Prime Mover September 2021

®

September 2021

Freight Lines Group West Side Story SEPTEMBER 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

08

Industry Fleet: Reid Removals Feature: SBA Transport Showcase: Heavy vehicle insurance Personality: Hamish Christie-Johnston

Innovation Fleet: Peats Soil Feature: SRH Milk Haulage Test Drive: Fuso eCanter Delivery: LDV G10+

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 81-89.

MAGAZINE

Anything & everything.

Brought to you

by Isuzu.

*According to T-Mark industry statistics. FSA/ISZ12934

There’s a simple reason that around one in four trucks on Australia’s roads is an Isuzu*. It’s because they deliver legendary reliability. And that’s why so many businesses trust them to deliver their cargo day-in, day-out, every day of the year.

To find the right Isuzu for you, visit isuzu.com.au

®

September 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.

Freight Lines Group

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.

West Side Story SEPTEMBER 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

08

Industry Fleet: Reid Removals Feature: SBA Transport Showcase: Heavy vehicle insurance Personality: Hamish Christie-Johnston

Innovation Fleet: Peats Soil Feature: SRH Milk Haulage Test Drive: Fuso eCanter Delivery: LDV G10+

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 81-89.

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

Ashley Blachford

development ashley.blachford@primecreative.com.au manager

0425 699 819

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

F: 03 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au

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articles

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copyright

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONTENTS

Prime Mover September 2021

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62

34

60 56

COVER STORY “Up until this point we had no MANs. We took the first one on to give it an assessment. Given the current climate of supply shortages, we were open to conducting a trial and we haven’t encountered any issues with its reliability. The fuel burn numbers are quite good as was the availability for the MAN. They slot in quite nicely into our general freight business an important area that we operate in.”

44

BODY AND SOIL

Prime Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS 34 West Side Story Western Australian transport specialist, Freight Lines Group, has wasted no time obtaining new commercial vehicles from Penske Australia for its statewide operations. Though the evolution of the business has been swift in recent years it has not forgotten its regional roots.

40 Signature Move Queensland-based Reid Removals are proud to be entrusted with the worldly goods of the many families they assist with services across the east coast of Australia.

44 Body and Soil Peter Wadewitz is a special type of eco-entrepreneur who has built his business by regarding unwanted organic materials as a resource rather than waste.

TRUCK & TECH 48 The Diff is in the Detail SRH Milk Haulage has specified its latest Kenworth prime mover with Dana Spicer D46-170D(P) tandem drive axles – featuring a full-time lube pump – combined with Dana ADB-22X disc brakes.

52 A Sure Thing SBA Transport has enjoyed what could be an all-time record first run from a Meritor tandem drive assembly on a 14-year-

old Kenworth cab-over doing linehaul duties. Until they were recently removed, the two carriers hadn’t been touched apart from oil changes at 400,000km intervals.

TEST DRIVE 62 Silence is Golden The Fuso eCanter is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer all-electric truck available in Australia.

Regular Run 08 From the Editor 10 Prime Mover News 66 Personality 70 Prime Movers & Shakers 81 Delivery 90 ARTSA-I Life Members 92 National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 94 Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds 95 Australian Logistics Council 96 Trucking Industry Council 97 Victorian Transport Association 98 Peter Shields’ Number Crunch

FROM THE EDITOR

Simulacra and Simulation

William Craske Editor “That which has been done well has been done quickly enough,” is a quote, according to Roman historian Suetonius, attributed to Caesar Augustus. These are not the words of obedience to squalid bureaucracy. The Grand Duke of Tuscany took festina lente, make haste slowly, as his motto and illustrated it with a sail-backed tortoise, a kind of testament to the cohesion of long-term gains achieved through diligence and urgency. It would be fair to submit, in the current moment, that the wisdom of the ancients is not nearly as sought after as say, government bonds. Having entered into a third round of its quantitative easing program while lockdowns in NSW cost the economy $3.2 billion a week, the Reserve Bank of Australia seems content to withstand what economists are calling a series of one-offs. Lockdowns and bureaucratic managed decline, sadly, are not one of them. RBA Governor Philip Lowe has said rolling lockdowns across Australian states and cities would continue into next year. COVID caseloads clearly, as the rest of us had been led to believe, no longer a key indicator as to why an interstate truck driver must submit to an invasive

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se pt embe r 2021

nasal cavity PCR test up to three times a week. A malfunctioning financial system is emblematic of greater ills. Short term economic crisis measures and the response to COVID, alas, are interchangeable and here to stay.

In the United States debt is on track this year to increase to 150 per cent of GDP under the Biden Administration.

Consumer prices such as gasoline and food continue to climb at their fastest annual rate since 2008 as inflation soars to the highest it’s been in over a decade. The debacle of quantitative easing continues apace devaluing domestic currency which is being felt by those who work on the thinnest of margins. For transport specialists and delivery drivers those costs can be transferred onto the consumer.

A $1 trillion infrastructure bill, pushed as a bipartisan proposal of the current administration, promises the reverse in the future. Buried on page 508 of the 2,702page bill is a pilot program for a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee. Under the pilot program passenger vehicles, light truck and medium- and heavy-duty trucks are targeted. The fees are to be, depending on the types and weight classes of the vehicles, set “to reflect estimated impacts on infrastructure, safety, congestion, the environment, or other related social impacts.” That last part though not specified provides enough wiggle room for adjacent government groups to feed like hogs at the trough.

Long-term, the plan spells the end for passenger cars with internal combustion engines, making life even tougher for workers in regional areas and suburban commuters. Nor does it bode well for thousands of privately-owned fleets.

By reauthorising USD$547.9 billion worth of spending, the bill dumps funds on transportation programs that were previously allocated more than USD$305 billion under the Obama Administration

to be used through 2020. Approximately USD$148 billion of this spending will be funneled from the General Fund, but other funds such as the Highway Account will struggle to fund fixing the nation’s road and bridge problems while teetering on the edge of going broke within just a few years. Any bill passed under these terms encourages mushrooming inflation given the deficit spending required. EV Charging stations, infrastructure, more routinely funded by private enterprise in the past, will receive USD$7.5 billion. By comparison, the New South Wales state government recently pledged $17 million towards EV charging stations and $30 million for government fleets to switch to EVs. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is to provide recommendations to Congress within three years of the pilot program’s establishment, at which point lawmakers can choose whether or not to pass new legislation taxing miles-pervehicle in order to fund the infrastructure overhaul. Buttigieg, whose own president admonished his lack of experience during the primary race, was caught in April, on camera, outside Capitol Hill where an SUV had dropped him off with a bicycle to make it appear he had chosen to ride rather than drive to a cabinet meeting. As paid-for fact checkers online denied the evidence, the reality in which government policy dangerously coalesces with spin, has rarely been more explicit. The coming challenges, as Europe has already made clear, are going to be demographic.

“The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it,” says Economist Thomas Sowell. “The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.”

THE SAFEST HINO HEAVY-DUTY EVER BUILT THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

THE ALL-NEW HINO 700 SERIES - NOW WITH DRIVER MONITOR.

Driver Distraction was the largest contributing factor when looking at driver caused road accidents in Australia for 2020*.

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That makes the introduction of Driver Monitor on the all-new 700 Series more important than ever. Designed to reduce driver distraction and drowsiness, the system constantly monitors the driver’s attention through a camera integrated into

the A-pillar to ensure they remain alert and focussed on the road ahead. Driver Monitor is yet another enhancement to

the Hino SmartSafe package featuring Pre-Collision System, Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning System,

and more. It’s one more reason to make the Hino 700 Series the pride of your fleet. Find out more at hino.com.au *Source - NTI Major Accidents Investigation 2021 Report.

PRIME NEWS

> Wesfarmers orders fuel cell powered prime movers from Hyzon The first hydrogen-powered heavy trucks for local operation will be delivered by Hyzon Motors next year.

Coregas, a Wesfarmers subsidiary, which is on track to build the first commercial hydrogen refuelling station in Australia, will deploy the prime movers out of its hydrogen production facility in New South Wales.

Collaborating with Hyzon to drive greater uptake of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles, Coregas has signed a vehicle supply agreement for two of Hyzon Motors’ hydrogen fuel cell-powered prime mover trucks.

The announcement was made prior to Hyzon’s public listing via a proposed business combination with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation. The Hyzon Hymax-450 prime movers are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2022 and to mark the first hydrogen-powered heavy Hyzon Hyman-450.

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vehicles to operate in Australia. The prime movers should be immediately deployed upon arrival from Hyzon’s manufacturing facility in the Netherlands, replacing Coregas’ existing diesel fleet and transporting speciality gases, including hydrogen, to Coregas customers in Sydney and wider New South Wales.

Coregas is actively pursuing hydrogen as an energy source through participation in projects aimed at accelerating the energy transition across Australia. Coregas is also in the process of developing Australia’s first commercial vehicle hydrogen refuelling station at its Port Kembla facility to support both the Hyzon hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles and the refuelling of trucks and buses operators by third parties.

The project represents a strategic first step in developing a broader hydrogen ecosystem. Port Kembla and

Illawarra-Shoalhaven are primed to be an epicentre of the emerging hydrogen sector possessing several advantages to foster the development of the thriving domestic and export hydrogen sector.

A leader in industrial gases with a 40-year history in the generation and distribution of industrial gases, Coregas operates Australia’s largest merchant hydrogen plant in Port Kembla, which supplies customers across various sectors including manufacturing and mobility. The agreement aligns with pursuit of scaling up hydrogen-powered trucking for Hyzon and Coregas. Both parties are actively engaging with companies operating in and around the port on the opportunity to transition to hydrogen and decarbonise the heavy vehicle fleet. At present, around 7,000 trucks travel between the region and Sydney each day. The New South Wales Government has recently announced a $70 million package to support the establishment of hydrogen hubs in the state, with Port Kembla identified as a priority location given its deep-water port, electricity and gas infrastructure, water recycling plant, road and rail connections, R&D presence, and sizeable heavy-duty vehicle fleet.

“Hyzon is proud to partner with Coregas in our shared effort to decarbonise Australia’s heavy trucking industry,” said Craig Knight, CEO and CoFounder of Hyzon. “This partnership reflects two truths about the energy transition: first, that the technology is ready to be deployed now. Second, that collaborative efforts are integral in accelerating this shift. We are excited to work with Coregas to introduce hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks to Australia.”

Coregas Executive General Manager Alan Watkins is excited by the prospect of partnering with Hyzon.

“Coregas is working hard to apply our expertise in hydrogen distribution, compression and storage to Australia’s transition to a hydrogen economy,” he said in a joint statement.

WHEELS ON * THE GROUND MAN Truck & Bus has stock on the ground across Australia now! Don’t get caught up costly delays waiting for your new business asset. With great pricing and safety packages available for TGS 540, TGX 540 and TGX 580/640 models, contact your local MAN dealer and get your new wheels rolling today!

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PRIME NEWS

> Penske Australia announces remanufacturing program

Hamish Christie-Johnston.

A local remanufacturing program for the Detroit DD15 engine is underway in Australia. Commencing last November as part of a soft launch, the program has advanced this year following a series of successful evaluations. As Penske Australia looks to further improve its service offering, the decision to remanufacture the Detroit DD15 engine provides customers with another crucial option.

Previously customers were looking at in-chassis overhaul or outright engine replacement according to Penske Australia Managing Director Hamish Christie-Johnston.

“It’s perfect for a customer that might have previously expected to sell that truck perhaps before those major costs hit,” he said. “They might now consider keeping that truck a bit longer and running it into its second life. If the DD15 engine has, say, a 1.5 million kilometre life, a remanufactured engine goes in at that point and the customer might keep it for another 600,000 kilometres and sell it at say 2 million.”

By providing DD15 customers the option of a rebuilt engine, Penske, as part 12

sept embe r 2021

of the strategy, is also incorporating another way of decreasing total cost of ownership significantly.

The program will be run by Detroit Business Manager Bob Gowans, formerly of Daimler in the UK, who joined Penske Australia in May. Heavy vehicle operators who opt for the program will receive a fully remanufactured engine from Penske’s dedicated facility in Sydney, in return for their running core. The customer is then presented with a Penske backed warranty and options for extended coverage.

“With this program, the customer can be off the road for several days less than they would with an in-frame rebuild.” said Christie-Johnston. “We have a price point that is sitting in between in-frame rebuild and the new engine. That makes it cheaper than new with most of the benefits of buying a new engine.”

One of the first of these remanufactured DD15s went into a commercial vehicle for a major transport fleet just on 12 months ago. As the company’s vehicles are prone to chalk up big kilometres it offered a chance to quickly look at the

data to see how it was performing.

“That engine has now done over 250,000 kilometres and is doing extremely well,” said Christie-Johnston. “We’re now at the point we have a dozen or so out in the marketplace allowing us to get that feedback,” he said.

“Customers have said they like having the option so we’re ready to be more vocal about the new offer.”

Christie-Johnston anticipates the uptime benefit in comparison to an in-chassis undertaking could be two days or more.

“If you’re four or five days with the truck off the road compared to probably no more than 48 hours, it’s worth considering knowing you’ll claw back two or three days of downtime.”

The same concept also lends itself to Penske’s other truck brands as well.

“I think this could be a point of difference for us in the future where repair options for a lot of the European trucks have been limited so I think the ability for us to remanufacture components in Australia to an as-new standard and provide that solution at a reduced cost is going to add a lot of value,” said ChristieJohnston.

THE NEW D190 FULL TIME PUMP HAS ARRIVED D190

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

Strength • Power • Endurance

PRIME NEWS

> Kenworth Legend SAR prompts order blitz A glimpse, however fleeting, of Kenworth’s newest product has done enough to whet the appetite of operators across Australia.

It may have only been on public display just for a few days at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show, and it may have been the subject of a brief ordering window lasting just one day last week, but the response to the 2021 Kenworth Legend SAR has probably taken even the most optimistic PACCAR enthusiast a little by surprise with more than 700 firm orders reported to being placed for the celebratory model.

If nothing else it gives clear indication of the current strength of the Australia Heavy Duty truck market.

Following the outstanding response to the Legend 950 in 2015 and the Legend 900 in 2017, the timing of the debut of

the Legend SAR is aligned with Kenworth celebrating 50 years of manufacturing trucks in Australia.

The 50th Anniversary Edition Legend SAR is modelled on the iconic W900SAR, built and sold in Australia from 1975 until 1985 which was the first Kenworth model designed, engineered and built in Australia specifically for Australian operating requirements. While more than 45 years have passed since it first went into production and other SAR models have ensued, the allure of the original ‘SAR’ still remains and is reignited with the release of the third in the series of Legends, the Legend SAR. “The truck not only commemorates 50 years of proudly manufacturing Kenworth trucks in Australia, it symbolises what was a turning point for local design

and engineering and the custom-build philosophy that Kenworth is still renowned for today,” said Brad May, Director Sales and Marketing at PACCAR Australia.

The Legend SAR includes a full suite of heritage style limited edition features including a split flat windscreen B-series cab providing extra headroom and seat travel, and numerous exclusive trim details which extend to the Cummins X15 engine being specially painted in a beige colour to commemorate Cummins’ heritage.

The interior of the Legend SAR has a premium feel and features diamond pleat trim with ‘Legend SAR 50th Anniversary Edition’ embossed into the rear wall and door trims and a wooden plaque on the glove box lid to identify the unique build number of each truck.

> Glen Cameron Group refreshes Yatala-based fleet The Glen Cameron Group has taken delivery of two new Mack Granite day cab 6×4 prime movers to be based at its Yatala depot south of Brisbane.

The 500hp mDrive Macks join an ever growing Queensland fleet for Camerons.

“We have a great relationship with Volvo and we are not normally Mack buyers,” said Glen Cameron Group Asset Manager Shane Coates. “We’ve currently got more than 150 Volvos in our fleet but for our business it’s all about the support that comes after the sale that matters to us which is where Volvo have been solid, so our expectation is that Mack’s support will be just as good.”

The Cameron Group has experienced 20 per cent growth in its Queensland operations during the past 12 months and has been investing in new equipment including Vawdrey super B-double trailer sets and new Maxi Trans double drop B-double trailer sets. The Volvo Group including Mack has played a significant role in supporting the Cameron Group through this growth phase over the 14

sept embe r 2021

Recently delivered Mack Granites at Yatala.

last several years with Volvo FE and FM twin steer 8×4 rigids and FH prime movers.

“We don’t have many conventional trucks because they can give you limitations on what you can tow and where you can tow it,” said Coates.

“But these new trucks are day cabs and not performing a linehaul task, but rather a local task around the Brisbane metropolitan area as the final leg of our interstate business.”

Justin Blaney is Cameron’s Queensland State Manager and has been with Camerons for 25 years.

It was 18 years ago that he moved to Queensland to help establish Cameron Interstate with just two rigid trucks. Operations Manager Ross Nicol has been at Blaney’s side for 16 years building the Queensland business. They are now also taking on the green field property next door to the current purpose built depot which has been strategically located in Yatala, thereby adding another 12,000 square metres to the current 20,000 square metres to further advance the service provided to Queensland customers.

Much more than truck insurance.

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We work closely with customers to optimise business processes and driver behaviour. This helps to reduce claims, keeping your trucks on the road.

Ask your broker about Zurich today.

This information is general advice only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situations or needs. You should obtain and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Policy Wording (as applicable) from zurich.com.au before making a decision.

The issuer of general insurance products is Zurich Australian Insurance Limited (ZAIL), ABN 13 000 296 640, AFS Licence Number 232507 of 118 Mount Street, North Sydney NSW 2060.

ZU23775 V3 07/21 LEWG-016869-2021

PRIME NEWS

> Geoff Richards Refrigerated Transport adds flair to linehaul fleet A long-serving driver at Queensland freight carrier, Geoff Richards Refrigerated Transport, has been rewarded for years of exceptional service with an unmistakable new bonneted truck. A Western Star 4900, the latest addition to the company’s interstate fleet, is characterised by a distinct orange appearance and 68inch Stratosphere sleeper — the largest sleeper on the market. The custombuilt truck is pulling a refrigerated B-double with fresh produce from North Queensland into Melbourne.

In less than three weeks it has already accrued 20,000 kilometres according to Geoff Richards Refrigerated Transport Workshop Manager Luke Austin.

“The driver absolutely loves it,” he said.

“He’s what you might call Western Starmad. Having been with the company for 12 years we wanted to give him the option of the next truck. When he was asked what he wanted he said, ‘Buy me a Star, buy me a Star.’”

That driver, David Horne, had the pick of the crop, when it came to the 26 new bonneted trucks the company had purchased across four brands over the last two years.

The colossal undertaking of a BrisbaneWestern Star 4900.

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Sydney-Melbourne roundtrip left little doubt on his part.

“It’s the first 68-inch sleeper cab in our fleet and the walk-through design offers those comfort options a driver needs for life on the road,” said Ashton.

Sleeper cabs are prominent within the fleet of nearly 70 prime movers, all of which are entirely American in origin.

The vehicles are coordinated between company depots at Bowen, Mareeba and home base in Bethania, near Beenleigh.

Powered by a 560hp Detroit DD15 with an output of 1,850ft-lb, the Western Star 4900 hasn’t stopped, closely following NHVR guidelines, running its return trips along much of the Eastern Seaboard.

The vehicle, as is true of the Geoff Richards Refrigerated Transport fleet, hasn’t stopped turning heads.

It’s not just a matter of keeping up appearances, either. The fleet runs multi-coloured commercial vehicles with the intention of making them stand out on the road.

“Image is everything. Our vehicles are always immaculate and clean,” said Ashton. “If you take pride in the appearance of the vehicles, the

customer can expect a service equal in principle.”

Rocklea Truck Electrical Manager, Brock Macdonald, is responsible for the memorable cab exterior designs, having worked on nearly 50 trucks for Geoff Richards Refrigerated Transport over the years.

“He gets a general brief of what it is we want. He’s asked to make it stand out and away he goes,” said Ashton. “Geoff doesn’t much care for white trucks.

You won’t find any two trucks the same colour.”

A sister Western Truck, painted forest green, is slated for delivery in the coming weeks.

Geoff Richards Refrigerated Transport is a long-term customer of Penske Australia’s Brisbane dealership and notably Western Star, dating back to 1988 when the carrier picked up their first 4900.

“From where I sit the warranty package is absolutely fantastic. We have a great relationship with Brisbane dealer Penske and salesman Errol Weber,” said Ashton. “It’s critical that you can get that afterhours support and should something happen, you’re dealing with one person. They sort it out.”

He added, “With a DD15 you don’t have to touch the engine.”

While the mainland states and territories appear trapped in an environment of rolling lockdowns, Geoff Richards Transport is keeping pace with surges in demand and the mounting tasks asked by border enforcement of its drivers.

“It’s crazy right now but it’s nothing we can’t handle,” said Ashton.

The company has a one truck one driver policy with a few floaters. It’s proven to be a strategy that is both flexible and timely.

“If a driver needs a couple of days off then they’re covered by those three or four floaters, who have got what can add up to full time work,” said Ashton.

“We’re looking after our drivers. They deserve it.”

The new Actros.

A truck ahead of its time.

Setting the standard in long-distance and heavy-distribution haulage, the ground-breaking new Actros is more comfortable, economical and reliable than ever before1. Featuring innovations like the Multimedia Cockpit, MirrorCam, Active Brake Assist 5 and Predictive Powertrain Control – it’s designed to reduce fuel consumption, boost vehicle use and offer the driver all the support they need. ‚ See the new Actros in action for yourself. Search ‘Actros , or contact your local authorised Mercedes-Benz Trucks Dealership to experience this outstanding vehicle for yourself.

1

Compared to the previous model.

Please note: changes may have been made to the product since this publication went to press (August 2021). The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the design, form, colour, and specification of the product. The images shown are to be considered examples only and do not necessarily reflect the actual state of the original vehicles. Please consult your authorised Mercedes-Benz Truck Dealer for further details. © Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Pty Ltd (ACN 618 413 282). Printed in Australia.

PRIME NEWS

> Sparacino & Sons debuts new cabover prime mover Peats Ridge fruit farming operation, Sparacino & Sons, has taken delivery of a spanking new MAN TGX 26.580 XLX Performance Line prime mover. The unit will pull a curtainsided B-double used to carry produce between the company’s farms at Peats Ridge on the Central Coast and Leeton in the Riverina, and also to the Sydney produce markets.

Comparing the new MAN with the 14-year-old cab-over prime mover it replaced, Sparacino & Sons General Manager, Joe Sparacino, who is the truck’s regular driver, agreed the difference is akin MAN TGX 26.580 B-double. to chalk and cheese. He cited comfort for the driver, he reasoned that the aforementioned quietness in operation and exceptional benefits of the MAN outweighed this fuel efficiency as key advantages of the advantage. new MAN. “I worked out that over five years we “I got tired of having a sore back, sore would save about $40,000 in fuel, so knees and sore shoulders – and too that’s $125,000 ahead, and I’ve also much noise,” said Sparacino of his got five years free maintenance with decision to purchase the MAN. the MAN which is probably worth about When Prime Mover spoke with $20,000 over that period.”

Sparacino he had just returned Sparacino said forward visibility in from his first trip to Leeton, with the the MAN is exceptional although combination loaded with citrus and he mentioned that the large mirror grossing 64.5 tonnes. housings that sit adjacent to the “It took me seven hours to do the trip A-pillars create an annoying blind from Leeton to home (Peats Ridge) spot on both sides when approaching which is exactly the same time as it roundabouts. took with the old prime mover at the “On the flip side though, the large same gross weight,” he said. “However, mirrors are a big help when reversing the big differences were that the MAN a B-double in tight places at night, used $200 less fuel and when I arrived which is what I often have to do at our home I got out feeling like I’d been various farms and at the markets,” said sitting in a lounge chair all afternoon.”

Sparacino.

Sparacino said he looked at buying He also appreciates the standard safety another brand of cab-over that would systems including adaptive cruise have cost him $85,000 more for a control, lane departure warning and similar spec to the MAN, and he simply autonomous emergency braking, all couldn’t justify the extra expense. of which, he contends, help to reduce While he acknowledged the other driver fatigue. brand would have a better resale value, 18

sept embe r 2021

“You don’t realise how much easier these features make the job until you try it,” he said. “Being able to set the adaptive cruise and just cruise along the highway without having to watch your speed all the time and brake for slower vehicles definitely reduces your fatigue.”

Sparacino & Sons is a family owned and run operation that was founded by Joe’s parents in 1973. Today it is run

by Joe and his brother Alf, with Alf’s sons also working in the business.

Avocados and lemons are grown on the Peats Ridge farms while at Leeton the company grows oranges and mandarins. The company grades and packs all the fruit at its Peats Ridge facility, with a lot being sent this year to Melbourne for export to Korea and India.

The remainder is sold through the Sydney markets where the company has a stand, and also at Paddy’s Markets on Saturday mornings.

The new MAN will be kept busy doing two to three Leeton trips and three Sydney market trips per week.

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PRIME NEWS

> Smedley’s Engineers grows team to meet demand for PBS A new Performance-Based Standards (PBS) specialist has joined Smedley’s Engineers as the consultancy expands its service offerings to greater numbers of truck and trailer builders and operators.

Chris Nisbet joins Smedley’s Engineers after more than seven years at Byford Equipment as National Sales and Compliance Manager, following two decades in the dairy equipment sector.

Nisbet has been an active campaigner for improved access for PBS combinations for operators, interacting with local councils and road managers.

“I have been lucky to be at the cutting edge of PBS development and pushing for more access for smarter vehicles for some time, lobbying and negotiating with all levels of government from local councils up to the Federal Transport Minister, and I will continue this work with Smedley’s Engineers,” said Nisbet. “I have been involved in the National Bulk Tanker Association working group for the

southwest of Victoria aiming to improve access and looking at transport corridor requirements for the region out to 2045.

I also worked to secure the volumetric network access program just released that will allow bulk tankers to carry up to 74.5-tonnes on 3,000 km of roads using compliant combinations.

“I am passionate about improving access for operators, educating councils to understand the complexities and benefits of smart combinations and the payload, productivity and efficiency benefits they bring to the whole community, not just operators.

“We can see that while the larger fleets have embraced PBS, now is the time for smaller fleets to also enjoy the improved access for compliant vehicles combinations. I will work as part of the Smedley’s Engineers team to guide truck and trailer suppliers through these sometimes, complex requirements and regulations to deliver smaller operators

the right specification for their needs.

“We anticipated there being 10,000 PBSapproved combinations on the road by 2030, but this has already been achieved.

With the new 30m network now live, and future developments pending, there will be plenty of scope for innovative and imaginative engineering solutions to be deployed into the market,” he said.

Smedley’s Engineers Managing Director, Robert Smedley, said: “I am delighted to be able to welcome Chris Nisbet to the Smedley’s Engineers team and look forward to working with him very closely.

Chris has a wealth of experience and enthusiasm, the perfect combination to help drive our business forward.

His tireless efforts with councils, road managers and operators to encourage a greater understanding of the benefits of PBS smart truck and trailer design will continue to be leveraged by us, as we assist the transport industry with productivity gains.”

> Patterson Cheney bids farewell to long-serving manager A respected truck service expert with 54 years of experience has bowed out at Patterson Cheney Isuzu. Roger Padfield, the longest serving member of the Patterson Cheney family, will retire after 28 years as the Afternoon Shift Supervisor in the Service Department in Dandenong.

Padfield started out as an apprentice back in 1967 in the South Melbourne branch. Later on, he moved to the facility at Footscray for 11 years, before landing at the Dandenong dealership in 1983. Wayne Murphy, Patterson Cheney Service Manager, said Padfield has been a pillar of strength in the department and a cornerstone of knowledge for his colleagues.

“Roger was key in helping us set up our afternoon shift when it first began and he also supported our 24-hour service later on,” he said. “His official title may be Afternoon Shift Supervisor, but really, that does not reflect the breadth of his actual responsibilities.”

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Indeed, Padfield was active in advising work, spare parts selection and interpretation, diagnostic checks on the trucks for the mechanics to help them identify problems faster and road tests.

“Honestly, he’s done a little bit of everything, and done them brilliantly,” said Murphy. “It has been a privilege to work with Roger, who is not only very experienced but more than happy to share his knowledge with the rest of the Isuzu dealer network. We have all benefited from his skills and been inspired by his dedication to the brand.

It is going to be so difficult replacing Roger that we are splitting his current role into two jobs,” he added ruefully.

Padfield’s secret to a successful and fulfilling career in service? Enjoy what you do.

“I enjoy learning how things work and I love fixing problems, put the two together and I simply had my perfect role,” he said. “And that’s why I have lasted so long. I just enjoy

understanding how vehicles work so I can fix them.”

Padfield’s valueable contribution to Patterson Cheney, according to Murphy, can be partly defined by consistent delivery and willingness to embrace new methods.

“Roger may be a veteran technician but one of his many admirable qualities is that he never shies away from embracing new technology,” said Murphy. “Many technicians can drift away from the network because they can’t learn new systems, but that’s never been the case here. Roger has always been ready to adapt and is so keen and proactive about keeping up his knowledge. Padfield admitted he would miss the bustle of the service department but would have plenty of opportunities to occupy his time after retirement.

As an expert dog trainer and competition judge Padfield plans on doing more of this in the future.

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PRIME NEWS

> Freightliner names new National Sales and Operations Manager A key executive position at Freightliner Australia Pacific was announced this week. Freightliner Australia Pacific has promoted former Marketing Manager Rhett Beere to National Sales and Operations Manager. Beere has worked within the automotive industry for more than 18 years in a range of sales, marketing and commercial operations roles at Holden Special Vehicles, Siemens, The Meher Group and Holden Racing Team.

Having joined Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific in July, 2018, as Freightliner Marketing Manager, Beere was instrumental in the design and execution of strategic Cascadia launch events as well as setting a new benchmark for Freightliner marketing activities. In a statement Freightliner Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Director, Stephen Downes, said Beere has the skill set and drive to exceed in his new role.

“Rhett’s energy and drive, along

with his passion for the Freightliner brand, will be instrumental in the execution of Freightliner’s ambitious sales growth strategy,” he said. “He is committed to working closely with our sales team and our dealer partners to leverage the potential of the Freightliner brand in Australia and New Zealand.”

The appointment comes as Freightliner ramps up activity related to the Freightliner Cascadia in Australia and New Zealand.

> Followmont Transport set to open newest facility Followmont Transport’s newest depot will open this month in Toowoomba.

Located on Rielly Street in the suburb of Torrington, the 20,000 square metre facility has been purposely designed and constructed in co-operation with Followmont’s regular project and property manager Bootooloo Property.

Constructed at a cost of $9 million, the 3,000 square metre is complimented by 300 square metres of office space which will accommodate Followmont’s rapidly increasing freight profile for in the region and is an indication of the company’s commitment to invest in regional Queensland and New South Wales. Located only two minutes’ drive from the existing Followmont depot site, this new location features drivers’ sleeping quarters, on-site bulk fuelling facilities, a wash bay, a workshop pit and 20 metre wide awning for undercover loading.

The facility has been designed to accommodate access for roadtrains.

The new depot replaces the original Toowoomba depot from which Followmont has operated for the past six years and will act as a link for the Western region highway corridor between Brisbane and Toowoomba, and Emerald and North Queensland.

The business has recently acquired another five properties in regional Queensland and another site identical 22

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Followmont’s new Toowoomba facility.

to this latest facility is due to open later this month in Emerald.

Environmental sustainability is enhanced with a water harvesting system as well as panels on the roof providing 30 kilowatts of solar power.

Operating 24/7, this new Followmont depot will accommodate 40 team members and is intended to have the capability to handle Followmont’s growth over the next decade.

“We would not be able to obtain this level of growth without the hard work and dedication of our Group Property, Facilities and Project Manager, Cassie Eivers and her team,” said Followmont Managing Director Mark Tobin.

“Bootooloo work well in conjunction with our preferred builder, McNab, to ensure our depots are state of the art and facilitate all of our requirements for the future of our business.”

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PRIME NEWS

> Volvo Electric truck joins Linfox beverage delivery fleet

Linfox’s Peter Fox with Asahi Beverages Group CEO Robert Iervasi.

In an historic first Australia’s most iconic beer will commence being transported in a new Volvo FL allelectric truck which is the first electric vehicle in the Linfox fleet. The VB-liveried truck is the first massproduced electric truck of its size in Australia and one of over 50 Volvo FL all-electric trucks delivered globally to date.

The electric FL will deliver more than 100,000 cans and stubbies each week from Asahi Beverages’ distribution centre in Melbourne’s west to bottle shops and beer lovers across the city.

In another boost for sustainability, the truck will be powered entirely by 100 per cent offset solar power drawn 24

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from Asahi Beverages’ solar farm near Mildura in northern Victoria. The truck is the latest sustainability initiative from VB, which has been brewed with 100 per cent offset solar electricity since 2020.

Group CEO of Asahi Beverages, which purchased Carlton & United Breweries last year, Robert Iervasi said: “Linfox has delivered VB for more than 50 years. It’s fitting these two Australian icons are taking this major step towards a sustainable future together. This truck will deliver VB and our other beers in a sustainable, safe and efficient way, which makes sound commercial sense.

“It is the first of many electric trucks that will deliver our beer. Transitioning our deliveries to electric vehicles will help us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals of reducing our net carbon emissions across our entire supply chain by 30 per cent by 2030 and to zero by 2050.”

The electric Volvo FL can travel up to 250km before it needs recharging.

Linfox Executive Chairman Peter Fox said: “Australia’s domestic freight task has doubled in the past decade and will continue to grow. To meet this demand, Australia’s road fleet will also grow and it is essential the fleet does this safely, efficiently and with reduced environmental impact.

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PRIME NEWS

> ALC announces new CEO The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has announced the appointment of Brad Williams as its new Chief Executive Officer. Williams commenced the role, effective Monday 2 August 2021. ALC Chair, Philip Davies, said Williams brings with him more than 25 years’ experience in policy development and advocacy across a range of sectors including agriculture, resources, government and energy.

“The ALC Board is delighted that Brad has taken up this key leadership role and is looking forward to working closely with him as we continue to support ALC’s members, broaden ALC’s impact and advocacy activities,” said Davies.

Williams has held senior corporate affairs and government relations roles at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, ASX listed mining and metals company South32, and Japanese oil and gas producer INPEX. He also served as a Chief of Staff to a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services.

“This is an important time for the sector, and we believe that Brad’s experience coupled with a strong team will further enhance ALC’s capacity to deliver the policy framework and

Newly appointed Australian Logistics Council CEO Brad Williams.

reforms needed to support national supply chain efficiency, resilience and safety,” said Davies. “In welcoming Brad, I would also like to thank Ms Rachel Smith for the dedicated and engaged organisational leadership she has provided as ALC’s Interim CEO.

“The Board and ALC’s members look forward to working with Brad as we continue our critical role of ensuring the logistics sector is well placed to support the economic growth of our regions and cities in a safe, efficient and globally competitive way.”

> AusPost agrees to pay Holgate $1M Former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate will receive an employment termination payment of $1 million.

The announcement follows mediation between Holgate and Australia Post on Friday 23 July before the Hon. Peter Jacobson QC, a former Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. Both parties reached a settlement with Australia Post agreeing to pay $1,000,000 to Holgate to be taxed as an employment termination payment.

Australia Post also has agreed to pay $100,000 of Holgate’s legal costs.

To finalise the matter so that both parties can move on, Holgate has released 26

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Australia Post from all legal claims and Australia Post is making the payment without any admission of liability.

In a statement issued today Australia Post acknowledged that it has lost an effective CEO following the events on the morning of 22 October 2020.

“Australia Post regrets the difficult circumstances surrounding Holgate’s departure from her role as CEO,” said the statement.

“Australia Post recognises and thanks Ms Holgate for her outstanding contribution and strong leadership during her employment as CEO of Australia Post. “Australia Post wishes Ms Holgate

the best in her future endeavours.”

Holgate has since been appointed Chief Executive Operator of Global Express, following Toll’s divestment of the division to Allegro Group announced back in May. She was forced to resign as Australia Post CEO late last year after it was revealed that she had given four staff members luxury Cartier watches two years prior as a bonus for securing a lucrative deal.

In April Australia Post named former Chief Supply Chain Officer at Woolworths Group, Paul Graham as Holgate’s replacement.

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PRIME NEWS

> Scania hits major milestone for connected vehicles More than 500,000 connected Scania vehicles are rolling world-wide – with more than 7,000 of them criss-crossing Australia – continuously sharing data for analysis. Ten years ago, Scania took the lead by introducing a communication device as standard in all its vehicles.

This enabled customers to achieve improved uptime, performance and efficiency across their operations, and for Scania to collect scientific data about product use as well as analysing logistics patterns. Scania’s Lead Product Manager for Fleet Management Services, Venugopal Gangaiah, said the importance of having large numbers of vehicles connected cannot be overstated, and considers this to be an important milestone for Scania.

“It is vital in our journey towards becoming a sustainable end-toend solution provider of transport,” Venugopal said. “Scania wouldn’t be where it is today in terms of knowledge about products and customer behaviour, without the first vehicle being connected some 20 years ago making this possible.

“The Scania Fleet Management Portal and later launching our own communicator in 2009 were also strategically important milestones – not to mention recognition through the various telematics awards collected by Mondiale National Fleet Manager Rory Gerhardt.

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Scania over the last decade.”

Global logistics company Mondiale VGL, currently operating 78 Scania prime movers in Australia and is a good example of a Scania Australia customer leveraging the data analysis provided through the Fleet Management Portal. National Fleet and Maintenance Manager, Rory Gerhardt, said Mondiale VGL benefits in many ways from the data collected and presented.

“We supply our customers with accurate fuel efficiency and emissions data, to help them strengthen their own green footprint position,” he said. “Not only does the Scania Fleet Management Portal tell us where our trucks are, how they are being driven and when they are due for service, but we’re able to measure their environmental performance, something which is already growing in importance for us when we bid for new work.

“Our customers’ customers want to know that all along the chain, suppliers are taking an active interest in reducing their emissions or environmental footprint. The Scania Fleet Management System provides us with visibility of this data.”

Scania reached the 100,000 connected trucks and buses milestone in 2014, and the numbers have risen at a rate of close to 60,000 annually to pass

500,000. Since 2019, Scania has also offered this vital connectivity feature to users of its industrial and marine engines. Although all new vehicles leave the factory equipped with a communicating device, customers have to sign a contract before Scania can process their vehicle data, and then access commercial service packages at various levels to see the data. The entry level is the Monitoring Package, where customers receive e-mails on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis, showing basic vehicle performance and consumption.

Customers can currently monitor their vehicles based on engine or fuel use. With increasing electrification of heavy transport, further milestones are on the horizon. Upgraded hardware and software will also make tracking of battery electric vehicles’ (BEV) performance possible.

“The existing Scania Communicator will be upgraded soon, enabling quicker and more advanced data collection and analysis,” said Venugopal. “This will result in even more modular and tailored services and is a prerequisite for reaching our science-based targets (SBTi). Emissions data reveal tank-towheel facts by default today in the Fleet Portal, but soon it will also be possible to view the well-to-wheel figures, another milestone to look forward to.”

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GLOB AL NEWS

> Hyundai announces plans for hydrogen trucks in California Hyundai Motor Company has announced plans to deploy the company’s latest hydrogen fuel cell electric heavy-duty trucks in California. The demo trucks that Hyundai will bring into the United States will be involved on two publicly funded projects to improve the air quality in the region.

Based on XCIENT Fuel Cell, Hyundai’s mass-produced, heavy-duty truck powered by hydrogen, the US models will provide a maximum driving range of 800 kilometres according to the OEM who debuted the vehicle last year in Switzerland where it embarked on a real-world evaluation that has since eclipsed one million kilometres.

Hyundai will leverage insights gained from these public projects to develop its zeroemission commercial fleet business in the US and establish local partnerships across the value chain.

Partnering with public and private partners in the US to operate 30 units of Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, Hyundai expects to commence what it calls the largest commercial deployment of Class 8 hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks in the second quarter of 2023.

A consortium led by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) and Hyundai Motor recently won $22 million in grants from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) and $7 million in additional grants from the Alameda County

Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in support of the project.

Hyundai’s NorCAL ZERO project, also known as Zero-Emission Regional Truck Operations with Fuel Cell Electric Trucks, will deploy 30 units of Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell, with a 6x4 drive axle configuration, to northern California by the second quarter of 2023. Glovis America, a logistics service provider, will be the fleet operator of these trucks. Macquarie’s Specialized and Asset Finance business, part of its Commodities and Global Markets division, will finance the trucks through a lease to the operator.

“We are proud to fund this hallmark deployment of 30 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks and improve the air quality in Northern California,” said Hannon Rasool, Deputy Director of Fuels and Transportation Division at the California Energy Commission. “These investments will support zero-emission trucks and infrastructure development and deployment as part of the US market ecosystem.”

The consortium also plans to establish a high-capacity hydrogen refueling station in Oakland, California that will be able to support as many as 50 trucks with an average fill of 30 kilograms.

Hyundai Motor was also awarded a $500,000 grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) to demonstrate in Southern Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell.

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California two Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks. Largely funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project contributes to the attainment of clean air standards in the South Coast Air Basin by reducing emissions from diesel trucks.

Hyundai Motor and its fleet partner plan to begin operating these trucks in August. They will be used for long haul freight operations between warehouses in southern California for a 12-month period.

Hyundai will also work with the market leader in hydrogen refueling stations in California, First Element Fuel (FEF), to utilise three hydrogen refueling stations in the region to refuel the trucks.

“We look forward to seeing this important fuel cell project from Hyundai come to life,” said Ben J. Benoit, South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board chair. “The development of long haul zero-emission truck technology is key to reducing emissions that will provide immediate benefits to our air and our communities.”

Hyundai Motor was able to gain the support of California funding agencies and local communities to demonstrate its hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty commercial vehicles, in large part due to the XCIENT Fuel Cell truck’s proven track record in Europe. In 2020, Hyundai announced its plan to deliver 1,600 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks to Europe by 2025. The first 46 units were delivered to Switzerland last year, and they have cumulatively driven more than 620,000 miles in 11 months of service. During that time, the fleet has reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 630 tonnes, compared to diesel-powered vehicles.

The Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks that Hyundai will deploy in California will have a maximum driving range of 800 kilometres, because the hydrogen will be stored in greater quantity on the vehicle in tanks rated at 700 bar, or about 10,000 psi, of pressure. The maximum gross combination weight of Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell truck will be more than 37 tonnes.

THE CHANGING FACE OF SAFETY With driver fatigue and distraction major causes of fatal accidents on Australian roads, GT Insurance actively encourages the use of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT).

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Insurance products are issued by Global Transport & Automotive Insurance Solutions Pty Ltd ABN 93 069 048 255 AFS Licence No. 240714, trading as GT Insurance, as agent for the Insurer Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 AFS Licence No. 234708. Neither we nor the Insurer provide any advice on this insurance based on any consideration of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a decision about it please refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or Policy wording which can be obtained from www.gtins.com.au

OEM MINDSET

Les Spaltman With a background as a qualified Auto Electrician specialising in commercial vehicles and with over 32 years’ of industry experience in varying roles, Les Spaltman, Isuzu Australia Limited National Sales Manager, knows the truck industry intimately. As Australia’s road transport industry experiences significant growth and pressure under COVID-19, Les understands the key challenges for operators, focusing on whole-of-life costs and how it can affect the decision to purchase capital equipment.

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LIFETIME COSTS NO DEADWEIGHT IN FLEET PLANNING & PURCHASE In an increasingly competitive market and in combination with an unrelenting pandemic, profitability is high on the list of concerns for Australian road transport business.

O

perational costs continue a relentless upward march year-on-year, and this matched with current skyrocketing prices for material (affected by demand and supply chain challenges both at home and abroad for the moment) equates to a tough operating environment. Reflecting these issues should also mean greater emphasis on total cost of ownership (or TCO) in purchasing and planning decisions, with vehicle fleets being a case in point.

Every seasoned operator will know TCO is critical to gaining a true picture of the required capital investment in a piece of equipment over its operational life and through this, the impact on the business’ bottom line.

Signalling the importance of this metric, approximately 64 per cent of Australian businesses in road transport believe that whole-of-life ownership costs are more important than the initial upfront cost of a truck.

Buying capital equipment can be one of the biggest upfront expenses that a business can face. As such, it’s often hard to look at the whole package, beyond the big sticker price. While initial outlay is certainly an important thing to consider, a purchasing decision

should not only be about getting a good deal but procuring equipment that will provide the greatest benefit and return for your business over the long term.

Just as you would not pick the first builder off the block to construct your new house or choose a brain surgeon based on a discount rate; when it comes to deciding on a piece of working capital equipment, it will also pay to look at the full suite of costs (and reason for) behind the product and service.

There are a host of factors to consider in TCO for a vehicle, including cost of acquisition, repayments, insurance and registration, fuel, servicing and repairs, and finally, resale value—though this in no way is an exhaustive list. Common methods to calculate fluctuating costs (fuel, maintenance, repairs) is year by year, every three years, five years, or a period matching the company’s cash flow.

Therefore, we see many of Australia’s larger fleets opting for service schedules and cost effective maintenance agreements that come with a known cost per month, which can then be factored into the books easily and used for projection in the years ahead.

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North East Isuzu in Adelaide has recently undergone major upgrades.

An added benefit for both small and large operators—these types of service and maintenance agreements can often be tied neatly into the financing for the truck or fleet.

A key factor in the calculation of TCO (and by extension, procurement) is fuel. Although it represents only one input for road transport, it is significant. We see a large percentage of Australian businesses—59 per cent in road transport—reporting fuel costs as a critical challenge in the current business landscape.

Contributing to the final equation and determination of profitability also comes down to equipment performance, trip times, and driveability. It can be difficult to gauge how productive a new truck is unless you are comparing to it an outgoing piece of equipment with recorded metrics, or against one that is significantly different (for example, a ute versus a truck).

And so we see it boils down to small

efficiencies here and there: time saved on a job, a few cents less at the pump each visit, or a decrease in costs in an area such as parts replacement or ongoing maintenance. These small efficiencies will ultimately mean dollars saved—and whether it’s a one-truck business or a 50-truck fleet the impact will be felt on the balance sheet.

As an OEM, it is our responsibility to find these small efficiencies that combine to make a difference to our customers’ bottom line.

These can take the form of engineering updates between truck models; an incremental improvement to load capacity, or a feature more smartly specified that saves an operator 30 seconds per trip.

It may take the form of a transmission system that is more forgiving for the less experienced driver, saving repairs down the line. Playing into this is having access to skilled drivers that respect and operate equipment in a manner that

allows it to perform at peak efficiency.

Driver training and experience is a huge factor here, affecting the ability of the fleet to achieve better fuel economy and performance, and with all feeding back into TCO. And around it goes.

Aside from the necessaries of warranty and mindful aftercare services, OEMs must continue to deliver performance, reliability, durability and efficiency, and each from a multi-faceted point of view.

Chief among our responsibilities is to get the right tool into the hands of those that need it, in a timely manner that reduces time and energy spent on the purchasing and procurement process.

Another is to deliver productivity gains for the business with an efficiently performing piece of equipment, specified intelligently for the task.

By doing this, we keep more customers in business (and on the road), while consistently addressing the factors behind total cost of ownership, and the big picture issue—business profitability. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

WEST Western Australian transport specialist, Freight Lines Group, has wasted no time obtaining new commercial vehicles from Penske Australia for its statewide operations. Though the evolution of the business has been swift in recent years it has not forgotten its regional roots.

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SIDE

STORY

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

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COVER STORY

T

he making of Esperance, the idyllic hamlet on a protected patch of coastline on the Great Australian Bite, as a destination for key industry was a century in the making. Not unlike the famous wildflower trails that have long drawn holidaymakers from the Goldfields to the north, its sudden flourishing, might be said to have happened rapidly during the 1960s, along with the many other torrents of progress that befell the wider culture including, more voraciously, the agri-sector.

Land in Esperance, according to historical records, was going under the plow at the equivalent of 100 acres an hour in 1960,

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leading it to become an agricultural supply centre for much of the state.

Construction of a breakwater led to the first ship to berth in Esperance in 1965.

The area, by now home to 15 new farms a year, warranted a coordinated road freight service. Against this background one of Western Australia’s largest, privately owned, commercial transport companies came of age. In 1979 John Harding bought the company established by Founder Ian Campbell two years previously, as an outfit whose primary concerns was fuel distribution and carting fresh fruit and vegetables. Ownership has since changed hands several times over the intervening years and as of 2008

remains under the stewardship of Managing Director Michael Harding.

Freight Lines Group, as it is now commonly known, is proving large enough, inventive enough, and generous enough to positively impact the communities with which it works across the state. The company puts back around a quarter of a million dollars into local communities they service every year. This includes sundry sports clubs, non-profit organisations, local newspapers and regional groups. Earlier this year, it carted an estimated 20 trailer loads of costumes, sets, generators and production equipment from Perth to the location of Before Dawn, a World War 1 feature film,

FLG heavy vehicle operator Grant Morris.

“The interesting thing in our business is that it’s grown itself out of Esperance and it’s very focused in helping out regional areas.”

Anthony Whelan Freight Lines Group Chief Financial Officer

being shot on a rural property 45 kms west of Esperance. Transportation services, which included a WW1 ambulance and pallets for building trenches, were all volunteered by Freight Lines Group (FLG).

The business long ago expanded into mining, bulk commodities, agriculture and specialised freight. The Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine, opening in 2008, provided impetus for further growth within the group. Company depots in Perth, Albany, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Ravensthorpe and Esperance reflects the areas FLG chiefly concentrates, in accordance with the regional nature of Western Australian industry.

At present FLG’s commercial vehicle fleet capacity sits currently at 140 trucks with 450 pieces of trailering equipment and counting. The company can dedicate trailers for the length of the contract or just supply as required for loads as they are scheduled. All trailers, which cover a vast spec of drop decks, curtainsiders, mill ball trailers and skels for mill ball containers, refrigerated trailers and bulk

The new MAN B-double exits the FLG Perth depot.

trailers, ride on air bag suspension.

Before last year, MAN was a relatively unknown product to FLG. An opportunity to introduce MAN vehicles to the company presented itself in mid-2020 after the Penske Perth dealership had delivered two new Western Star vehicles, which have since performed well, into its grain haulage division. Subsequent sales have included seven additional MAN TGX 26.540 XLX cabs, the remainder of which became operational in July. As Penske Australia supplies vehicles on repair/maintenance contracts with five-year terms, the accomplished performance and capabilities of that first MAN in April has proven a catalyst for a positive relationship that has since satisfied the customer support on the vehicles that Anthony Whelan and his team requires.

Anthony is the Freight Lines Group Chief Financial Officer.

“We’ve received good feedback from the drivers as far as drivability goes,” he says.

“We’re happy with the fuel economy and the comfort of the MANs. That feedback has been relayed by drivers to the team in as far as the considerations that we closely looked at initially. Although it’s early days reliability hasn’t been an issue which is obviously a big factor in road freight.”

These new trucks are all working out of Perth from a distribution hub and ferry general and ambient freight out to the regional areas as B-doubles and pocket roadtrains. The contract is for a million kilometres in five years. In other words they are to spend plenty of time on-road at distance. Rated at 90 tonnes, the 540 horsepower MAN is suited to linehaul palletised freight in curtainsiders and refrigerated trailers. The Euro 5 rated MAN TGX 26.540 comes equipped with p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

the manufacturer safety pack which includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Pedestrian Detection, ABS and EBS. Certain units in the fleet have reached their end of use according to Anthony — hence the changes.

“A lot of these MANs are replacing some other European brands,” he says. “Up until this point we had no MANs. We took the first one on to give it an assessment. I suppose, given the current climate of supply shortages, we were open to conducting a trial and we haven’t encountered any issues with its reliability.

The fuel burn numbers are quite good as was the availability for the MAN. They slot in quite nicely into our general freight business — an important area that we operate in.”

Ongoing and unabating demand for commercial vehicles, given component shortages and supply chain disruptions, suggest a shift is taking place in the market in which OEMs, with stock on hand, are in a unique position to capitalise with fleets who are pre-empting, as a response to market diktats, new truck purchases beyond next year.

“The fact is, in this massive chain, you’ve really got to be looking at least 12 months in advance. Even though you might get told seven or eight months the window is 12 months for projects and as far as planning goes the window is more like 15 to 16 months,” says Anthony. “If you’re looking at your fleet, changing out something, getting pricing and confirming an order and with that order you’re confirming that it will be ready 12 months down the track. By the time you go through that whole process the whole planning part of it is at least 14 months if not longer. That puts challenges on organisations where you’re looking to replace fleet. You’ve just got to have a much longer time frame for full visibility.”

An MTData system connects to a Samsung Tablet in every truck and monitors driver hours and break times. Live tracking in all trucks is beneficial to both FLG and its customers in knowing their location when required.

“For local trucks this means they can easily be diverted to collect extra or urgent 38

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freight during any day on their local runs and this is controlled via the local Fleet Rostering Advisor and MT Data,” says Anthony. “The MTData system allows the tracking of trucks, loads, fatigue, driver communication, climate and road condition warnings. All this is designed to actively manage fatigue.”

Freight visibility is available throughout the transport, storage and delivery to customer locations. An online tracking system allows customers to track the freight from the time of collection or dropoff at FLG depots to when the freight is ultimately scanned off at various sites. This provides full end-to-end track and trace.

Even though head office for general freight is now located in Perth, only minutes from the Penske dealership, Esperance still serves as the base of the business. Fruit and veg, though not as pronounced in operations these days, is very much a part of the company DNA. Operations with mining customers, which also entails overnight hotshots, is balanced with the core work of bulk and general freight across the sprawling Midwest-GoldfieldsGreat Southern area. Esperance is home to the new Western Star FXC 4964s. Powered by a 600hp Cummins engine and rated with a GVM of 130 tonnes, the Western Stars are equipped with grain tippers and tankers and are quite often carting both ways, usually grain in one direction and fertiliser or lime in the other.

“This year’s season is fairly reasonable

compared to many we have done. It’s sitting around the average or just above,” explains Anthony. “The challenge, particularly in Western Australia at the moment, assuming there are no untoward weather events, is the next harvest is potentially looking huge. We’re seeing that, not only from the weather conditions which are ideal at the moment, MAN TGX 26.540s awaiting dispatch in Perth.

MAN TGX 26.540 XLX cab B-double.

but also the farmers and the inputs they are putting into their operations is huge this year for next year’s harvest. So next year could be quite a challenging year for the grain industry and suppliers, and us servicing both our customer and the farmer.”

Another challenge for the business is maintaining its pool of drivers and attracting new ones.

“Particularly in Western Australia where the mining sector is booming as well,” Anthony notes. “For anyone willing to do the FIFO [fly-in/fly-out] work there is some good opportunities going at some fairly reasonable rates offered up in those mining site areas.”

The advantage of not having to rely on FIFO workers means the vast majority of FLG’s staff are home on a regular basis each week. According to Anthony this is a great incentive to attracting a transport and logistics workforce.

“We are also able to easily mobilise drivers from any one of our locations to support elsewhere when needed,” he says.

“Even though we have expertise spread

throughout our branches which, in this day and age, is much easier to do in moving people around the branches given the technology that is now around. Unless our staff have got a specific operational role, they could be in any one of our locations.”

Beyond this, having vehicles, like the MAN, with its persuasive driver acceptance, helps. Developing the available driver talent though must go beyond the current stocks. A Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations Skill Set pilot launched in conjunction with Central Region TAFE aims to remove barriers to entry in Heavy Rigid (HR), Heavy Combination (HC) or MultiCombination (MC) heavy vehicle driving through theoretical and hands-on practical truck driver training. It’s a positive step from the State Government according to Anthony.

“Looking at it, I think it will be a good feeder to the driver pool,” he says. “It will then be about upskilling those drivers to be multicombination drivers which is what we require. The skill levels and

experience will need to be added over time, but it’s certainly a start to feed into that pool of drivers because that skill level can be precipitated through an opportunity to rise up and then people can move on to getting that experience of multicombination work which is valuable for our area of operations.”

The regional focus of the program and the onus on nurturing new talent, suggests a future direction for the heavy vehicle industry in Western Australia which is, unlike many of the eastern states, already less centralised. It’s by no accident that the two concepts are closely connected at Freight Lines Group.

“The interesting thing in our business is that it’s grown itself out of Esperance and it’s very focused in helping out regional areas,” Anthony says. “The support shown by the business for those small type of regional community groups, whether it’s a bowls club, a local association or something bigger like helping reduce the transport costs on an independent film production, the regional community will always be important to us.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

S I G N AT U R E

MOVE Queensland-based Reid Removals are proud to be entrusted with the worldly goods of the many families they assist with services across the east coast of Australia.

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F

rom their base in Hervey Bay north of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Reid Removals services the nation’s entire east coast with additional depots in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and regular weekly services between Melbourne to Cairns.

Occasional trips to places like Adelaide and Narromine, are also honoured, sporadically for good measure.

Peter Reid has been in the removals industry since he left school. Now in his mid-sixties he’s looking forward to retirement so his new Freightliner Cascadia is important to him as it’s the truck in his fleet that he personally spends most of his time driving.

“I love it,” Peter says of his gleaming red Cascadia. “It’s comfortable and there is plenty of room in the sleeper. Because it was going to be the truck I mostly drive myself I loaded it up with things like a microwave and a television. It’s important to have the bigger bunk and sleep better.”

In his business of helping people relocate to new residential or business premises, it is hardly ironic that Peter has equipped the Cascadia with many of the comforts of home. Peter is critical of some other brands’ cabs which, although they legally qualify as sleepers, have their practical limitations.

“They should not be allowed as sleepers.

There’s no room in them and the drivers have got to climb over seats to get to the bunk. You can’t sleep properly like that,” he declares. “Plus some don’t have auxiliary powered air conditioning so they’ve got the truck running all night.”

The Cascadia is equipped with a Custom Air system to ensure Peter is always comfortable in the bunk area regardless of the outside weather conditions.

Company policy is that the drivers adhere to the fatigue requirements of their logbooks and count time spent loading and unloading as documented work activities.

“It’s the only way,” says Peter. “If anything goes wrong they know they have done everything right. All of us make sure we have our proper breaks plus there are so many cameras around p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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The spacious sleeper inside the Cascadia.

Peter Reid, Owner Reid Removals.

you have to do the right thing. If I get tired I park up and have a sleep. I’ve seen too many accidents caused by stupidity.”

The Cascadia is the fifth Freightliner Peter has owned and although based in Queensland, Peter purchases his trucks in Melbourne through the Whitehorse Trucks dealership in Dandenong which is convenient to the Reid Removals depot in nearby Hallam.

“They’ve always looked after me so I buy my trucks from them. I said to the people at Whitehorse when I bought the first one: you look after me and I’ll always be back and I’ll push your product,” he says.

After having a number of European trucks Peter found Freightliner best suits his requirements.

“I’ve had a big Coronado and a small Coronado,” he recalls. “Unfortunately we lost the big one in an accident which was determined not to be our driver’s fault. I usually keep prime movers for five years but losing that one put us out of sequence.”

The red Argosy in the Reid Removals fleet has covered more than a million kilometres.

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“The Detroit Diesel is the only engine I’ll have. I don’t de-rate them or anything like that and this new one happily sits on 99 km/hr and I’m happy with that plus I can’t get booked for speeding.”

Peter Reid Reid Removals

In addition to a few rigid trucks, Peter operates three B-double combinations consisting of a conventional removalist trailer at back, with the B trailers at the front equipped with container pins in response to the increase in popularity of containerised removals due to the flexibility they offer. Reid Removals has around of 40 containers at the Harvey Bay depot being used as storage by clients who have sold their homes and are yet to determine where their next abode will be. In addition to being practical to transport, containers are an excellent short or long term storage solution due to their inherent security and weather proofing. For short or long term storage, containers also offer the

advantage of saving time and money because the contents only need to be loaded and unloaded once.

There are no clapped out old trucks struggling to get up hills in the Reid fleet and the new Cascadia would take pride of place in any major linehaul operation. The Argosy prime movers are powered by 525hp Detroit Diesels with the new Cascadia equipped with the latest 600hp Detroit.

“The Detroit Diesel is the only engine I’ll have,” says Peter. “ I don’t de-rate them or anything like that and this new one happily sits on 99 km/hr and I’m happy with that plus I can’t get booked for speeding.”

Vehicle warranty is important to Peter and he regards the Freightliner and

Detroit Diesel warranty programs as exceptional.

“This new one has got included servicing for the first five years and I’m just so happy with it,” he says.

Volume rather than weight is an important factor in transporting furniture and other household goods, subsequently the B-double combinations are seldom at maximum weight which results in good fuel consumption.

Peter says the aerodynamic Cascadia is returning “early two’s” which translates to fuel consumption which varies between two and two and a half kilometers per litre.

The 12-speed DT12 Detroit Transmission is Peter’s first automated manual. He confesses to still becoming familiar with it even after eight or nine months of ownership and covering around 100,000 kilometres.

The removalist industry is notorious for high staff turnover yet Peter points to one of the Argosy drivers who has been with him for seven years and the other B-double driver is close to notching up three years. The pervading attitude of the entire team is to treat every furniture item, every appliance and every carton as if it was their own.

“You pay them good money and look after them they’ll stay with you,” says Peter. “They know how we want things done. That’s how we built our business on word-of-mouth and in this industry its better than advertising. We get lots of repeat customers.”

An advantage for clients using a service such as Reid Removals is the flexibility.

Some prefer to handle the packing and unpacking of their belongings themselves, requiring the removalists to basically load, transport and unload.

Reid’s can also provide an all-inclusive service in which they use their experience and expertise to properly pack each item and then unpack once it arrives at the new premises. Peter and wife Pam and their team take a particular pride in being able to offer that level of flexibility whether dealing with the contents of a five-bedroom house, a corporate office or the smallest studio apartment.

The new Freightliner, the fifth purchased by the Reid Removals, is equipped with a Custom Air System.

They understand that moving can be a stressful time and the staff make a real effort to embody the confidence rooted in their collective experience to set customers’ minds at ease.

Peter may have little criticism of his equipment or people, so he saves his frustration up for the road which withstands the majority of travel by the Reid fleet.

“The Bruce Highway needs fixing and what they are currently doing is a waste of money,” he says. “They need to make it like the Hume Freeway if they want to stop the accidents. Until these governments wake up and see what they need to do they are never going to stop

them on the Bruce.”

Peter and his wife Pam have been together since their mid-teens and have enjoyed building their business together and credit their daughter Melissa with consistently contributing to the smooth running of the Hervey Bay office at the same time as managing a household with three children and a FIFO husband.

The Reid Removals operation is currently on the market. When they retire they won’t be leaving behind the roads and highways where they have dedicated so much of their lives.

“When we sell, we’ll hook up our caravan and it will be see ya later alligator,” says Peter. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

BODY AND

SOIL

Peter Wadewitz is a special type of eco-entrepreneur who has built his business by regarding unwanted organic materials as a resource rather than waste.

Tim Richardson, Peats Soil Logistics Manager.

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P

eats Soil receives and processes much of metropolitan Adelaide’s green organics from council kerbside and industrial collections, as well as food organics from businesses such as hotels, supermarkets, schools, office buildings, food processors and manufacturers.

Peter Wadewitz and his team developed the globally renowned BiobiN organic waste collection and on-site processing facilities to divert potentially useful products from being dumped into landfill. The breakdown of organic materials in landfill generates the potent

greenhouse gas methane and produces potentially polluting leachate. From a climate perspective, diverting green waste from landfill has the largest impact of any solid waste component.

Peter has been the Managing Director of Peats Soil and Garden Supplies since 1974 and he is so well respected in his area of expertise, as well as being community and environmentally supportive, that he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2020.

“This is an unbelievable honour. I am blown away, it is something you never expect,” Peter said at the time in response to the award. “I just do what I do because I am so passionate about it.

I have been involved in composting for 50 years. You have your head down and your tail up, because you believe in what you are doing.”

Peats Soil and Garden Supplies employs almost 100 people and is a family run company with a vision to be a world leader in sustainable and innovative organics recycling. For 45 years Peats have been processing and marketing recyclable organic resources, creating products for landscaping, garden and horticultural activities in South Australia where the business is based.

Converting waste organics into useful soil improvers has become a passion for Peter who estimates that more than 15 million tonnes of usable organic material is still being dumped into landfill in Australia every year.

“When you see compost going out onto farms and you see healthy soil and what it does for a plant, and what it does for micro and macro nutrients within a plant and the health of the plant, it is the most exciting thing,” Peter says.

Putting carbon back into the soil can have additional benefits other than curtailing pollution. Peter cites one farmer in NSW who has applied six tonnes of compost product per hectare for ten years and has built the soil carbon up from 0.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent and now uses less water and less fertiliser while growing healthier fruit and vegetables.

“We’ve also got vineyards that use 60 per cent less water than their neighbours because they are using organic matter in the topsoil,” he says.

Peats Soil and Garden Supplies operate from three depots located in the Adelaide suburbs of Willunga, Langhorne Creek and Dublin as well as at Whyalla. During 2021 Peats Soils expanded into Darwin, although their own trucks don’t run up the Sturt Highway with Mildura being the most distant regular destination. The trucks run regularly to Portland in Victoria as well as into NSW. Peter has successfully experimented with producing quality biodiesel fuel and has obtained most of the necessary infrastructure to operate his own biodiesel plant and he also sees hydrogen as an emerging source of future energy.

“Man is creating too much CO² and something has got to be done about it. I believe we’ve got pollution issues with soils and waterways and air,” he says. “I think it’s about clean energy for clean air, but I’m just cautious that we don’t send ourselves broke and don’t come up with the wrong policies. I think hydrogen will be an answer when we get the economics right.”

With so much happening within the ever-expanding organisation one could question why Peter continues to operate his own sizable truck fleet.

“The first and foremost reason is we believe we can give our customers the service when they want it. Years ago, I went down the road of subbies and they couldn’t do the job and get to the customer on time or they would argue over a price,” he recalls. “It’s better to basically own your own supply chain, although I’ve got people in my company who keep saying sell the trucks and subcontract all the transport out. But I’m also a bit of a passionate truckie.”

As Peter’s parents owned a wholesale plant nursery, he grew up around horticulture. In his late teens due to his love for trucks, tractors and earth moving equipment, Peter travelled to Sydney and completed an operator’s p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

DAF CF 13-litre Euro 6 prime mover.

course for bulldozers and graders. He managed to convince his parents to allow him to buy two D series Fords which he brought back from NSW one on top of the other. The trip included going via Melbourne and to pick up a few varieties of potted plants for the nursery and which Peter loaded in the space underneath the truck being carried.

Throughout the development of the transport side of the business Peter has been open to take on various brands of European trucks.

It is natural given Peter’s dedication to minimising his company’s own environmental impacts that the two

latest DAF CF prime movers to join the fleet are powered by the Euro 6 compliant 13-litre engines which are rated at 530hp. The DAFs have the full suite of safety features including a driver’s airbag and seat belt pretensioners, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collison Warning, Lane Departure Warning System and Vehicle Stability Control.

“I’ve known the Crawford family [owners of CMV Truck Centres] for many years and one of the grandsons doesn’t live all that far away from one of our sites and he’s very interested in horticulture as well as selling trucks,” he says.

There is already another couple of DAFs on order.

Peter had been having a few issues with another brand in the fleet so he took a serious look at the DAF product and the types of service contracts available with DAF which he says are significantly lower in cost than those offered by competitors.

“I’m very impressed. They guaranteed that a truck would be there available if one of ours takes longer than the agreed service time for some reason such as if a spare part is out of stock,” Peter says.

“They’ll have a truck available for us,

which is something others have been promising to me for about five years and haven’t delivered on.”

Although he is comfortable with a mixed truck fleet, when it comes to loaders Cat is the only brand for Peter.

“Ninety per cent of the reason is their spare parts and their service backup is just unbelievable,” he says.

As the Peats fleet grows, however, so does the requirement for capable drivers.

“We just haven’t done enough in the transport industry to train up good drivers,” says Peter. “If we’re supposedly taking our national fruit and vegetables production from $60 billion to $100 billion somewhere along the line it’s got to be freighted by somebody.”

In sync with the mixed fleet of trucks, the Peats Soils range of trailers includes a variety of manufacturers, each with their own specialities including walking floor units.

But why is it called “Peats”?

“When I first started at the age of 18 or 19 I used to pinch the old man’s potting mix which actually had peat moss in it and I’d put it in a little bag and I’d put a label on it,” he explains. “One of the staff suggested because it had peat moss in it and Pete made it why don’t you call it ‘Peats’? That’s all the market research that went into that one.”

Loading up one of the 540hp DAFs on site in Adelaide.

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THE BUSINESS OF SAFETY

We’re all in the business of safety.

Working safely has never been more important. No matter who you are – a driver, team leader, fleet manager or CEO – we’re all in the business of safety, every day.

NTI has teamed up with the NHVR as part of its Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative to bring you tips and tools at nti.com.au/better-business-hub. Our experts, alongside your industry peers, break down the important information you need to face the challenges of your role.

NTI PRESENTS

NTI PRESENTS

So head online to nti.com.au/better-business-hub and make safety a priority.

NTI’s The Business of Safety is funded by the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, supported by the Australian Government.

National Transport Insurance is a joint venture of the insurers Insurance Australia Limited trading as CGU Insurance ABN 11 000 016 722 AFSL 227681 and AAI Limited Trading as Vero Insurance ABN 48 005 297 807 AFSL 230859 each holding a 50% share. National Transport Insurance is administered on behalf of the insurers by its manager NTI Limited ABN 84 000 746 109 AFSL 237246.

TRUCK & TECH

Kenworth T410 SAR.

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Having safety as its number one priority, followed closely by durability, SRH Milk Haulage has specified its latest Kenworth prime mover with Dana Spicer D46170D(P) tandem drive axles – featuring a full-time lube pump – combined with Bendix Spicer ADB22X disc brakes.

THE DIFF I S I N T H E D E TA I L

S

RH Milk Haulage was founded in October 1996 by Scott and Regina Harvey with one truck and one trailer, following the attainment of a contract with Dairy Farmers to deliver milk to its factory at Hexham near Newcastle.

The business was originally based at the Harvey’s home at Aberglasslyn, and in 2001 a yard was secured at 160 Racecourse Road Rutherford where they built their first shed, which is still in use today.

Since its inception in 1996, SRH Milk Haulage has secured various contracts in New South Wales with the likes of Dairy Farmers, Parmalat, Saputo, Norco, A2 and Richmond. In July 2012 the company made the huge leap over the paddock to Western Australia, where it established farm milk pick up for Lion (formerly

Dairy farmers) and then in 2013 secured a contract with Brownes Dairy.

In 2017 SRH Milk Haulage commenced in Victoria, acquiring a contract with Parmalat in the Gippsland area followed by a Lion contract.

Fast forward to today and SRH Milk Haulage now operates a fleet of 68 trucks and 100 tankers over the three states, with all of the tankers running disc brakes.

The company recently acquired three new Kenworth prime movers – and has also ordered one of the highly sought after T410 SAR Legend units – for its linehaul operations, all of which feature disc brake equipped Dana drive and steer axles.

“It all comes down to safety,” says Scott Harvey when asked about his reasoning for going down the all-disc brake path.

“Disc brakes are far more efficient than

drum brakes, that’s for sure.”

Scott says he has spec’d the Kenworths for longevity as he plans to keep them for at least five years and then assess how they are standing the test of time. He says for this reason he wanted the driveline components to be bulletproof and believes that Dana diffs and drivelines are exactly that.

“We’ve been using Kenworths with Dana components for the last 15 years and we’ve had a terrific run with them,” he says. “The drivers like them too, which is an important factor because they tend to look after them better.”

SRH Milk Haulage runs a new Kenworth T610 SAR pulling a 26-metre A-double in Victoria and two T610s hauling 25-metre B-doubles doing linehaul – one on the east coast between Coffs Harbour and the p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

Gold Coast and the other covering various trips in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

The Kenworths are on contract maintenance plans with PACCAR and Scott says he is very happy with the way the company is maintaining them so far.

Speaking about the Dana Spicer D46170D(P) tandem drive unit that is fitted to his latest Kenworth, Scott says he believes the added force-fed lubrication for the power divider is the icing on the cake for what is already an outstandingly durable drive axle arrangement.

The unit features a driver-controlled power divider lock, dual cross-wheel diff locks, a ratio of 4.3:1 and a ground capacity of 20.9 tonnes. It has a gross combination mass (GCM) rating of 90 tonnes.

“I have no complaints whatsoever about this new pump system Dana has introduced and I will be specifying more of them in future Kenworths,” he says – adding that the T410 SAR Legend he recently ordered will have one fitted to it.

“Lubrication is one of the biggest issues with trucks – whether it be turntables or axles – so anything that betters lubrication means the components are going to last longer, there’s no doubt about that. Using good quality oil and having it pumped directly to the critical axle components is definitely the best way to go.”

As the power divider is located at the

“From my point of view, in the last five years Kenworths have improved out of sight in terms of being more suitable for a fleet operator.”

Scott Harvey SRH Milk Haulage Founder

top of the carrier, splash lubrication in a conventional diff may not always reach the bearings and gears in the ideal quantity.

This was the impetus for Dana developing the force-fed lubrication system for its drive axles – to ensure the power divider, also known as inter-axle differential, receives optimum lubrication in all aspects of vehicle operation from low speed off-road to cruising at 100km/h on the highway.

An added bonus with Dana’s pump system is that a full-flow filter is incorporated which removes metal and other foreign particles that find their way into the oil.

SRH buys its Kenworths at Gilbert and Roach Hexham, with the help of sales representative Ray Williams.

Ray says the Dana steer and drive axles are an ideal fit for SRH due to the company’s preference for disc brakes.

“Dana offers a really good package with its disc brake axles,” Ray says. “The steer axle is a D2000F Heavy Duty unit with a capacity of 9.1 tonnes.”

Said steer axle features the same Bendix Spicer supplied Dana ADB-22X disc brakes with 430mm diameter rotors as the drive axles. Also part of the package are the Spicer SPL 250 main driveline and SPL 170 inter-axle driveline – both of which are sealed for life and maintenance free.

Having formerly sold another brand of truck, Ray says he previously didn’t have a lot to do with the Dana product lines, but that has all changed since he started selling Kenworths.

“Now I suggest and recommend Dana driveline components on pretty much every truck I specify,” he says. “The whole package from the axles to the brakes and the universal joints are all very high quality and built to last.”

Dana’s warranty terms, according to Ray, are very good, too. In the case of the latest units bought by SRH, they are covered by a standard four year/ 800,000km warranty. He also has a lot of time for Dana Australia’s Area Sales Manager – Commercial Vehicle, Jock Pickford.

“Jock’s support and product knowledge are really helpful – he’s always willing to SRH’s new 26m A-double tanker.

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assist our clients when needed,” Ray says – adding that he likes the fact that Dana products are locally manufactured.

“I’ve had a tour through the Dana factory at Keysborough in Melbourne and I really liked what I saw,” he says.

Echoing this sentiment is Scott Harvey, who reiterates that he is very happy with the performance of the three Dana equipped Kenworths he now operates.

“From my point of view, in the last five years Kenworths have improved out of sight in terms of being more suitable for a fleet operator,” Scott says. “These days good drivers are hard to find so we need to make it as easy as we can to attract and retain them.”

Scott maintains that familiarity within a fleet is important and the easier it is for drivers to get out of one truck and into another the better.

“The comfort and safety levels of Kenworths have improved markedly over the last few years and while they’re not quite at the European truck standards yet,

A Dana Spicer D46-170D(P) tandem drive unit is fitted to the latest Kenworth.

they’re getting mighty close,” he adds.

For this reason, Scott notes he is looking to standardise on Kenworth bonneted trucks with Dana drivelines for his linehaul fleet.

Let us take a load off your business.

The strong product support the company receives from both Dana and Kenworth, in addition to the reliability and durability of the products, is a winning combination for SRH Milk Haulage.

Darren Wales, CEO

Heavy Vehicle Accident Repairs. Australia Wide.

At AMA Heavy Vehicle Accident Repairs we do one thing and we do it well.

The superior craftsmanship from our experienced teamof repair professionals across Australia ensures your truck or bus is in the best hands.

Our combined knowledge and ongoing investment in equipment, technology and people means we defeat the challenges of today, and into the future, for all types of heavy vehicles and trailers.

And because we have strong and binding relationships with all major insurers we are able to quickly assess, quote and complete your repairs to ensure you are back on the road as soon as possible.

Be safe on our roads, but if you need a repair contact us: Phone: 1300-223-072 Email: info@amagroupsolutions.com.au Web: www.amaheavyvehicle.com.au

BRISBANE

PERTH

NEWCASTLE SYDNEY

ADELAIDE

MELBOURNE

HEAVY MOTOR DIVISION

TRUCK & TECH

A SURE

THING SBA Transport has enjoyed what could be an all-time record first run from a Meritor tandem drive assembly on a 14-year-old Kenworth cab-over doing linehaul duties. Until they were recently removed, the two carriers hadn’t been touched apart from oil changes at 400,000km intervals using fully synthetic oil.

The enduring 2007 Kenworth K104B Aerodyne.

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ighlighting the outstanding durability of Meritor drive axles when used and maintained optimally, Melbourne-based SBA Transport operates a 2007 Kenworth K104B Aerodyne that has remarkably clocked 4.2 million kilometres on the original untouched differential carriers. The prime mover has been consistently pulling a B-double set at close to maximum weights on the eastern seaboard for all of that time. While there was no issue with the carrier, a crack in one axle housing necessitated its removal in order for the crack to be replaced.

What’s even more remarkable is that after the units were removed from the truck, disassembled and inspected

by Meritor, the company’s Manager Field Sales and Service, Renzo Barone, declared that the components, after a full re-race, were fit for another life of service.

SBA Transport owner, Steve Brunskill, is no stranger to receiving spectacularly long service life from his transport equipment. In fact, he doesn’t have a specific timeline for turning over his prime movers, instead preferring to maintain them well and employ drivers who look after them, therefore maximising the lifespan potential of each unit.

Speaking about the ultra-impressive run he’s had from Meritor axles, Steve shares his view that there are two main reasons for this.

“For me it proves the value of only running fully synthetic oil in the rear axles; and it also proves that Meritor diffs are pretty damn good,” Steve says.

He adds that while this is the longest life-to-overhaul he has ever had from a diff, the run he’s had from Meritor diffs in general, since he started specifying them on his trucks in the mid-1980s, has been exceptionally good.

Not surprisingly, Steve says every new truck he buys now comes furnished with a Meritor tandem drive.

Every good product needs an equally good service, support and backup team

behind it and in the case of Meritor, Steve believes the assistance he’s received from Meritor and, in particular, Renzo Barone, is definitely something to write home about.

“The service backup I’ve received from Renzo is second to none – the guy is brilliant,” Steve enthuses. “Every time I’ve had an issue, without fail he’s been there to help me.”

Steve concedes that not every truck operator would be willing to run diff carriers for over four million kilometres before an overhaul, but on the other hand he sees it as a bit of a personal challenge to find out just what the superbly engineered and constructed Meritor products are actually capable of achieving.

“We initially wanted to see how far we could go with these diffs, so we kept taking regular oil samples and they indicated that the oil remained fine, so we kept pushing the envelope,” Steve says, acknowledging the Meritor drive axles are one element of a longevity package which also includes Kenworth trucks and Caterpillar engines.

“Our ideal products were traditionally Kenworth, Cat and Meritor, but unfortunately Cat engines are no longer available,” Steve says ruefully. “So now we can choose either Cummins or Cummins when we buy our new Kenworths.”

Having said that, Steve mentions he also has a soft spot for Detroit Diesel’s venerable Series 60 engine, of which he has had a good number in the fleet since the early 1980s.

With a philosophy of keeping gear going as long as possible, it’s fitting that the oldest truck in the SBA Transport fleet that’s still in active service is a 1980 model Kenworth body truck.

The oldest prime mover is a 1985 model Detroit-powered Kenworth SAR, while the second oldest is an ’89 model K100E. Rounding out the trio of 25-plus-year-old prime movers is a Ford L9000 that was built in 1993. The latter two are powered by Detroit Series 60 12.7 litre engines.

“We also have a 1994 model Kenworth p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

Upon inspection the carrier parts laid out here were in remarkably good condition after 14 years of service.

K100E cab-over still going strong on a regular linehaul B-double run between Melbourne and Brisbane,” Steve proudly relates. “It’s been fitted with a new Series 60 14-litre engine and new gearbox and diffs but is still running the original cab it’s had from day one.”

Steve explains that as long as he has drivers who want to drive and look after the older trucks he plans to keep rebuilding and maintaining them in tip top condition. As for how he got started in the trucking game, Steve says he started working for his father in 1976, and at that stage there was just one prime mover and one trailer.

From there Steve grew the business but now has reduced it to a far more manageable 18 prime movers and 40 trailers, most of which are curtainsided units.

“It’s quite a challenge finding good drivers these days, but we now have a good tight-knit team where everyone works well together,” says Steve. “We are fortunate to have a couple of good young drivers under 30 and most of the others range in age from 40s to 60s.”

The company specialises in transporting packaged and bulk dangerous goods and has been carrying batteries for the past 33 years. General freight makes up the remainder of the workload.

Much of the business is linehaul in 54

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“It’s quite a challenge finding good drivers these days, but we now have a good tight-knit team where everyone works well together.”

Steve Brunskill SBA Transport owner,

the triangle bounded by Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney while a smaller percentage is local and regional Victorian work.

“We’ve been up and down in this industry – it’s a tough old game,” he says. “But we’ve battled through and working with blokes like Renzo Barone makes it all worthwhile. When you have a problem he does everything he can to help you out.”

He adds that Renzo’s commitment and support over a long period of time has even extended to diagnosing problems that were of a more general nature. As an example, Steve goes on to describe a time when he had a truck that was bumping and bouncing in the drive axles when turning corners.

“We looked all over this thing trying to find the cause and I was about to pull the diff out thinking that must be the problem,” Steve says.

“Anyway, at the last minute I decided to speak to Renzo about it and he told me

it could be worn shock absorbers. Sure enough, we replaced the drive shocks and bingo, no more bouncing axles.”

As for the future of the business, Steve says he hopes to eventually pass the business on to his son just as his father handed it down to him. At present Steve’s son is doing an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic which Steve believes should stand him in good stead further down the track.

Meanwhile, Steve reiterates that he is grateful for the quality and durability of the Meritor axles and drivelines he uses and the service and backup from the company when its needed.

“The backup service from Meritor and Renzo along with the outstanding durability of the products are prime reasons why I’ve stayed with Meritor over all these years,” he says. “The proof’s in the pudding when you have a diff that’s done 4.2 million kilometres without having had a spanner put on it since it was first built.”

Speed limiter tampering puts everyone at risk

Up to 10% of all heavy vehicles have illegally remapped engines The illegal practice of speed limiter tampering to manufacturer settings means the vehicle will not comply with the Heavy Vehicle National Law. This puts truck drivers and the public at great risk of harm on our roads.

With most accidents happening on regional and remote roads, and more than 500 hospitalisations each year, we need to do our part to make roads safer by complying with the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

We know that speed is a major contributing factor in road deaths and serious injuries involving heavy vehicles, and total fatalities for other road users outnumber truck drivers four to one.

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

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

TRUCK & TECH

CRANE

TERRAIN Since its formation in 2000, City Crane Trucks in Adelaide has grown exponentially to meet the ever-increasing demands of customers. The company’s fleet includes 15 Volvo trucks, the newest of which sports what’s claimed to be the largest truck-mounted crane in Australia.

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Volvo FH 500 10x6.

n addition to its core lifting capabilities, City Crane Trucks offers a diverse range of transport services ranging from general freight to heavy haulage and oversize loads – for which the company also takes care of the necessary permits and pilot escorts. Its transport services cover metropolitan Adelaide, regional South Australia and interstate destinations.

The wide range of lifting, recovery and trailing equipment the company operates includes self-loading crane trucks, allterrain forklifts, tilt trays, a super tilt tray, tray-top rigids, floats, extendables, flat-tops and drop-deck semi-trailers.

According to City Crane Trucks Managing Director, Bruno Simone, the company has been buying Volvo trucks for the past 15 years and is very pleased with the performance, comfort and durability of the vehicles.

“The drivers really appreciate the European comfort and I have had a long and productive relationship with our local Volvo dealer, South Central Truck & Bus, and in particular two of the salesmen Bill Smith and Jason Templer,” Bruno says.

“I like to try and keep the fleet as uniform as possible and the Volvos have been good and reliable for me so I’ve continued to buy them.”

Bruno mentions that all aspects of the brand and the dealer – from sales, service and delivery point – have been consistently good and he has had no reason to look elsewhere.

“It started off good and has remained that way ever since, so why would I want to change?” Bruno says.

Interestingly, Bruno started out in the year 2000 working for a taxi truck company and at that stage had no real inclination to operate crane trucks. But as is often the way, the crane work presented itself as an opportunity for him to carve out a niche in the industry, and Bruno grabbed it with both hands.

“I’d bought a second-hand truck that had a crane mounted on it and my first job was delivering scaffolding,” Bruno relates. “This involved hand loading and unloading so I didn’t really need the crane for that job but about that time there was a construction

boom and I soon had plenty of people wanting me to work for them because I had a crane on my truck – which none of the other subcontractors working for the courier company had.”

Bruno explains that the courier company’s rules didn’t allow its subbies to have other people driving their trucks, which precluded him from buying more trucks while working for that company. So that’s when he made the decision to go out on his own and form City Crane Trucks.

“Back then I was ordering and buying a truck every couple of months and I’d be hiring and training another driver to operate it,” Bruno says. “Initially I was driving and running the business but by the time I had seven trucks I needed to stop driving and concentrate on answering the phone and organising all the work.”

Today, the family owned and operated company has a fleet of 40 trucks and a staff of over 60 people. Bruno is assisted in the office by his wife Bernie who handles administration and accounts, while Bruno’s PA Lisa Simeone manages the payroll and, along with Sonya Murphy, helps Bernie with a range of other duties including admin and marketing.

Meanwhile, Bruno’s brother Pino is General Manager and Dispatch Operator, while Brock Heness and Simon Nicholls are the onsite Field Managers and Customer Relations Officers.

Rounding out the managerial team are Dispatch Co-ordinator David Waters and Matthew James who works in both the workshop and the office.

The company’s specialty of lifting all manner of products has followed key investments in specialised equipment such as concrete and plasterboard grabs – including all the necessary attachments to go with the cranes. There’s even an automatic concrete lifter that is used to lift the concrete barriers at roadworks sites.

Without a doubt the most impressive crane truck in the fleet is the new Volvo FH 500 10x6 that supports what’s reported to be the largest truck-mounted crane in Australia.The Effer 955 7S + 4S Fly-Jib crane was fitted to the big Volvo by lifting equipment specialist, Maxilift Australia.

The unit is said to be capable of lifting p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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TRUCK & TECH

Effer 955 7S + 4S Fly-Jib crane.

1,330kg at 27.73m reach with a maximum lift capacity of more than 24 tonnes. In fact, the unit can reportedly perform the same tasks as a 100-tonne mobile crane.

The engineering process was the first step of co-ordinating the project, with Maxilift’s engineering team first completing theoretical axle load and stability calculations to determine the overall concept of the build. Following this, according to Maxilift Australia Product Manager, Hayden Niscioli, the subframe design began.

“After the general direction of the build was decided upon, our engineers completed high level and detailed stress analysis on every bolt hole, weld and surface to tweak the final design and validate the numbers,” Hayden says – adding that validation of the design by Volvo Group Australia was another critical step in the engineering 58

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process. “The project also required design registration to be completed by SafeWork SA as well as Performance-Based Standards approval by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).”

The crane has a number of useful performance and safety features including a removable fly-jib, 2.5-tonne winch, Effer remote access system (RACE) and advanced stability system (SENSE).

“The Progress 2.0 system coupled with Effer’s advanced stability system, SENSE, allows the operator to have ultimate control of the crane in any situation while always remaining in a safe working condition,” Hayden says. “The system enables lifting capacity relative to how far out the stabilisers are set.

“Also, the operator only needs to have the stabilisers deployed on the sides on which the crane is working, thus reducing the

crane’s footprint on tight job sites.”

Bruno echoes these sentiments, noting among the many advantages of this new unit are the fast setup time, simple oneperson operation and the fact that the crane truck is also towing a tandem-axle trailer to bring the load to the jobsites.

“This provides us with some real efficiencies in terms of labour hours per job and it also limits the number of vehicles onsite,” he says. “The crane truck is self-sufficient, with all lifting gear and operators in the one vehicle. The Volvo truck is very comfortable with the latest in driver assist technologies which equates to added safety for the crane operators who arrive onsite refreshed and alert.”

Bruno mentions that the process of getting the vehicle over the line was complex and time consuming but that, in the end, the result made it all worthwhile.

“This is one of the first Road Friendly twin-steer tri-drive prime movers in Australia and it’s taken 18 months for the NHVR to complete the approvals for it,” Bruno says. “It pulls an 11m long extendable bogie-axle trailer which extends to 16m and has general access with a payload of 14 tonnes and a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 51.5 tonnes. It also has the capacity to lift fully loaded 20’ containers on and off trailers.”

The combination will be mainly used to carry timber trusses, structural steel and roofing to building sites where the crane can lift it off the trailer and onto the building in one fell swoop, eliminating the usual double handling.

“With this combination we can pick up the load, deliver it and lift it straight up for the construction workers to bolt it in place,” Bruno says.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Bruno is already planning to build an even bigger unit based on another Volvo chassis that will offer all the advantages of a mobile crane with the benefit of faster travel times between jobs. In common with the current unit this one will also have a stabiliser at the front to enable 360-degree slew operation. For Bruno, it’s all part of an ongoing philosophy of continually upping the ante in the lifting game in which, after 20 years, he is firmly entrenched.

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INDUSTRY

Mercedes-Benz Gen H2 Hydrogen Fuel Cell truck.

BUNDLES OF

ENERGY Road transport is at the forefront of some radical developments in energy and propulsion.

T

he demand for road freight continues to surge almost exponentially, driven largely by the phenomenal growth of e-commerce. At the same time, the threats associated with climate change have lead many nations to commit to, or in some cases at least pay lip service to, zero net carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2050. At the moment, 2050 may seem to be a long way off but the time required to develop the technologies necessary to achieve that vital goal are not created or developed over night, and we are at a virtual crossroads on how road transport and its suppliers can best address the industry’s needs for the next 30 years and beyond. Diesel fuel remains the energy source of choice despite additional pressure being applied to address its exhaust emissions. There is no date yet set for the introduction of the next level of emission standards and Euro 7 isn’t expected until late in this decade ,and Australia is yet to mandate even Euro 6 despite many of the current trucks on sale 60

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here already meeting the stricter standard.

Under Euro 7 the challenge for vehicle manufacturers and freight operators will be that the permitted levels of carbon dioxide and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) will be so low that even a conventional diesel-electric hybrid with a multi-speed transmission will not be able to meet them.

“The big driver isn’t Euro 7, it’s actually the global cross-industry push to reach net zero CO² by 2050,” says Romesh Rodrigo, Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Senior Manager of Homologation, Vehicle Processing and Regulatory Affairs — a big title for what will become increasingly a big job. “Daimler has committed to offer only new trucks and buses that are CO² neutral for Europe, North America and Japan by 2039.”

Current technology extends across electric trucks which are already being proven as viable for shorter radius trips. The acknowledged challenges extend to the weight of the batteries at the sacrifice of payload as well as the time required to recharge those batteries, regardless of the

Romesh Rodrigo.

source of the electricity used. However, overcoming these challenges through battery technology is evolving at a rapid rate in a similar manner to mobile phones following their popularisation during the 1990s.

Less than a decade ago, concepts such as autonomous trucks and electric powered light commercial trucks were viewed by many as something from a sci-fi movie. While not yet mainstream those technologies are being taken up and the next disrupter currently appears to be the electric trucks powered by Hydrogen Fuel Cells (HFC).

It isn’t a circumstance of one technology

competing with the other; more the case of complementing each other. For applications operating for around 150300 kilometres per shift Battery Electric Vehicles makes a lot of sense. Regional and long haul will be more suited to HFC due to longer operating ranges, quicker fuelling times and higher payloads without the weight of large storage batteries.

Internationally, the high profile players in the electric and hydrogen fuel cell space have been Tesla and Nikola, neither of which appears to have yet sold a single practical vehicle. Both companies have been headed by flamboyant entrepreneurs although Trevor Milton was forced to resign from his own Nikola board and in late July was charged with multiple counts of fraud and released on $100m bail, and over at Tesla Elon Musk continues to be, well, Elon Musk. Musk announced at the end of July yet another delay in the debut of Tesla’s electric Class 8 prime mover to sometime in 2022, marking at least the third time the production of the Tesla Semi has been pushed back since it was unveiled with much hype in 2017.

It’s not just the start ups such as Nikola and Tesla, or Hyzon and Volta or even the Australian based SEA Electric that have entered this space. Mainstream OEMs including Volvo, Daimler and Kenworth have been quietly developing electric trucks and a number are already available overseas with the Fuso eCanter now on sale here and the first Volvo electric truck was recently delivered to Linfox in Australia.

Hyzon have announced local trials of HFC powered trucks in 2022.

What we once called oil companies are transitioning themselves to become “energy providers” and are likely to become players in the provision of the necessary infrastructure such as fast charging stations for EVs and hydrogen refuelling stations. It is anticipated replenishing the hydrogen on a HFC truck will take only a little longer than refuelling an equivalent diesel. It is estimated that the EV charging station market in the US will be worth in excess of $100 billion by 2028.

Diesel manufacturer Cummins has taken a majority shareholding in Canadian fuel cell developer Hydrogenics and has also

Linfox’s Volvo FL Electric truck charges up.

formed a new partnership with NPROXX, which is a hydrogen storage system company from the Netherlands.

Tom Linebarger, the CEO of Cummins, recently said the organisation is aiming to make a dramatic shift from its traditional diesel engines and by 2050, Cummins wants to have hydrogen fuel cell powertrains.

“From an energy density point of view, weight density, new batteries are not as good as hydrogen tanks are,” Linebarger said. “So if you’ve got a truck that’s loaded up with weight, you’re going to be better off with a lighter weight fuel than batteries.”

Cummins has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chevron to explore forming a strategic alliance to develop commercially viable business opportunities in alternative energy sources including hydrogen.

Once seen as a good path to explore, it now seems that petroleum gas, either natural or manufactured, isn’t going to be a significant energy source for transportation although it may have a role to play as a transitional fuel in applications which persist with internal combustion engines.

“In the long term, all power trains will be electric,” says Romesh Rodrigo. “Battery electric will be last mile, and I see long haul will be hydrogen powered. There is going to be a certain amount of technology sharing because they are both essentially electric vehicles, it’s just the energy storage

medium is different.”

Romesh Rodrigo’s comments also echo those of the global head of Daimler Trucks, Martin Daum.

“We are consistently pursuing our technology strategy for the electrification of our trucks,” he says. “We want to offer our customers the best locally CO²-neutral trucks – powered by either batteries or hydrogen-based fuel cells, depending on the use case.”

Obviously, hydrogen is acknowledged as the preferred course for development yet there is some debate about whether it is better to be transported in gaseous or liquid form. Hydrogen provides its highest energy yield when transported as hydrogen rather than converted to ammonia or urea.

Locally, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation has undertaken an extensive market study into the competitiveness of ‘green” hydrogen across 25 Australian industry sectors, finding that “green’ hydrogen is already approaching cost competitiveness for heavy trucking. The CEFC’s Advancing Hydrogen Fund is aiming to invest up to $300 million of concessional finance to support the growth of a competitive Australian hydrogen industry.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing almost $25 million in support of the establishment of more than 400 recharging stations for electric vehicles although most seemed targeted at passenger vehicle rather than commercial requirements. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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TEST DRIVE

SILENCE IS

GOLDEN

The Fuso eCanter is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) all-electric truck available in Australia.

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he eCanter is a result of the combined global engineering expertise of its Daimler Group parentage. For the Australian market the Canter trucks with conventional diesel engines are produced in Fuso’s Kawasaki plant in Japan. The eCanters we are getting here are manufactured at the Tramagal 62

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factory in Portugal. An advantage of the European manufacture is the inclusion of an Isri suspended driver’s seat as standard equipment on locally delivered eCanters.

As with the diesel 4x2 Canters, the eCanter also features plenty of safety features including Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start, reversing camera,

driver and passenger airbags, as well as an Advanced Emergency Braking System and a Lane Departure Warning System.

By their design electric trucks typically operate in high density urban areas and the eCanter’s advanced pedestriansensing camera and emergency braking technology are major safety factors.

The eCanter is equipped with six liquid

Fuso eCanter in Melbourne’s Docklands.

cooled lithium-ion battery packs with two mounted on the outside of each chassis rail and a double deck pack between the rails. That results in a combined storage of 82.8kWh which is enough to power the eCanter at full weight for more than 100 km.

Power output from the permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is rated at 135kW (181hp) and the maximum 390Nm of torque is delivered immediately upon pressing the

accelerator pedal.

Batteries with sufficient capacity to power a truck of this size are by necessity quite heavy and result in the test model having a comparatively high tare weight including the body of 3,280kgs and the eCanter’s Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) rating of 7,500kgs provides for a practical payload exceeding 4 tonnes.

The GVM requires a minimum of a Light Rigid licence for the driver. The GVM also dictates the truck is unable to access certain urban streets which have lower gross weight limits in place, typically less than 4,500kgs. We happen to encounter some of those restricted thoroughfares during our test drive and we avoid risking a ticket by following the friendly voice of the GPS, which has been programmed with the eCanter’s vital statistics. If the relevant authorities are serious about encouraging this type of vehicle, they will have to rethink weight restrictions in inner urban areas in order for their citizens to benefit from the zero exhaust emissions and significantly reduced noise levels possible with vehicles such as the eCanter. These last mile deliveries (and pickups) are a natural fit for electric vehicles because the routes can be planned to take advantage of the vehicles‘ range and recharging opportunities.

The test truck is loaded with two tonnes of ballast to simulate a realistic payload, which in the real world would progressively reduce as deliveries were made throughout a run. Regrettably, a confusion in communication leads to the eCanter not being fully charged when we arrive to take it on a test drive around the Western Sydney area.

The eCanter has a predicted range display at the centre of its instrument cluster which, due to the batteries only being partially charged, indicates a range of only 58 kilometres. The fast charging alternative will have the eCanter reach 80 per cent charge in just one hour but our plan is to travel a relatively short 50 to 60 kilometre test loop, so all should prove OK. It’s not as if we can drop into the nearest servo and do a splash and dash to be able to get back to base, so

we tentatively set off keeping an eye on the instruments.

The calculations for the eCanter’s predicted range are based upon such parameters as the truck being fully loaded and driven reasonably aggressively. They don’t, however, take into account the opportunities for coasting and also the regenerative recharging which happens in over-run situations. Consequently, we are able to successfully and quietly navigate some urban and residential streets for 57.4 kilometres according to the odometer.

It is encouraging at the end of the drive program to note we still have enough charge left to cover an additional 20 kilometres. It should be pointed out that the predictive range is shown as zero once less than 20 kilometres is available, similar to the suggested range display on vehicles with internal combustion engines.

The time required to achieve a state of 100 per cent battery charge can be as quick as one to one and a half hours using a DC (Level 3) 50kW charger, and connecting to the more readily available AC (Level 2) power will take eight to ten hours using a three-phase wall connector. The initial investment into any electric vehicle will, for the foreseeable future anyway, include a premium compared to the cost of a hydrocarbon powered equivalent. Fuso are initially offering some innovative financing packages which can include the fast-acting 50kW DC charger.

Once we cover just a few kilometres we quickly realise that we won’t be stranded a long distance from our departure point, so we relax and enjoy the experience of putting the eCanter to work. The eCanter uses direct drive so the power application and acceleration is smooth and vibration free. If you turn off the radio all that can be heard is the hum of the tyres on the pavement.

Otherwise, driving the eCanter is no different than a diesel model with the exception of members of the public wanting to chat about it after seeing the graphics on the body spruiking electric power. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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TEST DRIVE

The cabin is familiar to drivers of the regular Wide Cab Canter, but features a unique instrument cluster which shows the vehicle range and how much energy is being recouped through regenerative braking when the vehicle slows. Other than the additional comfort provided by the Isri seat, driving the eCanter isn’t much different from driving a similar sized diesel powered truck.

The simple procedure is to insert the electronic key fob into its receptacle, put a foot on the brake pedal and press the start/stop button to wake up the various systems, which includes an electric vacuum pump to provide servo assistance to the braking and an electric pump to circulate the coolant which keeps the batteries at optimum operating temperature. The driveline and associated systems are ‘deactivated’ by pressing the start/stop button. Although there is no conventional transmission the dash mounted gear selector has Park, Neutral, Drive and Reverse positions, with Park using a locking pawl on the driveline to immobilise the vehicle in a similar fashion to ‘Park’ on a conventional automatic. Reverse operates by reversing the polarity and therefore direction of the DC electric motor.

The Fuso eCanter is a serious truck featuring what is relatively mature

The eCanter features a dash mounted gear selector.

technology and delivers a payload exceeding four tonnes. It is not merely a wishful concept vehicle or an impractical environmental gimmick.

Probably because of the variations in the costs of the energy used there is yet no definitive equation as to the net running costs comparing electricity charging costs versus the cost of diesel in an equivalent application. We can assume that the electric vehicle will represent significantly lower running expenses and

Direct drive means power application and acceleration vibration free.

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as the eCanter is without an engine, or clutch or gearbox the servicing costs will be minimal. The savings will include the pads for the four wheel disc brakes which we find we hardly have to use at all, such is the effectiveness of the electro-magnetic retardation delivered by the motor. This electric equivalent of a diesel’s engine brake can be set to four different levels via a stalk mounted on the steering column. The retarding function provides a better result than a traditional butterfly exhaust brake on a diesel because it maintains its effectiveness until the eCanter is almost stationary. The additional loading on the driveline also maximises the batteries’ regenerative recharge rate.

The eCanter comes with the confidence of its full factory warranty of five years or 180,000km and heralds a new age of electric mobility in Australian cities along with the inclusion of leadingedge safety features designed to protect occupants and other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

The technology behind the eCanter is mature enough for it to provide an immediate and realistic solution for deliveries to emission and noise sensitive areas with the benefits of significantly reduced running and maintenance costs.

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PERSONALITY

MISSION S TAT E M E N T

Penske Australia continues to mature under Managing Director Hamish Christie-Johnston. This is perhaps no better embodied in the brand’s bold plans to double the size of its business by 2025.

L

ittle more than 12 months into the job as Penske Australia Managing Director, Hamish Christie-Johnston became the Managing Director of New Zealand effective 1 June following the departure of Executive Vice President John DiSalvo, an American, who returned to Penske Automotive Group in Detroit.

The vote of confidence points to some exciting developments both underway and on the horizon at the organisation, including new trucks from MAN and Western Star.

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PM: With a new generation MAN launching locally next year the brand is enjoying noticeable activity in the market. How has the MAN Choice Program been viewed internally?

HCJ: It’s got us more engaged with the marketplace. Making a commitment to the Brisbane Truck Show this year when not everybody did, all of these decisions, including the MAN Choice Program, are really about us engaging and re-engaging with the marketplace. It demonstrates our commitment to the brand and laying the foundations for the launch of the new

products so that when we launch the new product we are not launching into a vacuum. We’ll be launching into a market that is more familiar with the brand. We’ve gained a little bit of market share and we can continue to build on that.

PM: Where else are you looking to be more competitive?

HCJ: We’ve done a lot of work on our maintenance programs. I think we’ve got a lot more competitive there. Total cost of ownership is really where it’s at and everyone is talking about that. During the tender process, if you look at how the

Hamish Christie-Johnston.

deals unfold you’ve got to qualify first and there’s some basic fundamentals that you’ve got to reach and then there’s a selection process. We’ve disappointingly run second or third on some big deals where we knew we were close, but we didn’t quite get over the line. Then at least you know where you stand, what you need to work on and what you need to do in the future. I think with the MAN brand in particular that’s a product we are targeting at some of the mid-tier fleets and total cost of ownership is crucial. Western Star is, generally speaking, a different discussion.

So I think we’ve got a much better grip now on where the product is relative to the competition - a better understanding of what customers are really looking for and that’s informing us about how to get better.

PM: Last year you identified your responsiveness would be an area of critical focus within the business. Is

part of that response creating synergies between head office and the dealers linking directly with the customers?

HCJ: I think we can do a lot more to support our dealers, both company owned and independent. Having some retail branches of our own is good in that we understand the dealer perspective because we’re in the same business. I have a particular passion for the health and wellbeing of our dealer network so that’s where I have tried to engage a bit more closely. I want to understand the owner’s perspective and to get that appraisal in how we’re doing in supporting them and that’s not always easy listening. They will tell it how it is and they’re pretty direct people but that’s what you need to hear.

We need to know what we need to do to improve and get better. Going forward the health, wellbeing and long term viability of our dealer network is a big focus for us. It’s not just about responding it’s also about anticipating. So we’re not always waiting for the breakdown phone call.

Certainly, in my 15 months since the Penske Australia integration I’ve got more involved directly, particularly with some of the fleet deals where I’ll take a personal interest and I think a lot of those business owners and senior managers want to have a personal relationship with the leaders of our business as well. So for me to hear some of that first hand gives me a better understanding and I can then assist our team to respond.

PM: The throttling of global supply chains has exposed the shortcomings of the just-in-time model of which it largely relies. How have operations been impacted by supply shortages? Is there opportunity for your business as a result?

HCJ: I think it’s probably affected us the most with new trucks. The OEM supply chains have affected the production lines.

I think we’ve done a great job in terms of managing the aftersales. We run our own parts distribution. We’ve got a very mature, effectively in-house 3PL in our parts distribution centre at Wacol in Brisbane.

That team has been fantastic in terms of anticipating these issues and increasing

our parts supply to offset that lengthening supply chain. We’ve largely been unaffected on the aftersales side in terms of the ability to keep trucks on the road and have parts on the shelf. But that’s only because of the great work that team has done to anticipate that and manage that. We’ve seen a lot of shipping that might have previously come direct to Australia coming into Singapore first and lengthening the supply chain. It’s really been the supply of new trucks that’s been most affected.

PM: How have you better integrated the commercial vehicle business with the power systems business?

HCJ: Because these two divisions had their own purpose, and their own values, we spent the second half of last year engaging with the employees and forming teams to work on updating our purpose and values. When we brought them together, we wanted to do some work on identity and have a common purpose and set of values. We had our employees vote on the values that meant the most to them. We then looked at the Penske DNA including Roger Penske’s own personal values and we weaved them in as well and eventually came out with a set of five values that we felt reflected where we were as a unified business in Australia and New Zealand that still had that Penske DNA. Ownership.

Passion. Teamwork. Integrity. Care. OPTIC is the acronym. It helps us strike a balance in which we are part of Penske globally, but we are an independent business in Australia and New Zealand.

PM: What follows on from this?

HCJ: That’s created a platform for what’s next, which is a five-year plan. Our ambition is to double the size of the business by 2025. We’ve got a number of projects running in parallel to help us to achieve that. That involves projecting forward to where we want to be in 2025 and describing what we think the business would look like and then working backwards from there to join the dots.

We’ve laid out a roadmap to get there and the truck side of the business is a big part of that. That five-year plan is the thing that we’re focusing on right now to grow p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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PERSONALITY

Penske Australia technicians work on an in-chassis overhaul in Melbourne.

the business and to do that by meeting customer needs. Our employees have responded well. No one gets excited if you cut the budget for 2022 and you say, ‘super exciting, we’re going to grow by 3.5 per cent.’ Everybody is going to yawn. Whereas if you can put that ambition out there and then explain to people how we’re going to do it and show the part that they play then I think it’s a bit more real and they can sink their teeth into it. The centre of our purpose statement is about making a difference. Road transport, mining, energy and defence are our four key segments.

They’re all really important things for us to work on. The team is incredibly proud to be doing work that is so clearly making a difference to the lives of Australians.

PM: Those segments you speak of are cornerstones of sovereign nationhood.

HCJ: It’s something of a general theme with Penske. As this business gets bigger we become more capable. I think the other legs of the stool, if I can call them that, defence, energy and mining, really benefit our road transport customers because we’ve got the ability to continue to invest from one month to another from one year to the next. The business is going to be on a really strong foundation. We’re not 68

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really concerned about cycles within one industry or another because we’ve got those four legs to the stool. I think that’s a great differentiator for us compared to some of our competitors. If all you do is truck than you do suffer that risk from some of the cycles really affecting you whereas we don’t really see that as a risk for our business.

PM: In addition to launching a remanufacturing initiative for the Detroit DD15 engine this year [see page 12], Penske Australia became a defence channel partner with Allison.

What will that entail?

HCJ: Allison currently produces the X1100 transmission for the Abrams M1A1 Main Battle Tank family of vehicles. Up until recently overhauling the large cross-drive X1100 transmission, which is powered by a Honeywell gas turbine which in turn propels a 75 tonne M1 Abrams and was acquired and sustained under a Foreign Military Sale program, required shipping back to the United States for repair and overhaul. Penske and select key partners are working to establish an in-country support capability for the X1100. Getting back to your comments about sovereign

capabilities, the Australian Defence Force requires that its equipment can be operated for two years without any external assistance. Basically, from Australian supply lines we should be able to operate a frigate or a tank without having to call on outside help. We’ve got a great remanufacturing capability for our large MTU engines in addition to remanufacturing the truck driveline components. The beauty of that, and where it’s relevant to our on-highway road transport customers, is that deepens our relationship with Allison, extends our capabilities further and the good news is that all of our customers will benefit from that. So we’re trying to bring a lot of that back into Australia.

PM: Having new platforms slated for 2022 must be exciting.

HCJ: It’s super exciting but also challenging having our two key brands launch at the same time. It’s going to be a big year and a big period for us going forward. We are here to be double digit market share across our brands.

I’m not frightened to say that. We want to get there and stay there. That’s our commitment — to get to those doubledigit numbers and stay there.

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PRIME MOVERS AND SHAKERS

TRAIL

BLAZER

Hailing from New Zealand, Hannah Hughes has always had a passion for driving trucks.

Since making the big move across the ditch she has achieved her ultimate goal of driving roadtrains in the vast outback of Western Australia.

“Y

ou never run out of road in WA,” Hannah Hughes explains when asked about her favourite place in Australia. “There is just so much beautiful country to drive through.”

Heavy machinery is definitely in the blood of the Hughes family, with Hannah’s grandfather having driven trucks and two of her uncles owning earthmoving businesses in New Zealand.

“It’s just something I’ve been around all my life and I really took a liking to it,” she says. “As a little tacker, if there was a machine around, I’d be on it.”

Hannah gained her rigid truck licence in New Zealand at the age of 18 and a year later, on her lonesome, moved to New South Wales to further her driving career.

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“I was fascinated by the roadtrains in Australia and realised that was what I wanted to do,” she says. “That’s what drove me to move over here.”

Hannah’s first job was on a farm at Canowindra in the NSW central west where she was involved with horses and carting livestock. She did this for about a year and then moved to a farm at Canungra in southeast Queensland doing similar work – carting cattle and hay on rigid trucks.

However, her underlying ambition lay on the western side of the country. In 2016, a year later, she made the transcontinental shift and scored a position in Perth hauling mineral freight locally and regionally, as well as chemicals in intermediate bulk containers (IBC) out

to farms. It was here that Hannah gained her Heavy Combination licence, bringing her a step closer to her dream job driving roadtrains.

“There are a lot more opportunities for roadtrain driving in the west,” Hannah explains. “After I’d been in Perth for a couple of years I jumped onboard with McColl’s and got my MC licence pretty much straight away.”

Prior to this she had been driving multicombinations around the yard and already had a good grasp on how it was done. Hannah passed her MC licence test in a Kenworth, and she says Australia’s leading heavy-duty truck brand is her favourite. She currently drives a T609 for McColl’s Transport Bulk Chemicals Division in WA.

Kenworth T609 B-double tanker in Western Australia.

Hannah Hughes with her WiTA Driver of the Year award.

“I love the look of the Kenworths and the way they’re set up and the space inside the cab,” she says. “I enjoy spending time in them and am happy to be away in them for days on end because they are so comfortable to live in.”

Hannah says she has done some big weeks in the T609 during the busy season of the summer months.

“One of the biggest was when I drove from Perth to Karratha, back to Perth, out to Kalgoorlie and then up to Marble Bar. By the time I got back to Perth I’d done just over 8,000km and was very happy to have a couple of days off,” she says.

Hannah explains that WA regulations allow truck drivers to drive for up to 17 hours per day provided they have a continuous break for the remainder of the

24-hour period. The maximum allowable driving hours in a fortnight is 168.

“That’s what I like about driving over here – you can knock out some serious kilometres in a day,” Hannah says – adding that she prefers to start at three or four in the morning so she can start her rest break well before midnight.

Her work includes hauling double roadtrain loads of acid to mine sites which is a steady process all year round.

On the other hand, delivering chemicals to farms is more seasonal, with the work getting really busy in the summer months and quietening down over winter.

Hannah says she is proud to be a female truckie and is very grateful for the assistance of fellow female truckie Nicole Trounson, who later become Operations Manager at McColl’s Bulk Chemical Division in Western Australia.

“Nicole actually helped me to get the job at McColls – she was very keen to have me onboard and to have another female driver in the industry,” Hannah says.

Being in a male-dominated industry, according to Hannah, doesn’t faze her in the slightest. In fact she enjoys the challenges the job brings.

“There’s definitely a lot of doubt out there so you just have to work hard and show them that you can punch above your weight,” she says.

Hannah’s hard work was rewarded in March this year when she took out the Women in Transport Australia (WiTA) inaugural Driver of the Year award.

“I hope to see more women truck drivers coming through in the future so that it’s not such a rare thing in the industry,” she says.

As for her own future, Hannah says she sees herself happily driving roadtrains for many years to come, with perhaps a role in transport operations management thrown in for good measure somewhere down the track.

“Whatever I do, it will never be anything too far away from the transport industry,” she says. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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INSURANCE SHOWC ASE

BEING

THERE Simplifying the process of insurance claims is just one of the ways NTI makes an often-stressful event following an incident easier for heavy vehicle operators. Research and ongoing innovation ensure its solutions continue to support the daily business needs of transport operators.

D

ealing with the aftermath of an incident involving a heavy vehicle can be a difficult time.

Stress and anxiety are not uncommon factors for anyone having to manage a claims process in which there might be ramifications to the wellbeing of a driver, the damage to a vehicle and its cargo, the downtime in having a mobile asset off the road and the greater fallout this can have on customer relations, resources, new business and budget.

Understanding the pain points of the transport and logistics sectors after more than 40 years working closely with the industry has enabled NTI to aid businesses

Kerrie Challenor, NTI Chief People & Operations Officer.

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both big and small navigate some of these pressures. A 24/7 phone lodgement service in house, for one, can arrange side of the road response such as emergency services, vehicle recovery towing and clean up while NTI’s authorised repair network ensures its customers receive a repair that has quality workmanship with a lifetime guarantee for all completed repairs. In the event of a serious accident NTI offers additional services such as trauma counselling, a nursing service and a personalised touch, according to Kerrie Challenor, NTI Chief People & Operations Officer, that means that its customers know who to call if they have questions.

“At our core the most important thing to us is making sure we cover our customers’ needs, so whether that be in ensuring our policy coverage meets their requirements, is easy to understand and responds when needed or our claims team are there to support if something goes wrong and they need to claim,” she says. “If our insured vehicles are still drivable our team will provide, if required, a concierge service which ensures our customers repairs are completed at a time to suit them with a simple process, using SMS messaging to capture claims details and photos which supports the customer’s needs.”

NTI boasts 36 repairers in its authorised network that includes 19 premium repairers with facilities to look after all types of repairs. Repairers are able to strip

down the vehicle as soon as it arrives in the workshop so there is no need to wait for an assessor. Many of these are conveniently located near customers and often are their own local neighbourhood repairer. NTI still offers choice of repairer, which enables the customer to support their preferred repairer, if they have one.

Having strong relationships, developed over many years, with the original equipment manufacturers helps. NTI purchases its own parts for repairs.

When coupled with these longstanding relationships, it often means parts that others will need to wait for can be sourced more promptly. It’s generally acknowledged that the immediate response to an accident sets the tone for all actions that follow. NTI and its Premium Repairer network constantly review the requirements to complete a heavy vehicle repair in order to achieve regulatory compliance and avoid disruptions and added costs.

To remain agile, NTI works more

NTI’s authorised repair network gives customers a lifetime guarantee for all completed repairs.

closely than ever with its customers.

By undertaking research and reviewing the effectiveness of the safety initiatives already embedded in the businesses, it can aggregate the sources of data to properly assess the effectiveness while protecting customers against undue complexities during the process.

“Our policy wordings are market leading, as is our claims service, which offers far more benefits than our competitors,” says Kerrie. “Independent research shows our customers’ vehicles are back on road nine days faster than our competitors using our Premium Repairers.”

NTI is serious about delivering on its purpose of making its customers safer and more sustainable. That constitutes working with the transport industry to support transport operators by developing and delivering propositions which foster industry resilience, safety and growth. With that comes a responsibility and privilege, according to Kerrie, to invest in the sustainability of the industry as a whole.

“We will also work where appropriate to leverage industry and Government relationships to advocate for change within the industry,” she says. “During COVID we have offered complimentary mental health and well-being services to customers, we lobbied on behalf of transport operators to continue to deliver across borders and more recently we supported the availability of truck stop facilities, clean toilets/ showers to cite just some examples.”

NTI, what’s more, continues to support safety initiatives such as Seeing Machines, and the sharing of information through its annual NTARC (National Truck Accident Research Centre) report. It’s another way of ensuring the industry continues to move towards a safer future by encouraging operators to invest in technology which Kerrie believes can make a difference.

“Seeing Machines of course is about saving lives through fatigue and distraction detection, alerts and monitoring which has already seen a reduction in fatigue related incidents of 90 per cent,” she says.

“The research undertaken in the NTARC report is one of the few sources of data that both NTI and the industry can use to create meaningful change and to drive new initiatives. We will continue to invest in our relationships with Government, associations and transport businesses to achieve this.”

A partnership since established with Success Formula, a leadership coaching program, is anticipated to provide insights into the behaviors of people within transport companies and how they interact to influence all aspects of a business.

“We then support them to build and develop culture within their organisation as well as improving their business processes,” says Kerrie. “The outcome is that we expect customers will develop a safer, more profitable and sustainable business with lower staff turnover and a happier more engaged workforce.”

NTI also recently became a foundation sponsor of Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds, a not-for-profit foundation established to improve the mental health, and physical wellbeing outcomes across the transport and logistics industries in Australia. NTI CEO Tony Clark is a board member. Ultimately, these initiatives go some way to outlining how NTI moves beyond just being an insurance company.

Over more than four decades the insurer has accumulated vital research and data that helps it to appreciate the key drivers of businesses and the key themes of interest that transport customers have and need to understand better themselves.

Most recently NTI have launched the ‘Better Business Hub’. The hub provides interactive, downloadable applicable tools and resources that will offer practical support for transport operators. This is done in a format that meets the customer’s needs, so it is practical and useful for them to action.

“Our vision for Better Business Hub is to provide a highly targeted online experience for individuals that shows we truly understand the gaps they have in their business around safety knowledge and culture,” Kerrie says.

Check out NTI’s Better Business Hub at www.nti.com.au/betterbusinesshub. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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INSURANCE SHOWC ASE

RISKY

BUSINESS

In an era when supplies and shipments can’t afford to be delayed, Zurich is offering a range of solutions to reduce client exposure and enhance risk management through new partnerships.

W

ithout trucks Australia stops. But ineffective risk management can stop trucks. Making the commercial road transport sector more resilient, through risk management has never been more paramount at this critical time when logistics and supply chains are being pushed to their limit and under constant threat of disruption.

The competitive automotive and commercial vehicle fleet market is undergoing seismic shifts in risk management and digital technology. For insurance providers it remains vital that they are able to identify industry trends in these key areas and devote resources accordingly. In addition to conducting risk assessments of customer operational exposures, Zurich is partnering with digital and technological solutions providers to ensure it is evolving alongside its customers to meet their individual needs and help them better manage their risks.

In accordance with this, Zurich has embarked on a number of new initiatives, some of which involve coalitions with leading risk management consultants.

Earlier in the year Zurich launched Zurich Resilience Solutions, a global business unit developed to share its risk engineering expertise across industries. Part of the objective is to take the company’s existing risk engineering expertise, which is fundamental to its underwriting decision making, in addition to assisting its insured 74

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Mervyn Rea.

customers, and make it available to other companies, regardless of whether or not they are insured by Zurich.

“At the same time, we are also assisting our clients with risk management solutions aimed at risks that are not necessarily insurable, such as cyber, climate change and supply chain,” says Mervyn Rea, Head of Zurich Resilience Solutions, AU and NZ. “What’s more, we can partner with brokers and offer a tailored risk management consultancy service to them.”

By partnering with digital or technological solutions providers that can help its customers better manage risk, Zurich also enhances its own in-house capabilities and expertise in conducting risk assessments of customer operational exposure. While there may not be anything new in using

and analysing data as a tool when assessing risk, gathering aggregated data effectively, however, is a way of enriching Zurich’s own assessments to create an accurate reflection on an operations risk profile. Solutions, for one example, like SeeingMachines Guardian in-cab truck technology, according to Mervyn, makes insurers aware of the relative fatigue exposures, and more importantly, can verify whether the fatigue risk profile is improving over time.

“We are packaging a number of relevant solutions together for customers in specific industries, keeping them relevant to their needs,” he says. “For instance, our standard risk management solution package for the transport sector would include our Fleet Operations risk assessment, Fatiguefit assessment of fatigue risk management compliance, and the Lightspace system for managing ToolBox Talks and reporting Issues. Then there are optional inclusions, such as SeeingMachines, and the Mentor app which monitors driver behaviour, and has in-app coaching to help improve behaviour over time.”

While the partnership with Fatiguefit suggests an increasing focus towards risk prevention support and OHS compliance, Mervyn makes note that legislative compliance is only the first step on the risk management ladder.

“But you can’t climb a ladder without taking the first step, right? Fatiguefit is an important method of assessing the most appropriate risk management controls

against fatigue,” he says. “Sitting down with our customers helps us identify potential gaps before they trigger actual losses. Then, we can recommend the most appropriate solutions to bridge those gaps, available directly from Fatiguefit, and therefore continually improve an organisation’s fatigue risk management strategy. If we can help achieve best practice for our customers, they are automatically compliant, and way more resilient too. Prevention is, by definition, better than the cure.”

The partnership with Fatiguefit, along with its growing toolkit of what he calls “best in class” solution partners, is viewed as a good fit with the internal risk engineering expertise at Zurich. As it expands the range of risk assessments and resultant insights, Zurich partners with customers to continually review, identify, assess and mitigate risk, whether it is insurable or not.

This, as Mervyn sees it, helps businesses become more resilient against losses that cause pain and suffering to people, damage to or loss of assets, interruption to productivity, and reduction in profits.

“While it may grow our services, it strengthens our customer partnerships,” he says.

To date there are no true fully integrated digital platforms in the motor fleet insurance market yet, but Mervyn

believes it’s only a matter of time before they appear.

“It’s still a growing development in the private vehicle insurance market,” he says. “Telematics and app-based digital solutions would help enhance risk evaluation if the data from drivers and vehicles, often from a variety of sources, were aggregated into one Performance Risk Dashboard that helped influence underwriting decisions.”

At the same time, monitoring and improving risk-related data will often produce additional benefits. These benefits can reach across lower fuel and maintenance costs, as well as increasing business resilience from losses occurring.

Zurich uses a global network to share and compare solutions from around the world to identify the next big breakthrough in IoT solutions likely to be relevant across different industries. In that way it can help customers decipher the benefits and assist in their decision making to choose the solution that is likely to provide the greater return on investment.

“The major focus for our organisation, globally, is the Customer,” says Mervyn.

“We want to be known for superior customer service, and in terms of Zurich Resilience Solutions, it’s our aim to help customers prevent incidents in the first place,” — thus augmenting their resilience

Scott Buchholz assesses the Seeing Machines Guardian technology.

but with insurance products also available to help with the residual exposures.

To achieve all of this, Zurich partners with innovative solution providers. This way it can make recommendations from an increasing number of digital and technological solutions available in the market and identify which ones match the needs of its customers.

Safety risk software specialist, Lightspace falls within this remit. According to Mervyn, Lightspace is one of the simplest but most effective ways to help businesses improve employee safety education.

“This is usually done by way of toolbox talks,” he explains. “Lightspace helps retain all the material needed for toolbox talk topics in one place and keeps record of employee attendance.”

If some workers are absent or remote, they can attend or read through the toolbox talk material remotely, using their smart phone. Zurich also works with Lightspace to develop ready-to-go material for toolbox talks. Safety Managers can also source their own material and create specific toolbox talks of their own.

“The lite version of Lightspace platform also has a Report Issue function, allowing employees to use their smart phones to video, photo and type in details of any identified issues,” says Mervyn. “In time, the data collected from these Issues can be used to prioritise and deliver future toolbox talks. For many medium sized businesses, this is a powerful way to deliver succinct, important safety messages to staff, wherever they may be, and to also collate effective data relating to issues identified by employees. There are also a range of additional features in Lightspace that can be added to the platform, making it customisable for each business using it.”

The end goal of this ongoing investment in additional proprietary services by Zurich is for it to become the ‘go-to’ provider of risk intelligence.

“We want to be life-long partners with businesses, helping them identify, assess, analyse and mitigate risk,” says Mervyn.

“And in turn making them a premier candidate for our insurance solutions too.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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INSURANCE SHOWC ASE

RUN

FOR COVER

GT Insurance offers additional policy benefits for transport clients who adopt Facial Recognition Technology.

I

t’s no secret that recent advancements in digital technology have helped fleet and transport operators in Australia meet the challenges of an ever-growing freight task. Over the past 25 years, leading transport insurance underwriter GT Insurance, has worked exclusively with brokers and heavy vehicle fleet operators to provide services tailored for their needs. For an insurance underwriter like GT Insurance, keeping abreast of these latest developments is crucial to encouraging best practice risk management solutions. Even for casual industry observers, the uptick in the adoption of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), given its efficacy as a tool for fatigue management for heavy vehicle drivers, has been difficult to ignore.

In November last year, GT Insurance acknowledged the role FRT played as a preventative accident measure by providing automatic policy benefits for any transport company that had installed, fit for purpose, FRT equipment and made it operational in their vehicle at the time of an accident.

The fact that FRT suppliers are throughout 76

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the world and, particularly Australia, goes to show how recognised they are becoming according to GT Insurance CEO, Tony Dodd.

“Undertaking extensive research into the products that are available and the benefits that they provide made it an easy decision for us,” he says. “If we’re supporting and promoting a product that

Tony Dodd, GT Insurance CEO.

is going to improve safety in an industry and occupation that has become one of the most hazardous in Australia, it makes sense.”

Facial Recognition Technology, in regard to its adoption and use, also demonstrates an overall risk mitigation strategy on the part of the customer. That, in itself, reinforces confidence in their operational integrity.

“There’s transparency of driver actions and responses to unique and various situations,” says Tony. “It affords all parties greater insight into what is actually happening. Being able to monitor and provide immediate action, if required, in terms of in-cab alerts for fatigue and distraction is important.

Then there’s also the longer-term benefits of being able to analyse the data and provide the training and improvements that drive operational excellence.”

Following a lengthy review of facial recognition products available in the market it became apparent to Tony and his team that the technology was going to reduce accidents and incidents.

“If companies are willing to invest in this technology we wanted to make sure they

got some true benefits at the end of the day for that investment,” Tony says.

Any business, under the initiative, that invests in fit for purpose Facial Recognition Technology and has it operational in the vehicle at the time of accident receives the additional policy benefits as an automatic inclusion from the day it is activated inside the truck.

It doesn’t require an actual renewal on the part of the customer as it applies for all policies from that date forward. GT Insurance has created a suite of additional cover benefits to support transport clients and motor vehicle fleet customers who have the technology installed in their vehicles. These do differ from policy to policy, based upon a number of variables and eligibility, but may include removal of driver restrictions; reduced basic excess; amended age or inexperienced driver excesses; enhanced replacement vehicle hire; increased limit for non-owned trailer liability; and 3-year vehicle replacement from original registration date.

More recently, GT Insurance has instigated promotions of the offer particularly via social media and through its distribution network of insurance brokers.

“In doing so we’ve applied the benefits to all of our fleet business,” Tony says.

“The message was directed to transport customers and we hoped they would see it as reward for their investment in their business.”

As a supplier to the transport industry, GT Insurance does not have any specific goals in mind for the uptake of Facial Recognition Technology. By helping to promote the technology, Tony hopes industry adoption will encourage customers to consider using stronger safety mechanisms to reduce their business risk.

“Insurance costs are significant. The way insurance costs are reduced is by a reduction in risk,” he says. “Facial Recognition Technology assists with reducing that risk. Insurance is just one part of a transport operation. The other costs and opportunities that come with investing in FRT lead to an improved safety culture. FRT is there to assist with that improved safety culture and reduce costs in other areas of the business including vehicle downtime, driver management and driver injury.”

On the flip side, Tony insists there’s another benefit to consider— that being the brand image of a particular company.

“I’m a strong believer in that anyone who is investing in safety technology is going to improve their brand which not only improves their opportunity in regards to contracts and attracting customers but, also improves their opportunity in engaging and attracting their driver workforce,” he says.

Technology that includes live camera feeds on drivers allows operators to build better data, which, in turn, they need if they are going to be able to better understand their own business.

“Our role in the relationship with the transport operator is via their trusted insurance broker. We are there to provide advice and encourage tools to assist the operators to make better and more informed business decisions,” says Tony.

“Because every transport operator is different, and every business is different there can’t be an across-the-board approach. We’re looking at trends as the businesses of our transport customers evolve and develop. They want to ensure

that they have an insurance partner that can assist and cater for what is developing in those environments.”

To ensure the business is well positioned to provide services that suit the needs of individual businesses, GT Insurance values having products with intrinsic adaptability and flexibility. This also includes raising industry awareness where it is relevant.

Another area of focus for the company is its partnership with Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds. In 2020, GT Insurance became a founding sponsor after being introduced to the not-for-profit charitable foundation through the Australian Trucking Association.

“We found Healthy Head’s objectives very clear and it was a foundation that we wanted to support and see become extremely successful,” says Tony. “Mental health is one part of employee wellbeing.

This is important to us as a company.”

Healthy Heads, as an industry initiative, attracted people of significant influence from the transport industry, which helped verify its credentials and aims, many of which align with GT Insurance, whose role, according to Tony, is to support the foundation by helping to ensure its brand is highly recognised within the industry and among the people for whom it’s been established to provide help.

“Those things have resonated very well with us,” says Tony. “Clearly as an insurance provider, the promotion of safety, which it achieves through employee wellbeing and employee health and safety, means a lot to our brand.”

Strong values, as Tony observes, will ultimately, despite the inherent pressures of the current economic landscape, determine what transport fleets should be looking for when it comes to insurance coverage.

“Transport companies are going to ensure, where possible, that they are with a company that has strong values, a proven record when it comes to settlement and fairness in their claims processes,” he says. “They will want to know there’s fairness in their policy structure and see an adaptability of policy so that they suit the individual needs.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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INSURANCE SHOWC ASE

M A N A G I N G FAT I G U E :

COST vs BENEFIT

Operators, drivers and fleets like Ron Crouch Transport are seeing the benefits generated by proactively managing fatigue through driver monitoring systems.

T

oo many transport businesses are hesitant to invest in fatigue management technology, such as driver monitoring systems (DMSes). Why? All too often, it’s because they don’t think there’ll be a return on investment.

However, the business case for fatigue management is straightforward: the cost of installing monitoring systems is far less than the cost of the incidents they’ll prevent.

“It’s better than paying the excess [on a claim],” says Ron Crouch Transport’s Executive Director, Geoff Crouch. “It costs much less than the grief of losing someone.

Geoff Crouch.

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Much less than reputational harm, the trouble you go through with your customers if you have to tell them you’ve lost $200,000 worth of their cargo.

“It’s a classic false economy. It just doesn’t add up.”

DMSes generate value by proactively managing fatigue. When it detects a fatigue or distraction event, it triggers alerts in the cab, such as an alarm tone or seat vibrations. It also triggers notifications at the depot.

The in-cab alarms should bring the driver’s attention back to the road and signal that they might need a rest stop.

The at-base notifications are logged for later investigation.

These notifications can also be analysed.

In doing so it will help operators and managers identify fatigue ‘black spots’, optimise routes and schedules, and give drivers confidence knowing they are being looked after.

Drivers often resist DMSes because they believe they’ll be under surveillance. Adam Gibson, NTI’s Transport and Logistics Risk Engineer (and 2021 NTARC report author), says that “the key here is early, honest and, critically, two-way communication”.

Deployment is critical. The investment in safety systems will be wasted if drivers are actively circumventing them.

“Some drivers have the misconception that the technology is going to allow operators to look at everything they’re doing in the cab,” says Adam. “Nothing could be further from the truth. The algorithms only generate alerts and record footage when they detect a fatigue event.”

Ron Crouch Transport had a successful trial rollout, which Geoff puts down to the company’s investment of time and effort to get the drivers involved in the trial and onboard.

“We had a slow process over 12 months of continually reinforcing the message and talking to our drivers, calling out the benefits,” he says. “Most importantly, we continued calling out the misconceptions and reinforcing the positives.”

Once the data starts rolling in, fleet managers and operators must make sure the alerts are useful. Getting too many is

The cost benefit analysis is strongly in favour of driver monitoring systems.

just as bad as getting too few. This might involve adjusting tolerances and trigger times, such as for how long a driver can look away from the road before triggering a distraction event.

The worst-case scenario is that rolling out a DMS causes drivers to leave, meaning you have trucks sitting idle.

“You can’t give in to unreasonable driver demands or threats,” Geoff says. “If worst comes to worst, you’re better off with a truck parked up in the depot while you try to fill the seat.

“That’s better than having it parked up because there was a crash, and you’re trying to buy a new cab and get new trailers built, especially with things the way they are now.”

The best-case scenario, on the other hand, has benefits for operators and drivers alike.

On the operations side, fewer incidents will mean a saving of money on maintenance, repairs and even insurance. For some drivers, an unexpected benefit has been a sleep apnoea diagnosis. Many drivers fear that a diagnosis will end their career, but it doesn’t make financial sense to lose a driver when the cure is so effective and costs so little.

“The reality is that for most drivers, if they get diagnosed, they get treatment to manage their sleep apnoea. Then their quality of life improves out of sight,” Adam says.

While fatigue crashes are avoidable, and the cost-benefit analysis is squarely in favour of DMSes, there is another way, however, to

One of the Mercedes-Benz Actros’ in the company fleet.

think about how to manage fatigue risks.

“If you do it well, it becomes a competitive advantage,” Geoff says. “More and more big companies want to see that you’ve got fatigue management systems in place. If you can’t tick that box, then you’re out.”

Ultimately, Geoff thinks fatigue management systems are likely to become mandatory, just as logbooks and other measures have.

“It’s not a matter of ‘if’, it’s a matter of ‘when’,” he says. “Eventually, a politician or a regulator is going to put the case forward, and the industry will have to respond.”

When that day comes, there will only be two choices according to Geoff.

“You’ll either be on that path, doing it in a controlled way that suits your business, or you’ll be doing it in a mad scramble at the last minute.”

Which situation would you rather be in?

“Some drivers have the misconception that the technology is going to allow operators to look at everything they’re doing in the cab,” says Adam.

Adam Gibson NTI’s Transport and Logistics Risk Engineer (and 2021 NTARC report author)

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DRIVER MONITORING & DASHCAM TECHNOLOGY ADVERTISE IN OUR NOVEMBER 2021 PRODUCT SHOWCASE ON REAL-TIME DRIVER TRACKING. The capture of operational data in the vehicle and the transfer of that data into a computer program that can analyse it and produce reports has made driver monitoring technology one of the key recent trends in industry where fatigue events and their risk-mitigation are critical to compliance and mandatory reporting requirements. A gamechanger for enhancing operational efficiencies such as fuel cost reductions through optimal driving styles, the utilisation of driver scores to measure and ensure safety, maintenance planning, and even data integration from all parts of the business, driver monitoring technology, along with the dashcam, can also reduce the financial burden of accidents and assist in insurance claims. Get involved in our upcoming showcase on driver tracking and dashcams to inform potential customers of how your solution can change their world for the better.

BOOKING DEADLINE

17 SEPTEMBER 2021 ®

September 2021

Freight Lines Group West Side Story SEPTEMBER 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

08

Industry Fleet: Reid Removals Feature: SBA Transport Showcase: Heavy vehicle insurance Personality: Hamish Christie-Johnston

Innovation Fleet: Peats Soil Feature: SRH Milk Haulage Test Drive: Fuso eCanter Delivery: LDV G10+

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 81-89.

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 101 SEP 2021

LDV G10+

DROP ZONE PLUS: AUSTRALIAN INTEGRATED MULTIMODAL ECOSYSTEM | NISSAN PATROL: A HISTORY

SEP

CONTENTS

21

Welcome to Delivery…

A new report has found the global Electric Vehicle (EV) battery market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25.3 per cent from $US27.3 billion in 2021 to $US67.2 billion by 2025. Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest EV battery market according to the report’s forecast. Increasing demand for EVs, improvement in battery technology, trends in government policy and regulations as well as the launch of new plug-in EV models have all been identified as factors for anticipated growth in this market. At present China is the largest contributor to the global market, accounting for a share of more than 95 per cent according to market researcher Market and Markets. Panasonic, LG, Chem, Samsung, CATL, and BYD are dominating both the Chinese and global EV battery market. For the moment, Chinese EV manufacturers, who have access to cheaper parts and components, are providing electric vehicles at lower prices. Battery size

88 DELIVERY NEWS

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LATEST FROM THE INDUSTRY

FINAL MILE

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DROP ZONE

LDV continues to expand its range in the Australian market with the latest G10+ model being an upmarket version of its medium sized van.

RUNNING PAST

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THE LONG PATROL

A favourite for off-road enthusiasts, Nissan’s iconic off-roader, a constant presence for the brand in Australia since 1951, turns 70.

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reduction, a development led by the likes of Samsung, who has made a large-scale transformation of the positive and negative separator of the battery, is proving one of the drivers of this trend. In addition to reducing the size of the battery, manufacturers are looking to use different raw materials to improve battery performance. Many companies, including Toshiba, have used lithium titanate and graphite as anode and cathode materials for batteries.

The change of raw materials can improve the safety and service life of the battery. In addition, the installation position of the battery in the vehicle has also been adjusted.

Meanwhile, Europe is expected to be the fastest-growing market. Countries such as Germany, France, Spain, UK, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark were all considered major European players for the market analysis. The increasingly stringent regulations related to environmental issues are propelling market players to test and develop advanced vehicles, which will further boost the market for advanced battery technologies. For example, the Brexit deal creates an opportunity for Nissan to expand the business operations at its Sunderland plant. In return, the Japanese OEMs are now investing in the UK and other European countries. Nissan is currently interested in building additional battery production capacity in Sunderland. In September 2020, Mercedes-Benz, a subsidiary of Daimler AG, introduced its new all-electric eCitaro G, optionally equipped with innovative solid-state batteries. In December 2019, Volvo Trucks, a subsidiary of AB Volvo, developed heavy-duty electric concept trucks for construction operations and regional distribution.

Closer to home, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) last month announced $24.55 million in funding to five applicants across 19 projects to expand Australia’s fast charging network for battery electric vehicles (EVs), in Round 1 of the Government’s Future Fuels Fund. The expanded funding pool, increased by $8.05 million from an initial allocation of $16.5 million, was made available after ARENA was impressed by the strength and number of applicants to the funding round. Together, the five applicants will deliver 403 new fast charging stations, each capable of charging at least two vehicles concurrently at 50 kW or above. Catalysing a total investment value of $79.9 million, Round 1 will see a seven-fold increase in the number of fast charging stations in Australia’s most populated cities and regions. Charging stations will be built across eight geographic regions covering 14 of Australia’s most populous cities. Aside from networks in the capital cities in every state and territory, regional centres including Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Sunshine Coast will each receive a minimum of eight new fast charging stations to drive the uptake of EVs in regional locations.

ISUZU

MU-X

THE ALL-NEW 7-SEAT ISUZU MU-X HAS ARRIVED. The All-New Isuzu MU-X has arrived on Australian shores.

With exquisite styling inside and out, enhanced off-road features including 4x4 Terrain Command and a Rear Diff-Lock on all 4x4 models. Coupled with the latest technology, including Android Auto™ and wireless Apple CarPlay®. Plus exceptional safety with the Isuzu Intelligent Driver Assistance System#. The 7-seat Isuzu MU-X is fully equipped for your next on or off-road adventure.

The All-New Isuzu MU-X – EXTRAORDINARY.

ALL-NEW MU-X

Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc. Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC. Not all devices will be compatible & functionality will vary depending on the device. #IDAS features are designed to assist the driver, but should not be relied upon nor used as a substitute for safe driving practices.

NEWS

CONNECTED VEHICLE TRIAL COMMENCES IN VICTORIA Lexus Australia will become the first automotive partner to join the groundbreaking Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem (AIMES) which is developing a real-world testing environment for vehicleto-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications technology.

Led by the University of Melbourne, AIMES is a collaboration of 50 government, transport and technology partners including Australia Post, Toll and Scania.

This real-world trial of advanced Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) technology will deliver crucial research to provide next-generation road safety solutions.

Two specially prepared Lexus RX 450h SUVs, fitted with Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) and cellular network technologies will be travelling around a special precinct testbed in Melbourne incorporating a six-squarekilometre area spanning Carlton, Fitzroy and Collingwood, bordered by Victoria Parade, Hoddle Street, Alexandra Parade

and Lygon Street.

In addition to the connected vehicles, the AIMES trial area includes a network of smart sensors connecting public transport, pedestrians and cyclists, intersections, and streets into a fully integrated ecosystem.

The two Lexus SUVs can communicate with traffic lights, trams and emergency service vehicles to proactively deliver warnings and alerts of potential dangers to the driver of the vehicle even before they come into a driver’s line of sight.

Lexus aims to use the trial to develop applications such as warning the driver when turning in front of a tram, or warning the driver when a cyclist or pedestrian has pushed the button on traffic lights to cross the road – including at Melbourne’s challenging ‘hook-turn’ intersections.

Lexus will develop and trial further applications including alerts when a driver attempts to enter a one-way street or freeway entry/exit the wrong way, when an emergency vehicle is approaching,

or when it might not be safe to enter an intersection.

Trialling how vehicles communicate with other vehicles and the local environment is critical to achieve a cohesive ecosystem between drivers and other road users to ensure warnings of potential danger are delivered ahead of time.

Trialling this technology targets a reduced risk of vehicles driving through red lights, turning into trams, or being unable to see pedestrians obstructed by traffic lights and other infrastructure before they step onto the road.

“Imaginative technology and leveraging innovation are core to the Lexus DNA, and we are committed to delivering nextgeneration road safety outcomes,” said Scott Thompson, Lexus Australia Chief Executive.

Software for the new Melbourne trial has been developed locally by Lexus Australia engineers specifically to address the city’s unique traffic environment and regulations.

FUSO ANNOUNCES TWO YEARS FREE SERVICING FOR ROSA Commercial vehicle manufacturer Fuso is offering its Rosa customers two years of free servicing. Customers who purchase a Fuso Rosa bus between July 1 and September 30 this year will benefit from the ‘Best Basic’ service plan, which includes scheduled servicing for two years or 60,000km, whichever comes first.

Fuso Rosa.

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Fuso said its service plans feature preemptive maintenance aimed at keeping vehicles on the road and working in prime condition. Quality is assured thanks to Fuso’s vast authorised dealer network with factory-trained technicians servicing the vehicles using genuine parts, the company said.

All Rosas come with a fiveyear/200,000km manufacturer’s warranty and class-leading 15,000km service intervals. The new generation Rosa also features a comprehensive suite of safety features including C(AEB), which autonomously performs full emergency braking if a collision situation is detected.

The radar-based system can even perceive and initiate braking for moving pedestrians. Rosa also features Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) as standard, along with Electronic

Stability Program (ESP), driver and front passenger airbags, height adjustable LED headlights, Hill Start Assist (HSA), a reversing camera, three-point lap sash seatbelts and four exits. The recently-introduced Rosa sports a new and more efficient 3.0-litre four-cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel engine with, according to Fuso, the most power and torque in its class – 129kW and 430Nm respectively.

This engine also meets stringent Euro 6 emissions standards. Transmission options for the new Rosa include a conventional five-speed manual and the advanced Duonic six-speed AMT (Automated Manual Transmission).

Fresh styling including a new exterior design and revised dashboard layout are other ameliorations. Fuso continues to offer the Rosa in configurations of 22 or 25 seats.

TOYOTA LAUNCHES FLEET MANAGEMENT PLATFORM Toyota Australia has launched a fleet management platform that uses connected vehicle technologies and near real-time data to help business customers optimise their fleet operations and improve efficiency.

Toyota Halo is a new service offering developed in partnership with Australian fleet management software specialist Fleetsu.

Designed to provide fleet and business customers with a fully integrated connected platform to help them effectively manage their fleet operations, Halo, according to Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley, delivers new levels of fleet management functionality to enable businesses to fully optimise their fleet operations.

“Toyota is further developing its connected vehicle technology to provide high levels of safety and convenience

Toyota Halo platform helps to manage fleets.

to all customers,” Hanley said. “In the business world, our connected vehicle technology is now being applied through our Toyota Halo platform to help companies in Australia manage their fleet operations by using near real-time data to efficiently and effectively run and control fleet operations and help reduce business costs.”

The Toyota Halo platform offers a

developing suite of features for business customers giving them the power to process extensive data from thousands of vehicles through near-real time vehicle monitoring. This data can then be used to provide valuable insights to optimise operations and take actions to increase productivity and improve time and cost efficiencies.

Toyota Halo is compatible with most Toyota models from 2019 production onwards including Camry, CH-R, Corolla, Fortuner, Granvia, HiAce, HiLux, Kluger, Prado, Prius, Prius V, RAV4 and Yaris.

Toyota Halo will initially be available for larger national fleet customers and then be rolled out through Toyota dealerships in the first half of 2022 to also cater for smaller businesses, enabling all Toyota fleet customers the ability to benefit from the advanced connected vehicle technology.

SUZUKI AND DAIHATSU JOIN TECHNOLOGY COALITION Suzuki and Daihatsu are the latest Japanese vehicle manufacturers to invest into Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies. The joint venture was set up in April to develop electrification and autonomous driving in commercial vehicles.

Toyota retains 60 per cent ownership and Hino and Isuzu are existing minority stakeholders.

Toyota and Suzuki took stakes in each in 2019 and Daihatsu became a subsidiary of Toyota in 2016. As the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, Toyota has been strengthening its alliances and shareholdings with smaller manufacturers of passenger and commercial vehicles in order to increase the resources anticipated to be needed to commercialise the shift away from internal combustion engines as well as high technology developments such as autonomous vehicles.

This follows the establishment of similar co-operative technology sharing by

European manufacturers such as Volvo and Daimler and Volkswagen’s Traton Group which includes Scania and MAN. Isuzu has also purchased UD Trucks from Volvo.

Suzuki and Daihatsu have plenty of experience in the manufacture of smaller automobiles used by consumers and businesses, which account for about 31 million of the 78 million vehicles in Japan.

A key challenge of bringing electrification and autonomous technology to smaller cars is keeping costs under control so they can remain affordable.

“There are many issues that mini-vehicle manufacturers are unable to solve on their own,” Suzuki and Daihatsu said in a joint statement this week.

Daihatsu’s President Soichiro Okudaira said joining the alliance and introducing connected, mini-commercial vehicles would allow data sharing which is a major benefit for companies to provide better services to customers and improve logistics efficiency.

“With Suzuki and Daihatsu joining the project and working together, we’ll be able to expand our circle of cooperation to not only cover commercial vehicles but also mini vehicles,” said Toyota President Akio Toyoda.

Daihatsu mini vehicles exhibited at Tokyo Motor Show.

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FINAL MILE

DROP ZONE LDV continues to expand its range in the Australian market with the latest G10+ model being an upmarket version of its medium sized van.

L

DV joined SAIC Motor Corporation Limited in 2010, when the latter acquired the commercial vehicles division of the British Motor Corporation, which happened to include the LDV brand.

SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (formerly Shanghai Automobile and Industrial Corporation) is the largest automotive manufacturer in China and sold more than seven million vehicles in 2019. In addition to LDV, its own automotive brands include Maxus, MG and Roewe. SAIC has also formed joint ventures with Volkswagen and General Motors and vehicles produced

by SAIC joint venture companies are sold under other marques including Buick, Chevrolet, IVECO, Skoda, and Volkswagen.

In Australia the LDV G10 van has experienced more than 160 per cent increase in sales up to the end of June 86

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2021 compared with the same period in 2020, which has seen 1,517 new units of the mid-sized van sold locally, predominately in response to the online shopping sector increasing the demand for the door to door courier business.

The LDV brand is set to expand its growth further with the arrival in Australia of the new LDV G10+ van which brings additional refinements to the G10 light commercial van, and at an additional cost of around $1,500 the G10+ represents a value-packed addition to the brand’s vehicle offering.

The G10+ is powered by the 2.0 litre 118kW diesel also found in the LDV T60 Trailrider ute and torque is rated at 375 Nm. A 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine equipped with variable valve timing and developing 160kW and 330Nm is available as an option.

When measured against the ADR

81/02 fuel consumption standard the diesel returns 8.2 litres/100km with the thirstier petrol showing 11.1 litres/100km. The G10+’s fuel capacity for both petrol and diesel versions is 72 litres, slightly less than the standard G10’s 75 litres but still sufficient to provide a decent range due to the efficiency of the diesel in particular.

The cargo area can accommodate items as long as 2,500mm and has a volume of 5.2 cubic metres. Payload is just over a tonne at 1,010 kg for the diesel versions and 1,093kg for the petrol-powered models. Access to the cargo area is through sliding doors on each side and the rear lift tailgate.

There is also the additional cost option of rear barn doors on diesel models.

The G10+ has six load tie-down points on the floor and one on each of the wheel arches, and there is tough floor covering throughout to protect

both the vehicle and cargo as well as protection panels on the walls and rear doors. Four lights illuminate the cargo area.

The low line styling of the G10+’s roof keeps the overall height dimension to 1,928mm which will allow access to most car parks and drive thru’s without banging the LDV’s head. The ride and handling is similar to the G10 with MacPherson struts at the front and the five link coil rear suspension.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Roll Movement Intervention (RMI) from Bosch is standard equipment.

Braking is provided by discs at all corners with the usual package of auxiliary control systems including ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). The spare wheel is full size rather than a speed restricted space saver. There is also a tyre pressure monitoring system for the Hankook tyres which ride on 16-inch alloy rims. An 8-speed ZF automatic

gearbox on both the G10+ diesel and petrol models is a step up from the 6-speed ZF fitted to the standard G10.

The 8-speed is controlled by paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel so tradies and couriers can play at being Formula One drivers if they wish to over-ride the automatic transmission controls. The transmission functions such as drive, reverse and park are selected by a rotary dial located on the dash. Drive is via the rear wheels and an optional six-speed manual is also available with the diesel engine.

Inside, the dashboard and ergonomics have been updated from the G10 with new material finishes including quite salubrious seats with centre arm rests, and reduced noise levels provide for a more relaxed drive experience. The media unit is centered on the 7-inch screen and features Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay functions to enable hands free calls and texting as well as accessing the maps function of the driver’s smartphone. Cruise and

audio controls are integrated into the sporty style steering wheel which has tilt adjustment. Air conditioning, power windows, central locking and remote keyless entry are also standard fare in the G10+.

Dual airbags are standard as is a reversing camera and parking sensors.

The 11.8 metre turning circle isn’t the smallest or largest in the G10+’s category and should avoid the need for multi-point turns.

The LDV G10+ comes with the peace of mind of a comprehensive factory backed 3 year/100,000km (whichever occurs first) new vehicle warranty, plus the reassurance of roadside assistance throughout the period of the warranty.

The comfortable interior and the more powerful and efficient diesel engine combined with the world-class 8-speed ZF automatic transmission makes a tough day of pick-ups and drop-offs a whole lot easier when using the LDV G10+.

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RUNNING PAST

A LONG PATROL Nissan’s iconic off-roader, a constant presence for the brand in Australia, turns 70.

T

he legendary Nissan Patrol has been a favourite of off-roading enthusiasts, adventurous families and overland tourers since its inception in 1951. Australia has played a significant role in the Patrol’s heritage, as one of the first markets outside of Japan to receive the second-generation G60 Datsun Patrol in 1961. Just one year later, a Nissan Patrol was the first motorised vehicle to cross the Simpson Desert when geologist Reg Sprigg, his wife Griselda and children Marg and Doug, charted a path over more than 1100 sand dunes.

Since its arrival in Australia, and through five major generational changes, Nissan has sold more than 238,000 Patrols locally.

It has also reportedly scored more than 17 major Australian motoring awards from specialist 4x4 publications and mainstream media outlets, chalked up a record 15 consecutive Australian Off-Road Championships and been the outright winner of the gruelling Australasian Safari four times.

“The Patrol has been an integral part in the success of Nissan here in Australia and, over the same time, has opened many new pathways for Australians to explore this rugged country thanks to its renowned off-road abilities and dependability,” says Adam Paterson, Nissan Motor Company Australia Managing Director.

“Patrol has been a constant presence 88

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for the brand in Australia and even predates the official formation of Nissan Motor Company Australia in 1966.

We are extremely proud of the role this country has played in the Patrol’s storied history, and all of the significant accolades it has achieved locally that have contributed to the Patrol reaching this milestone.”

In 2021 year-to-date sales of the Patrol are up by more than 20 per cent compared to the same period in 2020.

While the current Y62 Patrol is one of the most technically advanced vehicles in its class, equipped with a full suite of Nissan Intelligent Mobility safety features, cutting-edge hydraulically linked suspension, a powerful V8 petrol engine and a spacious and luxurious cabin crammed with modern conveniences, the Patrol’s origins are much more humble.

The first 4W60 Patrol was launched in 1951 and featured a 3.7-litre in-line sixcylinder petrol engine that produced 56kW and drove a part-time four-wheel transmission via a four-speed manual gearbox. It was sold exclusively in Japan and adopted the Patrol nameplate when it was superseded by the 4W65 model in 1958.

The second-generation G60 arrived in Australia in 1961 as the Datsun Patrol with an overhead valve 4.0-litre in-line six that generated 92kW and was offered in soft-top, wagon or cab/ chassis body styles.

It was sold, largely unchanged, for

Nissan GU Patrol conquers the Grampian Mountains.

almost 20 years until it was replaced by the MQ-Series Datsun Patrol in 1980.

The MQ Patrol tapped into the growing popularity for recreational four-wheel drives with more car-like features and handling and also introduced the seven-seat wagon concept that the Patrol retains today. It was available as a short wheelbase hardtop model with a removable roof while the longwheelbase configuration allowed for a wide range of cab/chassis and wagon variants. When launched, it came with a choice of either a 2.8-litre petrol or 3.3-litre diesel six-cylinder engine and was the first Patrol to be offered with an automatic transmission — a three-speed unit that was exclusively available in the range-topping Deluxe Wagon. The MQ Patrol was also the first model to introduce a turbocharged diesel engine option in 1984 with the addition of the optional SD33T

six-cylinder engine producing 81kW of power and 255Nm of torque.

Nissan re-set the benchmark for four-wheel drives in 1987 when the GQ Patrol arrived with all-coil-spring suspension that offered a balanced blend of long-travel articulation for off-roading and comfortable on-road dynamics for everyday driving.

It was initially offered with a choice of all-new 4.2-litre petrol or diesel six-cylinder engines with either a fivespeed manual or four-speed automatic.

The powertrain range was expanded in 1990 with the addition of a 3.0-litre petrol six – a unique version of the RB30 from the Skyline sedan – in entry-level models and again in 1995 with a 2.8-litre turbo diesel.

The fifth-generation GU Patrol launched in 1997 brought a sleeker, more spacious body as well as significant improvements to chassis, suspension

and driveline components that increased overall refinement. It was powered by either an improved version of the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel six, which now featured electronic fuel injection and

an intercooler, or a revised 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated six.

A turbo-charged variant of the big six arrived in 1999, while an all-new ZD30 3.0-litre turbo four-cylinder replaced the smaller six in 2000, and the petrol six-cylinder was increased in capacity to 4.8-litres in 2001 – producing 185kW and 420Nm – making the Patrol the most powerful four-wheel drive in its class.

With the arrival of the high-tech Y62 series in 2014, the Patrol shifted up a gear and took on a more refined character. It was exclusively available as a wagon with a 5.6-litre petrol V8 and focused more intently on its onroad performance than ever before, bringing world-first technologies such as the digital Intelligent RearView Mirror (introduced in 2017) and a sophisticated fully independent suspension set-up with Hydraulic Body Motion Control.

Nissan Australia continued to offer a limited range of GU Patrol variants, including cab-chassis workhorse models, up until 2016. The Y62 Patrol was refreshed in 2020 with a stylish new exterior design and additional safety features, including a comprehensive suite of Nissan Intelligent Mobility functions such as Intelligent Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Active Cruise Control and Intelligent Lane Intervention.

Nissan Patrol G60.

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INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE

A million and more but who’s counting?

ROB PERKINS

N

early a decade ago a number of ARTSA members got together to try and solve a riddle – how many heavy vehicles are on the road? (Spoiler alert: it’s passed 1 million late in 2020.) Up until then people relied on the ABS collection which appeared to have gaps, and some extracts from individual states, but no one seemed to have an overall picture of what was registered and how the fleet was changing over time.

ARTSA’s then Chairman Dr Peter Hart and myself, then acting as Executive Director, approached Austroads, which is the peak body representing road agencies in Australia. They had for some time pooled their state collections of driver licencing and registration data in order that enforcement agencies (among others) could have access to data Australia wide. The pooling agency is called NEVDIS which stands for the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System. ARTSA argued successfully that there was a public good in having NEVDIS provide a quarterly extract of the “non-private” data from their collection of heavy vehicles.

That was in late 2013. Since the end of that year NEVDIS has (for a fee) provided ARTSA (and now ARTSA-i) with quarterly extracts of all commercial vehicles over 4.5 tonnes GVM. The data includes name of

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manufacturer, registration status and category, as well as State and post code of registration and a number of other variables.

It has limited information on some characteristics that many people would like to see: body type, technology on the vehicles (suspension and braking systems, coupling details etc). This data sits in the Commonwealth domain and is part of the Australian Design Rule approval process. While OEM manufacturers must seek design approval and those designs are available on the web (see https://rvcs. infrastructure.gov.au ) there seems to be no collective appetite by the Commonwealth and states (for that is what is needed) to link the design approval of individual vehicles to the registration of the vehicle. This is a missed opportunity, indeed a missing link, and seems to sit in nowhere land between the Commonwealth (concerned with design approvals) and the states (concerned with registration and in-service compliance). The result is that it is difficult to analyse the heavy vehicle fleet in terms of its technical innovation and evolution.

Questions of technology penetration (modern smart braking systems, vehicle suspension, body types etc) would be possible through the linking of the

Commonwealth approvals process and the state driven registration systems.

It is a collective ‘own goal’ by these jurisdictions and needs to be corrected in order that this data can then inform future policy makers.

Total medium and heavy duty registrations This data includes two categories: • Heavy vehicles which are greater than 12 tonnes GVM. • Medium duty vehicles which range from 4.5 tonnes to 12 tonnes GVM. Note that the ARTSA-I does not receive data for vehicles in the 3.5tonne – 4.5tonne GVM segment.

The heavy-duty category makes up 67 per cent of the total parc of medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

This has increased from 65 per cent five years ago. This shows a trend towards the heavy vehicle sector which is a little surprising given the growth in the urban freight task and the rise of the click and collect/home shopping economy which would normally favour smaller (medium duty) vehicles. The growth in the total parc of equipment over the last five years has been 10 per cent. This is net growth after retirements. This is not large given the growth in the economy and suggests that freight productivity is on the rise.

Source: ARTSA-i Data analytics based upon NEVDIS registration data extract

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Source: ARTSA-i Data analytics based upon NEVDIS registration data extract

Source: ARTSA-i Data analytics based upon NEVDIS registration data extract

New registrations New registrations go through an annual saw tooth pattern with the first quarter of the calendar year being slower and building through to December quarter.

The data for heavy vehicles since 2016 is shown below: New registrations for heavy vehicles are running in a band of six to nine thousand new units per quarter. This equates to around 30 thousand new heavy vehicle units registered per annum. Against a total parc of just over 1 million vehicles this is a replacement rate of around 3 per cent. It is not high and as a result the median age of heavy vehicles is creeping up from 12.5 years at mid-2016 to now around 13 years at mid-2021.

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Tableau data analytics ARTSA-i Data analytics has implemented an online data analytics platform using Tableau. This is an important innovation as it delivers simple-to-use analytics tools into the hands of users. This data can be accessed at any time and is updated quarterly.

The features of Tableau are too numerous to list here but what it does is allow the user to configure and create your own favourite views and to quickly establish down to State level the market leaders and many more details. The world of data analytics just got a little more exciting!

ARTSA-i is working on expanding the scope of data in its databases. This will allow us, using Tableau, to answer important questions about the trends and bottlenecks that exist in our essential industry.

Access to the ARTSA-i Data collection is by subscription through the ARTSA-i Data Executive Director Rob Perkins at rob@artsa.com.au Free quarterly summary reports are also available via the ARTSA-i website at http://www.artsa.com.au/data/ Rob Perkins, ARTSA-i Data Executive Director

Source: ARTSA-i Data analytics Tableau online data based upon NEVDIS registration data extract p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

91

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

SAL PETROCCITTO

N

o matter our role or responsibility in the heavy vehicle industry, safety always needs to be the highest priority. Research consistently shows that one of the main risks to safety is fatigue. Managing fatigue is particularly important for all heavy vehicle drivers on our roads, and the flow-on effect of one fatigued heavy vehicle driver can be catastrophic.

This is why we need to ensure the best policies, procedures and information are available to mitigate fatigue risks and keep everyone in our industry safe.

In January this year, we outlined our vision for better managing fatigue/ distraction to the National Transport Commission’s review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). The law is now more than a decade old and just as the industry and technology has progressed, so too must the laws that govern safety.

The submission was developed following significant consultation with industry stakeholders over a two-year period and outlines three key objectives to enhance the HVNL’s approach to fatigue.

This includes increased flexibility to enable drivers to rest when they are tired, supported by an agreed authority for drivers to stop when they’re not fit to drive. It’s important to stress that flexibility doesn’t mean more hours – it means helping drivers better 92

de c eembe sept mbe rr 2018 2021

Finding the flexibility to meet fatigue requirements manage work and rest within current outer limits.

It also includes ensuring the law recognises current and emerging safety technologies, such as Fatigue and Distraction Detection Technology (FDDT), which has been recognised as a game changer with the ability to alert drivers to potential incidents before they occur.

We know that the heavy vehicle laws can be difficult to follow and unnecessarily complex, which is why our submission provides clear, consistent, and concise recommendations on behalf of industry stakeholders. Everyone benefits when rules are straight-forward and easy to comprehend.

As we continue our discussions with Government and industry on the HVNL, we’re also focused on helping operators reduce fatigue risks now.

Currently, most heavy vehicle operators are using the standard hours regime, with just six per cent signed up to Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) or Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) schemes. These schemes allow operators to take advantage of safety systems that provide them with more flexibility in meeting fatigue requirements and improving safety.

I’m particularly encouraged by research undertaken into the AFM scheme, which shows AFM accredited operators have better fatigue risk management

systems, a stronger safety culture and better communication with their drivers. Similarly, drivers who are part of the AFM scheme work fewer hours, with fewer infringements and crashes. This is because AFM is comprehensive, flexible and prioritises safety and a conversation between drivers and operators about individual circumstances.

For the past 18 months, we’ve been running Fatigue Choices sessions across the country to help operators assess their fatigue management needs — including assistance to convert BFM to AFM where appropriate. We’ve delivered the program to 134 owners and operators across 16 locations and we’re continuing the conversation across Australia.

The program is supported by a new booklet on AFM – Preparation to apply which breaks down the components of an AFM application and spells out descriptions of the elements the NHVR reviews when it receives an application.

Information on the program is available on the NHVR’s website and the free and personalised programs can be undertaken online.

In addition to fatigue management standards, we’ll continue to focus on championing the growing role technology can play in the heavy vehicle industry.

I’m looking forward to an increased number of drivers taking advantage

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of Electronic Work Diaries, with six products currently approved and available for use. Similarly, we’re continuing to work alongside industry to realise the benefits of FDDTs, and

better understand how we recognise new technology.

I’m encouraged by the safety potential that can be achieved by using technology in our industry and hope

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that over time, it becomes a staple for managing fatigue.

Sal Petroccitto CEO, NHVR

AFM accredited operators have better fatigue management systems in place. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

93

INSIGHT | HEALTHY HEADS IN TRUCKS & SHEDS

New directions and breakthroughs in improving the mental health landscape

NAOMI FRAUENFELDER

E

A Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS) marked its first full year of operation in mid-August, we reflected on the past 12 months and the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. The pandemic has continued to reinforce the need for a collective, industry-led approach to addressing rising concerns related to mental health and physical wellbeing in the Australian road transport, warehousing and logistic industries.

The pressure that has been placed on the supply chain as a result of COVID-19, has shown us how resilient and critical the sector is. However, research from Monash University in their Driving Health Study shows that one in two drivers surveyed reported some level of psychological distress and that the proportion of truck drivers under 35 with severe psychological distress was almost double the average for Australian males in the same age bracket. The study shows that Australia is at risk of a shortage of truck drivers in the future, largely due to difficulty attracting a new generation of drivers to the profession. While these insights come as no surprise given the industry mental health risk factors, they’re a driving force for HHTS to call on the sector to come together on mental health and wellbeing, particularly to protect younger drivers’ mental health.

For HHTS to be successful in shifting the dial on mental health and wellbeing, we need all operators to adopt the best 94

sept embe r 2021

practice framework that sits within the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Roadmap (the Roadmap).

The Framework is a guide to the development of psychologically safe and thriving workplaces and is built around the components of preventing harm, intervening early and supporting recovery. If the industry is able to adopt this approach over the course of the next three years, we believe that the entire sector can move in the right direction, and in time become a leader in terms of mentally healthy workplaces.

How do we get there? This is one of the most frequently asked questions of HHTS, and rightly so. We have a long road ahead of us, but what is important is that we have started the journey and we’re seeing willingness from all levels of the sector to get involved. Over the course of the coming months and into 2022, HHTS will commence the rollout of programs and initiatives that support the Roadmap strategy.

One of these initiatives includes the release of the Healthy Heads App, which has been developed with the support of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). Through focus groups and user testing, with representatives from across the sector, HHTS found a demand for easy access to relevant information, particularly relating to starting a conversation, alleviating financial stress and improving diet and physical wellbeing. With feedback from the industry at the forefront of its creation, the Healthy Heads App is targeted at supporting wellbeing, increasing selfawareness and creating greater resilience.

Importantly, will continue to build out additional capabilities within the App, placing a strong focus on a function that allows users to rate facilities including highway rest stops.

In addition to the Healthy Heads App, another key focus area is the development of tailored training programs that are relevant to the sector.

Since August 2020, HHTS has engaged with leading mental health providers in Australia to pilot a range of co-designed programs. So far, this has led to the delivery of the Lifeline eLearning course (Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Road Transport, Warehousing & Logistics Sector) that is available via the HHTS website. Over 2021 and 2022, HHTS will expand this offering ensuring that workers, managers and leaders have access to training and education material that enables them to support themselves and others, and ultimately to meet the objectives of the Roadmap strategy.

Furthermore, in recognition of the size and scale of the sector, HHTS is working with PACCAR Australia to develop and deliver an on-road campaign that reaches communities that would otherwise have limited access to tools and information around mental health and physical wellbeing. Activation events will also aim to increase awareness around ways to seek support and take action toward implementing the Roadmap, particularly for smaller businesses.

Today, more than a year after launching HHTS it is apparent that many of the initiatives we are driving are well overdue.

However, there is a part for everyone to play in the ongoing awareness and sharing of information relating to mental health and physical wellbeing. We can all contribute to alleviating stigma and promoting environments where people feel comfortable to reach out for support when they need it.

Naomi Frauenfelder CEO, Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds

AUSTRALIAN LOGISTICS COUNCIL | INSIGHT

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BRAD WILLIAMS

F

reight and supply chain workers have been at the frontline since the beginning of the pandemic.

In March 2020, Australia confronted distressing scenes of empty supermarket shelves and vulnerable community members going without due to panic buying. Industry mobilised to meet our communities’ needs and were deemed as essential workers.

In response to the COVID-19 threat, we saw the efficiency and speed by which public policy and legislation could be drafted and enacted by the National Cabinet approach and ultimately reaped the benefit of the federation working together. However, it is now evident this approach has once again fallen back to COAG’s old familiar, habitual practices.

Cabinet leadership is disenfranchised, with each State and Territory going their own way based on the risk profile of their leaders and at times neglecting the best advice on hand. We are witnessing this through the glacial pace of the national vaccination rollout and snap lockdowns.

Everyday Australians now appreciate the essential work undertaken by freight and supply chain workers. Unfortunately, Government lacks empathy towards this workforce. Governments have failed these workers by their lack of inclusion in the early phases of the vaccine rollout. With each new set of lockdowns, we see new requirements thrust onto this workforce, often without prior warning. Many

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Freight and supply chain workers considered essential but not a priority for governments workers report having undergone over 50 tests since the start of the pandemic; however, they continue to get on with their job despite increased requirements and stress of going into high-risk situations.

The sector’s workers undergo mandatory COVID surveillance testing every seven days and as frequent as every 72 and 24 hours in some jurisdictions to facilitate travel between state borders delivering essential items to communities. It makes logical sense that the government should prioritise vaccination for workers being tested with high frequency because they are the ones most at risk.

These workers need to be prioritised.

Businesses and operators have gone to great lengths to encourage compliance and protect their workforces and the communities they serve, including proximity detectors for workers in distribution centres, workforce bubbles, sophisticated COVID safe plans, and onsite COVID testing facilities.

These businesses are offering to set up on-site vaccination facilities to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of their workers (and ultimately communities) by reducing the risk of transmission in distribution centres and by long haul and last mile drivers.

The Commonwealth controls the supply of vaccines, and without access, these businesses cannot set up these facilities.

Australia has a significant stockpile of

AstraZeneca and ATAGI has changed their advice in line with the risk posed

by COVID in the community. Industry should have access to Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines to set up on-site vaccination facilities run by contracted health providers, similar to how on-site testing facilities operate.

The freight and supply chain has not faltered during the pandemic. Every day, these workers continue to go into highrisk environments to ensure we all receive our essential goods and commodities.

It is now time for governments to acknowledge the risk these essential workers undertake by providing support via access to vaccinations and accessible testing on-site and off-site to ensure their safety and that of the community.

ALC, CEO, Brad Williams

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

95

INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

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A hydrogen reality check – Part 2

TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

M

y past couple of columns have looked at the realities of a low, or zero, carbon future, globally and in Australia. I have explained why Australia needs clear leadership on this issue and a holistic plan to reach net zero emissions by whatever date our political leaders and the Australian constituency deem appropriate. I have looked at the media hype, verses reality, of battery electric vehicles and last month I discussed some of the reasons why hydrogen is not the low emission transport panacea that many are touting it to be, at least not in the short to mid-term. This month I will continue that hydrogen reality check.

Unlike battery electric vehicles, where we at least have a substantial electricity grid to rely on, providing the electrical energy to recharge vehicle batteries, if and when, we eventually get around to installing enough vehicle charging stations to that grid, hydrogen has little, to no, infrastructure in place to offer a viable source of fuel. Even with the abundant supply of electricity on offer, with ‘poles and wire’ spread far and wide across our nation, albeit not supplied by enough green power in most jurisdictions, electric vehicle owners continue to struggle to find the necessary recharging stations to provide anything like seamless electric vehicle passage within Australia. The biggest challenges that face any new transport fuel, or energy source, is distribution and refuelling 96

sept embe r 2021

infrastructure. That is the very reason that Tesla built and deployed their own charging infrastructure in many countries in an effort to make their electric vehicles a viable transport option.

While many commentators sit back and debate the ‘chicken or egg’ approach of refuelling infrastructure verses vehicle deployment, it HAS to be refuelling/ recharging infrastructure FIRST, for the road freight sector to be viable.

There are many car drivers out there who are patient enough to wait for a reasonable level of refuelling/recharging infrastructure to be deployed to make their electric, or hydrogen, powered travels less of a major logistics planning exercise and more like the regular commute that most of us enjoy in our petrol and diesel powered vehicles.

The same cannot be said for a freight operator. An operator who depends on the unhindered use of a truck for their livelihood, cannot afford to have that vehicle ‘parked up’ because they cannot find a viable source of fuel, or a convenient refilling/recharging station.

Road freight operators simply cannot afford to gamble on a fleet of low and zero emission vehicles until there is viable refilling/recharging infrastructure.

The plan for that infrastructure needs to be shouldered by government.

I back up my claims that refuelling/ recharging infrastructure is critical for the effective deployment of new power technologies in the road freight sector, by recalling the failure of natural gas trucks in Australia, not all that long ago.

A number of Truck Industry Council members developed natural gas trucks specifically for the Australian market. At one point in time in the mid-2000s there were several gas powered trucks available here. However, due to much promised natural gas refuelling infrastructure never materialising in a meaningful form, the prospect of a viable Australian

natural gas-powered truck fleet failed.

This despite Australia having the world’s largest supply of natural gas and an existing and vast gas network, that reaches approximately 70 per cent of Australian households and businesses.

No such hydrogen distribution network exists.

Globally we have seen some very proactive and astute governments that have prioritised the installation of recharging infrastructure for electric vehicles, countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and South Korea.

It is also not surprising to see that these same countries are in a group that lead the world in the uptake and use of electric mobility. Similarly, some governments are well advanced in their planning for hydrogen refuelling frameworks now, infrastructure that will be in place to fuel the hydrogen cars and trucks that are being designed, tested and developed today. The low and zero emission vehicles of tomorrow, well in reality, the commercialisation of largescale hydrogen trucks is some years off yet, however we need to be planning the infrastructure now, not tomorrow.

Our lack of electric vehicle infrastructure is testament to the fact that we are lagging well behind most of the world and is a significant hindrance to the take up of electric vehicles in Australia.

Without roads, we would not have cars and trucks, without low and zero emission refuelling/recharging infrastructure we will not have low and zero emission vehicles. The level of infrastructure that is required is massive and can only be provided with a national plan developed and substantially funded by governments, as is Australian road infrastructure.

Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

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National border crossing disunity must end now

PETER ANDERSON

I

t’s been well over 12 months since the National Cabinet, created by the Morrison Government to navigate Australia through the COVID-19 pandemic, established a Freight Movement Code for the Domestic Border Controls in late June 2020. This Freight Movement Protocol was ratified on 7 August 2020 and was intended to provide a degree of consistency for freight drivers and operators that were required to regularly cross state and territory borders to carry out their essential work transporting goods. This well-intentioned document recognised that uninterrupted supply chains were essential to support our fragile economy and to give consumers confidence that they would continue to have access to food, fuel, medicines and other essential household goods. Whilst not legally binding, the Protocol agreed to by every state and territory was an important step towards providing operators with confidence about COVID settings in our various jurisdictions, and what would be required of drivers to safely carry out their work. It allowed for some differences, but the spirit of the document was that there would be limited variations on requirements travelling across borders in terms of testing, quarantining and interacting with customers.

Sadly, it’s abundantly clear that this document isn’t worth the paper it was written on with states and territories

effectively going it alone and establishing border-crossing rules and regulations that are ignorant of the Freight Movement Protocol. The result of this is disunity amongst our jurisdictions, creating confusion and angst among operators and drivers who just want to serve their customers and communities safely, competently and efficiently.

The freight industry has had enough and has joined forces to petition the Commonwealth for a unified, national framework for the movement of freight, with a particular focus on COVID-19 testing requirements for professional linehaul drivers.

Current testing regimes for COVID-19 for all interstate heavy vehicle drivers vary from two-day, three-day and weekly testing cycles. The weekly cycles of testing can be met within the industry sector however, the less-than-a-week cycles are difficult to meet due to issues with fatigue management, testing locations and physical intrusion upon the individual.

Having a pipette pushed to the back of the nasal cavity every few days wears the skin and creates blood noses on a regular basis. This is a health risk.

To meet all obligations while still being able to remain unharmed the VTA, along with NatRoad, the Queensland Trucking Association, Tasmanian Transport Association, NT Road Transport Association and Western Roads Federation have endorsed an appeal to change the current testing regime to include the rapid type testing and provide the same level of COVID security.

Our proposal is for interstate drivers to be tested every two or three days using the testing types such as the Ellume process and then have a standard COVID test through a registered testing laboratory weekly. This would mean that the driver could carry out a self-

test throughout the week, check their clearance of the virus and be sure that they are not infecting others.

Accessible, reliable, and fast diagnostics are integral to the COVID-19 response.

The rapid testing regime provides a result within 15 minutes to reduce an individual’s personal intrusion, manage outbreaks and community transmission, and reduce pressure on healthcare systems.

We have requested that the Federal Government have TGA grant an exemption for rapid testing to include specifically the interstate heavy vehicle driver sector under specific conditions.

It is important to note that we are not requesting that the rapid process replace the process of testing through an accredited pathology laboratory but rather to minimise the risk and discomfort associated with meeting current requirements.

Freight drivers have maintained their social licence to continue working despite invasive testing requirements that have been a source of angst and distress for many. They deserve a better testing regime that respects their physical and mental health and well-being, whilst keeping the community safe from transport-related outbreaks.

As vaccination rates continue to increase, exposure to lockdowns and the havoc they case at border crossings will reduce.

However, as new strains of the virus emerge, a national framework that states and territories genuinely unify behind is urgently needed for our supply chains to continue to function. The VTA will continue to advocate for this important outcome on behalf of our members and the industry.

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

Record Setting Pace 2020 (+19.8 per cent).

Manufacturers and importers have done a great job of rallying to meet the current exceptional level of demand, although there are beginning to be some shortages of certain models and specifications and some delivery lead times are stretching out. Those playing the long game will be already planning into future years when many of the 2021 deliveries will be due for replacement.

July is typically a ‘shadow’ month for vehicle sales, following the usual practice of squeezing every sale into June to meet the end of the Australian financial year. And so it was during July this year with the Truck Industry Council reporting total truck sales of 2,757 which is 1,071 less than in the previous month of June (-28.0 per cent). However, as an indication as to how strong the market is compared to last year, the July total is 416 more than for July 2020 (+17.7 per cent) and the year-to-date accrual of 18,894 is some 3,174 units more than at the same point in time in 2020 (+20.1 per cent).

Comparing the 2021 year-to-date total with the progressive results of the all-time record year of 2018 shows this year to be just 880 units behind ( -4.4 per cent), a figure, under reasonable assumption, that can be expected to change to a positive over the next couple of months, if not sooner during August.

The Heavy Duty category continued its remarkable results during July with 1,021 new units which is 239 more than in July 2020 (+30.6 per cent) and taking the 2021 total to 6,811, an increase of 1,110 trucks (+19.5 per cent). The market’s response to Kenworth’s Legend offering of more than 750 firm orders for the special edition prime movers will contribute to that brand’s exceptional results over the next 18 months or so.

The Medium Duty sector’s July result of 534 units was just slightly down (-36 units) on the previous July but the year-todate total of 4,071 is 236 more than for the first seven months of 2020 (+6.1 per cent).

Light Duty trucks show no sign of slackening off this year and July’s total of 1,202 is 21.5 per cent higher (213 units) than July 2020 and the year-to-date total of 8,072 is a whopping 1,828 additional trucks (+29.3 per cent).

The large van category July result of 539 was slightly under the previous July (-11 units or -2.0 per cent) while the strength of the first half of the year’s sales kept the year-to-date numbers healthy at 4,262 which is 703 more than at the end of July 98

sept embe r 2021

July-21

YTD

% Change YOY

ISUZU

756

5524

15.7%

HINO

464

3667

21.3%

FUSO

398

2577

36.6%

KENWORTH

211

1414

47.0%

MERCEDES-BENZ

153

1026

50.9%

VOLVO

164

904

-18.6%

IVECO

118

776

303.0%

SCANIA

102

678

42.4%

UD TRUCKS

84

376

12.2%

MACK

41

335

-20.8%

FIAT

68

320

15.9%

DAF

60

317

14.4%

FREIGHTLINER

32

204

55.7%

WESTERN STAR

37

199

53.2%

MAN

26

165

-26.3%

HYUNDAI

10

136

106.1%

FORD

14

116

163.6%

RENAULT

10

92

-19.3%

DENNIS EAGLE

7

86

207.1%

VOLKSWAGEN

2

23

-23.3%

INTERNATIONAL

0

19

-29.6%

CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

2757

18954

20.1%

M-B VANS

277

1449

7.5%

FORD VANS

30

918

42.1%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

55

749

18.1%

RENAULT VANS

99

671

13.5%

FIAT VANS

53

273

92.3%

IVECO VANS

25

202

2.0%

VANS

539

4262

19.8%

TOTAL

3296

23216

20.0%

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

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

1800 222 071 twusuper.com.au

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

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, TRUCKIES KEEP EVERYONE GOING. Transport operators across Australia rely on Shell Rimula oils to protect their equipment operating in Australia’s tough conditions.

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.