional safety measure for added peace of mind.

There’s also the unique butterfly jaw arrangement known as TwinLock which has been proven in harsh Australian operations for more than 50 years.

A particular merit of this system is that the lock will not open and release the king pin even if all other locking components are damaged due to some unforeseen reason. It also features a large jaw contact area with the kingpin for reduced wear in ultra-demanding conditions.

Another important feature is the KTL coating for improved corrosion resistance. This means there’s no need to repaint the FW351-E fifth wheel as molecules of the protective material are embedded in the steel casting through electrophoretic deposition. Vitally, this means the coating will not peel or chip off when hit or damaged in any way.

To ensure reduced wear, smooth

operation and an extended service life, the top plate surface as well as the foot pin holes are machined, and the replaceable foot pocket inserts are made from either high strength polymer or a ductile iron option.

Mounting options include welded on or bolted on ISO feet and the top plate fits onto the exact same weld-on and bolt-on feet of the superseded model.

FW351-E can be specified as either a fixed plate, ballrace, Kompensator or slider.

Other variations include an optional left-hand-side mounted release handle instead of the standard right-hand version and shorter handles tailored to B-double rollback lead trailer applications.

Individual top plates will be introduced to the market labelled as XA351EA for the standard trigger handle option and XA351EB for a B-double version.

Further options include an air-operated release and SAF-Holland Australia’s recently released ELI-te Fifth Wheel Coupling Assistant – an electronic lock inspection system providing convenient verification of a successful coupling.

Having undergone over a decade of development, ELI-te uses state-of-the-art components to ensure robust performance in harsh environments.

A long-life, application-specific electronic control module is mounted directly to the fifth wheel top plate, featuring electrical output capability to support connection with remote indicators.

When a trailer kingpin is properly coupled to an ELI-te equipped fifth wheel, four high-intensity white LED lights mounted within the fifth wheel

automatically illuminate the lock jaws.

This assists drivers with the visual safety inspection process by directing their attention to the critical connection between the lock jaws and kingpin.

If a coupling problem is detected, daytime-visible red LED lights begin flashing from both sides of the fifth wheel to alert the operator that the vehicle is not coupled correctly.

Industry-proven sensors and shatterproof lamp modules are combined with the system’s sealed, one-piece electrical harness, which is a oneconnector assembly that requires only a low-current connection to the vehicle’s electrical system.

For converter dolly applications, the electrical connection is designed to be compatible with ABS status signals.

The complete system is intended to provide enhanced operational safety and efficiency in operation. It can be installed at the OEM or as an aftermarket retrofit.

So, with a significantly enhanced D-rating of 210kN coming from extra reinforcement in critical areas, SAFHolland’s FW351-E fifth wheel promises robust and long-lasting performance for operators of heavy combinations in ultra heavy-duty applications.

The large jaw contact area for the kingpin helps reduce kingpin wear. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

47

INDUSTRY

E L E VAT I N G

EVERYONE Born from the necessity to expand its operations five years ago, SpanSet Australia turned to CTFD to help it undertake the ambitious project of finding a new location and then building its current manufacturing facility.

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ounded in 1967 in Zurich, Switzerland, SpanSet commenced operations within Australia in 1987. Up until 2015, SpanSet Australia had been located in a range of industrial estates in Emu Plains, NSW, each move subsequent to having outgrown the location. As a premiere maker of height safety, load restraint and lifting equipment, the business was in desperate need of more space for the manufacturing floor, storage, distribution, and training centre where they offer industry training in many different applications including Work Safely at Heights and Confined Space. The company contacted industrial specialist

David Cameron, Director of CTFD Group, for advice and forward direction on a new location for the ever-expanding Western Sydney business.

After a due diligence phase, CTFD Group shortlisted with the SpanSet Management where the new facility’s preferred location would be, which happened to be around the corner from its then headquarters.

The site covered a 6500sqm footprint with a generous offering to the transport corridor of the M4 Motorway at Emu Plains. Being on the M4 Motorway ramp’s doorstep allowed for access also to the M7, M5 and all major road networks to Sydney and its surrounds.

Work Safety at Heights training in action.

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SpanSet office facade in Emu Plains.

With the site location now identified, the next step was made to secure the land with an outright purchase. SpanSet prefers to own as opposed to lease, according to Kristian Pritchett, SpanSet Australia Managing Director, who was a senior executive at the time the process to design and create the purpose-built facility to accommodate SpanSet’s Operations began.

“The facility was to have some significant components integrated into the design, including accommodating the business’s training side with height training tower and classrooms,” he recalls. “Then there is the central part of the SpanSet operation that offers the transport industry safety equipment in all three of their manufacturing divisions, including Height Safety, Synthetic Lifting Products, and Load Restraint systems.”

As a key supplier to the Australian Defence forces, SpanSet must be assured its lifting gear and heavy load restraint requirements meet with Australian standards. The facility was constructed from concrete tilt-up, a design suited to bolster security and also maximise the height for internal pallet racking, mezzanine and the training centre. With SpanSet being a nationally Registered Training Organisation (RTO), it was crucial the facility needed to fit all parts of

the business model.

The current Managing Director, Kristian Pritchett, remembers the process well.

CTFD Group, led by David Cameron engaged with SpanSet to put together the team to architecturally design, engineer, and deliver the required facility.

“I can recall CTFD Group were extremely professional in every step of the process.

David and the development team worked closely with all the key SpanSet staff to understand our requirements,” he says.

“The completed product is serving our business needs exceptionally well from an operational point. However, what was essential to the company was getting the nuts and bolts sorted out in advance, this was the key to achieving what SpanSet needed and expected, and the result speaks for itself.”

SpanSet has something quite unique in their makeup; they are part of a global enterprise that strives to innovate safety and compliance products and manufacture them in Australia. Around 50 full time employees work in the facility, with 40 of these staffing its three manufacturing divisions including Height Safety, Load Control and Synthetic Lifting Products such as round, flat, boat and gang slings, lifting nets, helicopter nets and lifting mats. In addition to making bespoke,

heavy-duty lashing to secure military vehicles like tanks and ASLAVs to the decks of Navy vessels, the facility also features a dedicated Height Safety drop test tower.

Late last year local federal member for Lyndsay, Melissa McIntosh, invited the Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, to visit the SpanSet facility at Emu Plains.

Here Frydenberg was able to see firsthand the work that SpanSet is doing in creating jobs for Western Sydney and the full fruition of a project that began with CTFD in 2015. The occasion also enabled McIntosh to show Frydenberg the outstanding manufacturing business

SpanSet has grown within Australia at a time the global pandemic has made all Australian manufacturing businesses more aware of the importance of home-grown manufacturing.

Following a glowing review of the facility, the treasurer discussed Federal Government plans to generate more flexible labour markets as part of building a productive economy that included manufacturing while keeping locals employed The facility itself also has a large office component of circa 1800sqm with an open plan office, meeting rooms, and kitchens. The warehouse footprint is circa 4000sqm with a 1200sqm engineered mezzanine, an educational training centre at the rear of the facility, a modern atrium entry foyer and parking and hardstand to accommodate the staff and training students.

SpanSet also has a large, covered awning for the loading and unloading of its products for distribution. The building, ultimately, achieved its aims of maximising the space and amplifying the corporate brand of SpanSet while meeting the various requirements within the different divisions.

“The quality of the building and the design has given SpanSet Australia global uniformity,” says Kristian. “This facility also gives us two manufacturing levels with room to expand, unlike the previous building and David Cameron’s involvement in the design process was key for helping us achieve this.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and member for Lyndsay, Melissa McIntosh tour the facility.

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

49

ELECTRONIC WORK DIARY SHOWC ASE

INTO THE

BR

MTData recently received approval from the NHVR for its electronic work diary, an addition to the company’s range of cutting edge compliance solutions for heavy vehicle operators and commercial transport fleets in Australia.

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he shift to the electronic work diary (EWD) in Australian commercial road transport is a seismic event for an industry that is hungry for the safest solutions for drivers, precious cargo and other road-users. Although the transition from written work diaries is far from complete, the move to EWDs heralds, for progressive transport operators, a proactive tool that replaces what has been, for far too long, merely a reactive exercise.

Australian telematics provider, MTData, is one of a select few companies to have had its EWD approved this year for industry-wide use by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). The EWD helps transport operators to reduce breaches and ensures compliance with fatigue laws by removing guesswork when it comes to hours driven and scheduled rest breaks. As the data is tracked in real-time rather than after drivers have handed in their handwritten notes, which can be days later, it mitigates against inaccurate driving hours and chain of responsibility infringements while bringing up to speed those involved in fatigue management.

Given data can be viewed and analysed in real time, it’s here where the real value is derived. As MTData’s EWD can be used to feed into company payroll and driver hours, up-to-date crucial information is always at the fingertips of those responsible for compliance while

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the minute a driver logs into his EWD it will tell him when his breaks are due and recommends the best upcoming time to rest.

According to MTData Chief Operating Officer, Ben Ditfort, the solution will aid in reducing future mistakes involving their logbook when correctly using an EWD. “Our EWD takes the human brain out of the equation,” he says. “You don’t need to calculate the hours yourself anymore or try and interpret when you think the break is due. Unintentional fatigue breaches should almost never happen.”

Commercial vehicle movements are frequent, unrelenting and require, from the operator, a complex manual skillset.

MTData driver Work Diary chart.

This is all before the job, which can also involve decoupling or changing trailers and adjusting to environmental conditions, is complicated by having drivers calculate worked hours on what can be a grueling schedule.

“Most drivers need to just focus on what they need to do. They have to navigate congested big cities and the general public or a big vehicle on the highway,” says Ben. “They don’t want to have to map out when and where they need to stop and start. Now it’s all handed to them and most drivers are naturally happy about it.”

As one of the largest providers of safety systems to the transport industry, MTData has developed over the last ten

EACH years, a range of certified solutions such as Intelligent Access Program, On-Board Mass, Road Infrastructure Management and Hill Decent Monitoring which it has been able to draw upon to finalise its EWD product in alignment with NHVR specifications.

“Because we already had an existing electronic fatigue management or diary management system we had to put that aside and focus on the EWD specifications put forward by the NHVR and build to that,” Ben says. “It was in our minds we didn’t want to force our product on them. We didn’t, however, start from ground zero either.”

With a large developer talent pool, MTData had a fair understanding of what the product needed to look like.

After ensuring the EWD complied with the NHVR assessor requirements, the last piece of the puzzle was to ensure the product can talk to another system,

MTDATA Work Diary 28 day schedule.

say, in the case a driver for a customer also works for another operator that uses a different telematics system.

Those two EWD providers need, for the sake of all three parties, to be able to communicate between each other.

The next step, according to Ben, is to combine the EWD with MTData’s electronic fatigue in-cab system which features a countdown timer that speaks to the driver alerting them to their next scheduled break, meaning there’s no need to avert eyes to read a screen.

“It’s very proactive for drivers and helps lead them to the drinking well. We want to make our product offering extremely appealing for our customer base,” he says. “We’ve worked very closely with our customers to tap into their experience. A truck driver might drive a truck partly because they don’t want work with electronics systems. As the industry evolves that might be changing,

but we have to make sure the product is intuitive so that the EWD is easy to use.

We want to make sure a driver can pick this up without a whole lot of training because training a driver work force for operators is also challenging.”

On that front, it is vitally important that drivers can pick up an EWD and work their way through it, intuitively, without having to be taken aside and taught says Ben. “You want there to be a familiarity with the process from what they did previously in the written work diary,” Ben says. “For us, we already understand the heavy vehicle laws pretty well. We understand the driver environment pretty well. It’s not as if we’re an app provider. We’re not just a software developer who decided to build an EWD.” When it comes to crunching numbers, detailed summary reports are available to download, and ongoing non-conformance management is uncomplicated, designed with an enduser in mind who values efficiencies, particularly saving time.

“For someone who doesn’t run a telematics system or might run a very basic one, an EWD is a good chance to invest some money into something that covers a raft of safety and compliance tools that they previously didn’t know existed,” says Ben. “They don’t need to look at it just as a financial outlay to be compliant. There are a whole lot of helpful tools which will really quickly, when implemented with the right strategy, see an ROI. The value is not just getting an EWD. You get a full suite of other solutions for your business as well.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

51

ELECTRONIC WORK DIARY SHOWC ASE

ROAD

READY The Netstar Electronic Work Diary (EWD) offers a robust solution with rugged hardware and a comprehensive training program to enable users to get the required outcomes when using the technology.

N

etstar is an Australian-based hardware and software developer focused on GPS and telematics solutions.

The company originated in South Africa in 1980 and began delivering telematics solutions in Australia in July 2000.

It was acquired by Altech Netstar in March 2015. Altech is said to be one of the largest telematics companies in the world with over 800,000 units deployed and managed globally.

Netstar Australia has a core team of hardware engineers and software developers supported by sales, marketing and operations teams. It has a national service network certified to install and maintain the Netstar product, with offices in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and South Africa.

The company is certified by Transport Certification Australia (TCA) for regulatory applications and its EWD is certified by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

According to David Nealon, Netstar Australia Product Manager, in addition

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to developing the EWD, the company has put a lot of effort into producing easy to understand training manuals and courses to ensure users of its product are right across all the features and benefits.

“I’ve created four manuals, including one for the authorised officers doing roadside checks, to ensure everyone can learn what’s required to use the system,” David says.

“I went out of my way to specifically build a help section for the compliance officers that the driver can also access,” he says.

David adds that the system is password protected to ensure that any EWD entries made by the driver cannot be altered by a compliance officer.

“We also have internal staff training courses that replicate the external manuals which include quizzes designed to help them retain the knowledge,” David says. “While the questions for the drivers are relatively simple, for our staff I really dial up the intensity with weekly courses to ensure our customer service team members are comprehensive

wizzes on the EWD.” Importantly, David explains that one of the manuals is a quick start guide to give drivers the basics so they can get up and running with the EWD as soon as possible.

He says one of the most frequently asked questions about EWDs is what to do if the system completely fails when the driver is in a remote location.

“I advise the drivers to print out a copy of the manual and keep it in the truck.

The manual includes a work diary page that can be used as a supplemental work diary if the EWD fails,” David says.

The Netstar EWD uses a Garmin fleet 700 series 7.0-inch tablet in three versions including the top of the line 790 which has a dual-purpose camera that can be used as an integrated dashcam with lane departure, speed limit and upcoming curve warnings. It can also use the mobile phone network for communications, without the need for an additional tracker.

The EWD records work and rest times in minute-by-minute increments and

can be used offline in remote locations.

When online, it continually updates information to the Cloud.

Other benefits available with the Garmin tablet include optimised trip routing including customised truck routes determined by such factors as vehicle weight and height in order to avoid low bridges and weight restricted roads.

It also incorporates a prestart checklist and driver fitness for duty verification with sign on glass capability, along with two-way messaging to enable operations to assign jobs to drivers and generally assist with work management.

Keeping track of servicing and maintenance schedules is another benefit of the system.

“The Garmin tablet is ideal for subcontractors moving from truck to truck and the EWD is also designed to move from system to system if the driver changes to a different employer.”

An interesting feature of Netstar’s EWD is that it can be used in Demo mode for drivers who still want to fill out a paper work diary. In this case the entries in the EWD in Demo mode can be easily replicated in the paper diary.

Another useful feature, according to David, is that the driver can send an email with EWD recordings from the previous 28 days. This makes it easy for subcontractors to provide evidence of compliance to the companies to which they are contracted.

As for the tablet itself, David says the company chose the Garmin product due to its rugged industrial-grade construction that’s specifically designed to withstand the effects of the harsh Australian sun and the vibrations inherent in a truck cab.

“We’ve been using the Garmins for two or three years now and I’ve never seen one turn off due to overheating when left on the dash in the blazing summer sun,” he maintains.

In summary, Netstar Australia has left no

stone unturned in its efforts to deliver an EWD that is intuitive to use, incorporating the rugged Garmin tablet designed to work consistently well under harsh Australian transport operating conditions.

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

53

ELECTRONIC WORK DIARY SHOWC ASE

GO ALL SYSTEMS

Step Global has developed a complete Electronic Work Diary (EWD) app in-house at its Melbourne facility. The project was started in February 2019 and completed in September 2020, well in time for the official EWD introduction in early December 2020.

S

tep Global was established 12 years ago as a specialist GPS and telematics technology provider for systems integrators. Some years back a number of these systems integrators came to the company and asked it to build an EWD. According to Ian Johnson, Step Global Product Manager, the company has an engineering team that assists the system integrators with difficult tasks.

“We had about five or six partners asking us to build an EWD, so the result was that we came up with the product and named it Smart eDriver,” he says.

Ian says while the company fully developed and engineered the product, it uses a distributor model to market it with a view to being an industry leader in the EWD space.

“Our top competitors in telematics are now coming on board with us to sell the Smart eDriver and we want to make it the industry standard.”

Ian says the company is also consulting with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) in a bid to gain app only approval.

“Our EWD app is designed to work on any Android device that meets a minimum standard and is available from Google Play,” he says – adding 54

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there’s no need to buy hardware as long as the operator has a suitable device.

“All that’s required is to pay the subscription, install the app and you’re good to go,” Ian says.

One of the current criticisms of the EWD is that at this stage it can only be used on Android devices. According to Ian, Step Global is preparing to address this issue.

“We’re building an iOS (Apple) app that should be out by mid this year, pending approval by the NHVR,” he says.

Regarding cost, Ian says Step Global’s EWD subscription is $23.00 per month per driver, and there is also a vehicle option for businesses that have multiple drivers using the same truck.

“We have the different options because there are different needs within the industry and we’re also preparing to introduce a part-time EWD which costs about $5.00 per month for access to the system and $2.00 per day when it’s used,” he says. “This can also be used by solo drivers or businesses although when solo drivers change employment, they can take the EWD with them to use in their future employment.”

Login screen for the Smart eDriver.

He adds that if the driver’s new employer also uses Smart eDriver, his or her past history can be linked into the employer’s system and that every month of subscription entitles a user to a subsequent three years of Cloud-based data storage.

An early adopter of the EWD is Trevor Warner, long distance truck driver and Queensland Delegate of the National Road Freighters Association.

According to Trevor, the EWD is a lot easier to use than the conventional work diary and he says he has also found additional benefits given that EWD work and rest times are calculated in one-minute increments rather than

15-minute blocks.

“Because of the way it counts time its giving me more work time during the day and over 28 days you can potentially, and legally, end up with an extra day of work,” Trevor says.

“Not that I want to work any harder but because I live in a regional area, getting home to the family before I run out of work hours can be a bit tricky.

Trevor says his boss is keenly awaiting the development of the Smart eDriver Dashboard which will enable him to see how much work Trevor has done, how many work hours he has left and when he’s due for a 24-hour break.

“That way he will be able to allocate me the correct amount of work rather than taking a stab in the dark and then all of a sudden I’m halfway through a journey and out of hours,” Trevor says.

Having previously worked in Operations at a transport company, Trevor says the biggest problem is a lack

of communication.

“Even though we had GPS, when a truck is parked at the markets or at Coles you didn’t know whether that driver was working or resting. You’d basically rely on them to ring you so you could make a note of it on the runboard,” Trevor says. “The Dashboard will enable employers to pinpoint exactly how many driving hours their drivers will have two weeks ahead. I think this is going to be absolutely revolutionary.”

The Smart eDriver EWD requires the driver to manually enter work and rest

time and also incorporates a pre-start check for the driver to complete and sign-on-glass before commencing work.

All up, the Step Global EWD has the potential to revolutionise the compulsory work diarising that every long-distance driver must complete daily.

Another plus and no less important, is that it will potentially enable Operations Managers to balance business needs with greater accuracy while maximising the capabilities, in terms of available working hours, of its drivers.

Work and rest times are calculated in one minute increments.

Smart eDriver is suited to both solo drivers and businesses.

Smart eDriver night view.

“ That way he will be able to allocate me the correct amount of work rather than taking a stab in the dark and then all of a sudden I’m halfway through a journey and out of hours” Trevor Warner Long distant truck driver and Queensland Delegate of the National Road Freighters Association

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

55

ELECTRONIC WORK DIARY SHOWC ASE

PA PER S IN THE

WIND

Teletrac Navman urges road transport businesses to go paperless with its latest Electronic Work Diaries to better manage fatigue, improve process flows and streamline operations.

F

leet managers, operators and those working in roles across Australia’s transport industry, according to Teletrac Navman Chief Product Officer, Andrew Rossington, know all too well the time-consuming burden of wading through stacks of paper documents and workbooks. In the past 12 months, many businesses have shifted operations online, particularly as they adapt to new practices in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, in research conducted by Gartner, while 87 per cent of senior business leaders say digitalisation is a company-wide priority, only 40 per cent have actually brought digital initiatives to scale.

In light of a transport sector that faces increased demand and growth, businesses, according to Andrew, will benefit in many ways as they transition to a more paperless workforce by automating everyday processes with digital technologies.

“With all this generating what feels like endless documentation for each task, every customer, all incidents and the entire driver roster, having to stay on top of these physical files has been a monumental task,” Andrew says.

This Increased demand also brings greater pressure on staff and workers.

“It’s essential that you’re doing everything to carefully manage not only employee wellbeing, but driver fatigue, to ensure the safety of your staff while they’re out on the road,” Andrew says.

Now available as a voluntary alternative to written work diaries, Electronic Work Diaries (EWDs), Andrew says, will make managing fatigue easier for everyone by doing away with tedious manual processes.

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Toll launched an EWD trial partnering with Teletrac Navman late last year.

“Gone are the days of drivers having to write down estimations of their working hours into physical work diaries, for admin staff inputting the data manually to check for violations,” he says. “With an EWD taking care of the everyday

calculations of fatigue, the driver can focus on the road ahead knowing their exact hours available, while the back-office know in real-time, that their drivers are compliant with fatigue regulations and that the business is

continuing efficiently.

“With an AI-powered fleet management solution, you can view fatigue data alongside important information like vehicle and engine performance as well as in-vehicle camera footage. All this data combined paints a realistic picture of your entire operation. With no more guesswork, you can make more effective decisions quickly.”

Does a fleet manager or a heavy vehicle operator know what to look for though?

Fortunately, natural language search makes it easier for users to essentially ‘Google’ their own data and redefine the way to use this information to best suit their needs.

“Dig further with added variables to find opportunities,” Andrew says. “Rectify issues before they become problems.”

Maintaining a successful business, Andrew says, is ensuring everyone in the company is on the same page which means practicing effective communication and making information freely available.

“Everyone needs to be aware of challenges, workloads and delivery requirements for customers – from those on the ground who need to make quick decisions to senior team members who need to understand overall trends and barriers to success,” he says. “Digitised forms help to improve the flow of processes, providing everyone across the business with the same instant access to information. Electronically stored documents like permits, gazettes, site maps and customer information enable you to boost efficiency through more accurate decision-making.”

Digitising documentation, Andrew says, lets workers instantly pull up the information they need, ensuring they stay legally compliant while allowing them to complete jobs faster. “You’ll have peace of mind knowing all your documentation is always up to date with everyone across the business working with the same information.”

Another perk of going paperless is streamlining operations.

“Processes entwined with manual tasks that require permits, routes marked on

paper, or runsheets handed over on clipboards are time consuming,” Andrew says. “Not only does dealing with and storing physical documentation costs you hours of time and money, but it can lead to vital information being misplaced, potentially leading to missed deadlines and legal headaches.

“By knowing the current workload of drivers and what jobs are coming up, you can create custom routes that allow drivers to complete tasks as quickly as possible. With a digital job management and execution system, you not only connect your freight and tasks with your fleet, you can build turn by turn routes that allow you to accurately understand where your drivers need to be, and keep an eye on them if they deviate – especially when you are considering compliant routes that need to be monitored, such as dangerous or hazardous goods.”

are any correlations between speeding drivers, locations and vehicles,” Andrew says. “This all tells you more about what’s going on, allowing you to take a proactive approach to managing risk and enhancing your operations.”

Data delivered in real-time can reportedly boost response time, improving customer service.

“For example, if an urgent task comes through, you can view the current location of your fleet and assign the nearest delivery driver to the job at hand,” Andrew says.

According to the ACT Government, the average office worker uses around 50 kilograms of paper each year. Going digital not only brings a wide range of benefits to a transport operation, according to Andrew, but it is also better for the environment.

“Digitising your documentation allows everyone to have easy access

Maintaining a successful transport business now involves making information freely available to staff.

Also, users can view real-time and historical data to gain insight on fleet tasks.

By pulling up the current and previous movements of vehicles, operators can evaluate if there are any opportunities to improve on efficiencies or should any issues have occurred.

“You can then visualise your insights by bringing in more information, like compliance data or in-vehicle camera footage, to discover and verify if there

to important information, and keeps sensitive data secure by preventing it from getting into the wrong hands,” he says. “Save countless hours of shredding, storing and recording physical documents, while creating a smoother workflow for your staff and speeding up business practices. With Australia’s freight demand set to rise, digitising your documentation will enable your brand to meet customer demands in the years to come.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

57

TEST DRIVE

LAP OF

HONOUR One of the most eagerly anticipated trucks in recent years, the Mack Anthem makes its debut on Australian roads and proves itself on-song.

M

ack trucks have been moving loads around Australia since 1919, and the latest Anthem model in 2021 demonstrates the manufacturer is able to meet the wants and demands of the local market with a contemporary truck which still respects its century-plus heritage.

Mack hasn’t merely fiddled at the edges in developing the Anthem and the new truck incorporates some significant changes in the areas of electronics and aerodynamics.

The overall package is further enhanced by the availability of deep reduction gears and a 36-inch stand up sleeper cab option.

A fundamental change involves an allnew electrical architecture with the major benefit of full integration of the Bendix Wingman Fusion active safety system now included as standard equipment in the Anthem. The integration of the multiple systems incorporated in such a package is a complex procedure and as the Anthem 58

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is an ‘American’ truck it is logical that a US-based system such as is available from Bendix is utilised rather than reconfiguring a system developed for European vehicles.

The state-of-the-art Bendix system uses a combination of radar, camera and brakes to deliver a number of safety related functions including adaptive cruise control, blind spot alerts and collision avoidance, plus autonomous emergency braking. The Bendix ESP full-stability system assists in mitigating rollovers and loss of control situations and wet and dry roads and uses multiple sensors and almost instantaneous computing to initiate accelerator and brake interventions. The Bendix Blindspotter feature uses a sensor mounted on the kerbside fuel tank to trigger audio and light indicators mounted on kerbside ‘A’ pillar if it is unsafe to veer or turn to the left.

Highway trucks such as the Anthem prime movers we’re test driving will benefit from

Mack’s predictive cruise control which stores hilly terrain in the truck’s GPS data to optimise engine speed and fuel efficiency on saved routes.

Long haul drivers have been asking for a stand-up sleeper cab to be available on Mack’s for a long time. Although not very different overall from the existing Mack cab, the good news is the Anthem’s significantly improved sleeper option will be available on Mack Trident and Super-Liner models as well. Drivers no longer need to be contortionists to access their bunks or change their clothes with 1828mm of roof height in the cab and 2120mm floor to roof dimensions in the integrated sleeper. Mack said there is 35 per cent more room in the sleeper than in previous models and is certainly apparent as soon as one climbs into the cab. The mattress has pocket springs and there is an abundance of storage lockers. The exterior opening locker boxes can also be accessed

from within the cab by lifting up the base of the bunk and there is the option for a 36 litre slide out fridge. Switches for the LED bunk, overhead and reading lights are located on the control panel on the rear wall, which has a digital alarm clock, 12 volt and USB charging outlets and a handy pocket to store a smartphone. There is also a small electric fan to circulate air and the windows in the sleeper feature selfcontained insect screens and tilt out to let fresh air in but keep rain out.

The exterior of the Anthem has been significantly restyled from previous Mack models to allow it to better cheat air resistance with the sloping bonnet and smoothed and flattened fenders designed to direct the airflow around the sides and over the top of the truck and trailer. The angular panels and flat headlights defy their chunky looks and present a reduced drag coefficient in order to improve fuel efficiency.

The quest for aerodynamic and fuel efficiencies hasn’t been at the expense of traditional solid Mack looks. Viewed from the front, the fall off of the front section of the bonnet appropriately is quite reminiscent of a muscular bulldog, while the side profile view identifies this as an unmistakably American truck.

The bonnet on Anthem models has a single latch located at the centre front and assistance from gas struts requires only a minimal effort to tilt the bonnet to carry

The Mack Anthem exterior has been restyled to reduce air resistance.

out daily checks. The gold bulldog mascot on the bonnets of the test trucks indicates Mack integrated drivelines covering the engines, transmissions and rear axles.

Air resistance has been further reduced by closing gaps in panels and minimising seams. A ‘close-out’ flange between the bonnet and bumper directs air around the cab and a flexible air dam attached to the FUPS reduces turbulence under the vehicle. Even the front tow loops have snap down covers to help reduce drag. The front bumper is of three-piece construction to minimise replacement costs in the event of damage. For similar reasons a two-piece windshield is used to provide a reduced

The MP8’s ‘Powerleash’ engine brake is controlled via a stalk mounted on the right-hand side of the steering column.

cost of replacement.

The Anthem will be replacing the Granite model which had been limited to a maximum engine rating of 500hp. The Anthem gets a maximum spec of 535hp and 1920 lb/ft of torque from its 13 litre MP8 engine.

The effectiveness of the MP8’s ‘Powerleash’ engine brake is controlled via a stalk mounted on the right-hand side of the steering column. The first stage activates the exhaust brake function and moving the lever to the second stage activates the internal engine compression brake system.

The lever’s third stage is spring loaded and activates the electronics to down shift transmission when possible to maximise effectiveness without over-revving the engine. Maximum engine braking is achieved at 2000rpm. The stalk also manages the CoPilot driver information system which is displayed on a five-inch screen between the large analogue main instruments.

The Anthem’s distinctive steering wheel carries over the imagery of the front panels of the truck and has back-lit illuminated controls for the cruise control with the phone on the left and the audio system on the right. The flattened bottom section of the steering wheel is similar to modern racing and performance cars and contributes to the cab’s improved access.

Steering column rake can be adjusted by depressing a locking pedal located to the p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

59

TEST DRIVE

right of the accelerator. The touch button controls for the mDRIVE transmission have been moved closer to the driver and optional gauges can be fitted to the adjacent panel to monitor functions such as turbo boost, and the temperature of transmission and rear axle fluids. The rocker switches located on the dash for items such as diff lock and power divider are laser etched and should prove readable for the lifetime of the truck.

Mack has partnered with ISRi to develop seats which are attuned to the cab as well as to the truck’s suspension. The two leaf parabolic springs at the front combine very well with the Mack Air-Ride suspension at the rear. There is the option for a conventional inverted leaf rear suspension if that better suits a particular application.

The mDRIVE transmissions in the Anthem have been subjected to some refinement in their programming which was noticeable in the two Anthem prime movers during our test programme mainly in the smoothness of the upshifts where it’s almost as if a human was applying the accelerator. Both trucks are also equipped with the 13-speed deep reduction mDRIVE HD option for their transmissions. A 14 speed XHD is also available and the availability of much lower gearing in the transmissions permits the use of ‘taller’ diff ratios without compromising startability and gradeability performances. Also, the option for multi-speed reverse gears makes for better and safer trailer connections

A sloping bonnet and flattened fenders direct airflow around the sides and over the top of the truck and trailer.

and activities such as backing up to loading docks. The Grade Gripper function counters any awkward and dangerous rollback when starting off on an uphill grade.

The day cab on our test drive is fitted with 3.40:1 rear axles and at 36 tonnes gross, spends most of its time in the top two gears when travelling along the undulating

Mack Anthem boasts 35 per cent extra room in the sleeper cab.

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sections of the Hume Highway. At a slightly heavier GVM of 42 tonnes, the sleeper cab Anthem also doesn’t seem to drop many gears travelling along similar sections despite its fuel efficiency friendly rear end ratio of 3.09:1.

The Anthem is a sophisticated American truck combining the best elements of its Mack heritage with many of the features we have come to expect from European trucks particularly in the areas involving integrated safety, rather than being an after-thought tacked on to appease the market. Mack is smarter than that, and knows its customers past, present and future are too. This forms a major part of the reason for the extended development which also involved extensive testing under Australian and New Zealand conditions.

It takes millions of dollars and many years – in Anthem’s case, five – to develop and bring to market a vehicle as complex as a modern heavy duty truck and in the final form of the Anthem it appears that Mack has spent its time and money very wisely.

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PERSONALITY

H O M E ECONOMICS Dean Dal Santo celebrates 20 years with Scania Australia and stresses the importance of aftersales.

D

ean Dal Santo was fresh out of university when he started as a commercial analyst at Scania Australia. He has gone on to hold a number of senior roles in the organisation and has been the Truck Sales Director since 2018.

PM What factors does the local Heavy Duty truck market want?

DDS: From our perspective fuel economy and total operating economy is definitely becoming paramount and in that area we are doing quite well in relation to our direct competitors. Safety is also a big factor and the influence of the Chain of Responsibility legislation is important to Scania. In the past we might have been paid a premium for many of our safety features but now there is an expectation they are to be included as standard equipment. A lot of the major fleets are increasingly interested in sustainability and, more so in relation to our future product platform, we’re providing regular updates in terms of what our company direction is, and what technologies and products we are looking at investing in.

PM: Do you see alternative fuels on the short-term agenda?

DDS: We supply to the demand and we currently offer a number of fuel solutions.

We’ve had biodiesel, gas and ethanol in place for many years, but these options have never really taken off in Australia and the government isn’t offering any real incentives at this point in time to go down the alternative fuel route. There is no doubt electrification is high on the agenda

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and we are currently receiving interest in electric vehicles for both truck and bus.

PM: Scania was one of the first to offer service contracts in Australia. How has that changed the approach to the market?

DDS: We’ve done a lot of work within our Scania organisation and we’re not just selling the ‘metal’, we’re selling a solution with a focus on total operating economy,

Dean Dal Santo.

and that can extend to value-added products including repair and maintenance agreements, driver support services, finance packages, our used truck and rental division.

PM: How has Scania maintained its market share, albeit in a pandemic affected smaller Australian market?

DDS: Stating the obvious, 2020 was

probably the most challenging year for most companies globally and the reason we were down on numbers in Australia was purely due to supply. Our factory went offline for about eight weeks. Our order books here stayed fairly strong and coming into this year orders were the second highest recorded for Scania Australia.

Deliveries didn’t necessarily portray the success we were having from a demand point of view and in the circumstances, we have to expect that. At the beginning of 2020 we were on track and providing we don’t go through what we saw last year with production and COVID issues, our goal is to be ten per cent or more of the local heavy duty market.

PM: The 770hp Scania was released in Europe late in 2020. Do you see much of a demand for that rating when it arrives here later this year?

DDS: There will be a place for the 770 when launched on the Australian market.

We’re starting to break into some real heavy haulage applications such as in mining, and to some buyers the 770 will also present as a ‘hero of the road’ and we’re quite proud they’re the highest horsepower trucks with the most torque.

We have really good sellers in the V8 range particularly for B-double and A-double applications in the 580-650hp ratings.

PM: Was it a bold decision to become the only heavy-duty truck offering side curtain rollover protection airbags?

DDS: It does differentiate our product particularly when we are tendering and some clients now include them in the tender documents as a requirement. We have standardised it across the entire Scania range, from our smaller trucks right up to our crew cabs.

PM: Not every truck hauls freight or bulk and Scania is well known for producing fire-fighting appliances. Is that more than a niche market for Scania?

DDS: One of our focus applications is the fire business and our product has evolved over many years up through the launch of the New Truck Generation and our new crew cab range. We have around 750

Scania R 730 prime mover.

“If I am speaking with someone who doesn’t know a lot about the trucking industry, I say ‘next time you’re in the city and see a fire truck, chances are it’s one of ours’.”

Dal Santo Scania Australia Truck Sales Director

vehicles in service around the country and, pardon the pun, we’re pumping out good volumes per year and continue to be the market leader in heavy pumpers. If I am speaking with someone who doesn’t know a lot about the trucking industry, I say ‘next time you’re in the city and see a fire truck, chances are it’s one of ours’.

PM: What is Scania’s strategy with its business model in relation to service contracts?

DDS: Uptime is extremely important to our customers and we have developed a range of offers to support this over recent years, aimed at the retail market including a five year/500,000-kilometre service plan that has been very successful in the market.

Under the inclusive maintenance programme getting the customer back to Scania workshops is a good opportunity to give them a flavour about how it all works. Our objectives are to increase the share of vehicles coming back to our own workshops and work at continuing to retain those customers to be in a position to sell them new vehicles and services

when they require them. We’ve now expanded to offer an inclusive two-year repair and maintenance contract as an option so the customer can choose either a two-year R&M or five years servicing. We also get existing customers who take up these offers.

PM: Is it a major challenge to provide a national standard of service across a big country like Australia?

DDS: It isn’t due to our company owned network. I think that’s one of our strengths: the fact that we own all of our major dealers in the capital cities and we’ve also got support from regional service agents.

We’re all one company and it works well and it’s an advantage to our customers for us to provide consistent national service with fixed pricing and Scania trained technicians and we can replicate that throughout the whole country.

We’re expanding too. We’ve got a new branch opening up in Sydney midyear and we are currently looking at some others.

We are definitely going to continue with the captive dealer strategy. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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PRIME MOVERS & SHAKERS

OUT OF

AFRICA

Tracy Griffin works on the vital links between Volvo Group’s brands and its customers.

B

orn and raised in South Africa, Tracy Griffin was abroad on a gap year after finishing high school, when travelling through Europe for ten months whetted her appetite for new horizons. Upon returning home she informed her mother she wanted to go to university in Australia.

“My dad had passed away when I was in year 11, and he had always spoken passionately about a broader opportunity outside of a turbulent South Africa,” she says. “University would be my way in and I fell in love with Australia.”

Tracy permanently emigrated in 2005 and moved to Brisbane where she worked in a number of roles including as events operations manager at Eagle Farm racecourse.

“Initially, it was pretty daunting here on my own, with no family in Australia or even friends in Brisbane, but I have never second guessed the decision to come here,” she says.

Now in her tenth year at Volvo Group, Tracy says what initially attracted her were the values behind the organisation’s brands.

“Many organisations talk about core values but when I was interviewing for a position with Volvo Trucks it was very clear to me there was integrity behind those claims,” she says. Prior to joining the Volvo Group Tracy had had little to do with trucking, yet the more she learned about the industry, what stood out was that it was more than just truck brands — the industry is very much orientated around personal relationships.

As Brand Manager Tracy is responsible for creating experiences which promote 64

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Tracy Griffin at Volvo Group Australia HQ in Wacol.

the brand for customers and dealers, a function she genuinely relishes.

“I love it,” she says. “I have been so lucky to conceive and deliver some amazing experiences over the years initially for Mack, then UD Trucks and now Volvo Trucks.”

One of Tracy’s highlights at Mack was the roll-out of the Brand Revitalisation for Mack, when not only the logo changed but there was a new focus for the brand’s marketing with its ‘Gold Dog’ proprietary driveline with MP10 or MP8 engines coupled with the mDRIVE transmission.

“The passion and history of the Mack brand is a rare and precious responsibility as a Brand Manager, and customer loyalty is especially important

to nurture and we demonstrate how we can continue to add value for them and to their businesses,” she says.

During her tenure at UD Trucks Tracy was involved in what was essentially an entire new product range with the UD Quon, followed by the UD Croner.

“The launch of Quon was the perfect opportunity to showcase a brand that was once called ‘the best kept secret in the trucking industry’,” she says. “This was my opportunity to do something unexpected and the hanging of UD Trucks from a crane on the floating barge on the Brisbane River complete with a fireworks show during the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show was just one of those unexpected moments.”

Tracy has been part of a team which

launched the Volvo FMX in 2011, the Volvo FH in 2013 and in early 2021 the new Euro 6 Heavy Duty Range will make it way around the country. The 2020 global launch of the new range in Sweden was an early casualty of the pandemic and the local introduction of the range has required some inspired thinking by Tracy and her colleagues.

“The nature of a truck and the complexity of its purchase create a situation where, under normal circumstances, you can get the customers into the trucks to test drive them, tell them about what comes with that vehicle and the support functions behind it,” she says. “Normally we would bring customers to a national event and have all the trucks on display and do test drives or even take customers to Sweden and show them the trucks before they arrived locally. You can’t plan for something like COVID and we just couldn’t put all our resources into a scenario like that when every indication was that’s just not going to be able to happen, so we went back to the drawing board and thought the only way we can ensure our customers are able to see and feel the trucks and be aware of all of their features is to do this on a regional level and that’s why we have come up with the plan in which the trucks will travel around the country to create opportunities for customers to experience them.”

As the mother of twins and also a key member of a dynamic global organisation, Tracy is in a position to offer some incisive

Tracy presenting at the Mack Celebrity Dinner.

UD Trucks spectacular on the river at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show.

perspectives on society at large, and the support of parenting in particular.

“This year my children have started school and I have become very aware that the structure of society, whether it be business, school, or retail, seems to be based on a time back when men worked and women stayed at home to tend to the house and children,” she says – adding that due to today’s almost universal need for dual income households, schools starting at 8.50am is Tracy during her days at Mack Trucks.

completely illogical for working parents.

“Work-life is never a balance, it is an undulating landscape of give and take.

Creating a structure which engages both men and women in the workforce in a way which supports the family at home, will no doubt encourage improved well-being and productivity. It will also encourage more women to the workforce at a higher level if they can still support their family needs in a less rigid structure. And it’s not just about the women, what if the man was able to take the equivalent paid maternity leave if they were to be the primary carer of children? I am very lucky to be supported

by Volvo Group to work in a flexible way which suits me and my family, but I would love to see fundamental shifts in how all businesses approach the structure of a day’s work to allow flexibility.”

Tracy is appreciative of the experiences her career at VGA has presented her during the past decade.

“It has certainly been filled with incredible opportunities that have taken me all over the world,” she says. “And recently at Wacol I walked along the production line with the Prime Minister of Australia. What an honour.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

65

DRIVELINE ADVERTISE IN OUR JUNE 2021 PRODUCT SHOWCASE. Join our June editorial panorama on innovations, new products, customer testimonials and the benefits of the best designed, tested and efficient driveline technology currently in the market.

Engine and transmission, axles, driveshaft, joints and differentials, these are the components that power and handle the full force of a heavy vehicle under the challenges of Australia’s harsh climate, unique applications and increasingly elevated mass limits.

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BOOKING DEADLINE

23 APRIL 2021

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ISSN1838-2320 1838-2320 ISSN

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HEE PPEEO OPPLLEE & & PP R RO OD DU UC CT TS S T TH TTH H AT AT M MA AK K EE TTRRA AN NSSPPO ORT RT M MOV OVEE AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

Delivery Magazine Magazine inside: inside: Pages Pages 62-77.

Delivery 67-77.

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

MAGAZINE MAGAZINE

TO BOOK IN PRIME MOVER CONTACT ASHLEY BLACHFORD NOW ASHLEY.BLACHFORD@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU | 0425 699 819

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

www.deliverymagazine.com.au ISSUE 95 APR 2021

NISSAN NAVARA

BACK WITH

A VENGEANCE PLUS: FIAT DUCATO • IVECO DAILY

APR

CONTENTS

21

Welcome to Delivery…

72 DELIVERY NEWS

66 LATEST FROM THE INDUSTRY ON SITE

72 BACK WITH A VENGEANCE In its first major upgrade in five years, the 2021 Nissan Navara adds improved safety and contemporary styling to a proven drivetrain.

FINAL MILE

74 A VAN FOR ALL SEASONS The latest Fiat Ducato van delivers a swathe of improvements just might prove itself the equal of any other van in its categories.

76 WRITTEN ON THE WIND Additional standard safety and neat technology such as Crosswind Assist and an automatic electronic park brake highlight the new IVECO Daily E6 range.

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Appetites for robust utility vehicles hardly showed signs of diminishing in February.

According to figures shared by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the Toyota Hilux was the best-selling vehicle for the month having moved 4,808 vehicles. Next best was the Ford Ranger with sales of 2,900. As perennial leaders in the market, an unwavering trend unlikely to change much this year, the competition is both fierce and coming. With the new Nissan Navara launching, a new Single Cab Mazda BT-50 in the offing, the likely arrival of the Ram 2500 HD and highly anticipated launch of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD and a vastly improved Isuzu D-Max already in circulation, dominance is not so assured in what is fast becoming an ultra cut throat space. At present, for those keeping score, there are 14 vans jockeying for buyers in the rising last mile segment as light commercial vehicles, enjoying an increase of 24.3 per cent in February, outpaced passenger vehicles in sales of 19,326 to 19,194.

The market, however, suffered a decrease in business purchasers by around 4 per cent. In other good news across the industry, noteworthy growth was recorded in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory for the month while the sales reduction in Victoria was not unexpected given another snap lockdown justified by COVID-19 smothered small businesses prior to the Valentine’s Day weekend with little residual flow on for other industries. Flowers and food would have at least been delivered in vans before it was sadly collected as waste by the refuse vehicles. New vehicles ordered by government dropped by 13.8 per cent in February so it’s improbable there’ll be a run on garbage trucks any time soon.

“We remain confident that this trend of growth will continue in an environment where business operating conditions continue to normalise,” said FCAI Chief Executive, Tony Weber. Until that occurs consumers weighing up a major asset purchase amid a housing boom will need assurances they’ll have the work long term before they put a board in water knowing that despite the low tide inflation approaches.

RENAULT

TRAFIC it’s my business it’s my van

“I love the van so much we’re getting another one” “We’ve just taken delivery of our Renault Trafic. We enjoy doing class leading electrical work out of a class leading vehicle and the fantastic fit out inside means we’ve got all our tools and equipment to do our job efficiently. It’s built for business, fuel efficient, easy to drive and versatile, I mean what’s there not to love. I love the van so much we’re getting another one” Joey, Verve Electrical

NEWS

LDV ANNOUNCES ARRIVAL OF BUS AND CAB CHASSIS Following the January launch of the Deliver 9 van, the range is being further bolstered with the arrival of the all-new Deliver 9 bus and cab chassis. Despite restricted supply and in only in its third full month on sale, the Deliver 9 has outperformed some notable competitors in the large van market. The arrival of the bus and cab chassis variants are expected to broaden its appeal according to Dinesh Chinnappa, LDV General Manager.

“Deliver 9 is all about delivering more

for less in the van segment,” he said in a statement. “The vans represent outstanding value and don’t compromise on comfort or safety.

“The all-new Deliver 9 bus and cab chassis are engineered to do exactly the same – deliver more for less, but this time with added flexibility to help serve your business better. The range is now formidable in every way, and we expect to shake things up in their respective segments.”

With a focus on safety, the Deliver 9 Bus comes replete with an array of features including Bosch’s famed electronic stability control, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and cruise control. Six airbags in the front row, including curtain airbags, and three-point seat belts throughout keep the driver and passengers protected. Separate rear air conditioning can be deployed to offer premium passenger comfort.

Meanwhile entry and exit have been a major consideration in the design with a

wide central aisle, sliding side door and an electric retractable side step.

Inside, an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat is complemented by a 4.2-inch LCD display and steering wheel controls command the 10-inch infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity.

Utilising the robust 2.0-litre, singlescroll turbodiesel engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, the Deliver 9 has plenty of grunt thanks to its 110kW and 375Nm of torque. With Bosch’s advanced electronically-controlled, common rail direct fuel injection system and automatic stop/start, operators can expect to stay on the road for longer between refuels.

The Deliver 9 cab chassis, meanwhile, shares the same engine and safety credentials, adding a 6-speed manual option for extra on site flexibility.

A 2.4 tonne payload justifies a braked towing capacity of 2.8 tonnes with a sturdy ladder frame, 3,760mm wheelbase, 2,094mm width and dual rear wheels for better load carrying ability.

NSW GOVERNMENT FOCUSES ON DELIVERY DRIVER SAFETY Draft guidelines have been released for industry consultation to provide better protection for workers in the food delivery industry.

Minister for Better Regulation, Kevin Anderson, said the new guide is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to ensuring the health and safety of all employees.

“The gig economy is a new and rapidly growing sector,” said Anderson.

“We’ve developed these strategies in partnership with industry to help food delivery operators, drivers and restaurants understand their obligations under NSW Work Health and Safety Legislation.

“These laws apply to all workers and all workplaces to ensure safety. The fast growth of the gig economy has created uncertainty and confusion in the sector about what each party should be doing to comply with the law and what protections should be in place, particularly when it comes to food 70

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delivery riders who are independently contracting to the big platforms.

“Safety is everyone’s responsibility and this guide clarifies the role of the platform operator, the rider and the restaurant to ultimately make the gig economy a safer workplace and to save lives.”

The guidelines outline existing hazards in the industry, such as poorly maintained bikes, fatigue and extreme weather conditions, and the actions that must be taken by delivery platforms, drivers and restaurants to mitigate these risks.

“I won’t leave anything to guess work when it comes to safety,” said Anderson.

“The guidelines are about making sure that industry participants understand how the legislation we have in place applies to them, to ensure that our laws protect every worker in this state.

“We will continue to consult with industry on the draft guidelines, with a view to finalising them for inclusion into an Industry Safety Action Plan for

release in April.”

The guidelines have been developed by the Gig Economy Joint Taskforce, led

by SafeWork NSW and Transport for NSW. The Taskforce was established to investigate a number of food delivery rider fatalities.

Minister for Transport and Roads, Andrew Constance, said everyone has the right to go to work and feel safe.

“Any life lost on our roads is one too many. We know these food delivery riders are some of our most vulnerable road users,” said Constance.

“We want to do everything we can to guarantee they have the proper protections in place and ensure a day at work doesn’t end in tragedy.

“These guidelines outline existing hazards in the industry including poorly maintained bikes, fatigue and extreme weather conditions. Delivery platforms, drivers and restaurants must follow this guide to mitigate these dangers.”

TOYOTA PROPOSES E-PALETTE EV REAL WORLD TESTING IN PROTOTYPE CITY The e-Palette autonomous electrical vehicles on a test run in Japan.

The transition from carmaker to mobility provider is underway at Toyota. The automotive giant has outlined plans for its e-Palette autonomous electric vehicles to provide practical on-demand transport services for customers in different markets and regions in the next few years.

Working with a range of partners, the autonomous vehicles will be deployed at Toyota’s Woven City, a fully connected prototype city of tomorrow being built in the foothills of Mount Fuji in Japan. This real-world testing will pave the way for commercial operation in the next few years with automated e-Palette vehicles delivering goods, services and mobility to people when and where they are needed.

Toyota’s e-Palette symbolises the global company’s transition from carmaker to mobility provider, going beyond the scope of conventional cars to offer new services and value.

“Development of the e-Palette also recognises that COVID-19 has changed

the way people lead their lives, creating more diverse mobility needs,” Toyota said in a statement.

“These include physical distancing between passengers and greater demand for goods and services to be brought to people, rather than people travelling to receive them.”

An ageing society, according to Toyota, will generate further mobility issues and increase demand for new services that the e-Palette and other Autono-MaaS options can help address.

To meet these types of demands, Toyota has developed an advanced e-Palette operations management system that is designed to reduce customer waiting times, ensure safety and alleviate congestion. It has applied the renowned “just-in-time” principle that is central to Toyota’s vehicle manufacturing processes, enabling e-Palette vehicles to ‘go where they are needed, when needed and on time’ delivering goods

and providing services.

An Autonomous Mobility Management System (AMMS) dispatches vehicles when and where they are needed while a Task Assignment Platform provides a visual computer interface that enables easy monitoring of vehicles by workers at a control centre.

Schedules can be changed as necessary, with vehicles dispatched and returned automatically based on real-time mobility needs.

When extra vehicles are required, operating intervals can be adjusted to ensure even spacing of services.

Any vehicle problems are automatically detected; the affected vehicle is returned to the depot and a replacement is dispatched immediately to maintain smooth service.

In an emergency, vehicles can be stopped and returned to service remotely, with an extra level of safety management to give passengers complete peace of mind. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

71

ON SITE

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE In its first major upgrade in five years, the 2021 Nissan Navara adds improved safety and contemporary styling to a proven drivetrain.

T

he new Navara’s ruggedly tough exterior styling with its high tech, C-shaped quad LED projector headlamps appears strongly influenced by the Nissan Titan model sold in the US and is packaged with an extensive number of advanced technologies to enhance safety, comfort and performance on the road and off it.

The 2021 Navara is offered in varying levels of specifications across a comprehensive range of models of pick-up utes and cab-chassis in single cab, king cab and dual cab formats, with choices of 4X2 and 4X4 drive with manual or automatic transmissions across selected variants.

The new model is equipped with Nissan Intelligent Mobility, which includes systems such as collision warning, intelligent emergency braking, blind 72

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spot warning and intervention, and what Nissan calls Intelligent Driver Alertness which prompts drivers to take breaks

when changes in driving style or steering behaviour are detected.

The smart(er) steering wheel operates a

The new Navara comes equipped with Nissan Intelligent Mobility.

new hydraulic assisted rack and pinion which necessitates systems such as the lane departure warning and intelligent lane intervention using the brakes to redirect the ute back between the lines.

Adding to the Navara’s safety is its ‘Intelligent Around View Monitor’, which uses four mounted cameras to help drivers notice people and cars surrounding and approaching the vehicle.

This enables easier manoeuvring when performing tasks such as parallel parking and positioning of the vehicle during trailer hitching. For the first time the system also features an off-road monitor, made to confirm surrounding obstacles at low speeds when in four-wheel drive which adds to the drivers’ confidence when tackling tough terrain. Rear cross traffic alert reduces the stress that comes with limited visibility when backing out of a parking spot.

On the pick-up models the new rear bumper has an integrated step for ease of access and the tub sides are slightly higher to maintain the line of the front guards. The pickup bed retains the innovative adjustable tie rails from the previous model. The payload capacity has been increased to 1,095kg on the six speed manual models and 1,105kg on Navaras fitted with the seven speed automatic transmission. Braked towing capacity is 3,500kg, which is the maximum allowed using a 50mm tow ball.

Inside, the new Navara features a significantly improved quietness, thanks to the increased amounts of sound deadening insulation. The new instrument panel is highlighted by the eight inch navigation screen and a seven inch high resolution TFT screen.

The rear seats have upgraded cushions and back shapes and for added convenience, passengers in the back can also now utilize the new rear armrest with built-in cup holders to store beverages or smartphones.

To meet the increasing needs of connected lifestyles, the Navara is now equipped with the new Nissan Connect infotainment system which allows for seamless connect of smartphones and enables convenient features such

as Bluetooth streaming audio, voice recognition, and satellite navigation.

Multiple USB ports are located throughout the vehicle to charge devices and ensure continued connectivity including a Type C USB socket in the console, which can support the charging of multiple devices. Other electronic features include rain-sensing wipers with wiping speed adjustment, speed-sensing door locks and auto-folding mirrors for smarter parking and serving as an easily visible reminder of when the vehicle is locked or unlocked.

The twin turbo 2.3 litre intercooled diesel engine provides 140kw of power at 3750rpm and 450Nm of maximum torque across the 1500-2500rpm range.

Standard equipment on the entry level SL models includes an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, 7.0-inch driver display, and powered windows and door mirrors.

Safety is boosted significantly thanks to autonomous emergency braking (AEB), reversing camera, hill-start assist, automatic headlights, cruise control, seven airbags and trailer sway control fitted at no extra cost.

Intelligent Driver Alertness prompts drivers to rest when it detects steering behaviour changes..

When in four-wheel drive mode, the 4X4 Navara activates its Active Brake Limited Slip Differential system (ABLS), which manages power delivery and wheel braking between the front and rear axles and between the left and right of the vehicle, depending on traction and speed.

Integrating with the Vehicle Dynamic Control system (VDC) and ABS brakes, this system enables drivers to be more confident and feel secure when towing large payloads and driving through muddy terrain with less acceleration and brake operation.

The new Trailer Sway Control system helps the vehicle to maintain stability on the road when towing a trailer.

Suspension has coil springs on all corners with double wishbones at the front and a five-link arrangement at the rear.

Stepping up to the ST grade delivers satellite navigation, digital radio, 17inch alloy wheels, leather-accented steering wheel and shifter, polished sports bar and LED headlights.

ST variants also gain rear cross-traffic alert, a surround-view monitor, lane departure warning, automatic wipers, blind-spot monitoring and highbeam assist.

ST-X models have all that and more including a tub liner and polished sports bar. A new model in the Navara line up for 2021 is the Pro-4X which is a burger with the lot including leather accent seats and unique 17-inch alloy wheels.

The Navara has a proven drivetrain, which for 2021 is combined with contemporary styling and a plethora of intelligent innovations. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

73

FINAL MILE

A VAN FOR ALL SEASONS

The latest Fiat Ducato van delivers a swathe of improvements.

A new engine with nine-speed auto delivers more torque than Ducato predeccesors.

T

he refreshed Fiat Professional Ducato Series 7 was introduced to Australia late in 2020.

This latest Fiat Ducato is powered by an all-new 2.3-litre turbo diesel Euro 6 engine driving through the front wheels.

The ‘180 Multijet’ engine has been engineered with a quieter running belt drive for the camshaft and produces 130kW (180hp) in all models of the Ducato with maximum available torque of 400 Nm in the manual transmission examples and 450Nm in the automatic versions. The Euro 6 emission standard is met by utilising supplementary catalytic reduction via the injection of 74

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AdBlue into the exhaust stream.

The Ducato is the base for Europe’s most popular motor homes and has consistently held more than 60 per cent of that market for a number of years. So far, Australia has only taken delivery of the van versions of the Ducato Series 7.

In keeping with the ever evolving sophistication of vehicles in the light commercial category, the Ducato Series 7 now comes standard with forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, reverse camera, rear parking sensors as well as ESC, ABS, EBD, brake assist, roll-over mitigation and a hill holder.

An optional ‘Safety Pack’ adds even more safety features including blind spot assist plus rear cross path detection, traction control and hill descent control. Buyers choosing the ‘Safety Pack’ also get rain sensing wipers and dusk sensing lights, auto high beam, traffic sign recognition, fog lights, and all-season tyres.

Standard driver appointments include manual air conditioning and a five inch ‘Uconnect’ touchscreen audio system with Bluetooth, USB and auxiliary connections, and a classy leather bound steering wheel with controls for the radio.

The driver’s seat is height adjustable and both passenger positions have threepoint seat belts.

The ‘Comfort and Tech Pack’ option features a seven inch infotainment screen including satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth connection.

This option pack also adds LED daytime running lights, automatic climate control and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The XLWB MR (extra-long wheelbase – medium roof) version is only available with the auto transmission while the rest of the Ducato range will be available with either a full synchro six-speed manual or the ZF supplied nine-speed full automatic transmission.

Previous Ducato’s had the option of the ‘Comfort-Matic’ six-speed ‘automatic’ which was in reality an automated single-clutch manual rather than a true auto transmission. The new ZF ninespeed auto is a full torque-converter design which takes full advantage of the available engine torque to deliver smooth operation at the same time as enhancing fuel efficiency.

Tubular shock absorbers control the bounce at each wheel with McPherson Type wishbones and coil springs and an anti-roll bar at the front and longitudinal parabolic leaf springs locating the beam axle at the rear.

A metal bulkhead with a window is fitted as standard equipment between the driver/passenger compartment and the cargo area. Also standard is the sliding door on the kerb side and 270-degree opening rear barn doors. A driver’s side

A tyre pressure monitoring system comes as one of the many options.

slider is available as an extra-cost option.

An advantage of a front wheel drive van is the Ducato’s convenient rear door unladen loading height of 550mm.

Across this latest Ducato 7 range three wheelbases are available, combined with two roof heights. Dependent upon the model, cubic load capacities vary from 10 cubic metres to 15 cubic metres, and payloads range from 1510kgs to 2190kgs. Load bay lengths range from 3120mm to 4070mm and a standard Australian pallet fits easily between the rear wheel arches in all models.

The Ducato 7 is an example of style meeting functionality due to its robust looking bumpers at the front and rear and the practical protector strips on

each side.

Total cost of ownership is helped to keep minimised due to oil changes and services only being required every 12 months or 48,000kms. Should there be any issues the Ducato is covered by a 3 year/200,000km warranty.

Due to its new engine, and especially in combination with the nine-speed automatic transmission, the Ducato 7 delivers more torque and has a smoother drive than its predecessors. The extended package of standard safety and convenience features included across the Fiat Professional Ducato range can be complemented with a couple of option ‘packs’ to be equal of any other van in its categories.

A standard Australian pallet fits easily between the rear wheel arches in all models.

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FINAL MILE

WRITTEN ON THE WIND

More standard safety and technology in new IVECO Daily E6 range.

T

he new IVECO Daily E6 Van and Cab Chassis range has significantly elevated the levels of standard safety equipment and has refined cabin appointments.

The new Daily van range is available in single and dual wheel options with volume capacities ranging from 7.3 cubic metres to a cavernous 19.6 cubic metres. There are four GVM options to select from in the van range, starting at passenger car-licence allowed 3,800kg and 4,495kg, through to a light truck licence 5,200kg and a market-leading 7,000kg.

The single and dual cab-chassis range has GVMs starting at 4,495kg through to 7,200kg. There are also multiple wheelbase choices and IVECO’s popular work-ready, alloy tray ‘Tradie-Made’ model now has two tray/wheelbase options. Cab Chassis models are also available with Power Take-Off (PTO).

Depending on the application, owners can also specify an optional rear differential lock and ElectronicallyControlled Air Suspension (ECAS) across both van and cab chassis variants.

The 2021 E6 Daily has three diesel engine options, beginning with a 2.3 litre direct injection intercooled engine 76

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which is only available in the 35S van and is equipped with an electronicallycontrolled Variable Geometry Turbine (e-VGT), which produces 100 kW (136hp) and 350 Nm. Available across the entire range is a 3.0 litre, direct injection engine with Variable Geometry Turbine (VGT) which produces 132kW (180hp) and 430 Nm. A range-topping 3.0 litre variant with an electronically controlled Variable Geometry Turbine (e-VGT), can also be selected across all van and cab chassis models. This engine develops a sectorleading 155kW (210hp) and 470Nm. To meet the Euro 6 emission standards, the Daily E6 uses Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology and has a 20-litre AdBlue tank which, under normal circumstances, should only require topping up once every six or seven diesel refills.

Matched to the engines is a choice of either a conventional six-speed synchromesh overdrive manual transmission, or the Hi-Matic eight speed full automatic which has Eco and Power modes.

Building on the previous generation of Dailys’ list of safety features, which included four SRS airbags, ABS, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and the availability of Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), this latest

The automatic park brake can save up to five hours in working time a month..

range offers significantly more, particularly in the area of active safety with an impressive list of acronyms appearing on the spec sheets.

Now standard across the entire range is an Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), enhanced ‘ESP9’ technologies and Crosswind Assist.

Crosswind Assist uses the ESP system to help stabilise the vehicle if it is hit

Crosswind Assist uses an ESP system to stabilise the vehicle.

by a sudden gust of wind.

The technology is particularly helpful for models with large lateral surface areas such as the larger vans and cab chassis’ fitted with pantech or motorhome bodies.

Additional safety equipment such as city brake, queue assist, hill descent control and traction plus are also available as part of the ‘Hi-Technology’ option pack.

Hill descent control, which is actuated via a dash-mounted button, is like a cruise control function for low-speed down-hill driving, providing a more controlled descent particularly in wet and slippery conditions. Traction Plus, which is also engaged at the touch of a button, operates at up to 30 km/h and helps maintain traction on slippery surfaces by automatically applying the brakes to the drive wheel that’s losing grip and transferring power to the wheel with the most traction. For applications where the vehicle may need to access parks or reserves with wet grass, or muddy construction sites, traction plus provides additional control and peace of mind.

The IVECO Daily offers a market leading 7,000kg GVM among its four van range options.

The new Daily E6’s revised interior now contains additional cabin appointments to make the operator’s time on the road even more comfortable and convenient, including the introduction of an optional new ‘Hi-Connect’ touchscreen multimedia and navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus GPS navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and inductive phone charging. There’s also a new, high-resolution colour TFT instrument cluster that’s easy to read in all light conditions as well as a new soft-touch steering wheel.

The Daily E6 has a dash-mounted,

electronic parking brake, providing extra space and easier movement around the cabin, especially if the driver needs to exit via the passenger side on a busy road. The new park brake also engages automatically at key-off and disengages once the driver’s seat belt is on. The key is on and ‘drive’ selected (neutral for manual models), providing more efficiency in every drive.

IVECO has estimated that the automatic electronic park brake can save up to five hours of working time each month in metropolitan courier applications. The vehicle can also be locked externally with the engine still running, keeping the interior environment at the selected temperature while the driver is performing a hand delivery.

The heated and suspended fully adjustable driver’s seat is now also standard across the range and features multiple points of adjustment with lumbar support and an armrest.

Taking a cue from selected models in IVECO’s heavy duty truck range, Daily E6 adopts a three-piece bumper. If damaged, this allows any of the three sections to be replaced individually, helping reduce costs for owners.

d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

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INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE

Change over ten years noticeable improvement.

The reasons for the road safety improvement are 1) better fatigue management, 2) more effective enforcement of driving standards, 3) gradual road infrastructure improvements on main routes, 4) better multicombination trucks and 5) Chain of Responsibility (COR obligations). It is sobering to report that driving a truck is still the most dangerous occupation in Australia.

PETER HART

T

en years ago, in April 2011, I published my first article in Prime Mover magazine. That was 110 articles ago. This anniversary prompted me to consider what has changed in our industry over the past ten years. I cannot do justice to this subject on two pages, so I will consider just a few performance indicators. Next month I will look ahead over the next ten years and try to predict where we will be in 2031.

Road Safety The safety performance is slightly better now than ten years ago. Mainly, this is because articulated truck safety has significantly improved. Over the same time, the size of the fleet has increased by about seven per cent, so the safety performance represents a

Occupational Safety Safe Work Australia has studied the safety performance of the road transport industry. The circular graphics show a recent analysis. Note 21 per cent of fatalities are not from road trauma.

Considering serious incidents, about 90 per cent of them occur outside the cabin!

I can’t find a time history for occupational safety performance. Anecdotally I anticipate significant improvement over the past decade. Many operators have told me they have focused on slips and trips and lifting/manhandling injuries in their logistics businesses. Side gates are smaller to reduce weight, plug in handrails are used to assist climbing onto trays, safety rails now pop up on top of tankers. There has been a concerted effort to improve occupational safety over the past decade.

Freight Rates have increased at no more than CPI over the past ten years. This

has not adequately compensated the road transport sector for the increasing demands from customers, COR, training, etc. Consequently, operators must focus on productivity improvements to stay in business. One consequence is the median age of vehicles continues to increase.

The Road Freight Task The Federal Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics reports on the scale of the freight task (Research Report 152, 2019). The total road freight volume has been increasing approximately linearly between 2008 and 2018. Over the decade 2008–2018 the growth in ‘general road freight’ (light blue and beige together) was about 15 per cent over the decade. On average, ~ 1.5 per cent a year. On a tonnekilometre basis the growth was about 22 per cent over the decade. Impressive!

Fleet Size The size of the market for new vehicles is monitored by ARTSA-I based upon our analysis of the NEVDIS (registration) data.

The market in 2021 was down, as expected because of the COVID-19 induced uncertainty. The peak sales year was 2019, when the market was about 10 per cent

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ARTSA TECHNIC AL COLUMN

Powered by larger than a decade earlier. The median age of heavy vehicles in the fleet is still going up. It is about 14 years for a truck and slightly older for a trailer. The overwhelming trend is that the longhaul fleet has changed to high productivity vehicles (B-doubles, A-doubles, long dog-trailers, super Bs). The additional freight task has been met by productivity improvements. In October 2020 there were about 46,000 multi-combination prime movers registered in Australia. The number of single trailer prime movers was about 64,000. The multi-combination prime mover segment has been growing at about five per cent pa over the decade, whereas the single trailer prime movers crept up at about one per cent.

Fuels Diesel fuel has been king over the past decade. Ten years ago, there were high hopes for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a heavy vehicle fuel. Whilst there are still many route service buses still running on CNG, most truck operators have, or are in the process of getting out of CNG on freight trucks. The reason for this is the complexity of supply, storage, and maintenance of CNG when compared to diesel. LPG top-up into the air intake was also trailed and rejected because the engines ran too hot.

The cost of diesel fuel has been flat over the past decade. In 2010 the Australiawide average diesel price at the pump was $130.10. In 2020 this price was $126.90, although the COVID-19 disturbance is a factor. The average annual fuel price range was $118.50-$156.80. Diesel fuel price has been static.

Vehicle Types and PBS The Performance-Based Standards (PBS) scheme has opened-up new vehicle types and new routes. The PBS scheme was interesting but insignificant in 2010. In

2021 PBS is mainstream and changing the high-capacity vehicle market. PBS underpins the common use of 4-, 5- and 6-axle dog trailers, and the introduction of high-productivity combinations in Victoria and elsewhere. In 2011, 25m long B-doubles were the workhorsehigh-productivity combinations. In 2021, 26m B-doubles are still the workhorses, but there are new kids on the highproductivity routes. They are A-doubles (36.5m) and super B-doubles (30m).

Axle weight limits have not changed over the past ten years. What has changed is the length and configuration of the high productivity fleet. PBS is relevant to about 20 per cent of the heavy-end market. In the past ten years, state road agencies have embraced high-productivity vehicles rather than fighting against them. It is now local government that is reticent.

Industry Reform The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) did not exist in 2011. It was established in 2013. After a shaky start, the NHVR is doing important work. The industry has confidence that uniform procedures have been developed and applied. The NHVR is a success! There is tension over delays in road-access permit applications being issued. High productivity vehicles need these permits to operate. Permits take longer to obtain in 2021 than in 2011; however, the difficulty and scale of road-access assessments has quadrupled. Because vehicles are longer than before, local road owners are taking more time to assess applications.

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Vehicle Standards There have been two significant changes in the design rules applicable to heavy vehicles over the past decade. Firstly, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) was mandated effective from 2019 on most heavy vehicles. Most new trucks must have an intelligent braking system that provides ABS, rollover protection and directional stability. Trailers require an ABS and a rollover protection. I want to applaud NSW for mandating rollover protection on dangerous goods tankers starting with new tankers in 2014 and in service tankers in 2019. I do not understand why the other states have not done so, because the technology works.

The second significant design rule change is that the driver seat in a heavy vehicle must have an integral seatbelt. No more B-pillar anchors! The Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) also must have a high locking threshold – called a type 4N. These changes are intended to make seatbelt wearing more comfortable for the heavy vehicle drivers. On bumpy roads there is still a likelihood that the ELR will lock-up. The solution is probably to fit a locking clip that prevents the belt feeding into the ELR once it is being worn.

Overall In the last decade, the industry made significant progress with safety, productivity and regulatory reform. There was little progress with cartage rates, which are low for the risks and activity involved. We also made good progress with the health of the driver and ancillary workforce but starting from a low point.

The shortage of experienced drivers, diesel mechanics and managers is a serious threat to the safe and efficient operation of the industry. The workforce became more diverse and less experienced over the past decade. The machines are getting better.

Finding good participants and training them well is our important challenge.

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

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INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

HVNL Review – a rare opportunity to deliver modern regulation

SAL PETROCCITTO

T

he Australian economy is highly reliant on road freight compared with our international counterparts.

This highlights the critical reliance our communities and industries have on a safe and efficient road transport sector.

The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), the framework to regulate road transport, was created almost a decade ago and was a landmark moment for Australia’s transport industry.

It was the crucial first step in moving from a state-based approach towards a national system of regulation, and it has delivered important gains in safety, innovation and productivity.

But it was only the first step, and most parties today agree that the law relies too heavily on prescription and outdated controls and systems, rather than pursuing a modern and agile approach to delivering better safety and productivity outcomes.

The current review of the law, being led by the National Transport Commission, is a rare and potentially once in a lifetime opportunity to pursue an improved, strategic and responsive structure that will deliver benefits for the Australian community and the national economy.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) response to the HVNL Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) was released at the start of the year and lays out our vision for the future of national regulation.

As a modern and intelligence-led 80

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regulator, our key priority for the new legislative structure is ensuring effective partnership between industry, supply chain and governments to pursue improved and innovative outcomes.

This is focused on the law encouraging and empowering industry to improve safety within their business (shared responsibility model with government) and ensuring the heavy vehicle task is viewed as a professional and credible employment option.

Improved consistent outcomes must be a shared priority Importantly, a greater focus on how all levels of government work together in a modern, disciplined and consistent manner is critical to delivering better national outcomes.

This includes improved recognition of the heavy vehicle industry’s importance to business and communities, with heavy vehicle reform having significant flow-on effects on for national and local economies.

Throughout the review process, there has been a strong focus on the negative impact of state-based derogations and the creation of confusing approval processes which restrict the economic benefits of national regulation.

Collective agreement and a clearer delineation of the responsibilities of ministers and the regulator in delivering an effective and adaptable regulatory environment should be an essential part of the review process and, ultimately, the new law.

Modern regulation requires a principlebased approach We believe a principle-based legislative approach will deliver the most successful and responsive regulatory regime.

That regime must be simplified, forwardlooking and future-proofed – with simple primary law that outlines desired

outcomes (requiring minimal change) and provides the controls and procedures to achieve it in regulations and a one-stop shop set of standards.

The NHVR supports a model that separates regulations into two distinct categories: - National regulations: covering those areas where responsible ministers want greater oversight, and - Heavy vehicle regulations: that cover matters the regulator is best placed to manage in order to provide certainty in relation to operational policy and service delivery matters (processes that lend themselves to changes in the environment). Note: this would still have appropriate oversight by responsible ministers.

This approach is an effective means of providing for a simple, modern and agile scheme that also has the appropriate checks and balances in place.

Empower industry to invest in safety The NHVR strongly supports supplementing the principle-based legislative approach with a risk-based assurance framework.

This multi-tiered model would provide increased flexibility for operators who demonstrate investment and innovation in improved safety outcomes (through performance and assurance tiers), as well as certainty for operators seeking it (through the prescriptive tier).

While some operators will choose to operate in a prescriptive regime, the model should encourage both small and large operators to progress to the performance and assurance tiers.

Real benefits need to consider reform of all heavy vehicle related processes.

Guaranteeing the future effectiveness of road transport requires consideration of all related heavy vehicle systems and processes to ensure they are fit for purpose.

NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR | INSIGHT

Powered by Improving the current systems will provide better safety outcomes while minimising duplication and additional administrative costs.

Safety will be improved by strengthening the current licensing system to better focus on practical safety skills, including fitness for duty and fatigue management.

Ensuring registration systems recognise heavy vehicle businesses as professional entities will provide greater oversight of operations and relationships among drivers, companies and vehicles.

Fatigue and access must be priority Prioritising fatigue and access reform will allow significant improvements in safety and productivity.

The review should focus on ensuring these critical areas are robustly addressed, which will require a commitment to deliver improved outcomes outside the HVNL.

The RIS’s approach to improving fatigue management and ensuring it is focused on providing flexibility to better manage safety risks, rather than merely counting hours, is strongly supported by the NHVR. Fundamental improvements to reduce reliance on access permits and to open networks to safer and more productive vehicles must also be fully considered.

A ‘more of the same’ approach would be a missed opportunity to deliver a safer and more productive road freight task.

The 2020 Productivity Commission Report into National Transport Regulatory Reform has already identified key areas of reform and provided a roadmap for improved productivity outcomes through (among others) expanding as of right access networks for Performance-Based Standards (PBS) vehicles, increasing data sharing and adopting a risk-based assessment of access permits.

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Collectively ensure the concepts work on the road Although the RIS highlights broad concepts for improving the HVNL, success will ultimately be determined by how they are applied practically on the road.

Once clearer options are agreed in principle, the industry, the regulator and the police can provide practical insight into how the concepts will translate into effective outcomes.

I can assure you that the NHVR will continue to play a leading role in this process and in the implementation of the new law as it develops.

The NHVR, the states and industry can be proud of what we’ve achieved since 2012 and I know that together we can create an even stronger, safer and more productive heavy vehicle industry for the years ahead.

Sal Petroccitto, CEO, NVHR

NHVR officers perform a routine safety check on a heavy vehicle.

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

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INSIGHT | HEALTHY HEADS IN TRUCKS & SHEDS

MARK MAZUREK

T

he global pandemic reaffirmed the importance of our national supply chains and the vital role our transport drivers play to connect our communities with essential goods.

However, our professional drivers face significant challenges based on the nature of this work. The long journeys, shift work, sedentary lifestyle and time away from family and friends can take its toll on safety, health and wellbeing.

At Linfox, we understand that to lead the way to be safer, we must support the health and wellbeing of the people who keep our nations moving. We must take proactive steps to understand the challenges faced by our drivers and use this insight to take real action.

In 2017, Linfox teamed up with Monash University and the Transport Workers Union to undertake a landmark Driving Health study to develop evidence on the physical and mental health status of Australian transport workers. So far, the findings have provided deep insight into factors in the workplace, at home and the community that affect the health of professional drivers.

So how do we turn this insight into action?

Keeping Linfox people and our communities safe is already built into the fabric of our business through our Vision Zero strategy — to reduce, and ultimately eliminate fatalities, injuries, motor

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A problem shared is a problem halved vehicle incidents, unsafe behaviour and practices and net environmental emissions. This commitment inspires conversations about safety across our operations each day in the yard, the office, the workshop, the warehouse and on the road.

For nearly a decade, Linfox has built meaningful strategies and tools to support physical and mental health and wellbeing through our Healthy Fox program. Four pillars including mental health, general health, nutrition and fitness and strength inspire a yearly calendar of events, resources and activities that connect people with the education, support and inspiration they need to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Our approach to safety, health and wellbeing is underpinned by a free confidential Employee Assistance Program that is available 24/7 to team members and their immediate families.

But to motivate real change, we must extend our focus to all transport and warehouse workers across the sector.

Linfox is a key founding partner in the Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS) Foundation, formed during 2020 in partnership with Woolworths, Coles, Toll, Ron Finemore Transport, Qube and Australia Post. This represents our shared commitment to promote the prevention and understanding of mental health issues across the entire Australian supply chain industry. Like all HHTS member

organisations, Linfox will be able to undertake a self-certification process based on a best practice model, and draw on resources and support services to support healthier options around diet, exercise and individual wellbeing for our team members.

In my personal life, I have had friends who work in our industry who have taken their own lives. I hope in future that I can do a better job of seeing the signs and helping those who need it most, and I know this starts with listening and making time and space for a conversation.

For me, participation in HHTS is a great step toward a united industry approach to this problem and will allow us to make sure that support is available for our frontline people regardless of who they work for.

The transport and logistics industry has moved in leaps and bounds over the past two decades to address safety. Now it’s time we talk about mental health and wellbeing.

Mark Mazurek, CEO Linfox Logistics Australia & New Zealand

AUSTRALIAN LOGISTICS COUNCIL | INSIGHT

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A National operating standard supports the HVNL to enhance safety and productivity outcomes

KIRK CONINGHAM

A

LC members have long-argued that the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) should require operators to advise the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) where vehicles are garaged to limit the incident of ‘phoenixing’ in the industry and to prove that a nominated amount of capital is available to the business. They also believe that operators use equipment compatible with standards made to the National Telematics Framework to collect identified information and that safety management systems (SMS), scalable to the size of the business, meeting standards made by the NHVR are maintained and followed by relevant businesses.

The primary duty contained in the HVNL requires each party in the chain of responsibility to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable the safety of transport activities relating to a heavy vehicle. This implies, that at the very least, an SMS should be maintained by businesses.

Requirements of the National Operating Standard will go some way towards: ensuring that the primary duty has been satisfied; as well ensuring that where enforcement action is taken, the right supply chain participant – be it driver, consignor, loading manager, packer or anyone else – that was actually in the position to influence safety outcomes (but didn’t) is held to account.

These requirements are not unusual. For example in NSW, registered: •p rime movers and articulated vehicles with a GVM or GCM of more than 13.9

tonnes and manufactured on or after 1 January 1991.

• t rucks with a GVM or GCM (if travelling in combination) of more than 13.9 tonnes carrying dangerous goods and required to display signs; and • c oaches used in the course of trade or business or for hire or reward must have monitors recording: • l engths of time the vehicle is moving and stationary during a journey; • s peeds at which the vehicle is driven; •d istance the vehicle travels between stops; and • t he time, date and place of starting and finishing a journey, drivers’ details and vehicle identification.

Accredited operators of NSW buses must also maintain a safety management system and be able to prove that capital is available to ensure the maintenance of vehicles.

NSW bus industry sources tell ALC that these measures have led to improvements in the management of bus safety relative to other classes of heavy vehicles, which appears to be supported by outcomes: This would suggest that the ALC concept of a national operating standard, requiring operators to: Regular Passenger Services

Heavy Vehicles

Quarter1

83.4%

80.1%

Quarter 2

90.3%

81.1%

Quarter 3

90.6%

79.6%

Quarter 4

87.5%

79.6%

• i dentify the entity operating a heavy vehicle(s) and the place(s) heavy vehicles are garaged with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR); •m aintain a safety management system (SMS), meeting standards made by the NHVR; •p rove to the satisfaction of the NHVR that a nominated amount of capital is available

to the business; and • r equire the mandatory collection of data, through the use of equipment compatible with standards made under the National Telematics Framework would be an appropriate inclusion into the HVNL. Some have tried to argue that this constitutes operator licensing. It doesn’t. The Australian Government Guide to Regulation describes licensing as a ‘pre-market assessment scheme’. As the following table shows, the national operating standard is no such scheme: National Operating Standard

Operator Licensing

Can immediately commence to operate, so long as compliance with the NOS can be demonstrated, if called on.

Must prove to a regulator that all licensing conditions are satisfied before being allowed to operate.

No ‘fit and proper person’ requirement.

Usually a requirement that an operator is a ‘fit and proper person.’

No registration fees

Usually an annual registration fee

What the National Operating Standard does do is to make clear to operators what is necessary to ensure the safe operation of vehicles in much the same way as an operator must comply with regulations prescribing the standards that vehicles must comply with for use on a road or driving hours limits. The creation of a National Operating Standard offers the opportunity to enhance the safety and productivity outcomes of heavy vehicle operators — key objectives of the HVNL. ALC believes these comparatively simple and affordable amendments to the national law, scaled appropriately to the size of the businesses, will set benchmark standards that lift safety and compliance.

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

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INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

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Net Zero

TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

T

he term ‘Net Zero Emission’ has been getting a lot of coverage in recent times and it is a term that will undoubtedly gain even more airplay as we move to the next federal election, whenever that might be. But what exactly does the phrase mean and what effect will it have on the road freight industry in Australia?

‘Net Zero Emissions’ refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. If you think of it like a set of balance scales, on one side you have all the greenhouse gas producing sources, including: burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas in power generation, transport, etc, cement production, methane generated from animals and landfill, and many, many more. On the other side of the scales there are processes that remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, these include: forests, plants, crops, etc. At the moment those scales globally and in Australia, are very much weighted to greenhouse gas production and scientists tell us, that we need to get those scales back into balance. Importantly, moving to Net Zero means we can still produce some emissions, as long as they are offset by means that reduce, or remove, excess greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere.

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Five countries have a Net Zero target in place by law: Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and New Zealand. And there are already two countries that have achieved ‘Net Zero Emissions’, they are Suriname, in South America and Bhutan, in Asia. In fact, both these countries are carbon negative, on a yearly basis they actually remove more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than they generate, and both countries still have cars and trucks, though a high percentage of the former are electric.

Much closer to home, there is a little island that you may have heard of, that has reached Net Zero in at least two individual years. In 2014 and 2018, Tasmania’s emissions dropped below Net Zero. Tasmania was able to achieve this because it has huge hydroelectric dams, and they are blessed with massive carbon ‘eating’ forests. With the state’s electricity supply already nearing 100 per cent renewable, the remaining emissions from the state, across transport, manufacturing, agriculture, etc, were offset by the greenhouse gases sucked out of the atmosphere by their forests.

Though the numbers are not yet in for 2020, it is highly likely that the Apple Isle will again reach carbon neutrality, due to positive impacts that COVID-19 had on the state’s road and aviation transport emissions. While Tasmania has work to do to make Net Zero a permanent occurrence, it is well placed to achieve this and could move beyond Net Zero to provide an overall benefit to the world. To do this, Tasmania will likely need to reduce its fossil fuel consumption in the transport sector.

Mainland Australia faces a much bigger challenge, whilst Federal and State government’s push on with plans to decarbonise our electrical power industry, standards for commercial and domestic

buildings are significantly improving the energy efficiency in that sector and continuing advances in farming are reducing emissions from agriculture, is quickly leaving transport as the elephant in the room. Road, rail and air transport, is fast becoming Australia’s largest greenhouse emitter and there is little, or no, action from government to address emissions in this sector. The problem is significantly compounded by the age of our vehicle fleet. The average age of the Australian truck fleet is 15 years and given our slow heavy vehicle retirement rate each year, it will take 2 x 15 = 30 years for new trucks to completely replace those in the fleet today. If 100 per cent of new trucks sold today were Zero Emission, it would take 30 years from now for road freight to reach no emissions, that is 2051, a year longer than the 2050 target date being suggested by many currently. A sobering thought. About the only zero in the equation at the moment, is the number of Zero Emission trucks being purchased in Australia.

Of course, we do not need to completely eliminate fossil fuels from transport to achieve Net Zero emissions, Suriname, Bhutan and Tasmania have shown that is not completely necessary, however we do need to significantly reduce the sector’s reliance on these greenhouse gas emitting energy sources. It is not too late to take action, however Australian government’s need to develop an allencompassing Net Zero greenhouse gas strategy, one that outlines an effective structural adjustment package for the transport sector, backed by ongoing financial incentives and deployment of that strategy needs to start soon, very soon.

Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION | INSIGHT

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Jurisdictions must get on board Freight Movement Protocol

PETER ANDERSON

A

t the time of writing this column, Australia is at a seminal moment in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic. The rollout of the national vaccination programme is underway and headlines are awash with euphoria that the end of COVID-19 is beginning.

It is indeed a tremendous achievement and a credit to the scientific and medical community that an effective vaccine has been developed in record time.

Without wanting to dampen enthusiasm over this great milestone, it is, however important to remember that COVID isn’t going away in the short-medium term, and that we will be living with the virus strains for at least 24-36 months as the community is vaccinated and herd immunity established. This means that we will have to remain in a state of preparedness for new community outbreaks like we saw recently in Victoria and Western Australia, which will mean further lockdowns of regions or entire states, and associated restrictions on travel and border crossings.

With this being the case, it is high time our state and federal representatives stood up to the challenge of doing something much more permanent about managing disciplines that have been enacted in response to COVID, especially when it comes to the movement of freight. Many have stumbled and bumbled in their response to isolated community

outbreaks, showing ineptitude by closing borders with little to no notice given to industry and the community, and ambivalence by shirking commitments they made to keep state and national supply chains functional.

Each of these jurisdictions has established their own form of communication and reactions when it comes to interstate and intrastate travel restrictions, regrettably to the detriment of the road freight transport industry.

Logistics operators have demonstrated they can adhere to new disciplines to keep freight moving, with many adjusting their business activities so they exceed standards required by government. The industry should be applauded for being able to move freight through the community during a pandemic, without moving the virus around, which shows that by being committed, responsible and diligent, freight workers have refrained from transmitting infection.

Unfortunately, the industry continues to be ignored by some sections of the bureaucracy, despite the results produced and the increase in community demand for freight services.

Last April, the Commonwealth called all state transport ministers together to formulate and sign off on a Protocol for Domestic Border Controls – Freight Movements. This Freight Movement Protocol was ratified in August, and clearly defined minimum standards jurisdictions would need to meet when borders were necessarily closed.

As an essential service, the freight industry has been consistently let down by state authorities when it comes to application of these minimum standards whenever a border is closed.

Our worst fears were realised on February 11 when a B-double truck

driver travelling at 100 km/h around a bend on the Western Highway at 2.20am, ran into the back of the last vehicle in a seven-kilometre line of traffic. The vehicles were stopped because of a border closure that did not meet the minimum standards of border crossing protocols.

The driver, Steven Lawrie, died tragically at the scene and our condolences and heartfelt sorrow go out to his family and friends. Two others were hospitalised and are recovering from their injuries.

The accident that claimed Mr Lawrie’s life did not need to occur.

By providing a diversion and wavethrough lane for essential travellers, as per the national protocol, the location and operation of this particular border lockdown would not have resulted in a fatality, which begs the question: what’s the point of having a protocol if the bureaucracy isn’t prepared to follow it? The protocol was implemented for the protection of all drivers, not just freight transport workers, and it is disappointing and a great tragedy that lessons must be learned through road accidents and fatalities that were preventable.

The transport industry does not begrudge jurisdictions for taking steps to defend their citizens against COVID-19 and unwanted community transmission. But we do begrudge the lack of application of disciplines that are intended to keep freight moving efficiently, productively, and safely.

Throughout the pandemic the freight industry has protected the community and provided their needs and our drivers are deserving of the same protections to keep them safe.

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

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PETER SHIELDS’ NUMBER CRUNCH

Keep Rolling The effects of operators taking advantage of the instant asset write offs are becoming particularly obvious in the Light Duty sector where lead times are short and manufacturers and dealers have been actively promoting the tax incentives as another reason to buy, although freight demand is another significant factor.

The larger categories of truck typically take longer to build and the results of the government’s lever pulling is more likely to be evident in the results as the market approaches the second quarter. Anecdotally, we understand that most OEMs across the full spectrum of the market are rapidly filling order books.

Was it Mr T, that spout of salt-of-the-earth wisdom, who said “to have a comeback, you have to have a setback”? After a 12 month period in which everything, save the kitchen sink, was hurled at the national economy, the undisputed resilience of the Australian new truck market has, again, been demonstrated this year during February, with the sales figures compiled by the Truck Industry Council indicating solid demand across all truck categories.

Overall, 2,310 new prime movers and cab chassis sales are shown for February, 309 more than in February 2020 (+15.4 per cent) and the year-to-date total of 4,002 units is 468 trucks more than for the first two months of last year (+13.2 per cent).

The Heavy Duty category achieved 805 new units during February, 25 more than in February 2020 (+3.2 per cent) and this takes the year-to-date HD accrual to 1,402 trucks, 34 than for the same period in 2020 (+2.5 per cent). Year-to-date the Heavy Duty accounts for 35 per cent of the total truck sales.

Medium Duty trucks achieved 494 new units during February, 19 more than in February 2020 (+4.0 per cent) which helped improve the year-to-date total to 860 units despite still being 50 less than for the first two months of 2020 (-5.5 per cent) but is a 19 unit improvement on the total as it stood at the end of January this year. The 860 unit Medium Duty accrual shows the category has a 21.5 per cent share of the truck total so far this year.

The Light Duty category is showing some remarkable growth and the 1,011 new units in February were 265 more than in February 2020 (+35.5 per cent) and take the accrued total to 1,740 (+38.5 per cent). The Light Duty sector share of the total truck market stands at 43.5 per cent of the truck market at the end of February.

The large van sector indicated some modest growth during February and the 459 new vans was 12 more than in February last year (+2.7 per cent) and significantly exceeded the previous month of January’s total of 306 (+153 units) to maintain a year-to-date total of just one less than for the first two months of 2020 (765 v 766).

86

a p r i l 2 021

Feb-21

YTD

% Change YOY

ISUZU

714

1214

13.0%

HINO

447

775

33.2%

FUSO

301

547

30.9%

KENWORTH

163

275

15.5%

MERCEDES-BENZ

129

246

80.9%

VOLVO

115

210

-12.5%

IVECO

73

144

-32.1%

SCANIA

78

111

-25.5%

UD TRUCKS

53

83

10.7%

FIAT

39

73

5.8%

MACK

37

57

-31.3%

FREIGHTLINER

22

56

86.7%

DAF

37

46

-19.3%

HYUNDAI

24

36

125.0%

MAN

24

36

-56.6%

WESTERN STAR

19

31

29.2%

RENAULT

13

24

-7.7%

FORD

13

15

275.0%

DENNIS EAGLE

6

11

22.2%

INTERNATIONAL

0

8

166.7%

VOLKSWAGEN

3

4

-33.3%

CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

2310

4002

FORD VANS

150

237

53.9%

M-B VANS

134

231

-27.4%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

95

137

25.7%

FIAT VANS

39

67

28.8%

IVECO VANS

26

54

42.1%

RENAULT VANS

15

39

-58.9%

VANS

309

528

-13.7%

TOTAL

2619

4530

9.3%

Behind the people who keep Australia moving Everything we do, every day, relies on the people who literally keep Australia moving. From the fresh food in our supermarkets, to the petrol in our cars, from the school bus, to the train you catch to work, even your holiday travel. None of it would happen without transport workers.

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

1800 222 071 twusuper.com.au SUPERRATINGS GOLD 2019 MYCHOICE SUPER

SUPERRATINGS GOLD 2019 PENSION

TWU Nominees Pty Ltd, ABN 67 002 835 412, AFSL 239163, is the trustee of TWUSUPER ABN 77 343 563 307 and the issuer of interests in it. 55621

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Contact us on 1300 134 205 or visit Shell.com.au/Rimula to find out more about Shell Rimula and the range of transport lubricants to ensure your fleet keeps going when the going gets tough.