Prime Mover November 2020

®

November 2020

Followmont Transport Sunshine State

NOVEMBER 2020 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

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Industry Fleet: Allens Freight Feature: SafeWork NSW Spotlight: CTFD Group Personality: Martin Merrick

Innovation Fleet: Team Transport & Logistics Technology: Diff Locks Test Drive: Hino GT500 Final Mile: Mazda BT-50

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

TA KE A W AY A RE A DY- TO - W O R K D E A L .

B RO U G H T TO YO U BY I S U Z U .

#1 Traypack

#2 Tipper

#3 Tradepack

#4 Vanpack

*Takeaway Truck Promotion is only available on new Ready to Work Isuzu Trucks between 1 October 2020 – 31 December 2020 (Promotion Period). This offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer. Fleet and government purchasers are not eligible. Takeaway truck deals are available only on new Ready to Work Trucks –Tradepack, Servicepack, Traypack, Tippers, Vanpack, Freightpack. Featured drive away price $46,690 includes GST, 12 months registration, government, statutory charges and dealer delivery costs and is only offered on NLR 45-150 SWB AMT Traypack. Offer available while stocks last.

Drive away offer excludes any parts and accessories. Isuzu Australia Limited is not a financial adviser. You should consider seeking independent financial, taxation or other advice to determine eligibility.

Visit isuzu.com.au for full terms and conditions. FSA/ISZ12808

Outgrown the kids’ menu?

If you have an appetite for bigger payloads, our Ready-to-Work trucks can swallow over a ton more than typical utes. And most models are driveable on a car licence. Plus, with our takeaway deals, the versatile Traypack starts at just $46,690 drive away*. There are also great prices on the rest of the menu which includes the Tradepack, Vanpack, Servicepack, Tipper, and the Freightpack. So find out more at isuzu.com.au or visit your nearest Isuzu Truck Dealer now and fill up.

N L R T R AY P A C K S W B A M T

From

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$46,690 #6 Freightpack

Drive away*

®

November 2020

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.

Followmont Transport

John Murphy | CEO

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

Sunshine State

NOVEMBER 2020 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

10

Industry Fleet: Allens Freight Feature: SafeWork NSW Spotlight: CTFD Group Personality: Martin Merrick

Innovation Fleet: Team Transport & Logistics Technology: Diff Locks Test Drive: Hino GT500 Final Mile: Mazda BT-50

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

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

william.craske@primecreative.com.au

Luke Applebee | Managing Editor, Transport Group

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

managing editor,

transport group

Luke Applebee luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au

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

business

Ash Blachford

development ash.blachford@primecreative.com.au manager

0403 485 140

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

design production

manager

Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

client success manager

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

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.

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

Peter Shields | Senior Feature Writer

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

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

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

copyright

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

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

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

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

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

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CONTENTS

Prime Mover November 2020

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54

38

60

24

COVER STORY “I will always encourage our team to grow across the business in the right roles for their own development as much as the organisation’s.”

30

ON THE RAZOR’S EDGE

Prime Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS 24 Sunshine State The latest additions to Followmont Transport’s already significant UD fleet have been magnified by the neon pink spectacle of a 11-litre New Quon, commissioned especially to celebrate the contributions of women in the business and wider industry.

30 On the Razor’s Edge Queensland company Team Transport & Logistics traces its roots back to the aftermath of the Razorback Truck Blockade in 1979. Some four decades on, DAF and Kenworth trucks supplied by Brown and Hurley have come to the fore as key weapons in the Team’s arsenal.

34 Print the Legend Allens Freight built its reputation on the back of delivering print media to western Victoria. Through an ongoing alliance with Isuzu the company has diversified its freight service, a decision that’s been good news for growing business.

TRUCK & TECH 38 Riding Tandem Since it debuted in local markets in 2018, the Meritor 14X family of tandem axles have proven a robust driveline solution for operators who need a light weight axle in specialist applications.

42 Little Big Shot The new UD Croner has a certain beefiness to its presence that suggests it is, in essence, a scaled down version of its Quon big brother.

TEST DRIVE 46 Best of Both Worlds Hino’s new 500 Series GT 1528 goes a long way towards disproving any notion that a four wheel drive medium duty truck can’t climb mountains, carry a load, accommodate seven adults in relative comfort and cruise the streets as well.

Regular Run From the Editor 10 Prime Mover News 50 Final Mile 58 Personality 60 Prime Movers & Shakers 62 Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association 64 National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 67 Australian Logistics Council 68 Trucking Industry Council 69 Victorian Transport Association 70 Peter Shields’ Number Crunch 08

FROM THE EDITOR

Not Too Distant

William Craske Editor

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Maybe it was the threat of fuel shortages earlier in the year. Or possibly the image of tumbleweeds on a deserted highway that under normal circumstances would be noisy with traffic. Whatever the initiate, something got me to thinking back to a short-lived show that screened on late night television when I was a kid starring Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson. Former VFL footballer, Jackson, whose main acting credit to that point was flogging Energizer batteries had, with the clout of an influential agent, landed on a postapocalyptic action-adventure series as a sidekick to a US Marshall (Sam J Jones of Flash Gordon) who drove a souped-up semi. It was called The Highwayman, a kind of hybrid between Mad Max and Knight Rider for the Airwolf crowd.

Which is to say, given my young age at the time, me.

The premise of the show was sketchy.

Future knight errants roam the outlands solving mysteries and salvaging the misfortunes of wayfaring strangers while armed with outlandish shotguns and driving diesel guzzling trucks fitted out with all manner of gimmeckry. Although set in the not-too-distant-future there was nary a mention of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Actual real world application in the design of the vehicles was scarce despite the trailers housing sports cars if memory serves me. For the eponymous hero’s vehicle a nose of a five seat French helicopter had been retrofitted where the bonnet should have been. Quite the view should you need to land an 18-wheeler from a great height without warning.

The original truck, at least in the movie length pilot, was supposedly enhanced by stealth capability in which it could simply disappear. After nine episodes the show eventually did. No doubt the showrunner

had a bold imagination that could not be reconciled by budgetry limitations — a problem of differing magnitude for everyone from Elon Musk to the US Military.

A real stealth vessel, the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, to look at is something akin to a tool found in Batman’s utility belt. It’s hardly a thing of beauty. As it eschews the traditional jet design of fuselage, wings and three rear stabilisers, the Stealth Bomber has reduced the total force of air resistance acting on the plane to eliminate drag. As its purpose is to avoid detection while travelling great distances in short periods of time it can cover, without refuelling, 11,000 kilometres. Here, form and function are one. Tesla’s Cybertruck further blurs this line, in which the eyesore of its aesthetics belie a design that screams built-for-purpose if that purpose is the coming apocalypse. The hopeful rhetoric of modernism to borrow a phrase from Robert Hughes was that big government would latch onto what big business would not. Yet here we are. For anyone who has seen images of Walmart’s concept truck the similarities with the crude design of the vehicle in The Highwayman are not easy to shake.

“There is a world just beyond now where reality rides a razor-thin seam between fact and possibility, where the laws of the present collide with the crimes of tomorrow,” intones the unnamed narrator at the commencement of each episode of The Highwayman. Maybe he was onto something.

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PRIME NEWS

> Brisbane infrastructure icon receives Milestone Mack The latest Mack truck delivered to a southeast Queensland quarry business represents its 500th. Karreman Quarries, based at Mount Cotton, has been running Mack Trucks bearing its name since 1974. For its 500th truck, the company has received a gold 100 year Mack Trident which will carry road base for projects across southeast Queensland.

Mack commercial vehicles have been an integral part of Dick Karreman’s business since it was sand mining on North Stradbroke Island. In partnership with his brother Maarten, Dick Karreman has leased equipment, transported produce and mined sand for nearly five decades.

The brothers started operating out of the Mount Cotton site, where it is currently headquartered, back in 1976.

Local innovation and manufacturing has helped to influence the mobile asset purchases over the years according to Karreman.

“Fundamentally, the fact that they are built here in Australia is part and parcel of our decision to buy Mack,” he said. “We build new crushing plants and we build them ourselves. We

source the steel here. We source the engineering here. Those basic principles, that support our own, the fact that it can be built in Queensland — that’s fundamentally the Mack story and our relationship with the brand.”

Mack Trucks have been great servants to Karreman Quarries and the Managing Director likes to think the partnership goes both ways. The Trident truck and dog combination has been a mainstay of the Karreman fleet for many years, however, PBS has only added to the efficiencies of the business both in terms of fuel and productivity.

“Everything we run is PBS, we’re getting 57.5 tonnes gross, and we are getting 40 tonne payloads,” said Karreman. “That’s unheard of when you compare it to a B-double and other combinations. That’s the best payload you are going to get out of a vehicle,” he said.

“PBS is the best way to go economically, for value and productivity.”

The Hercules dog trailer behind the 100 year commemorative Trident also pays tribute to Dick’s brother, Maarten who recently passed away.

“This truck is a serious milestone for

me personally,” said Karreman. “We never set out to go buy 500 Macks.

I’m surprised I’ve lived long enough to see it!”

Dick Karreman recalls a conversation he had with a pioneering Mack operator as a young bloke in Western Queensland.

“There was a guy called Des Stevenson who owned Cubbie Station, and he used to run doubles with fresh produce to Darwin,” he said. “Des said to me, what’s your dream? What’s your goal?

And I replied that I want one of those B61 Macks one day.”

Some 30 years later Karreman is invited to lunch with Stevenson. The two hadn’t seen each other in well over 25 years.

“By the time we got to dessert he asked, did you ever get to own that Mack son?”

Karreman responded: “Yeah, we got a few. We’ve got about 40 of them.”

By this time the company was running R models. The Karreman fleet now numbers 100 trucks on the road as the family business continues to forge ahead with a new generation stepping in to take the helm.

“I never dreamt I’d see it,” Karreman said.

Middle left: Danny Karreman, Quarry Manager. Middle right: Dick Karreman.

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PRIME NEWS

> Ivan Vodanovich, pioneering transport entrepreneur, passes away The Australian commercial road transport industry is mourning the sudden loss of Ivan Vodanovich. The Founder and Managing Director of Daysworth International, passed away on Father’s Day, 6th of September. A much-loved figure in transport circles around Australia, New Zealand, and the wider Pacific region, Vodanovich was, among other achievements, instrumental in introducing Terminal Tractors into Australia and revolutionising the Australian transport and port industries. Originally from Croatia, he was born in 1946 in the coastal village of Kremena, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. He immigrated to Australia to escape communism in 1967 and served on the assembly line for British Motor Corporation (BMC) in Sydney, before moving to Western Australia where he worked in construction. After a stint in Port Hedland, Vodanovich returned east, working for a period in the Hunter Valley. Following time as a technician for Scania in Sydney, he moved to Melbourne where he later marketed the brand and worked as a senior service engineer. He then moved to Rockwell Meritor as a senior engineer before taking the leap and setting out on his own.

In 1978 he founded Daysworth International, the company with which he is most synonymous, specialising in power steering, differential and tailshaft component remanufacturing, initially working out of his humble garage at home, prior to constructing and moving onto a site in West Footscray, where the company still stands today, its spiritual home. The business model diversified in the 1980s when Kansasbased American Terminal Tractor manufacturer Ottawa approached Daysworth International to distribute its products in Australia.

Despite terminal tractors being a largely unknown field at the time in Australia, Vodanovich was able to envisage the impact they would 12

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Ivan Vodanovich.

have on the Australian transport industry. Daysworth’s subsequent commencement of Ottawa Terminal Tractor distribution and manufacturing signalled a dramatic change in the way operators in the Australian road transport and port sectors operated.

Under Ivan’s leadership and with his vision, Daysworth achieved great success, selling over 3,000 Terminal Tractors, cementing itself as a vital player in Australia’s transport industry.

Ivan’s engineering expertise combined with his singular vision and entrepreneurial drive, saw Daysworth International introduce new industry standards, and expanded Terminal Tractor usage to the construction, manufacturing and agriculture.

“I admired Ivan’s entrepreneurial spirit and was inspired by his ability to back his own judgement and prove the naysayers wrong time and time again.” said John Murphy, Prime Creative

Media CEO. “A big thinker who was not afraid to go against convention, he combined a relentless work ethic with a strong but humble belief in his own abilities. We will miss him ” he said.

“Ivan leaves behind a wonderful legacy, both as a dedicated and tenacious visionary of our industry, but more importantly a man of uncompromising integrity, a family man and a generous spirit who was above all, a gentleman.”

Ivan’s family tells of his favourite quote from Michelangelo, a philosophy that has guided him through his life and is reflective of his unrelenting pursuit of self-improvement and growth: “The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim too high and we miss it, but that we aim too low and we reach it.”

He is survived by his adoring wife Eki, proud sons Ivan Jr. and Domagoj and extended Vodanovich family in both Australia and Croatia.

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PRIME NEWS

> New Cascadia returns impressive fuel figures for livestock haulier One of the first Freightliner Cascadias to arrive in Australia is delivering solid results in performance and fuel efficiency for livestock haulage company Conbar Transport. Hauling livestock at a maximum combination weight of 68 tonnes, the new 16-litre Cascadia 126 is doing everything right according to Conbar Transport driver, Stephen McCormack.

“Livestock hauling is tough on fuel and each run is different, but the Cascadia is very often doing 1.8km per litre (5.1mpg), and sometimes better, which is excellent,” said McCormack.

According to Daimler Trucks, Conbar Transport fuel data showed the Cascadia 126 recently used 20 per cent less fuel than a locally-assembled conventional truck owned by a subcontractor on the same return trip with the same weight on-board.

The company said fuel efficiency, along with the integrated safety features and performance, were the main reasons Conbar Transport decided to purchase a brand-new Cascadia from Daimler Trucks Albury, identifying the potential for significant bottom line savings over the life of the truck.

The Cascadia 126 features a newgeneration DD16 six-cylinder engine that generates 600hp and 2,050lb-ft (2,779Nm) of torque. It is teamed with Daimler’s Detroit DT12 Automated Manual Transmission.

Stephen McCormack.

According to McCormack, the new Freightliner is considerably quieter than the previous bonneted truck he used to drive and puts its power down with a lot less fuss. In fact, he suggests the serenity inside the cab can mask the Cascadia’s work rate.

“The performance is great. It doesn’t seem all that fast, but then you realise that you are getting to your destination in a shorter timeframe most of the time. Sometimes, I’m getting there 15 minutes earlier,” he said.

The enhanced visibility thanks to the clever design of the steeply raked bonnet and the windscreen means McCormack can see exactly where to place the truck — a feature that is especially helpful in tight yards.

“We go into some crazy places that you

wouldn’t put a 4WD and I can see right down to the front of the truck,” he said.

“The bonnet is so low that the vision is just great.”

Like all Cascadias, Conbar’s 126 comes standard with fully integrated safety features including a radar and camera-based Autonomous Emergency Braking system that can automatically detect, and fully brake for, moving pedestrians. It also has a radar-based Adaptive Cruise Control system and Lane Departure Warning in addition to Electronic Stability Control.

The company also ticked the box for the optional Sideguard Assist, which uses radar to ‘look’ down the left side of the truck and trailer to detect pedestrians and vehicles in preparation for left turns.

> AMA Group acquires Western Truck Repairs Victorian-based Western Truck Repairs has been purchased by AMA Group.

The move by AMA, which presently boasts a heavy vehicle national footprint, is expected to expand its coverage in heavy vehicle repairs and services across Australia. Western Truck Repairs will join Wales (NSW), Recar (VIC & QLD), Parins (WA) and All Transport (SA) to support AMA’s growing National Heavy Vehicle Repair Network.

CEO of AMA’s Heavy Vehicle Division, Darren Wales, said he was delighted 14

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Western will be joining the Group and bringing its superior craftsmanship from an experienced team of repair professionals.

“For over 30 years Western has been Victoria’s leading truck repair group and from myself and our team we are excited for them to be a part of a quality company like AMA,” said Wales.

“Western will complement our coverage not only in Victoria, but Australia-wide. It’s a ‘one-stop-shop’ for truck, bus & coach repairs,” he said.

Western’s Managing Director Phil Purdy said the decision to join the AMA Group was not taken lightly.

“What they bring to the Heavy Vehicle Repair industry is second to none in terms of quality and service,” he said.

“This ensures our client base of over 30 years remain the sole focus, for now and many years to come. Myself and our other two Directors, Joe Portelli and Erio Mirra, look forward to working with Darren and the whole AMA organisation,” said Purdy.

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PRIME NEWS

> New Western Star launches ahead of Australian arrival A next generation vocational truck has been introduced by Western Star.

The all-new 49x has been built from the ground up to work in the most demanding applications. These new trucks will build on the rugged American heritage of the Western Star brand, with the technologically advanced safety and performance features that tomorrow’s

Western Star 49x.

market demands according to a statement issued by Penske Australia.

An all-new Detroit DT12 Vocational series of transmissions and Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems offer proven innovation for best-inclass safety, improved productivity and maximum uptime. With a stronger, lighter chassis and equipped with an allnew X-series cab, the 49X is engineered to deliver maximum versatility in a purpose-built package. Penske Australia said it had worked closely with Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) over several years throughout the development process and would do so ahead of the launch in the local market.

“We are thrilled to see the brand new Western Star platform unveiled today in the United States,” said Randall Seymore, President of Penske Australia

& New Zealand. “Here in Australia and New Zealand, Western Star has amassed a loyal customer base over the decades and we are confident our customers will be just as excited by today’s launch,” he said.

“We will be rolling out a testing program next year ensuring the new trucks are a perfect fit for our local conditions and applications.

“We will continue to support our current Western Star truck portfolio which has been proven to thrive in our tough and unique conditions, and Penske is committed to continuing to provide our customers with the service excellence they have come to expect. Our launch plans for the new trucks will be revealed in due course, however we expect to see the trucks enter our local markets in late 2022 or early 2023.”

> Followmont adds B-triple rated Kenworth Leading Queensland freight carrier, Followmont Transport, has added to its growing fleet of trucks with a triple roadtrain rated new Kenworth T659. Built to withstand the rugged conditions of the Australian outback, the latest addition to the Followmont fleet is powered by 650 hp Cummins X15 mated to a Eaton 18-speed transmission.

The Meritor 50-160 drive axles sit on Neway Suspension.

Specified for long haul, Followmont opted for a 58 inch bunk with custom air cooler and the cabin includes fridge and microwave.

“The wellbeing of our people is what drives us to continue to invest back continuously,” said Followmont Transport Managing Director & CEO Mark Tobin.

“We recognise that being away from home is hard on our drivers and with that the impact being on the road can have on a person’s health,” he said. “The Seeing Eye machines installed in this truck, like all our other linehaul units, allows us to actively manage driver fatigue, to help our people get home safely every day.”

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The latest purchase follows a recent trend at the company which has been investing in mobile assets designed for interstate and other tasks outside of the company’s more traditional operations.

“We have identified areas of growth and sought ways to extend our revenue streams into different areas,” said Tobin. “Not only does this allow us to make a path towards healthier options for our people, the diversity of our fleet will also allow us to accommodate for our clients’ needs, to allow for them to be able to have a full service when working with Followmont.”

The Kenworth T659 has been appropriately named ‘The Boss’. Tobin said the new truck leads the way with its sleek exterior and high-performance interior, and served as a reminder of how the company continued to do business.

‘The Boss’ Kenworth T659.

RUN WITH THE LEADER. The Meritor MT-14X™ tandem drive axle is built to handle the demands of tough vocational applications such as concrete agitators and rigid tippers and represents the next evolution of our successful 145 series. With a 20% larger inter-axle differential and optional driver controlled diff lock, the MT-14X has the capability to handle higher torque loads of up to 2050 ft/lbs. Other features such as a rugged, one piece carrier for precise gear alignment and high torque capable gears deliver an axle that is not only stronger but light. In fact, more 14X axles are fitted to Class 8 trucks in North America than all other competitors combined. So if you need an axle that’s as tough as the conditions your trucks work in, run with the MT-14X axle family.

Run with the leader. Run with the Bull.

©2020 Meritor, Inc.

PRIME NEWS

> Linfox spends big on ultra-clean Euro 6 Volvo trucks One of Australia’s largest transport companies, Linfox, has purchased a sizeable batch of Euro 6 compliant Volvo prime movers that will be used for regional and metropolitan work on the eastern seaboard. Local legislation mandating Euro 6 exhaust emissions compliance on new trucks is still some years away, but Linfox remains bullish about reducing its environmental footprint. The handover took place at Volvo Group Australia’s (VGA) worldclass truck manufacturing plant at Wacol, Brisbane, and was attended by Linfox Executive Chairman and son of the company’s founder, Peter Fox, who currently resides at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast with his family.

Also in attendance were the Federal Government’s Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz and VGA President, Martin Merrick. Asked his view on what benefits Euro 6 technology will bring to the wider community, Buchholz said it was definitely the way of the future.

“As the Australian public and indeed the global population grow a greater appetite for reducing emissions, the transport industry will be up front and centre playing its part,” he said.

“It’s so humbling to see the significant investment Volvo has made with its Mack and Volvo products – proudly built right here in Queensland by Queenslanders – to make sure that Euro 6 production is part of its business strategy moving forward into the future,” said Buchholz.

He implored those who think that vehicle manufacturing in Australia is dead to “look over your shoulder, look for that golden kangaroo on top of Mack, on top of Volvo – they are not just assembled here, they are built from the ground up by over 1,200 talented Queenslanders here at the Wacol site, and then sold right around Australia and New Zealand.”

Martin Merrick added that while VGA has been importing Euro 6-compliant trucks since 2017, the parent company’s $25,000,000 investment has been the catalyst for kick-starting the building of Euro 6 engines at Wacol.

“We’re very proud that our new Volvo models including FH, FH16, FM and FMX will now be manufactured here with the Euro 6 technology,” said Merrick.

From Linfox’s perspective, transitioning to an all-Euro 6 fleet over the next handful of years is a high priority and according to Peter Fox, the next batch of new trucks

the company orders, and all subsequent batches, will be Euro 6 in their entirety.

The latest batch of 130 Volvo trucks to join the Linfox fleet, according to Fox, comprises around 60 Euro 6 versions.

“If we as a company can introduce the highest level of standards available globally in regard to emissions controls why wouldn’t we do it?” said Fox. “It doesn’t cost us a whole lot more and frankly we don’t want to wait for the boys in Canberra to legislate Euro 6. We as an organisation want to take the lead in ensuring our vehicles on the road emit the least amount of emissions into the environment.”

Fox said the company has for the last 12 years been conducting the ‘Green Fox’ sustainability program that has led to a 50 per cent reduction in its carbon footprint.

“Volvo has made the significant capital investment in this facility so not only are we now getting the world’s best vehicles in terms of sustainability, but they are actually being made in Australia,” said Fox. “I would much prefer, as a sixth generation Australian, to be buying Australian made with local content because the whole country benefits from it,” he said.

Martin Merrick, Peter Fox, Scott Buchholz.

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TO LAST FOR ME

BY HAND TO PERFORM TOUGH TO MY SPEC FOR BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA

Mack has been proudly building legendary trucks in Australia for generations. But what does Australian Made mean for our customers?

It means you get the truck you really need to get the job done. You get every Application and PBS requirement built for optimal productivity and efficiency.

But it doesn’t stop there. Each truck is supported by Australia and New Zealand’s largest dealer network, offering complete transport solutions to help drive the success of your business.

Talk to your local dealer about a purpose built solution for your business or visit macktrucks.com.au/australianmade

GLOB AL NEWS

> Scania unveils new gearbox range The current automated Scania Opticruise is set to be replaced according to Swedish truck maker Scania. A new range of gearboxes headlined by the G33CM are fitted to Scania’s updated V8 engines (with the exception of the 770hp) including the two 13-litre six cylinder engines rated at 500 and 540 horsepower.

More than $659 million has been invested in the new range as the commercial vehicle manufacturer looks to get an edge with its customary low-rev and fuel-efficient powertrains over the next decade. A core feature of the new gearbox range is the wider ratio spread, which Scania has backed to better suit its low-rev engines with extended economy-gearing as it continues to push the envelope on reduced fuel consumption.

Scania’s new gearbox range has a significantly wider spread with a true overdrive gear on top and can handle both low and high revs in an efficient way. The first new gearboxes will be seen coupled to three of Scania’s four Euro 6 V8s and two

inline six engines.

A new 770 hp V8, however, will utilise the existing gearbox mated to the out-going 730 hp engine. For Scania, developing a completely new gearbox range has been an enormous undertaking, especially when the range being replaced has been so successful.

In fact, the all-new Scania Opticruise gearbox range has no parts in common with the existing range according to Jimmy Larsson, Senior Manager, Head of Gearbox Development at Scania R&D. “The team’s assignment was to develop gearboxes that could handle the diverse demands of the next decade, especially regarding fuel consumption, drivability and sustainability,” he said.

“And with the new range, vehicles with high GCM can use fast axle gearing while still maintaining the required startability.”

The first example in the new range, the G33CM, is around 60 kg lighter than the current gearboxes, mainly due to the all-aluminium housings and somewhat

The G33CM headlines the new gearbox range.

smaller dimensions.

There will be nine different PTOs available, all offering increased performance, less drag losses and great flexibility via modularity. The EG PTOs are driven directly by the layshaft and are pressure-lubricated by the gearbox. The new interface on the gearbox with a lubrication port means that they can power heavier equipment such as hydraulic pumps. Four different ratios will be available and the output tower can be mounted in three different positions.

> Nikola founder steps down amid fraud allegations Nikola founder, Trevor Milton, has resigned as Executive Chairman. The news follows recent allegations levelled at the hydrogen truck company, after Hidenburg Research accused the startup of intricate fraud. The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission is reportedly making inquiries into the accusations which have been vehemently denied by Nikola.

Milton will be replaced in his role by Stephen Girsky, a Nikola board member and former vice-chairman of General Motors. General Motors recently signed an agreement worth $US2 billion, to produce a hydrogen fuel cell electric pickup truck for the company. It is estimated the 112-year-old Detroit-based company would cut $US5 billion in manufacturing and engineering expenses.

News of Milton’s departure at the time plummeted shares of Nikola a further 22 per cent in pre-market trading. In June, Girsky’s firm, VectoIQ, purchased Nikola in a reverse merger that took the startup 20

n ove mbe r 2020

Trevor Milton.

public. Girsky has since defended the due diligence that went into the deal.

Where Nikola is concerned, partnerships to develop fuel cell technology and electric linehaul commercial vehicles with Bosch and IVECO and the new alliance with General Motors will be crucial to regaining momentum lost amid these latest allegations. There are growing concerns that IPO’d electric vehicle companies, continue to launch products with little real

world application, to insulate stock by taking credit for batteries they do not yet produce themselves. Tesla, for its own part, relies on Panasonic to develop its batteries.

Nikola has, in many ways, imitated Tesla’s evolution as a company. But for investors, a credibility crunch looms. As the pioneering high profile EV startup, Tesla is going to require enormous sales volumes in a slow market that is set to be inundated by competitors. So for the moment, the Tesla story might be considered more compelling than the product.

Last year Nikola claimed it had secured the IP on a new battery cell technology with double the energy density it had developed in conjunction with a university lab. With public demonstrations originally delayed until the second half of 2020 the announcement garnered scepticism.

At the time Cairn Energy Research Advisors, a firm that specialises in energy storage technology, dismissed the claims as ridiculous.

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Andrew Rossington Andrew Rossington joined Teletrac Navman in February 2016, working first as Vice President of Transport Solutions before becoming Vice President, Next Generation Platform. In his role, Andrew is responsible with the development of Teletrac Navman’s strategic platform TN360, and its surrounding applications.

CURBING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE While the transport industry has been rightfully focused on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic this year, environmental impact remains a critical issue for trucking and logistics. ust as greenhouse gas emissions fell during the early months of the pandemic, emission levels may return to normal as lockdowns, restrictions and border closures begin to ease again.

Transport operators need to start thinking about how to reduce their carbon footprints in the medium to long term.

Fleets that use AI-enabled telematics platforms will be a step ahead, as the technology helps businesses to make manageable and meaningful inroads into reducing environmental impacts.

How AI is making a difference Everyone is busy. It’s all too easy for the focus on reducing your carbon footprint to get lost in the shuffle. While reducing emissions is a big picture goal that needs to be driven by people in senior and director level roles, the staff that are tasked to work on achieving these goals are busy with day-to-day operations.

These tasks include compliance

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requirements, scheduling, and everything else that keeps a transport company on the road.

AI helps keep the focus on emissions by introducing additional efficiency to reporting processes. In the past you would have to manually investigate specific issues, such as idle time, speed events or harsh driving. AIdriven platforms are less reliant on an individual discovering an issue and spending hours of time to manually investigate it. Thanks to natural language voice search, advanced visualisation techniques and the adoption of machine learning (ML) principles, operators can discover problem areas and drill down to solve the issues. To make an environmental difference with AI, all you need to do is ask the right question.

Idle time and driver behaviour AI assists in reducing waste and improving efficiency across your operations. The key area of impact

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is idling and driver downtime. Traffic congestion in urban areas is unlikely to be solved any time soon and sitting in traffic during peak-hour is a massive fuel waster and CO2 creator. However, AI-equipped telematics platforms show organisations when and where excessive idling is occurring, suggesting new routes that help to avoid peak hour and congested roads, cutting down on emissions and wastage.

AI also assists in addressing driver behaviour behind the wheel. Smart language search functionality helps users to easily locate inefficiencies to turn problems into opportunities, like driver behavioural issues on the road. It’s easy to find examples of harsh braking, fast cornering or speed limit breaches and tailgating, all of which burn unnecessary fuel, as well as being unsafe for everyone on the road. Once you’ve found them,

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you can have a constructive conversation with drivers, educating them and reducing emissions to boot.

Route planning and maintenance While route planning has been a staple of GPS-enabled telematics platforms for some time now, AI is taking it to new levels. AI and ML highlight patterns in your route planning that you may not be aware of. You can then discover more efficient routes for your vehicles, which means less time spent on the road, burning fuel and releasing harmful emissions.

Less kilometres means less fuel and less CO2. Shortening the distance vehicles must travel to complete their routes and return to the depot also means less wear and tear on engines. By combining routes and optimising the days a vehicle needs to be on the road, operators can take more control of their emissions, saving money,

decreasing maintenance requirements, and reducing pollution.

AI and ML-based platforms also provide much needed assistance to identify and address maintenance issues with vehicles by automatically bringing potential faults to your attention as they arise. The quicker a transport operator can identify issues and assign a work order to fix them, the quicker additional pollutants are being reduced.

A collective responsibility AI-powered telematics platforms are the next logical step in tackling environmental impact for the transport industry. They make the job of back-office staff easier by collecting and presenting the information that operators need to make real change within their organisations. Change that will make a difference to many generations to come.

Artificial Intelligence is taking route planning and fuel usage analysis to new levels. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

SUNS

Followmont’s female employees pose out front of ‘Pinky’ in polo shirts newly created for the event.

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HINE

S TAT E

The latest additions to Followmont Transport’s already significant UD fleet have been magnified by the neon pink spectacle of a 11-litre New Quon, commissioned especially to celebrate the contributions of women in the business and wider industry.

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

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COVER STORY

Julie Russell, Lauren Downs and Mark Tobin.

T

he story of Followmont Transport is one of palpable family values, proactive market agility and ongoing loyalties to both customers and staff. It should come as no surprise that its personnel, now over 850 and counting, is bolstered by many long serving employees some of which are 20-year servants.

Followmont also has an expanding workforce, nearly 200 strong, of women.

Its most recent delivery of 14 UD Quons, mainly 8-litre units for palletised services between facilities from Cairns down to Sydney, occasioned an opportunity with which to celebrate them.

The showstopper, a striking magenta pink 390 horsepower 11-litre vehicle with a prototype reverse safety system, headlined a recent event at Volvo Group Australia focused on the contributions women make in the industry. A panel discussion convened by Followmont Managing Director Mark Tobin included the likes of Roz Shaw, Head of Transport at Gallagher, Julie Russell, Russell Transport Director and Lauren Downs, the new Vice President Sales, UD Trucks Australia. The forum promoted opportunities and pathways for women in commercial road transport.

Neither was it a token appearance for the

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A sample of the 14 new UD Quon units recently delivered to Followmont.

built-for-purpose 6x4 14-pallet curtainsider named ‘Pinky.’ Those who reside or live in a town with a Followmont depot can expect to see more of it in the near future.

The unveiling of the pink UD Quon, something of a flagship for Celebrating Women in Transport, was part of a bigger project to show those outside the industry what a bold and daring place it was of growth and acceptance.

“Women play a huge part in shaping and advancing our industry, however, they may not always receive the recognition they deserve,” Mark says. “This event was created to allow networking opportunities for likeminded individuals and organisations as well as to celebrate those driving change within our industry.”

Followmont Transport Fleet and Compliance General Manager William Fisher says the pink Quon is equipped with every option available including Active Emergency Braking, Lane Change Assist and Radar Cruise Control. Unique to the vehicle is a reverse safety system, developed by a newly founded engineering startup.

According to Will it’s the only truck in the current market equipped with the groundbreaking system.

“I’ve built hundreds of trucks over the years and ‘Pinky’ is by far my favourite truck,” he

says. “It’s certainly the most publicised that I have worked on.”

The truck, as per Mark, was built as a symbol to encourage people to unite behind the idea of making a difference together.

“I am passionate about finding opportunities of growth for my people and this industry despite age, gender or race,” he says. “It’s about recognising the great people that make a difference and having a proactive and positive approach to embrace and encourage equality within our industry. Hopefully that will lead the way for other industries to do the same.”

With 81 service points Volvo Group Australia has a compelling offering to further strengthen the relationship with Followmont. That’s advantageous given the company’s growing footprint in Northern Queensland. Earlier this year it opened depots in Mackay and Cairns.

“What Volvo has that the others don’t have is they’ve got the most service locations,” says Will. “They’ve got the best aftersales and the trucks have got good resale. Of course, they’re based here in Queensland and we’re a Queensland business supporting local jobs in Queensland. It fits our whole business.”

The strong association with Volvo

Group Australia stems from Mark’s personal passion for UD Trucks. He had a longstanding relationship with former Vice President of Sales Mark Strambi, who retired late last year.

“I look forward to continuing and strengthening it even more with Lauren Downs as the new VP of Sales,” he says.

“Beyond UD, Volvo Group, as a whole, is a key relationship for Followmont. I have an incredible amount of respect for Martin Merrick. He is an amazing leader and the recent negative press around him and VGA is a disgrace to the industry”.

The increasing size and variety of the company fleet, according to Mark, has allowed Followmont to accommodate its clients’ needs by providing them with a full service.

“It allows for us to keep up with their growth as much as our own,” he says.

Because fleet replacement for the business is usually a periodic consideration around the end of financial year, Will staggers orders throughout the calendar year so that the business has constantly got mobile assets coming in when old gear is going out. As it can be a drawn-out process, up to 122 weeks before a body is even built, it needs to be managed closely with financing and cashflow requirements.

“That’s where a lot of the planning and fleet forecasting comes in to make sure you know when you want it. Just because you’re ordering it today doesn’t mean you need it today,” he says. “If you need it today and you’ve ordered it today than you’ve left it too late.”

Followmont Transport is known as one of the biggest operators of UD Trucks in Australia, likely its largest customer in Queensland, where it has been headquartered in Brisbane since it was founded in 1983. The newest arrivals join an existing family of 200 UDs and fill a need to introduce new vehicles into its general freight delivery network prompted by recent growth and planned fleet upgrades. In both the 11- and 8-litre format, the New Quon makes use of a group driveline. The engine, transmission, axles and suspension are essentially derived from the Volvo Group platform.

The 12-speed Escot VI transmission in the UD shares a commonality with the highly rated Volvo iShift. In the rigid market, where the trucks are plying their trade, they have horsepower to spare.

“With over 300 horsepower in this application the trucks are not really working that hard so we tend to get a lot more out of them,” Will says. “We’ve got

Followmont refined its branding earlier this year. The updated look is readily identifiable and incorporates a sleek design and bold colours to reflect the company’s growth and development. All new UDs and new trailers including the new Mack cabs feature the simple branding. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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COVER STORY

Followmont assembled its women leaders at the recent event held at VGA headquarters.

UDs in our fleet that have done a million kilometres and they’re rigid trucks and they’re still going strong. They’re well priced, efficient, strong and reliable which means we get good resale on them.”

New Quon comforts have been welcomed by the drivers. In-cab conveniences, such as enhanced ambiance and its ergonomic environment, are hardly inconsequential attributes for a vehicle being driven 12 to 14 hours a day. Fuel efficiency is also delivering above expectations.

“Now that we’ve had ample time to evaluate the units that were delivered last year the Quons are getting 3.1 to 3.2 kilometres to the litre,” Will says.

Health and Safety Manager Karen McTainsh, now in her thirteenth year at Followmont, worked with Will on spec’ing the latest UD additions.

“Obviously access and egress is always really important and making sure it is safe for drivers to climb in and out of the vehicle. Ultimately that’s a constant requirement,” she says. “For tailgates and so forth we’re looking at that for protection and Followmont is very proactive in the safety space. We are always looking for equipment to meet the highest standards.”

During her time at Followmont, Karen 28

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has seen it transform from a magazine delivery business to the leading freight carrier it is today. After starting out as a picker and packer she was encouraged by Bernie Tobin to get a forklift licence. She was soon unloading trucks. From there she worked her way into the magazine department for two years and later the Human Resources department. In 2012 she was appointed to her current role. All those opportunities were offered to her from either Bernie or Mark.

“It’s probably unusual to have so many 20 year servants at a company. In some cases there’s staff who have been with us for 25 years,” she says. “That has a lot to do with the Tobin family. It’s testament to their management and the staff enjoy working under them.”

In 2018 Followmont Transport embarked on a fresh approach to training practices throughout the business to help people understand what new chain of responsibility regulations would mean to them. Karen took an active role in breaking it down for everyday tasks and actions that would lead to superior compliance.

Aside from general health and safety her expertise is in dangerous goods transportation. At present she manages

all the training for the forklift loaders and drivers handling DG. Although it comes under CoR it is subject to manifold variations given it changes when multicombination loads, for example, are involved.

In 2017 she put in place a compliance inventory process bolstered by a final checklist for dangerous goods and load restraint. It was recognised with an award by the Queensland Transport Association the same year.

“I guess it was a culmination of working with all the team members here and the supervisors to implement it and get it out,” she recalls. “So it really was an award for us all.”

By early March of this year coronavirus panic had reached Australian shores. It left many employed in the freight and logistics industry uncertain as to how the supply chain and the workers within it would be adversely affected. For its part, Followmont established a COVID Response Team responsible for communications, a critical role for setting a standard across multiple depots.

Senior executives came together and formed a plan in accordance with a series of what ifs. If shipping was besieged by disruptions and revenue dropped below a

certain threshold; there was contingencies in place. Worst case scenarios were outlined. No matter if it was suppliers or customers, everyone seemingly was looking to implement their own solution.

In addition to this the COVID Response team had to disseminate information, some of it conflicting, from health organisations and government. A fogging machine was purchased to clean trucks during driver changeovers. Medical supplies, once sourced, were distributed per capita. Ultimately, through its coordinated approach across many teams, Followmont protected the business and its workers, none of which lost any work.

“Drivers fell into their roles very quickly.

For our long haul drivers it was more challenging as they were travelling over borders and when that second wave came through from Victoria that certainly added more pressure,” says Karen. “They were having to complete their COVID declaration every seven days and get tested every seven days.”

At first it seemed very odd that they were having to go through these different processes to make a delivery according to Karen. It didn’t take very long, however, for this to become the norm.

“It’s been quite challenging,” she says.

“But I feel like we’re getting to the end of it. Hopefully we have turned a corner.”

In conjunction with the Celebrating Women in Transport campaign, Followmont has announced a new initiative called Launch into Work. The

pre-employment program recruits job seekers into positions that offer career pathways. Ten females will receive training and experience to earn full time work on Followmont’s PUD team. Right fit candidates, as indicated by Mark Tobin, will be measured on the values and attributes they bring to their roles.

With the increasing presence of women in more operational roles across the industry, it’s now a common sight to see female PUD drivers and forklift operators.

“I think where women tend to be limited by their physical capabilities they can compensate with their problem solving abilities,” says Karen. “There’s always another solution and it’s not always about brute force to get something done. Most women can cope in a hard industry like road transport. Equipment has gotten so much better over the years. So it’s gotten easier to manage gates and curtains and that type of thing. In general most women operators are very articulate in what they do. So their paperwork is great. Their logsheets are legible and clean. They’re very precise about what they do.”

The transport industry is, contrary to external alarmist optics, one of the most accepting industries where care is an underlying value for a majority of those within it. It cannot function on pro forma entitlements. That usually means those that have a role, no matter how seemingly incidental, are an asset to the business.

One of the key strategies, according to Mark, is to have the right people in the

“Went the extra mile, always get the best deals, huge savings. Always there when we need them” Marianne Goodchild - Goldsprings Heavy Haulage

right places — whether male or female.

“Our industry is changing everyday with many challenges and we won’t succeed unless we’re open to recruiting the best people for the job,” he says. “Which in many cases can be females. By having the right people in the right roles, the people that are dedicated to and live by our values, it allows us to not only service customers at a premium level but also to maintain and grow those existing and potential relationships including our network and suppliers.”

At Followmont many key leadership roles are already filled by women including the Health & Safety Manager, Financial Controller, Claims Manager, Customer Service Manager, Lead Business Partner and a host of others.

“They are in the role because they are the right person for it,” says Mark. “I will always encourage our team to grow across the business in the right roles for their own development as much as the organisation’s.”

Karen, who has seen Followmont Transport evolve, appreciates the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into building it into the company it is today. At root much of that can be ascribed to the people she works with.

“It’s not just a job. There’s a rapport you make with people when you walk on site and spend time with them,” she says.

“I’ll find that I always take something away from it. There’s a payoff with the relationships that you make.”

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FLEET FOCUS

ON THE

RAZOR’S EDGE Queensland company Team Transport & Logistics traces its roots back to the aftermath of the Razorback Truck Blockade in 1979. Some four decades on, DAF and Kenworth trucks supplied

by Brown and Hurley have come to the fore as key weapons in the Team’s arsenal.

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A signature livery achieved by a vinyl wrap has made the new DAFs stand out.

T

DAF LF with rear mounted crane.

he infamous Razorback Blockade has been referred to as the greatest act of Aussie civil disobedience since the Eureka Stockade.

Legendary stuff, by any measure.

Truck owner drivers were fed up to the back teeth with the many challenges they faced, not least the onerous road taxes which had been foisted upon them by the various state governments in the 1950s in a futile attempt to get more freight onto the railways. These taxes were quite literally killing their ability to earn a living. At the time of the blockade, the Hume Highway over Razorback Mountain, southwest of Sydney, was the primary route between the NSW capital and Melbourne, so blockading this thoroughfare was bound to have a catastrophic impact on freight movements between Australia’s largest capital cities and beyond.

In early April 1979, fellow truck owner drivers and mates Ted ‘Greendog’ Stevens, Spencer Watling, Col Bird, Barry ‘Brother Sleepy’ Grimson and Jack Hibburt decided enough was enough.

The quintet set about parking their trucks across the highway, thus completely blocking the route and effectively

grinding the entire trucking industry, and therefore the country, to a halt.

During the blockade, the men were joined by Carl Goodfellow and close to 200 other like-minded truck owners and drivers on Razorback, gaining widespread community support and starting a huge protest which soon stretched the length and breadth of the country.

The Razorback Blockade held fast for nine days and only ended when the NSW Premier at the time, Neville Wran, reluctantly conceded to scrapping the crippling road tax, effective immediately.

In every respect it was a turbulent time for the road transport industry, but turbulent times often spawn golden opportunities, which is exactly what the then 27-year-old Steve Skinner, Director of Team Transport, recognised as he surveyed the scene.

“I started the business as Team Taxi Trucks & Couriers on the actual day the Razorback blockade ended in mid-April 1979,” Steve recalls. “I picked that day because I knew there would be a huge backlog of freight needing to be delivered to customers after the trucks started moving again so on that day I had 17 subbies signed up and ready to hit the ground running as soon as the semis started rolling into Brisbane.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

Two of the 60 DAF commercial vehicles in the Team Transport fleet.

In addition to the 13 subbies at Ansett Freight Express Steve had signed, he had more from Arnott’s Biscuits on the way and it all grew from there. This was still ten years before the company purchased its first truck — a Ford Louisville LNT8000 body truck. In fact, body trucks were the company’s staple for the first two decades or so, initially a Japanese brand followed by a European marque.

However, after the turn of the century the tables turned in favour of the PACCAR brands, primarily DAFs but also some Kenworths, and the two have remained firm favourites ever since.

The circumstances surrounding the brand switch highlights the critical importance of relationships forged between truck sales reps and truck buyers, which can sometimes even transcend the importance of a particular brand over another to the buyer. In simple terms, brand loyalty can be supplanted by loyalty to the person selling the product.

“The salesman who was selling us the European brand we were formerly buying decided to join PACCAR dealer Brown and Hurley and that was the start of our long association with the PACCAR brands through the Brown and Hurley dealership,” Steve explains. “At the time 32

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we were expanding so we started buying DAFs and we now have about 60 in the fleet, in addition to about 15 Kenworths.”

Steve expounds that having one truck supplier to deal with was an important strategy to ensure maximum efficiencies across the growing business.

“We run our own workshop and we thought it best to have the same sort of trucks throughout, making it easier for the mechanics due to familiarity with the products and also for our spare parts inventory through not having to stock parts for a number of different brands,” he says.

Another big change to the business came several years ago when the name was changed to Team Transport & Logistics (TT&L) to better reflect the far more diverse range of services the company offers nowadays. Today, according to Steve, the fleet comprises almost 100 trucks, 140 trailers and 100 subcontractors with a complete range of vehicles from one-tonne taxi trucks through to heavy haulage prime movers.

TT&L is based at Acacia Ridge in outer western Brisbane and operates mainly in Queensland, meaning most of the trucks don’t rack up huge kilometres. It’s for this reason, Steve says, that the company

generally keeps each truck for around ten years.

“On average, most of our trucks when they reach ten years old have travelled at least 600,000km but they’ve done a lot more gearchanges and stops and starts compared with linehaul trucks with a similar mileage,” Steve says.

The company does, however, operate a few DAFs as linehaul B-double haulers including CF85 and XF105 models.

“The newest DAF we have is a B-double rated Euro 6 CF 530 which is a really good bit of gear. It has all the bells and whistles including safety features like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) which is a great thing because safety has always been a high priority for us, along with reliability,” he says.

The inherent safety and reliability of the DAF products and the solid partnership Team Transport has with Brown and Hurley at Yatala have cemented the brand as the number one choice for many roles, along with Kenworth for the heavyduty work such as float haulage. Insofar as TT&L offers an expansive range of transport and warehousing services now makes it a one-stop-shop for its clients.

“We have 17 trucks carting containers to and from the port and three trucks doing project work into central Queensland for customers in the mining, gas and agricultural industries,” Steve says. “The rest are around town trucks – some on permanent hire hauling roof trusses and a number of specialised units fitted with cranes that are permanently with Liberty OneSteel. The remainder are generally on hourly hire doing taxi truck work for the likes of structural engineering firms hauling products including plasterboard and scaffolding.”

Steve emphasises that the key to success of the company is specialisation, with most of the body trucks having either a crane or a rear-mounted Manitou forklift. Of the prime movers, outside of the container work there are about ten units with truck-mounted cranes and he says the specialised nature of the work requires the company to have its own equipment to make sure the work is done safely and, ultimately, to the satisfaction of its clients.

“With a lot of the work we do our clients want every ‘i’ dotted and every ‘t’ crossed as far as compliance goes,” he says. “With crane trucks you have to have the service history of both the crane and truck fully documented, while drivers also need to be inducted into the customers’ sites. We work hard at maintaining compliance which enables us to keep a safe workplace and also maximises our options in terms of work opportunities.”

The company has been pushing hard in the areas of documented compliance and accountability to its customers over the last 15 to 20 years and this has paid dividends in substantial growth of its customer base over that time. As such it has enabled the business to tick boxes that other carriers haven’t been able to.

Another growth strategy implemented by the company several years ago involved changing its name and logo to TT&L and initiating the use of vinyl wrapping on its trucks to make them stand out from the

crowd. According to Steve, around 75 per cent of the fleet is now wrapped with the striking TT&L livery.

“This definitely broadened our horizons as far as work went and we were able to expand into warehousing and distribution work, offering customers a complete end-to-end service from wharf to warehouse to end user,” Steve says. “We follow every job through to the end and make sure every job is done to the best of our abilities and we genuinely care about our customers’ bottom lines.”

Echoing the sentiments of Steve in regard to the new Euro 6 DAFs in the fleet is Operations Manager, Heath Skinner, who is particularly impressed with the fuel economy.

“It’s early days and we’ve only had the Euro 6 DAFs for a few months, but already we’re seeing fuel economy improvements of between five and ten per cent over our Euro 5 DAFs,” Heath says.

“The additional safety features including side view cameras, Lane Departure Warning and Adaptive Cruise Control are also a big benefit and make life a lot easier for our drivers.”

Heath mentions that the newest Euro

6 DAF in the fleet – a CF 530 rated at 530hp – is performing faultlessly hauling B-doubles grossing between 55 and 60 tonnes out to the mines in central Queensland and up north to Rockhampton.

“We’ve had a long and successful association with Brown and Hurley and DAF and Kenworth trucks and we just can’t fault them,” Heath says. “Running the trucks for around ten years and up to 700,000km we haven’t had any major issues at all — and we expect the new Euro 6 DAFs to be even better in this regard.”

In sum, the growth and success of TT&L have been made possible by a singleminded approach to providing top-shelf service to customers utilising a team of skilled and professional drivers operating a diverse and specialised range of reliable and durable equipment.

Just like the five truck owner drivers who successfully achieved the objective of saving their livelihoods by initiating the Razorback blockade all those years ago, TT&L has proven its resolve to stay the course since that time, continually raising the bar to enable its clients to achieve their aspirations.

TT&L has a longstanding relationship with Mark Holden at Yatala Brown and Hurley. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

33

FLEET FOCUS

PRINT

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THE

LEGEND Allens Freight built its reputation on the back of delivering print media to western Victoria. Through an ongoing alliance with Isuzu the company has diversified its freight service, a decision that’s been good news for growing business.

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t was with a second hand Isuzu SBR known as ‘The Bone Rattler’ that Leigh and Barbara Allen commenced a family business on a single paper run along the coastal stretch between Warrnambool and Portland in southwest Victoria. Demand for physical media, while not what it once was in a world of digital adoption, still retains a core function within the Allens Freight model.

In recent years, however, it has adapted its fleet of mainly Isuzu commercial vehicles to keep up with modern supply chain trends and now ferries express freight, air freight satchels and semitrailers of bulk freight.

Even so the freight task of the business might have changed to accommodate the times, but it still delivers the HeraldSun, The Age and Women’s Weekly out

Isuzu FRR 110-260.

of Melbourne into western Victoria, keeping alive a service of the old news media that has survived, in one form or another, since 1803. Hard work and perseverance have undergirded the growth of the business. By the early 1990s, the company eventually expanded its operations over the border into South Australia where it has been ably supported by Mount Gambier Isuzu for nearly four decades. Originally known as OG Roberts, the dealership is one of Isuzu’s oldest in South Australia. It’s here that Nathan Butler has been the chief point of contact for Allens Freight since 2001. At present the company operates 40 vehicles covering nearly every Isuzu model available. These span F Series and N Series, narrow cab units and D-Max utes, not to mention a Giga EXY 455

Allens Freight has long been a presence on the highways of Western Victoria. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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FLEET FOCUS

More than 90 per cent of the Allens fleet consists of Isuzu vehicles.

Isuzu F Series at the Warrnambool depot.

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hp with a high roof, one of two prime movers that work in general freight.

Of its most recent capital acquisitions Allens Freight has added three FRR Series five-tonne curtainsiders which have been put into service on a gruelling double shift.

This involves nightly newspaper deliveries followed by all-day parcel distribution.

According to Leigh and Barbara’s son, Freight Operations and Fleet Manager Richard Allen, the business has built a strong rapport with Isuzu over the years. So much so it now remains the company go-to of choice — regardless of application or size.

“When we need to buy or trade-in, we go straight to the Mount Gambier dealership,” he says. “I don’t believe in a day-shift truck or a night-shift truck, I believe in a truck.”

The business has grown exponentially since it was exclusively carrying print media. It now runs overnight seven days a week. Transit routes include Hamilton

“These trucks are my hammers. They’re the tools of my trade. I can sleep at night knowing we’ve got quality equipment out there on the road that’s going to get the job done effectively and safely.”

Richard Allen Freight Operations and Fleet Manager

to Mt Gambier, Portland to Warrnambool and Portland to Melbourne.

“We’re a high-utilisation fleet. Some of our trucks do in excess of 1,000 kilometres a day,” says Richard. “I have F Series trucks in our fleet with over a million on the odometer and I still send

them out on jobs without hesitation.

These trucks are my hammers. They’re the tools of my trade. I can sleep at night knowing we’ve got quality equipment out there on the road that’s going to get the job done effectively and safely.”

From those first days in the cab with his father, through to his current role as a fleet manager overseeing some 40 mobile assets, Richard has watched the evolution of the Isuzu brand with interest. His own driving career began in a 1997 N Series model that today is still in circulation as part of the fleet.

“I see the pounding and the punishment my N Series take, they get battered from pillar to post and I see that they’re always up for the job,” he says. “When you’re punching the amount of kilometres we do, fuel efficiency is a big deal for an owner and manager like me. We definitely see an advantage here for the Isuzus over our other truck types.”

A 425hp Gigamax, purchased in 2006, has powered through 1.2 million kilometres without missing a beat as if it was fresh off the showroom floor.

“That truck started its life as a B-double and it has barely had a spanner on it since,” says Nathan, who has followed its progress with interest. It also remains Richard’s favourite truck in the fleet.

A shared sense of history between Allens Freight and Isuzu Mt Gambier promotes a mutual respect and fondness across the products. Sentiment aside, the Isuzu trucks, according to Richard, offer ample power and durability in each of their applications.

“They are built to a purpose and they serve that purpose well,” he quips.

Given many of the vehicles are asked to perform 100 drops a day in metro areas, Richard has yet to receive any complaints from drivers regarding the maneuverability and ease of access.

“While the comfort and technology has improved out of this world, the fact remains these trucks are capable of doing the job — over 30 years down the track,” Richard says. “Our fleet operates in a range of conditions due to the large variety of jobs they are used for and all our Isuzu trucks handle their roles with flying colours.”

TRUCK & TECH

RIDING TA N D E M

Since it debuted in local markets in 2018, the Meritor 14X family of tandem axles have proven a robust driveline solution for operators who need a light weight axle in specialist applications.

Meritor’s 14X axle builds on a rich heritage of local manufacturing at Meritor Australia.

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Meritor’s MT18 14X driveaxle.

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eritor’s high quality local program has many success stories. Its 14X axle group is one. Although the product range is relatively recent, having debuted in the market in 2018, its history can be traced back to the late 1970s when the company at the time was known as Rockwell.

It was the launch of the SP40 axle, which introduced a 40,000lb differential into the local marketplace. Over the next two decades, the SP40 saw increasing demand especially in concrete and waste management applications for which it was particularly suited. As it was developed with Australian operators in mind it soon became a dominant component for the brand.

That 40,000lb portfolio of driveline axles were expanded in 1993 with the newly introduced RT40-145. Drawing on local knowledge and global expertise to ensure the product maintained Meritor’s assurances of reliability, quality and optimum performance, the RT40-145 effectively became the predecessor to the

new MT18 14X/ MT20 14X — the change in nomenclature reflecting the new Meritor brand.

Considered a transitional design, the MT18 14X/ MT20 14X contains the same wheel ends and housing as the RT 40-145 family. Whereas the previous iteration was in a one piece shell, the new design comes in two pieces allowing for ease of service to the crown wheel and pinion as the front cover can be unbolted for direct access to the entire differential.

Before arriving in Australia, the MT18 14X/ MT20 14X had found popular uptake in North America in linehaul operations. Since refined for Australian conditions, the 14X axle series is now common in refuse, agitator and 14-pallet Tautliner applications. Localised through welding to Australian specification, the 14X range has been modified by Meritor Australia specifically for locally built Mack, Kenworth and IVECO trucks and is factory fit on many North American and Japanese built trucks sold in Australia and New Zealand. It can also be configured with a Meritor lazy axle for use in more

unique configurations such as 10x4 plant and specialty work.

According to Ivan Cassar Meritor Truck Territory Manager there has been a notable improvement made to the front diff of the 14X series of driveaxles.

“The front carrier now has a 20 per cent larger interaxle which helps with the higher torque engines of today,” he says.

“In certain applications it can take up to 2050ft pound of torque.”

The MT18 and MT20 14X models have been metracised to indicate the respective 18- and 20 tonne carrying capacity of each. An MT18 has a standard wall housing while a MT20 has a heavy wall housing. The main point of difference lies in the banjo (axle) housing.

Ivan explains the 14X group, at present, provides the fastest and most complete range of axle ratios. These start at 2.47:1 and go as high as 7.17:1.

“The larger main differential bearings add another 30 per cent capacity,” he says.

“With the 14X, additional efficiencies have been created by the low spiral angle design gearing. What’s more, the p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

39

TRUCK & TECH

“...the elimination of the main differential case ribs and smooth internal surfaces of carrier castings have minimised energy loss through churning lubricant.”

Ivan Cassar Meritor Truck Territory Manager

Meritor’s manufacturing facility in Sunshine.

elimination of the main differential case ribs and smooth internal surfaces of carrier castings have minimised energy loss through churning lubricant.”

Meritor this year celebrated 50 years as a leading supplier and manufacturer of driveline components in Australia. Ivan has been at the company nearly half that time having started out in 1997 as a 40

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17-year old high school graduate in the position of trainee parts interpreter. By way of coincidence, it was the same year that Rockwell Standard changed its name to Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems.

Ivan’s encyclopedic knowledge of Meritor parts and componentry and the trucks and applications they are used in, has enabled the business to develop in Asian markets

such as Vietnam, Korea and Indonesia.

Meritor’s ongoing investment in its local people, of which Ivan is one of many long serving staff, ensures that it safeguards the customers of its best products through the quality service and expertise this continuum of knowledge provides.

To date the 14X driveaxle group has given Meritor and its customers little trouble. Ivan puts this down to specific modifications engineered and applied to unique Australian conditions.

“The axle was localised through welding to Australian specification and it’s been a particular success for us thanks to the durability of the 14X,” he says. “We hardly hear of any issues with this axle.

It’s been well accepted in the market and has really held its own.”

Meritor offers two options in a drum brake or disc brake. The disc brake is the Meritor EX225. Alternately, it can be spec’d with the Meritor Q plus which is the standard drum brake.

Perhaps the most important feature of the 14X compared with the previous 145 series is the power divider which is 20 per cent larger than its predecessor.

Both forward and rear pinions utilise overhung design for improved capability for retardation loads. It’s also reportedly the lightest-weight axle in its class. This means it can help operators increase their payload.

“For concrete agitators and the fuel haul customers that are looking for a light weight 40,000 lb spec’d axle the MT18 14X is 26 kilos lighter than an MT20 14X,” he says. “It doesn’t sound like much initially but for concrete fleets who might be making multiple trips in a day, getting an extra 26 kilos on each load will have a cumulative effect on the bottom line if they use a MT18 14X.” Ivan adds, “For us it’s a big thing.

We want to put quality products out there and the 14X family of axles is synonymous with reliability. Every brand in road transport wants to be associated with something like that.”

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TRUCK & TECH

LITTLE

BIG

SHOT

The new UD Croner has a certain beefiness to its presence that suggests it is, in essence, a scaled down version of its Quon big brother. This notion is confirmed by the specifications which show striking similarities between the two models.

U

D’s new Croner could be considered something of a crossover between mediumand heavy-duty. It comes in two distinct variants: A medium-duty PK 18 280 4x2 with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 17.5 tonnes; and the PD 25 280 6x2 with a GVM of 24.5 tonnes, the latter slotting into the light end of the heavyduty market. Both iterations have a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 32 tonnes.

These Croners represent the latest phase of a marked step change in the UD lineup.

It started with the larger Quon, overall displaying the fruits of a big investment by parent company Volvo Group to make these trucks as technologically advanced and bullet-proof as possible.

As such the new Croner receives a number of key features that stem directly from the Volvo technology stable, not least the willing GH8E six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 7.7 litres, bore and stroke measurements of 110mm x 135mm and a compression ratio of 17.5:1. This is, in fact, the same powerplant that’s used in the 8.0 litre Quon range.

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UD Croner delivers torque that belies its stature.

Much like the rest of the truck, this engine has a ‘big truck’ feel about it and delivers 206kW (280hp) at 2,200 rpm and 1,050 Nm (774lbft) of peak torque from a super low 1,100 rpm. Importantly, maximum torque remains rock steady from 1,100 to 1,800rpm.

Japanese OEMs have not been dubious about developing a heavy duty offering on a medium duty platform and UD has, in more recent years, made it clear they are comfortable with a shift of focus to what it describes as the bottom end of the heavy duty segment. The Croner’s power profile straddles these two categories boosted by a high pressure common-rail fuel injection engine. It achieves Euro 5 emissions standards using Selective

Catalytic Reduction (SCR). Fuel and Adblue tank capacities are 255 and 50 litres respectively. Coupled to the engine is a six-speed Allison 3000 Series torque converter automatic featuring push-button gear selection and Gen 5 Adaptive Shift Control. The decision to eschew Volvo Group’s Common Architecture and Shared Technology (CAST) has helped to reduce tare weight which will enhance its appeal in emerging markets like those in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, which were identified early on when the development of the Croner as a replacement program for the long-serving Condor medium-duty range commenced in 2013.

The Croner has twin overdrive ratios

Up to four additional cameras can be connected to the multimedia unit.

of 0.75 and 0.65 respectively and a first gear ratio of 3.49. Along with a torque converter stall ratio of 1.98:1, the transmission features two power take-off (PTO) provisions on the left and right side with maximum torque capacities of 660Nm when using one or 930Nm in total when both are used in tandem.

It’s perhaps this combination of factors that have brought it to the attention in recent months of Australia Post, which has reportedly purchased 40 new Croners across its general post and B2B StarTrack divisions.

At the back end of the vehicle is a choice of either multi-leaf spring or electronically controlled two-bag air suspension (PK) and four-bag (PD) with a programmable remote control (ECAS4) mounted in the cab to control raise and lower functions.

The drive axle has a ratio of 5.57:1 and a ground capacity of 11 tonnes on the PK and 18 tonnes (with the addition of the lazy axle) on the PD, while the front axle, supported by parabolic leaf springs, has a ground capacity of 6.5 tonnes. Somewhat surprisingly, unlike its disc brake equipped Quon sibling, the Croner defers to the time-honoured Japanese medium-duty tradition of drum brakes which are full-air with automatic adjusting S-cams along with anti-lock (ABS) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD).

Continuing the big truck theme, wheels are

full-size 22.5” 10-stud items with a 335mm pitch circle diameter (PCD) – which is the standard size used with heavy-duty European trucks – shod with Bridgestone 295/80 R22.5 and 11R 22.5 rubber on front and rear wheels respectively.

The chassis width is 850mm, with rails measuring 236mm x 70mm x 8.0mm constructed from rolled high-tensile steel — combining maximum strength with light tare weight.

Meeting ECE-R29 crash protection standards, the cab is spring suspended with double-acting shock absorbers and the driver’s seat is air-suspended with adjustable shock absorber, recliner, height control and left armrest.

Safety features include a driver’s airbag and seatbelt pretensioner.

The 6.1” touchscreen CD/DVD player includes truck specific satellite navigation, digital radio, Internet radio (requires phone data), USB port, auxiliary port, micro SD slot, phone tethering, Bluetooth, PDF reader, and is Wi-Fi enabled. Croner also features a comprehensive telematics system with in-cab GSM and GPS unit with SIM card connected to a roof antenna.

A 12-month subscription is included which enables monitoring of fuel consumption and environment positioning, total operational time and distance, average speed, total CO2 emissions, vehicle utilisation, driver

anticipation and braking behaviour, engine and gear utilisation, speed adaptation and idle time.

Factory fitted optional equipment includes low-profile 275/70 R22.5 tyres, Alcoa aluminium wheels, a 6.17:1 rear axle ratio, vertical exhaust stack and custom paint colours.

Dealer fitted options include up to four additional cameras connected to the multimedia unit (in addition to the standard reverse beeper and digital infrared reversing camera with microphone), Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), reverse sensors (high or low fitment) and a wireless phone charging pocket in the dash centre.

In sum, the Croner PK 18 280 and PD 25 280 exhibit the traditional UD hallmarks of tough, reliable, no-nonsense trucks.

Going by the specifications, both possess the ability to perform a variety of roles with the generous GCM rating of 32 tonnes meaning the PK would be capable of towing a pig trailer with an Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) of 14.5 tonnes while loaded to its maximum GVM of 17.5 tonnes.

Above all, the substantial nature of the engine, driveline and running gear bodes well for a long and productive service life with manageable whole of life costs, regardless of the application.

UD is manufacturing Croners at its Thailand facility. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

43

TRUCK & TECH

Fuso 4x4 engages diff locks in rugged terrain.

UNLOCKING

POTENTIAL

The differential lock plays a vital role in maintaining drivability of a vehicle in adverse conditions. Without it the vehicle would be unable to traverse tricky environments often found in off-road situations.

O

ne of the ground-breaking inventions associated with early industrial and automotive development was the differential, or diff for short.

Initially the engineers and inventors of the day came up with crude methods to deliver the torque from the power source to the driving wheels, including chain drive and worm gear drive systems.

In 1827 a Frenchman by the name of Onésiphore Pecqueur is said to have invented a differential that was first used on steam-driven vehicles. By the time internal-combustion engines started appearing towards the end of the 19th century, it was reportedly a wellestablished component.

Logically named from its ability to provide a ‘differential’ in speed between the two axles, the differential concept was devised by incorporating a pinion and crown wheel to enable a 90-degree turn in the torque delivery path, along with a planetary gear set. This enabled the 44

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left and right axles to revolve at different speeds when the vehicle was turned from the dead ahead course. The sharper the turn the more difference in speed between both axles.

This, however, created an issue in that if a wheel lost traction due to slippery conditions it automatically received most of the engine’s torque due to the ‘path of least resistance’ principle. The other wheel receiving next to no torque was therefore rendered useless even if it was on a hard surface.

To overcome this problem a number of measures were devised including the limited-slip differential (LSD) and the diff lock.

The LSD is typically considered something of a compromise between an open (standard) diff and a fully lockable diff. It often features a series of clutch friction discs and plates that are held apart by springs and forced together by centrifugal force when a wheel breaks traction, thus diverting the torque to the

other wheel which has more traction.

Diff locks, on the other hand, come in two distinct styles: Driver Controlled and Automatic Locking — of which the venerable Detroit Locker is arguably the most auspicious.

The Detroit Locker is an automatic locking differential that is designed to lock both rear axles together when torque is applied and the vehicle is travelling in a straight line. During turns, the unequal speed of the wheels forces disengagement, thus allowing them to turn at different speeds.

Originally named the Thornton NoSpin Differential, it was patented by Ray Thornton in 1941, and initially developed for 6x4 (tandem drive) truck applications.

It was manufactured by the Detroit Automotive Product Corporation and used in American military vehicles during WWII. After the war and into the 1960s, the Thornton NoSpin was original equipment on many American light and medium

duty trucks – earning it the nickname Detroit Locker – and at this point drag racers and high-performance car enthusiasts started using it.

The Detroit Locker’s major internal pieces are the side gears, outer springs, drivenclutch assemblies, spider assembly and centre cam. The centre cam is held in the spider assembly with a snap ring and is free to rotate. The spider assembly takes the place of spider gears found in a conventional open differential.

The locking effect comes from a series of teeth on the spider assembly and the driven clutches on either side of the spider. The driven clutches are located between the side gears, which are splined to the axles and therefore turn at the same speed as the axles. When the vehicle is under power both axles are locked in position and turn at the same speed.

During a turn, the centre cam inside the spider gear locks into position and acts as a ramp to disengage the driven-clutch teeth from the spider gear. This allows the outside wheel to rotate faster around the corner. When both wheels are again travelling at the same speed, the exterior

springs force the teeth to mesh and resume their locked status.

Early Detroit Lockers had a reputation for loud mechanical noise when turning corners, a feature that has been moderated on later versions.

In 2005, powertrain giant Eaton Corporation purchased Detroit Locker’s parent company and greatly expanded the offering.

The Driver Controlled Diff Lock (DCDL), sometimes called cross lock, is widely used on heavy vehicles and uses a dog clutch arrangement – usually activated by a pneumatic solenoid – that locks the differential gears and axles together as a solid unit. Tandem drive units have an additional locking device within the power divider or inter-axle differential (IAD). This mechanism is mounted on the forward diff which enables varying axle speeds to occur between the forward and rear drive axles during turns. With the IAD locked and both DCDL units engaged, all drive wheel groups in a tandem drive truck are compelled to turn in unison.

This is extremely useful when traversing

Diff lock use is common in vocational applications where environs may have shifting surfaces.

muddy or boggy ground, but drivers must be sure to disengage all locks before resuming dry bitumen road driving to avoid damaging the diffs, driveline and tyres. Furthermore, if diff locks are engaged the vehicle will not turn corners easily, which can pose a safety risk.

The general consensus from prominent truck axle manufacturers is that the IAD lock and DCDL should only be used at speeds under 40km/h during adverse road conditions such as rain, snow or gravel/dirt roads, and then only until conditions improve to enable sufficient traction with the locks disengaged.

An important point to note is that cross locks and the IAD lock should never be engaged while there is wheel slip or spin occurring as this can seriously damage the mechanism. It’s also recommended that DCDL are not engaged when the vehicle is descending steep grades as potential loss of vehicle stability could result in a jackknife of the prime mover and trailer.

The trick prior to travelling on adverse road surfaces is to flick the switch, either while stationary or travelling at a slow constant speed, and then ease up on the accelerator momentarily to reduce torque on the gearing and let the locks engage. It’s the same procedure for unlocking, with the diff locks unlocked first while still at slow speed, followed by the IAD lock.

With most trucks, an indicator light and in some cases an additional audible warning come on to remind the driver that the locks are engaged. While for many interstate trucks diff locks are rarely needed, for those in vocational applications involving off-road work such as tippers and logging trucks, they are relied upon on a daily basis.

In these applications the modern marvels of diff locks and central tyre inflation systems enable powerful trucks to maintain traction while hauling massive weights up steep grades on dirt or gravel tracks.

Without them, these feats simply wouldn’t be possible. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

45

TEST DRIVE

BEST WORLDS OF BOTH

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The new Hino 500 Series GT 1528 has improved load capacity on front and rear axles.

Australia’s strong interest in off-road vehicles is epitomised in Hino’s new 500 Series GT 1528.

B

orn out of the necessities of war, four wheel drive vehicles for a long time bore a reputation for being uncomfortable, difficult to drive and severely compromised in their on-road performances due to the requirements of their all-terrain applications taking precedence over more genteel activities.

Medium Duty 4x4 trucks are an intriguing category with traditional applications in industries such as emergency services, mining, agriculture, and infrastructure support now being expanded by becoming the basis of campers and mobile homes for people who want to ‘go bush’ with a lot of gear. High expectations in terms of off-road capabilities should be tempered with a reasonable load capacity and a comfortable performance when being used on roads that are considerably better than bush tracks.

Hino’s latest 500 Series GT 1528 goes a long way towards disproving any notion that a four wheel drive medium duty truck can’t climb mountains, carry a load, accommodate seven adults in relative comfort and cruise the streets as well.

Appearances can be deceiving, and from the outside not a lot has changed for this new Hino 500 Series GT 4x4, but where it matters is underneath. The 2020 Hino GT 1528 benefits from being extensively re-engineered from the bottom up starting with the front and rear axles which have increased capacities compared to the previous model.

The higher axle capacities are in line with the significant increases in power and torque provided by the six cylinder Hino J08 turbo engine.

Power has gone from 215hp to 280hp with the additional 65hp representing a 30 per cent increase, while torque has risen by 29 per cent from 637Nm to 824Nm. The engine meets Euro 5 emission regulations using a combination of Exhaust Gas Recirculation and a Diesel Particulate Filter with no AdBlue required. Fuel tank capacity is 200 litres. The engine’s additional power and

torque are noticeable on and off the road and the benefits are maximised with the use of the torque convertor and the automatic transmission.

The axles have contributed to the GVM being increased by 1.5 tonnes to 14.5 tonnes, making possible a nominal payload of around 9 tonnes.

A logbook-exempt 12 tonne rating is available as an option.

For the GT 1528 the cab can be a three-seat single version, or as with our test truck, a seven seater crew cab. Both cab styles have electrohydraulic tilt mechanisms and are available with either a 4,250mm wheelbase or the new, longer, 4,650mm wheelbase. The additional longer wheelbase is particularly good for crew cab models as it allows the fitting of a practical length body without excessive rear overhang which would be undesirable when driving off-road.

The five speed, single overdrive Allison 2500 full automatic transmission is standard equipment.

‘On the fly’ 4x4 selection is achieved using a dash mounted switch while low range in the two-speed transfer case needs to be selected when the vehicle is stationary. The transfer case has been beefed up to handle the extra power and torque of the engine. Another advantage of the Allison, perhaps its greatest, is that it provides the truck with the ability to safely traverse quite rough terrain without having the driver being concerned about shifting gears or overloading the driveline components.

The selector for the Allison is a ‘man-sized’ T-bar shifter which doesn’t have a ‘park’ position as air/spring brakes are used for parking and are operated by an air valve in the cab which looks very much like a ratchet handbrake used on smaller trucks. Having ‘reverse’ at the top of the quadrant makes for quick and easy back and fill turns as the driver can virtually row from drive to reverse. An ability to lock the transmission in one gear is a benefit when both climbing and descending rugged sections of ‘road’. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

47

TEST DRIVE

Its seven seater cab seems a long way above ground level during the drive off-road.

The turning circles of all wheel drive trucks are never expected to be a strong point due to the restrictions of steerable front hubs although the GT 1528 has managed to tighten the turns with a one metre reduced circle over the previous model.

The braking system consists of air-overhydraulic drums on all wheels with the Anti-lock Braking System sensibly disconnected when low range 4x4 is selected. Instead of electronic brake actuated traction control found on Hino’s road going 500 Series, the GT 1528 employs a conventional and effective no-spin rear differential. The engine’s exhaust brake is nicely integrated with the Allison, which downshifts automatically to boost the engine brake’s effectiveness, sometimes so much so that on undulating highway driving we usually leave the steering column mounted control lever in the ‘off’ position, only flicking it to ‘on’ when we really do want to wash off some speed. There is adequate storage of compressed air to accommodate ‘riding’ the brakes on long steep descents.

Standing on 22.5 inch wheels shod with 11R22.5 tyres, the cab seems a long way above ground level and access involves using a wheel step, several handles and a couple of forwarded-mounted steps.

This could prove a minor challenge for 48

n ove m be r 2020

drivers with shorter statures although access to this type of vehicle will always involve a compromise due to the requirement for adequate ground clearance and perhaps an additional folding step would assist some driver and passengers.

Once inside the cab there is an abundance of features starting with the ISRI driver’s seat which has a comprehensive array of adjustments including pneumatic damping and the integrated seatbelt provides practical comfort and safety. We’ve driven similar trucks over the same roads and have occasionally had to resort to unclipping the seat belt or risk damage to the shoulder or collar bone. In the single cab models the outside passenger also gets an air suspended seat.

Hino’s impressive multimedia system has a 6.5 inch screen with the capability to connect up to four cameras, plus Bluetooth music streaming and mobile phone voice dialling. The Android operating system has Wi-Fi connectivity to enable over the air software updates.

The test vehicle is fitted with the optional truck specification GPS system complete with live traffic updates. Standard equipment also includes a reversing camera and a driver’s SRS airbag. The heated electric mirrors are located on

spring mounted folding arms which prove their effectiveness on some of the narrow tracks we take where the saplings close in.

The standard electric windows and door locks can be optionally replaced with manual equivalents to meet with certain fire authorities’ requirements.

Long taper leaf spring suspension at the front combined with effective shock absorbers delivers a vastly improved ride compared with the semi-elliptic spring packs used on previous models. We managed to put a shudder through the vehicle only once by bottoming out when travelling just a little too quickly over some broken rock. The standard shock absorbers are, by nature, a compromise to deliver the best ride under most conditions the Hino is likely to encounter including streets and highways.

Getting there is supposedly half the fun, and on the road to and from off-roading adventures the GT 1528 provides a smooth and remarkably quiet ride. It would not have been unexpected with a vehicle of this type to be subjected to intrusive noise from the chunky tyres or the whine of the driveline, but the Bridgestone tyres and the Allison transmission deliver none of that. With the air-conditioning on, the music playing softly and the cruise control set we are able to motor along in style and keep up with the other truck traffic despite being loaded to gross a little over 12 tonnes.

We endeavour to put the GT 1528 through its off-road paces on some of the Watagan Mountains’ toughest logging and fire trails. Weather, budget cuts and disrespectful off-road hoons have resulted in a very evident lack of maintenance on the access roads with 400mm ruts and loose rocks peppering roads that 18 months ago could have been easily traversed by a typical family sedan.

Needless to say the Hino eats this all up with ease.

To that extent, Hino’s experience from being perennial, and usually successful, participants in the Dakar Rally has filtered through to its multi-purpose trucks such as the GT 1528.

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ZOOM The Mazda BT-50 has undergone a ground-up renewal for 2021.

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he initial line-up of dual cab models of the 2021 BrandNew Mazda BT-50 range became available in Australia in October. The capitals on the words ‘Brand-New’ are Mazda’s reference to the significant number of changes to the BT50 range which had its world premiere in June and is now available here just a few months later. This has been a universally challenging year for business globally, yet Mazda has stayed true to its plans for the BT-50, probably in response to the number of new models coming from other manufacturers including the Isuzu D-Max with which the BT-50 has shared some development.

Mazda has designed a relatively muscular looking exterior which is tempered with comfortable interiors and a plethora of built-in safety technology.

Mazda’s commitment to offering best50

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in-class safety features carries over from its passenger cars and SUVs to the BT-50 with standard equipment including Adaptive Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert as well as the expected functions such as Anti-lock Braking System and Dynamic Stability Control.

SRS airbags are fitted for the driver, front passenger, side curtain, driver’s knee and driver’s far side to afford a significant level of occupant protection in the unfortunate event that the other systems are unable to prevent a serious impact.

The new BT-50 line-up includes 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains, six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions and Dual cab-chassis and dual cab pickups with single and extended ‘freestyle’ cabs expected to join the range by early 2021.

Three trim levels are available across the

XT, the sportier XTR, and the high-spec GT which is available exclusively as a 4x4. All three models are available in cab-chassis or pickup configuration, and interestingly, 4x2 models are only available with the six-speed auto.

Power is provided by a turbocharged 3.0 litre, four cylinder diesel engine which delivers 140kW peak power with 450Nm of torque available between 1,600 and 2,600 rpm which should provide sufficient pulling power for most circumstances and is much the same engine as currently available in the D-Max and offers more power and torque than the previous BT-50.

Depending upon the specific model, a focus on saving weight has reduced tare weight by around 50kg from the previous BT-50 which makes a modest yet worthwhile contribution to fuel efficiency. Again, depending upon the

model, combined cycle figures of down to 7.7lt/100km are claimed, which is an improvement on the previous model’s 3.2 litre five-cylinder engine’s results.

The 3,500kg braked towing capacity is complemented by a payload at least in excess of 1,000kg for all models.

The base XT models have a seven inch colour touchscreen infotainment system, and the XTR and GT models are equipped with a nine inch version, all including Android Auto, wireless and USB connected Apple CarPlay, plus Bluetooth hands-free telephone and audio capabilities as well as DAB+ digital radio. The touchscreen also serves as the monitor for the reversing camera which is standard on all models.

Satellite navigation and keyless entry are also standard in the XTR and GT packages.

Adaptive Cruise Control with a ‘Stop & Go’ function is standard on all BT-50s fitted with automatic transmissions and included in the features of automatic GT versions is a remote engine starting function. The BT-50’s Hill Descent Control is particularly useful when towing or when venturing off the pavement by bringing engine and wheel

GT packages come a with remote engine starting function.

braking into play without any pedal input from the driver. The 4x4 models are equipped with a rear diff lock which can be activated by a switch on the dash.

Mazda Australia provided some significant input into the overall BrandNew BT50 project and as part of that the local in-house engineering team has designed an optional premium bullbar which integrates with the BT-50’s vital

A braked towing capacity of 3,500kg is complemented by a payload in excess of 1,000kg.

safety technologies such as crumple zones, airbags and the numerous systems included in the Advanced Driver Assistance safety packages. Known as the “Queensland bar” the unit was developed for heavy-duty applications such as found in the Far North of Australia but should appeal to buyers regardless of their location. The black finished steel bar offers headlight hoops to afford additional protection to the BT-50’s front end. Where equipped, the front parking sensors remain fully operational and the bullbar has been thoroughly tested to ensure there are no compromises with the engine and transmission cooling functions. A matching locally designed Sports Bar is available for the pickup bed. The pickup’s tonneau cover continues along the previous BT-50’s path of removing the ‘bungy cords’ of traditional ute tonneaus which enhances style and increases durability at the same time as improving access via the tailgate.

This latest BT-50 offers sophisticated technology, especially in the area of safety, plus the performance and style levels demanded by the Australian market. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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INDUSTRY

PLAYING SafeWork NSW is the state’s workplace health and safety regulator.

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he main functions of SafeWork NSW include the provision of advice aimed at improving health and safety at work, the administration of licences and registrations for potentially dangerous work, the investigation of workplace incidents, and the enforcement of work health and safety regulations within New South Wales.

SafeWork’s WHS Regional Director Lisa Foley displays a real passion

Lisa Foley.

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about supporting the road transport industry and, along with her team, engages regularly with the sector including attending industry events and conferences where she frequently focuses on incidents relating to nondriving activities.

“To get into the heads and hearts and minds I find myself having to use real life incidents where people know what I’m talking about and therefore I am able to catch their attention,” Ms Foley says. “Truck drivers know about fatigue, drugs, tailgating and trip planning but how many times is a truck driver going to jump out of the cab and not engage the handbrake? It only takes one time for him to do it and be fatally crushed.”

SafeWork NSW doesn’t use the word ‘accident’ according to Ms Foley, as the truck driver has successfully driven from A to B and potentially encountered a mix of opportunities for accidents which they have successfully avoided.

“Among the key harms we have identified includes ‘failure to immobilise’ where they get out of the truck without applying the parking brake and within moments the truck is crushing them, often as they have tried to get back in to apply the brakes,”

she says. “We had a run of three such fatalities over a three-month period at the end of 2019.”

Other incidents can be due to distraction during the process of coupling or uncoupling a trailer, so the driver leaves the yard and the trailer drops off a few kilometres down the road.

“That typically happens while the truck is in motion on a road, but the root cause is back in the yard,” Ms Foley says. “A driver or offsider can become blind to the hazard of a reversing forklift during loading and unloading because they are so used to the reversing beeper of the forklift they get distracted and find themselves impacted by the forklift.”

SafeWork statistics and injury data are generally recorded according to where the incident happened. For example, an injury caused by material falling off a truck at a construction site will be marked down as a construction incident because it happened on a construction site.

“But the root cause is actually to do with the transportation of products,” Ms Foley says.

Not all incidents, however, involve truck drivers and loaders.

“We’ve had a run of fatal incidents where the driver or mechanic is doing work on

Image credit: Bronwyn Bell / Shutterstock.com

IT SAFE a suspended component of a hydraulic system and are doing so without using any bracing or chocks. If the hydraulic system for whatever reason fails, there’s nothing stopping it from coming down in a hurry,” explains Ms Foley.

SafeWork’s Manager of the Central West Scott Murray is based in Dubbo. With his team he is developing a compliance strategy that is educational as well as about enforcement.

“Industry consultation has certainly been a major factor of this plan,” Mr Murray says. “It is important for us to differentiate ourselves from the other regulators in the Heavy Vehicle industry such as the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Roads Maritime Services and other entities in various jurisdictions including police. We didn’t want to come along as yet another regulator tacking on another list of rules.

There are a lot of injuries and deaths that don’t receive the media attention that road accidents and road safety related incidents get according to Mr Murray. People can be surprised at the number of and types of serious injuries and the deaths that occur from the transport sector in non-driving activities.

“As a workplace safety regulator, we

have focused our latest plan at those non-driving activities because they do account for a lot of misery within the industry. Our whole approach has been one of collaboration and industry consultation and is not all about a ‘big stick,’” he says. “It’s about how can we make genuine improvements and lift the profile of workplace health and safety because in the transport sector, when people talk of safety, the industry straight away thinks of road safety.”

As most drivers know about the dangers of fatigue, they will try to wrap their hours around technical logbook schemes according to Mr Murray.

“Most know about the dangers of drink driving or drugs in their system. Most know about trip planning. There is a lot of money and resources being spent in that road safety space and most drivers have an inherent appreciation of those risks,” he says. “But when it comes to the same driver who is acutely aware of those on-road risks, he’ll pull up at the depot and he may just casually jump up on the back of the truck to help unload it. When it comes to non-driving that level of risk awareness is not carried through to other tasks which aren’t as glamorous as driving, but statistics show

they can injure and kill more people than the driving incidents themselves.”

Mr Foley says it’s not about when they are driving A to B, but rather about when they reach their destination. It’s about the safety in doing the loading and unloading and also ensuring they have an appropriate place to take the rest break, go to the toilet, make a coffee, and to be able to have a bit of a break to clear their heads he explains.

“The rules and responsibilities for the loader of the truck are very much under the control of the NHVR, so with us, it’s about functions such as dropping the legs on the trailer or it’s the activity of getting on and off to hook up the lines,” says Mr Foley. “Anything where there is a risk that puts a force on the body.”

It’s all the little things that accumulate such as jumping out of the cab and rolling an ankle.

“A truck driver can have had a lifetime of knocks to their body and the accumulation of those physical injuries is going to lead on to them potentially being not as fit as they should be as they become older,” says Mr Murray.

He adds, “Now how do you get that into the message to the new 20-year old whose just taken up his licence?” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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INDUSTRY

OUT OF

SITE

Commercial road transport and logistics operators in need of purpose-built commercial and industrial facilities are looking to CTFD Group to provide comprehensive solutions that balance the requirements of costs, design and development.

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TFD Group, a specialist solutions provider when it comes to corporate headquarters and warehouse delivery, has been working with transport and logistics related customers since it was founded in 2004.

The boutique development group offers a comprehensive service with early intervention on behalf of its clients through the process of property procurement, location development, construction, design and other necessary forward-thinking requirements. This includes taking into account the road network that surrounds the proposed site, zonings and all applicable industrial 54

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operational requirements according to statuary guidelines.

As it compiles a detailed brief from the client, usually in close collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Operating Officer, CTFD commences the first phase of the project by drafting up a wish list accounting for warehouse spatial considerations such as warehouse height, point load requirements, cubic capacity, truck and trailer combination allowance including vehicle swept paths, turning circles, loading docks and even future growth of the business.

Consulting with real estate agencies is at once an involved and time-consuming task. As most commercial road transport

companies don’t have a dedicated property manager, CTFD is in the unique position to handle the process of scouting sites and handling the ins and outs of securing property to specification without involvement of an unnecessary third party.

CTFD then works closely through the process of meetings, draft drawings and presentations with the client’s executive team, to demonstrate how the facility, on the proposed block, will function.

Headed up by Managing Director David Cameron for the last near 15 years, CTFD Group has completed projects on behalf of Vawdrey Trailers, Bridgestone Australia Truck Centre, PalmTrans Sydney Depot,

“We effectively hold the steering wheel for companies when it comes to the development of new sites and navigate them through the process.”

David Cameron CTFD Group Managing Director

Asics Oceania built its new facility on a 56,000 sqm site in Marsden Park.

Visy, Fosters Warehouse and other blue chip businesses.

“We effectively hold the steering wheel for companies when it comes to the development of new sites and navigate them through the process,” he says. “A real estate agent can’t offer the expertise we can of working in the industry. We understand the requirements of transport and logistics businesses and this informs the comprehensive solution we offer our clients.”

Earlier this year CTFD helped deliver new state-of-the-art facilities for the Asics Oceania Corporate Headquarters and Warehouse facility located within the Sydney Business Park in western Sydney’s Marsden Park. The 56,000 sqm site footprint features a 25,000 sqm warehouse, with a 4,500 sqm corporate office and 1500 sqm retail floor. The twoyear project cost circa $70 million.

Twice the size of its previous location in Eastern Creek, the Marsden Park site was chosen by Asics as its new head office and warehouse office to service the Australian market. Office space would need to accommodate a team of 140 staff.

The site also had to be large enough to create a warehouse space to service the future growth of the business. Asics were also looking for a site located at a reasonable distance from Eastern Creek so that it could minimise disruption to its teams. Other major factors of note for selecting the property included accessing major roads for the team and distribution; having close proxity to other services like food and shopping; and zoning so they could offer retail without restriction. Future development in the precinct and local area was a crucial part of the criteria according to Mark Brunton Asics Oceania CEO.

“The main service we were after was end to end project management,” he says.

“We had some experience internally, but we wanted a dedicated resource who understood the requirements around a major project like this.”

The solution sought by Asics Oceania, under these parameters according to Mark, meant that they would need someone not just to manage the process but also with an extensive experience they could draw upon to guide the decisionmaking for Asics. This is where David came in.

“So many get it wrong with not having the right amount of space or poorly planning the design which fails to factor in operational considerations down the track,” says David. “It’s about getting it right with the client day one and then enacting the due diligence over progressive steps.”

The new Asics facility includes 1500 sqm in retail floor.

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

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INDUSTRY

The new facility features a 4,500 sqm allocation for corporate offices.

“CTFD organised and managed our tender process and helped us objectively asses our requirements through to being physically on site to ensure we were getting what we paid for and problem solving on the fly.”

Mark Brunton Asics Oceania CEO

As key requirements can get lost early in the process, it’s crucial CTFD, the client and stakeholders are all on the same page. From the moment CTFD were engaged by Asics as its project manager, the executive team worked closely with Dave on managing the process of finding the right site, the involved design phase, in addition to understanding and adopting input alongside its architects, engineers and builders to ensure Asics received the right facility for its business and national headquarters. Draft designs were approved according to their best operational fit and incorporated a warehouse layout not excluding hardstand and dock requirements.

“CTFD organised and managed our tender process and helped us objectively asses our requirements through to being physically on site to ensure we were getting what we paid for and problem solving on the fly with the various parties to ensure things stayed on track and we 56

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avoided any rework,” Mark says.

That involved both applying knowhow when it was needed and the ability to anticipate challenges so that Asics was able to address these during the natural flow of the project rather than having CTFD oversaw the two year project from location scouting to final design.

to double back. Avoiding expensive rework is critical. Having David on site continually ensured that everyone’s commitments were being met.

“Overseeing the variations with all parties is critical and if not managed carefully can definitely blow out,” Mark says. “Dave’s knowhow helped us avoid unnecessary costs.”

Although the warehouse was completed close to the original design, the office space transitioned from the base build layout to a new design when the interior design company was appointed. Some significant changes ensued. To name one, it was now necessary for Asics to create a void at the entrance. With multiple stakeholders involved at this stage in the project, partner management was key says Mark.

“To have someone who could manage the project but also have the experience and knowhow to bring practical insights to the table, look ahead in the delivery of the project and anticipate challenges and opportunities which can either avoid costs or create savings is invaluable,” he says. “Dave’s presence on site was also valuable building a rapport with the key people delivering the build through to ensuring we are getting what we were paying for. He took ownership for the delivery of the project like it was his own and integrated himself into the team getting to know stakeholders quickly and engaging throughout.”

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PERSONALITY

Martin Merrick.

EXECUTIVE

ORDER

Volvo Group Australia President Martin Merrick has been tasked with steering the company through one of the most challenging periods ever faced by local markets as industry comes to grips with the fallout from COVID-19. A roadmap, however, is at the ready and includes launching four new models, future announcements in electro-mobility and big plans for investing additional development resources into the Mack brand.

PM: Euro 6 emissions are not currently mandated in Australia, yet VGA has made some significant sales to major fleets. Is it time the Australian government took more interest in what the industry is doing?

MM: I think there is a clear support for Euro 6 to be mandated and I know the Truck Industry Council and a number of industry associations are working closely with the government. We’ve been importing Euro 6 trucks since 2017 based on customer demand. We now see the demand is increasing and we have now invested circa $25 million to build Volvo Euro 6 vehicles here locally, rather than import them. That sort of investment and technology is not just 58

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about Euro 6 emissions but leads to safer and more productive and easier to drive trucks. We are also investing $100 million over the next four years in our Mack product strategy which will also include Euro 6.

PM: When will we start to see the new Volvo models which were revealed in Sweden in March?

MM: We’re launching four new models for Volvo Trucks which has been a significant investment of 10 billion Swedish Kroner (approx. $1.56 billion AUD) and of course the Brisbane Truck Show would have been the perfect stage to showcase those new models. We couldn’t just hope about how many of

our dealers and customers will be able to travel across borders so we had to make a tough decision early not to participate and a lot of people perhaps felt we were premature in what we decided and I understand that. We just felt that hoping for the best was not a good strategy.

PM: Your predecessor Peter Voorhoeve put a lot of effort into aligning the model line-up across the three brands. Is that going to continue under your watch?

MM: Absolutely. Thanks to the work that has been done under Peter’s leadership and the fantastic team here, we’ve got three fantastic brands that compete in different segments. We have the Volvo Group CAST system

(Common And Shared Technology) and we have local engineers. Everything has to be a business case and having a Mack medium duty truck, for example, wouldn’t really stack up for us. Having this local value chain here in Australia we can be sure we have the right line up and we can manufacture the trucks here that are fit for the Australian environment. Currently with the global teams and in Australia, we see increased discussions around electro-mobility, automation, connectivity, and hydrogen fuel cells so that with future technologies we’ve already set out a roadmap.

PM: Is Volvo, as a group, looking at choosing between platooning and autonomous vehicles for continued development?

MM: When it comes to R&D we’ve got to have alternative solutions and we don’t place our bets on just one, but I would say that currently we are going much more towards autonomous. Actually, in Australia platooning has been here for many years in the form of B-doubles and roadtrains. It’s mechanical platooning and perhaps this is what

Europe should be looking at rather than the platooning technology. Mechanical platooning is successful and works so well in Australia.

PM: Do we have any idea yet on how the UD-Isuzu situation is going to evolve?

MM: We’re still working through this at a global level but from an Australian perspective for the dealers and customers here, there will be no change.

We will continue to be the importer of UD Trucks so from a customer and dealer perspective it will be business as usual. This is not just a sale of UD Trucks to Isuzu, it’s a strategic alliance and also a global technology alliance. I can’t comment from a global level what the future alliance and partnership will look like, but what I can say from an Australian level it’s business as usual.

PM: Can we expect changes in local production?

MM: This year marks 50 years of Volvo Trucks in Australia and we have been proudly building trucks since 1972 at Wacol. We’re proud to create jobs,

Merrick speaking at Followmont’s Celebrating Women in Transport event.

build fantastic trucks and support not just the Australian transport industry but the Australian economy as a whole.

Last year, between parts for production, non-automotive purchases and logistics, we spent, circa, $400 million in the local economy. We get many customers who are proud to buy Australian made. We’re investing in the future of our products and from 2018 to 2022 we’ll have invested over $70 million in our factory here. The four new Volvo models (FH16, FH, FM and FMX) will be built here in Wacol. I have to add that we have done this since 1972 without the need of any subsidies from the government whatsoever.

PM: Is an Australian produced Volvo as good as a Swedish produced Volvo?

MM: I have been very fortunate in my career of 32 years with Volvo to have travelled and visited many factories and what we see here at Wacol we don’t see anywhere else in the world.

The engineering and the quality of the build are fantastic. And these trucks are out on the road working in extremely arduous conditions and they’re not just fresh to the market — its year after year performance. So I’m going to say, ‘yep’, I believe the locally made Australian produced Volvo’s are the best in the world.

PM: In terms of sales is it important you are able to finish 2020 at number one?

MM: For us to be number one in market share is very important. Of course, it’s a big thing but perhaps for me the most important number one is customer satisfaction. If we look at Volvo, Mack and UD together we are at 31 per cent market share. Our dealer network and our customers have been great so every three in ten new trucks that have been registered this year are from the Volvo Group. To have the number one Heavy Duty position for the Volvo brand here that would be fantastic and we respect what the competition has done over many years. Yet, I would prefer to have the number one in customer satisfaction than number one in market share. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

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PRIME MOVERS & SHAKERS

TRIUM Sue Swain’s family has gone through some devastating tragedy, yet Statewide Car Carriers continues to be a successful and respected transport operator.

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arren Swain managed Statewide Car Carriers for 14 years before he and wife Sue decided to purchase the business in 1990. Strategically located on the NSW Central Coast between the major car markets in Sydney and Newcastle, Warren and Sue started with four trucks and trailers and Statewide grew steadily due to its increasing reputation for honesty and reliability.

Then in October 2000, just after the Sydney Olympics, Warren lost his life in a tragic workplace accident.

“He was my hubby, my best friend and my love, and we lost him aged just 47,” recalls Sue. Sue’s son Mark Broadhead had recently joined the operation and urged Sue to continue with the business although they faced some significant challenges.

“The banks didn’t want to know me, and basically I was a woman in a man’s world.” says Sue. “At that point I decided to prove them wrong.”

Mark stepped up from being a driver to the role of Transport Manager as Statewide grew to having eleven of its own trucks plus three subcontractors.

“We expanded our reach, still doing Sydney to Newcastle as before while additionally servicing regions such as the 60

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Hunter Valley and the Eastern seaboard all the way to Brisbane,” says Sue. In January 2016, an electrical fault caused a massive fire which burnt down all of the sheds on the property including the workshop and Warren’s classic EH Holden racing car. The family was dealt another devastating blow the following month when Mark was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

“He kept so positive and was determined to beat it,” says Sue. “In the meantime, he redesigned and had the sheds rebuilt, refurbished them and bought all the replacement equipment.”

Mark passed away on Mother’s Day morning 2017. He was 46.

Once again, Sue had to call upon her own determination to make sure the business survived and kept its people employed. In 2020 Statewide celebrates its thirtieth year of ownership and management by members of the Swain family which now includes Sue’s daughter Sharon and grandsons Mitchell and Daniel.

“Now I’ve got Mitchell and Daniel here there’s nothing can stop me,” Sue says proudly. “Mitchell has a Bachelor of Commerce and a law degree and reckons he came to work here so he didn’t have to wear a suit. He initially came in to do accounts and payroll, but he also loads

PH TRAGEDY AMID

trucks, drives trucks, and works out the loading when Daniel is not around.”

Keeping in line with Warren’s and Mark’s philosophy to always buy quality equipment, most of the Statewide fleet now comprises of Kenworth and Mercedes-Benz prime movers.

Maintaining their appearance is important to the company image and the drivers ensure they are kept immaculate inside and out.

“I always believed in buying new trucks

and not to let them get too far out of warranty,” says Sue. “If I can keep rotating the trucks regularly I haven’t got to think about motors and big repair bills which saves me a lot of headaches.”

Throughout all of the challenges and devastating periods, Sue has maintained a simple business philosophy.

“Tell your customers the truth,” she says. “If we can’t do something within a particular timeframe, we’ll tell them upfront.”

Sue Swain with grandson Mitchell.

Other than some motorsport sponsorship, Statewide Car Carrying has never advertised and its growth has been fuelled by the organic increase in business of their existing car dealer clients, plus a steady stream of new customers has been created by word-of-mouth recommendations within the vehicle dealership industry.

“We used to worry about pricing, and while that’s still important, honesty and service seem to be the factors which are most important to our clients,” says Sue. The legacies of Warren Swain and Mark Broadhead are much more than the dedications sign-written on every truck in the Statewide fleet. It’s the determination of their extended family and staff, under Sue’s guidance, to overcome any obstacles in their way that remains inspirational.

There’s a nobility in knowing that success is earned by providing uncompromising honesty and outstanding service.

At a time in life when many are looking to slow down, Sue Swain continues to be actively involved in the business and appreciates the support of her family, staff and clients in achieving a remarkable 30 year milestone.

“I’d like to ease off a bit but when COVID hit I just had to come back in full time again,” she says. “The question is: why am I still here and trying so hard in my 69th year? The answer is simple: for my husband and my son. Statewide has kept my head busy and in a good space through all the tragedy, so here’s to another 30 years!” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

61

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE

Controlling the risks

PETER HART

R

isk is probably the driest subject you could read about in a truck magazine. Why do it? Because controlling risk is good for your business and even for your life. Risk controlled is problem avoided. Hopefully, this article will help some businesses to develop their Risk Management Strategy. Here are some basic ideas about risk management: A hazard is an adverse outcome. The risk of a hazard is an assessment of how likely it is that the hazard will occur in your

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business. Risk = Severity x Exposure x Vulnerability. Severity is the seriousness of the consequences if the hazard occurs.

Exposure is based on the number of times that the hazard could occur in a week and Vulnerability is an assessment of the reliability of things that stop the hazard occurring. Each of these factors needs to be assessed against a scale of high to low.

Failures that can occur without warning are particularly dangerous. The diagram shows a classification scheme for determining the risks of a particular hazard.

When assessing whether the Vulnerability is Very Low, Low, Medium or High, think about what stops the hazard occurring.

How many levels of safety exist and how could they fail?

I have a spreadsheet that I use to assess hazards and risks in mechanical workshops. I have identified about 100 hazards that can occur in a workshop. The workshop manager can use the spreadsheet

to make a qualitative assessment of risk. An example applicable to hazards associated with welding that is taken from the spreadsheet, is shown in the table. The Risk level is calculated by the spreadsheet once the assessments of Severity, Exposure and Vulnerability are made.

A big advantage of the spreadsheet calculator is that it gives a guide for the workshop manager about the hazards that can occur but allows new hazards to be inserted. Notes about the assessments can be put in and the document can then be stored as a record that the assessment was done. Getting the staff to make their own risks assessments is a great way of engaging them.

The spreadsheet risk calculator can be customised for any work environment.

If you have staff working at home, the employer may still be responsible for ‘providing a safe workplace’. Why not give each staff member an appropriate risk calculator for the home office?

OH&S rules require that workplaces be safe. That means that hazards must be identified, risks must be assessed and unacceptable risks must be controlled.

Here are the rules: • If risk is EXTREME then stop the activity now.

• If the risk is HIGH then finish the activity with care and then make improvements immediately.

• If the risk is MODERATE then continue the activity but work actively (with a plan) to reduce the risk.

• If the risk is LOW then it is acceptable but good practice is to continuously improve and to target lower risk.

• If the risk is NEGLIBIBLE then great!

Work to keep it there.

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) have jointly developed a Master Code of Practice for managing Chain of Responsibility risks that exist

ARTSA TECHNIC AL COLUMN

Powered by

Hazard Welding Flash, Sparks and Disturbances

Welding flash is visible to others Welders don’t use face masks. Eye damage Welding sputter onto parts or tools Hot metal parts left unprotected could be touched

General hazards from welders

Frayed welding cables can be touched Welding disturbs electrical equipment in the workshop Welding cables are trip hazards Fumes from welding not vented and breathed in by Welders

news

COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT

Severity

Exposure

Vulnerability

Risk Level

Minor

Low

Low

LOW

Serious

High

Moderate

HIGH

Minor

High

Low

LOW

Moderate

High

Moderate

MEDIUM

Minor

High

Low

LOW

Moderate

High

Low

MEDIUM

Minor

High

Low

LOW

Serious

High

High

VERY HIGH

Part of a spreadsheet risk calculator that is programmed to calculate risk based upon qualitative estimates of Severity, Exposure and Vulnerability for a range of about 100 workshop hazards.

in the road freight industry. This Code, which can be found on the NHVR website, provides an excellent guide to the actions that participants should take and should avoid taking!

Chain of Responsibility risk arises from the National Heavy Vehicle Law. It applies to drivers, operators, schedulers, consignors and consignees, packers, loaders, and loading supervisors. All these positions have a Duty of Care to the community and to each other to make our industry safer and to not put unsafe obligations on themselves or others.

Companies engaged in these activities must have business practices in place that ensure that their actions do not cause unsafe requirements to exist or to put them onto other parties in the chain.

They all have a shared responsibility.

Mechanics and workshop managers are not subject to Chain of Responsibility legislation. There is a duty of care obligation in common law to the community and to their clients. So how can workshops manage the risk?

The business practices of workshops should provide a check that the repairs and service was done correctly. The first step is to carefully assess the work that needs to be done. The next step is to use quality parts and install them according to manufacturer’s instructions. Finally, a quality assurance stage is needed for every job. This is a final check by an experienced person who can validate

that the nuts were torqued, or the pin is correctly aligned, or the rags were removed, and the job cleaned.

Workshops often identify developing problems that the operator is not ready to correct. Sometimes, it is worse; the vehicle is unsafe. It is essential that every workshop has a procedure for dealing with these situations. The job card and invoice paperwork should report observations of other problems outside the scope of the engagement and recommend further action. The risk that the defect might cause a hazard could be assessed using the above risk-assessment procedure and the risk level described.

If the steering bushes and kingpins are worn, the risk might be assessed to be HIGH. The workshop must inform the driver and operator of that assessment, and document it. This is the workshops’ duty of care. To do otherwise would put all parties at risk of legal sanction.

There are some clear lines that a workshop should not cross. Section 26E of the Heavy Vehicle National Law applies to any person who causes the speed limiting of a heavy vehicle to be disabled or manipulated.

Tampering with the emission controls or potentially the exhaust pipes on a heavy vehicle could make it unroadworthy and is unacceptable. If such requests are made, the operator should be told it is illegal to do that.

Section 3.2 of the Master Code gives guidance about how transport businesses

(including workshops) can develop a risk management process. I am a believer in a collegiate approach. The workers, who do the physical work, must be involved in hazard identification and risk control.

They are the eyes and ears in the risk management task, and they should ‘own’ the process. Regularly identifying hazards (which can be new) and controlling the risks will help any business to thrive by avoiding problems. Regular reviews of the hazards and risks in your organisation will keep the risk controls effective. It’s a no brainer!

Dr. Peter Hart, ARTSA

Does the mechanic know how many rags and tools were used on the job?

A rag left inside this engine blocked the oil galleries and caused crank and cam bearing failure. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

63

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

SAL PETROCCITTO

A

s we approach the end of the year, a year that was unlike anything we could have anticipated, I’ve been reflecting on the priorities that lie at the heart of what we do at the NHVR. The guiding mission of the NHVR has always been twofold — safety and productivity.

Everything we do is focused on making our roads safer for everyone who uses them and making the heavy vehicle industry more productive for the benefit of all Australians. In that time, we’ve seen significant reforms and improvement in these areas and our industry is moving towards a cohesive, national system all the time.

This was underlined in the recent release of the final report from the Australian Productivity Commission into National Transport Regulatory Reform, which included a review of reforms in the heavy vehicle industry.

The report highlighted the significant reform of safety and productivity across the heavy vehicle industry since the introduction of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) in 2013.

In particular, the Commission identified the ongoing trend towards improved road safety, including a continued reduction in heavy vehicle crashes, and the progress of national harmonisation of regulation.

Take, for example, the conclusion of the delegations project this year, with the NHVR now processing all heavy

64

ndeove c e mbe r 2018 2020

Moving toward a truly national system vehicle road access applications and issues permits for participating states and territories.

It has produced significant benefits, aligning application processes across the country, reducing red tape and ensuring certainty for operators.

prescriptive nature of fatigue legislation and expanding the number of freight routes covered by notices, which largely align with the contributions the NHVR put forward as part of the review.

If enacted, these recommendations will reduce the burden on operators and

The Commission identified the ongoing trend towards improved road safety, including a continued reduction in heavy vehicle crashes, and the progress of national harmonisation of regulation.

This is a significant achievement and something that was a driving factor behind the establishment of the NHVR. We are also approaching the one-year anniversary of the transition of Victorian on-road services to the NHVR, with advanced planning underway to transition the remaining NHVR jurisdictions.

This means there’s now borderless operations across much of Southern Australia. These milestones go to the heart of a truly national system, which drive efficiency across our industry.

While there is much to celebrate, the Productivity Commission also highlighted a number of areas where the law can be improved. Key recommendations include things like reviewing derogations, reducing the

support the NHVR in carrying out its role.

At the heart of the Productivity Commission report is the view that regulation should be outcomes-focused and less prescriptive to allow the industry to embrace a positive safety culture. This is a view that I share.

It is crucial then, that these recommendations are aligned with the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) ongoing review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

Reviews of this magnitude are rare, and in order to ensure that the country does not miss this opportunity for real change, we must consider and capture key reforms outlined in the Productivity Commission’s wide-ranging report.

The HVNL needs reform and this is our

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If enacted, these recommendations will reduce the burden on operators and support the NHVR in carrying out its role.

At the heart of the Productivity Commission report is the view that regulation should be outcomesfocused and less prescriptive to allow the industry to embrace a positive safety culture. chance to get it done. I know that if these desperately needed changes are made to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), we can deliver real safety, productivity and sustainability benefits for decades to come. While this final report is being considered, the NHVR will continue to work with industry and every level of government to continue to improve our industry. We know that through working together we can ensure the best safety outcomes for all road users, while supporting productivity for the benefit of our whole economy.

The transition of Victorian services to the NHVR approaches a 12 month anniversary.

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

65

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Australia can power its way out of COVID-19 recession

KIRK CONINGHAM

T

he Federal Government commitment of $1.5 billion to revitalise Australian manufacturing through the COVID-19 recovery is welcome and timely.

One of the positive consequences of the pandemic is a fundamental rethink of global supply chains. Where businesses once valued price above all else, the world is starting to value certainty of delivery and quality even more highly. That is a significant opportunity for a nation like Australia where quality has been at the heart of the brand for decades.

To be competitive, Australian industries must be fully supported by a globally competitive transport and logistics sector.

This demands smarter investment in policy, infrastructure, and technology.

Today the supply chain industry brings in $103 billion annually — but its size and success often disguise significant lost opportunity. The absence of toilet paper from supermarket shelves early in the COVID-19 crisis galvanised government action to reduce impediments to the movement of freight. Governments worked with industry to keep freight moving despite the supply chain being identified as an obvious vector for the disease. Sweeping policy advances included universal agreement that all freight be considered essential, the prioritisation of freight movement with ‘waive through’ at borders, the suspension of curfews nationwide, and ultimately the national agreement on a

freight movement protocol. The urgency and attention that delivered for Australian communities throughout the crisis must now be maintained and accelerated to help Australia trade out of a deep recession.

Australia is on the cusp of a bumper grain harvest with the wettest winter since 2016 expected to see national grain production increase 60 per cent and wheat production rise by 91 per cent. This at a time when the winter crop across much of Europe has been hit by drought and frost — causing a year-on-year fall of 10 per cent. France, the largest grain exporter in the EU, is reporting a 25 per cent decrease in wheat compared to the 2019 harvest. These figures should be cause for celebration among Australian farmers and exporters as they cash in on demand in the Asia-Pacific.

But Australia’s last bumper grain season offers a warning. In the 2016-17 season farmers had major problems getting grain from Victoria’s Mallee and the Wimmera to the ports of Geelong, Portland and Melbourne.

More broadly, Deloitte analysts suggest Australia’s advantages could be undermined by inadequate infrastructure.

Transport (including receival charges, rail freight and port charges) is the largest single cost in the domestic grain supply chain. Australian rail freight remains hamstrung by infrastructure limitations when compared with rivals such as Canada. The infrastructure and policy limitations are perpetuated by a lack of foresight and cooperative endeavour across industry and governments with the agricultural industry absent from most serious supply chain conversations.

Supply chain challenges are also noteworthy in mining with key iron ore and coal deposits at risk of supply chain failure. Australia’s largest export, iron ore, worth $100 billion in annual export value, remains significantly exposed to cyclone-linked flooding. Tropical Cyclone

Damien struck the Pilbara region back in February cutting six million tonnes from Rio Tinto’s projected 2020 output.

The Queensland coal network faces similar vulnerabilities. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting increased potential for cyclones and flooding in the next six months. Governments and the private sector need to work together to ensure resilience in these supply chains in support of central planks of today’s economy. Much is already underway.

There has been significant progress on the mighty 1700km Inland Rail project linking the ports of Melbourne and Brisbane via country New South Wales, on track for delivery by 2025. Inland Rail is designed for highly efficient double-stacked trains up to 1.8km in length, each of which will carry the same volume of freight as 110 B-double trucks. But there is a snag. While the rail connections to the intermodals outside Melbourne and Brisbane are easily managed, the final kilometres to the ports are yet to be finalised. As governments look to post-pandemic recovery, these last pieces of the puzzle must be priorities.

The advances in major infrastructure investment are being matched by increasing uptake of technology.

These last six months have been tough for all Australians, but disruptions to supply chains are presenting Australia with global opportunity. Australia’s exports are in high demand and there is important recognition of, and investment in, a resurgent Australian manufacturing industry just when the world is looking for certainty of delivery and quality ahead of price. We need to bank the policy advances made during the pandemic and bank on infrastructure and technology advances to quite literally deliver a brighter future for all Australians.

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

67

INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

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TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

I

outlined a few months ago in this very column, that the introduction of new Australian Design Rule (ADR) regulations for heavy vehicle safety and environmental standards had sadly slowed noticeably over the past decade. I detailed how an apparent lack of action by the Department of Transport in Canberra, in combination with successive federal governments, had led to Australia falling well behind Europe, Japan and the United States of America in the adoption of heavy vehicle safety and environmental standards and I highlighted that our regulations were being implemented typically ten or more years behind those countries mentioned above.

So while our regulators are dragging their feet, Truck Industry Council (TIC) members, the truck manufactures and importers, are not. TIC members have been proactively implementing advanced safety systems on their Australian model trucks for a number of years now. Take for example Autonomous, or as the Australian Department of Transport is calling it, Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (at least the acronym is the same, AEBS). The first TIC member’s started fitting AEBS to their local models over five years ago, back in 2015. That year slightly less than 200 trucks were sold with AEBS, but it was at least a start.

Fast forward to 2020 and TIC’s T-Mark data for January to June new heavy truck

68

n ove mbe r 2020

Government putting the brakes on truck safety and van sales, those vehicles with a GVM above 3.5 tonne, shows that over 7,000 heavy vehicles have been sold with AEBS this year. That same T-Mark data displays that in total, approximates 23,000 trucks and vans above 3.5 tonne GVM have AEBS fitted and are operating on our roads today. TIC estimates that by year end 2020, more than 14,000 new heavy vehicles fitted with AEBS will enter service this year, bringing the total number of trucks and vans, above 3.5 tonnes GVM, on our roads to more than 30,000. This is a great result that will benefit heavy vehicle road safety outcomes.

Digging a bit deeper into the T-Mark data we can gain an understanding of the types of vehicles that operators are purchasing with AEBS. Thus far in 2020 the numbers look like this: • 3.5 tonne to 4.5 tonne GVM rigid trucks and vans – 47.2 per cent fitted with AEBS • Over 4.5 tonne to 12.0 tonne GVM rigid trucks and vans – 24.8 per cent fitted with AEBS • Over 12.0 tonne GVM rigid trucks – 25.4 per cent fitted with AEBS • Over 12.0 tonne GVM prime movers – 54.0 per cent fitted with AEBS In summary, at the top and bottom ends of the Australian heavy vehicle market, one in every two new trucks sold in 2020 will have AEBS fitted. While one in four new medium and heavy duty rigid trucks will hit the road this year with

AEBS. All well before our government has a regulation in place.

While this proactive stance to heavy vehicle safety by the truck manufacturers and importers must be commended, the bigger picture pertaining to heavy vehicle road safety remains less positive and is a problem requiring government intervention. I am talking about the age of the Australian truck fleet. Due to the average age of our fleet, currently standing at 14.9 years and trending higher, it is taking decades for new safety technologies to penetrate through the Australian truck fleet. Again, taking the example of Autonomous/Advanced Emergency Braking Systems and given the current AEBS uptake in new truck sales, current fleet age and applying current fleet renewal rates, it would take until, 2050, for 95 per cent of the fleet to be fitted with AEBS. Were it not for past and current AEBS truck sales, this date would likely blow out to beyond 2055.

The sobering truth is that despite the best efforts of the truck manufacturers and importers who are implementing advanced safety systems on their Australian truck models well before they are required by regulation to do so, it is government inaction with regard to addressing the age of the Australian heavy vehicle fleet that is putting the brakes on truck safety.

Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

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Consumers will pay for industrial action at the wharves

PETER ANDERSON

T

he sudden spate of industrial action at wharves around Australia in recent months should be of immense concern to every Australian. At the height of a pandemic, the MUA elected to engage in protracted work stoppages at DP World Australia and Patrick stevedore terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle as part of its case for wage increases of up to 6 per cent for wharf workers across those sites.

The timing of these actions – which inevitably led to delays loading and unloading ships that created subsequent delays and shortages in the supply chain – is particularly suspect in consideration of the economic devastation COVID-19 has unleashed across the country.

Unemployment is slowly recovering as the economy starts to reopen, however the current seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent is almost certainly being propped up by JobKeeper. In Victoria – which provides more than a quarter of the nation’s GDP – unemployment is significantly higher because of work restrictions brought about by the reported second wave of coronavirus we have been battling.

We are talking about hundreds of thousands of Australians out of work, and with little short-term employment prospects, worrying about devastation and financial ruin. And meanwhile, a union is pursuing a wage increase almost five times greater than CPI for well-paid workers

fortunate enough to enjoy relatively secure employment because they work in an industry seen as ‘essential’.

Whilst the 6 per cent has since been openly accepted to be an ambit claim, it highlights the disconnect between ordinary people that are either out of work or just happy to have a job and an income in an economy in recession, and a representative group making excessive claims during a national crisis.

All parties need to put the national interest ahead of self-interest and spare Australian consumers the higher prices and inevitable shortages they will face if industrial action persists. Supply chains around Australia and the world have been upended since the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting ordering patterns earlier in the year, creating supply chain bubbles, surges in supply and false readings of market demand.

With the economy outside Victoria gradually reopening over the last few months, we are now seeing a spike in inbound freight to stock depleted warehouses, distribution centres, wholesalers and retailers in the lead up to Christmas.

This has created a situation where stevedores and wharf carriers already have larger volumes of inbound freight to offload, and expectations of significant outbound freight with the cropping season upon us. Ongoing work stoppages are making an already challenging problem worse than it needs to be.

Ultimately it is freight customers and ordinary consumers who will wear the consequences of industrial action in the form of higher prices as seen with the Port Botany industrial action induced congestion. The cost of shipping lineimposed penalties and the carting of

thousands of containers by road or rail to Sydney from other ports will inevitably be passed on throughout the supply chain, which ultimately will be reflected in higher prices consumers will have to pay.

At a time when Australians are already under immense pressure from lost or reduced income through no fault of their own, and struggling to pay mortgages, school fees, medical, food, utilities and other bills, disproportionate increases in consumer prices are the last thing they need.

What we need is an ‘attitude of reason’ and not the self-interest that appears to be behind the industrial action at ports around Australia and resolve disputes at the wharves that are impacting supply chains. After a horror year where people have lost lives and livelihoods, does the port supply chain really need to subject Australians to higher prices they can’t or won’t pay by persisting with this type of disruption?

By the time this column goes to print industrial action at Patrick terminals may have been resolved for now through mutual agreement, mediation or the Fair Work Commission, but the issue will not stop there. The best possible short-term outcome would be for work stoppages to be withdrawn, work agreements ‘rolledover’ and a commitment to negotiate twelve months from now so that the stevedores can clear the backlog of arrivals before the pre-Christmas peak revs up.

But in the interim it’s worth amplifying that while there is a time and a place for protected industrial action under our system, now, in the midst of recovering from a pandemic, is not it.

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

69

PETER SHIELDS’ NUMBER CRUNCH

Low Tide Ripples effects of COVID-19 with month-on-month sales in quarter three showing a reasonable degree of stability,” says Truck Industry Council CEO Tony McMullan. “We have seen from March onward, the Heavy and Medium Duty segments continue to take the brunt of the fall in sales. New vehicle deliveries in both Light Duty segments have been less effected and this, we believe, is a clear indication of the effectiveness of the federal government’s instant asset write-off incentive.”

The effects of the contraction of the world economies due to the COVID-19 pandemic continued to be reflected in the Truck Industry Council’s results for the month of September. Cabchassis and prime mover sales of 2,329 were up slightly on the previous month of August and showed an extra 175 units (8.0 per cent increase). The September total remained 343 less than in September last year (-12.8 per cent).

The year-to-date total of 20,263, shows a 14.7 per cent reduction in new truck sales across the board, a similar result to the period since June after the market bottomed out in May with an 18.7 per cent reduction in the accrual.

The Light Duty truck category achieved 907 units in September, 79 less than in September 2019 (-8.0 per cent), and the YTD of exactly 8,000 was 567 less than at the same point at the end of the September quarter last year (-6.6 per cent).

Medium Duty sales during September of 517 units showed a 16.9 per cent decrease (-105 units) compared with the previous September and the YTD of 4,836 was down 837 units (-14.7 per cent).

Heavy Duty sales continued to suffer during September with the worst September results in four years at 905 units, a reduction of 159 from September 2019 (-14.9 per cent), yet when compared with the YTD rate of -21.9 per cent (-2,080 units), showed that the tide may be turning for the category. Heavy Duty vehicles have the longest lead times between order and delivery and the effect of government stimulus measures may take a few more months to be reflected in a stronger turnaround in sales. The Federal Government’s financial incentives have been extended through to the end of the year and for operators wishing to purchase a truck the Accelerated Depreciation incentive allows the purchaser to claim back over 50 per cent of the new truck’s value at tax time.

The Heavy Van sector continued to slowly improve and the September result of 529 big vans was 31 more than in September last year (+6.2 per cent) and the YTD total of 4,550 remained just 5.3 per cent less (-253 units) than at the end of the 2019 September quarter.

“We are now seeing the market stabilise due to the ongoing 70

n ove mbe r 2020

Sept-20

% change

ISUZU

661

-7.1%

HINO

398

-7.1%

FUSO

318

-2.2%

VOLVO

152

-17.7%

KENWORTH

195

-22.0%

IVECO

140

-17.8%

MERCEDES-BENZ

85

-34.0%

SCANIA

80

-26.2%

MACK

55

-3.2%

UD TRUCKS

58

-9.7%

FIAT

40

-18.9%

DAF

36

-1.7%

MAN

21

-67.4%

WESTERN STAR

22

-14.6%

FREIGHTLINER

25

-18.4%

RENAULT

6

-44.4%

HYUNDAI

9

7.5%

FORD

5

-29.1%

DENNIS EAGLE

14

-40.8%

VOLKSWAGEN

4

171.4%

INTERNATIONAL

5

14.6%

CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

2329

-14.7%

M-B VANS

182

-21.8%

RENAULT VANS

171

6.6%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

92

40.6%

FORD VANS

30

6.9%

IVECO VANS

17

-10.7%

FIAT VANS

37

-33.5%

VANS

529

-5.3%

TOTAL

2858

-13.1%

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