INDUSTRY
Fleet: Baxters Concrete
Feature: Global Trade Logistics
Spotlight: Wash It Australia
Personality Profile: Ben Lasry
INNOVATION
Carrier: MLG
Mobile Lifting: Borger Cranes
New Power Generation: Australia Post
Test Drive: Mercedes-Benz Unimog
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.
Clancy
With more than two decades of experience as a media professional, Christine has worked in newsrooms across Canada, Vietnam and Australia. She joined the Prime Creative Media team 12 years ago, and today oversees more than 43 titles, including a dozen print and digital transportation titles. She continues to lead a team that focuses on continuous improvement to deliver quality insights that helps the commercial road transport industry grow.
William Craske | Editor
Over the past two decades William has published widely on transport, logistics, politics, agriculture, cinema, music and sports. He has held senior positions in marketing and publicity for multinational businesses in the entertainment industry and is the author of two plays and a book on Australian lm history. Like many based in Melbourne he is in a prolonged transition of either returning or leaving.
Peter Shields | Senior Feature Writer
A seasoned transport industry professional, Peter has spent more than a decade in the media industry. Starting out as a heavy vehicle mechanic, he managed a fuel tanker eet and held a range of senior marketing and management positions in the oil and chemicals industry before becoming a nationally acclaimed transport journalist.
Peter White | Journalist
Since completing a Bachelor of Media and Communication degree at La Trobe University in 2021, Peter has obtained valuable newsroom experience, supplemented by direct industry exposure at Prime Creative Media. As the Editor of Trailer, Peter brings a fresh perspective to Prime Mover. He has a strong interest in commercial road transport and in furthering the magazine’s goal of growing the industry.
Sean Gustini | Journalist
Having completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Media and Communications at the University of Melbourne in 2024, Sean looks forward to bringing his passion for writing and journalism to the road freight and transport industries. He previously lived in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. In his downtime he enjoys playing the guitar and running.
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.
CEO John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au
Editor William Craske william.craske@primecreative.com.au
Managing Editor, Luke Applebee Transport Group luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au
Senior Feature Peter Shields Writer peter.shields@primecreative.com.au
Business Ashley Blachford Development ashley.blachford@primecreative.com.au Manager 0425 699 819
Art Director Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au
Design Blake Storey
Contributors Sean Gustini sean.gustini@primecreative.com.au
Peter White peter.white@primecreative.com.au
Client Success Isabella Fulford Manager isabella.fulford@primecreative.com.au
Head Of ce 379 Docklands Drive, Docklands VIC 3008 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.
in fuel savings and emissions reductions, the Hino Hybrid Electric is ready to deliver from day one. That’s the power of change, that’s the Hino Hybrid Electric Visit hino com.au
“The only way I can describe it is just awesome. It’s got heaps of power and it’s extremely comfortable. Driver acceptance is up there. It’s great on fuel.”
26 On the Threshold
A DAF XG validation prime mover was promptly snapped up after it was successfully trialled in Queensland where it operates in some of the most challenging conditions for pedigree fleet Morgan Transport.
32 Setting the Standard
Borderlands-based Victorian transport company Baxters
Concrete utilises a new hi-tech A-double pneumatic dry bulk trailer set to deliver a key ingredient – cement – to its operation.
36 Gold Rush
Western Australian mining and transport outfit, MLG runs a massive fleet of roadtrains in the heaviest applications, with some units rated up to 360-tonnes. The company, little more than two decades into its history, is the product of a singular vision made possible by unified team ethic.
& TECH
40 Mobile Coverage
Support vehicles are integral in the operations of mobile cranes to achieve the successful completion of Australia’s many building and infrastructure projects.
NEW POWER GENERATION
50 Charging Ahead
Australia Post has installed new electric vehicle infrastructure at two of its sites in Melbourne with the help of the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.
DRIVE
58 Leave No Trace
Both agricultural and military heritages combine to deliver what is probably the toughest truck on the planet - the MercedesBenz Unimog.
William Craske Editor
The one truck startup, even in the modern era, continues as the foundational myth for many truck businesses in the industry. Like all myths it furnishes a deeper truth for us to grapple with: the road transport industry, as merciless as it can be, offers vast opportunities for anyone willing to seize them. Opportunity and hard work have never been estranged companions. They have instead remained the very bedrock of survival and, in some cases, success for the many businesses competing across the sector.
But not all legacies are created equal. By the laws of nature, some have it easier than others as a matter of circumstance, timing, geography and a host of other determining factors. There are no happy endings for companies existing in a self-regulating market. Endurance, much like optimised processes, must be recyclable. The best start-ups are, for all intents and purposes, named retrospectively. Because obstacles, like waves on a shoreline, are legion there is no shelf-life to when they might stop. Over recent decades these would have appeared to accelerate with some identi able pattern. Since 2008,
succeeding climates of economic downforce have produced a series of interregnums between more stable regular programming. Finding a formula for a true course of action in weathering economic storms can be, especially for startups, a process of inheritance, often passed down from mentors and previous generations and re ned according to the new lessons derived from critical blunders. Learning curves like interest on a loan are steep, not to mention of great utility. In 2022 almost 200 businesses in and around the transport industry became insolvent.
The working parameters, possibly for most of the eets featured in this edition of the magazine, when they started out are relatively unrecognisable in the cross of the present. That’s why the addition of a new truck, or, as the case may be, the remembrance of a historic rst truck within operations, can seem so vital.
A new truck has the power to energise a business. Though granted this is much harder to immediately quantify. But like camaraderie, another prized business commodity, it exists outside
the narrow funnel of data. Data is great to have but like science, it is ingrained with blind spots that don’t account for every aspect of the experience. Certainly, any new truck should be accompanied by a plan both strategic and nancial. But the investment whether in 1945 or last month embodies much more than a ledger on the books for a startup. A truck can bring with it hope — the stuff that dreams are built on.
If an Australian Dream is said to exist, than this is the industry that allows the widest spectrum of people to chase after it. A truck, when all is said and done, is history in motion.
i nance offer
Saunders Logistics has bolstered its transport capabilities with the arrival of a Kenworth K220 Big Cab prime mover and two Mack Super-Liners.
The Queensland-based logistics provider received its new Kenworth K220 Big Cab last month, and has since dedicated the vehicle to making transport journeys carrying oversized modular homes to and from the state’s far north region.
Along with the busy cotton season approaching, the new trucks will be put to the test on the rough outback roads pulling roadtrains.
Key customisations have optimised driver comfort and operational practicality with bullbars for safety, custom hydraulics for ease of use, and added conveniences such as a Custom Air cab cooler, a second fridge, inverter and extra storage.
Owner Brendan Saunders anticipated the extra features should help boost driver morale and productivity on long hauls, a critical consideration for
his business.
“They’re definitely happy with the level of comfort the truck provides,” he said. “There’s more space and living room for them to use on the big runs, which is a major advantage.”
The addition of this Kenworth to the Saunders Logistics fleet was made possible with the assistance of Brown and Hurley’s Caboolture & Toowoomba dealerships. The two companies have enjoyed a close working relationship, ever since Saunders Logistics has been a PacLease customer for the dealership.
“As long-term PacLease customers with Brown and Hurley Caboolture, we’ve been able to rent multiple trucks, specifically Kenworths, from the team,” Saunders said.
“Saunders Logistics currently has a fast growing fleet. Moving away from the Paclease model, we are expanding rapidly to service all our clients efficiently and effectively.”
As a mixed fleet looking to grow its transport footprint across Queensland,
Saunders Logistics has also added two new Mack Super-Liners, received from Western Truck Group’s Toowoomba dealership. Drivers, according to Saunders, are enjoying the comfort the Macks have offered them.
“They drive with confidence knowing that the extra safety features built into these masterpieces are keeping them safe,” he told Prime Mover.
“There’s a lot of unique mechanics in the Macks,” he said. “It’s a very comfortable truck — it’s basically a top of the range European truck with a Mack cab on it, with all the creature comforts, many extras as standard, plenty of power and they look great.”
Saunders was also pleased with Western Truck Group’s customer service and attention to detail in delivering the new Super-Liners.
“They were great to work with,” he said. “The communication from them was great and the service was excellent. I cant thank them enough for accommodating all my requests .”
Obrienco Transport has received two decorated Mack Anthem B-doubles ahead of its logistics expansion, with the help of the Western Truck Group dealership (WTG). The Toowoombabased transport service, run by father-son duo John and Jack O’Brien, has carried general freight ranging from stock feed to shed kits across Queensland for nearly 20 years.
Looking to grow its operations to a national level following consistent company growth, the O’Briens worked with WTG Sales Professional, Lachlan McDonald, for years to find the perfect trucks for the job.
“We had been speaking to Jack and John off-and-on for a couple of years,” McDonald said. “They had been thinking about starting their expansion into interstate freight for a little while. Before they purchased the Anthems from us, they actually purchased a used truck, a Volvo, which they had a really good experience with. That parlayed into their search for the other trucks.”
With McDonald’s assistance, the transport duo landed on the two Mack Anthems, which offered a multitude of perks and benefits well-aligned with Obrienco’s mission to amplify its transport capabilities.
The two Mack Anthems achieve great fuel economy due to the build of their aerodynamic cabs and 13-litre high efficiency engines. Additionally, the Anthems’ new 36-inch bunk provides drivers with space to stand and stretch while ensuring the truck maintains its short combination.
Jack O’Brien was eager to take these perks on to service both Obrienco’s abilities and the comfort and security of its fleet drivers.
“There were a few reasons why we chose the Mack Anthems,” he said. “The fact that they are built in Brisbane, by Mack and Volvo, is extremely convenient for us. Brisbane is only an hour and a half away, and we can go through WTG for any engine servicing or repairing that we may need,”
said O’Brien.
“Another factor which helped our choice was the fuel economy on the Mack Anthems. It is exceptional. When we’re running fully-loaded at 36 tonnes, and getting anywhere from 2 to 2.2 litres per kilometre, that’s a pretty great rate.
“Finally, we chose the Mack Anthems for our drivers, our greatest assets. The 36-inch sleeper is very spacious — it’s a home away from home for our guys, who are spending a lot of their time on the road.”
According to O’Brien, Obrienco’s drivers have reacted very positively to the trucks, praising their comfortability, handling and durability on harsh Australian roads.
In addition to finding the right specs, Obrienco worked hard with WTG to decorate the trucks’ exterior which would promote the transport service in an eye-catching fashion.
Both Mack Anthems sport a dynamic combination of Obrienco’s colours — the trucks’ cabs are painted in a Holden Voodoo Blue, split by a flowing Ford Focus XR5 Orange stripe.
The addition of these striking and efficient vehicles to Obrienco’s fleet is a testament to the transport service’s partnership with WTG, which, according to McDonald, is looking to be further
explored down the road.
“We’re definitely looking to do some further deals in the future,” he said.
“Their business is expanding at a fairly quick rate, so we’re speaking with them to see what we can do together.”
This enthusiasm was matched by O’Brien, who praised McDonald’s help and WTG’s diligent work.
“Working with Lachlan and WTG was very new to us,” he said.
“We hadn’t dealt with them before this. We came to the dealership for our second-hand Volvo, and Shannon at WTG looked after us really well for that sale. While we were there, he introduced us to Lachlan, and it was a great meeting.
“We discussed how we were new to the interstate game but wanted to grow rapidly and organically. Lachlan and the team really understood that, and we had a long chat at WTG to hash out those details. The fact that they were legitimately interested in our goal was a really good thing for us.
“There’s no issue with me just giving him a buzz or sending him a text message — he’ll just get back to me.
It’s not a situation where you sign a bit of paper and they forget about you. The account management and the customer service there is fantastic.”
> MLG returns refurbished historic roadtrain to work
Mining powerhouse, MLG, will send a Kenworth T908 prime mover back into active service after it underwent a significant rebuild.
Affectionately known as ‘Bill’, the truck was originally purchased in 2004 by MLG Founder Murray Leahy and was one of the first roadtrains in a fleet that has since grown to over 150 prime movers. The restoration celebrates MLG’s history by honouring the company’s journey from its earliest days as Leahy Haulage before it became the leading mining transport operation it is today.
After 17 years of dedicated service, the truck was due for an overhaul and has been meticulously restored to feature the original Leahy Haulage paintwork, in so doing preserving a vital piece of the company’s legacy.
“For me, the refurbishment of this truck is about making sure that we take time to remember those that have gone before us, and the efforts that they put in to creating opportunities for us,” said Leahy.
Named in honour of Private William J. Leahy, who served and tragically lost his life in action on April 9, 1917, the truck serves as a reminder of the values that continue to drive MLG forward: resilience, heritage, and respect.
The refurbished Kenworth T908 is powered by a 620hp Cummins X15 with
AdBlue after-treatment, meeting the latest emissions standards.
Extensive re-plumbing, rewiring, and mechanical upgrades have ensured it is ready for many more years of reliable service.
The rectification work was predominantly carried out by Jeremy Keech and Les Harris, with all non-paintrelated refurbishments completed in MLG’s Kalgoorlie Maintenance facility. “MLG extends its gratitude to City Panel Beaters and Truck Repairs for their exceptional work in restoring TK004’s panelling, and the dedication of MLG’s Yindi Way Workshop Team,
Direct Freight Express has announced the opening of three new sites in Victoria. The depots are located in Warrnambool, Portland and Hamilton, signalling a clear strategy to bolster its presence further in the southwest of the state.
“We are thrilled to announce that we are now operating three new depots in Victoria, further strengthening our national footprint,” said Managing Director Joe Catania. “These new locations will enhance our ability to provide top-tier logistics services
across Australia.”
The expansion, referred to internally as the “triangle,” given how the new facilities triangulate its regional presence in the area, brings Direct Freight Express’ total of companyowned depots to 68 nationwide.
Catania said the expansion would further strengthen the company’s position as one of Australia’s leading privately owned freight solutions providers.
“We look forward to continuing to serve our valued customers with even
whom worked tirelessly to bring this cherished truck back to its former glory,” said Leahy.
It was originally driven by Allan Richards, who recently retired after spending over 20 years with MLG.
Brother to Murray Leahy’s greatgrandfather, William ‘Bill’ Leahy was one of six brothers who left Ireland in 1909 to embark on a new life in Australia.
“I think Bill really stood for what it is to be Australian,” said Leahy.
“He was someone who paid the ultimate price for military service but if they hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
greater reach and efficiency.”
In November last year, Direct Freight Express achieved practical completion on a new Western Australian facility at Kenwick.
The facility has been developed to support Direct Freight Express’ existing distribution centre at Roe Highway Logistics Park.
The property includes a 2,800m² Warehouse and nearly 5,000m² of concrete hardstand. The hardstand caters for 37 truck parking bays and 12 car parking bays.
When the Fuso Canter first hit Australian shores, it delivered on a promise: a safe and practical work truck you could rely
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on to get the job done. And get jobs done it did. Since 1971, Aussies have been turning to an ever-evolving range of Fuso Canters for all kinds of jobs – cabs to carry crews and pantechs to help with moves, trays for loading and tippers for disposing. The work carries on with our new-look Canter.
touch screen with the DNA of Australia’s hardest-working light-duty truck. Add in class-leading payload across most models, advanced active safety systems* and impressive 30,000km service intervals, and you have everything that you need to get the job done.
DHL Supply Chain Australia has bolstered its transport services offering with a new investment in Tasmania. The company is now directly operating pallet and carton transport services across the state as well as third-party logistics (3PL) services for the technology and healthcare sectors.
DHL’s Tasmanian investment in its own premises, vehicles and team follows on from its prior arrangement of operating through a Hobart-based contractor. This has enabled the company to apply its systems and standards across the transport and warehouse operations while welcoming new DHL team members.
The investment also provides DHL with a gateway for expanding and integrating global initiatives in Tasmania, including its Global Green Transport Policy, which aims to reduce the company’s global CO₂ emissions generated by transport.
DHL Supply Chain ANZ CEO, Steve
Thompsett, said he’s pleased that local expertise has joined the company.
“I’m thrilled that our team in Moonah is onboard. This is an important step for us,” he said.
“DHL prides itself on being globally local, and we see this as an important step in increasing our support for trade and economic growth in Tasmania.
“With our dedicated, bespoke transport solutions and pallet and carton services now managed by our team, we are committed to boosting the scale of DHL’s transport and warehousing offerings in Tasmania.”
DHL’s Australia-wide Transport service specialises in sectors including retail, technology, life sciences and healthcare including biotechnology, automotive and consumer.
Local support, according to DHL, through transport hubs in all states and territories provided it with easy
pick-up and delivery at distribution centres, retail, wholesale stores and final mile deliveries.
Late last year DHL Supply Chain debuted its first battery electric prime mover in Sydney.
The investment in the Volvo FM Electric helped to further consolidate the fleet’s broader transition plan to electric vehicles along with ten new Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vans.
Given its geographic size, Tasmania may prove yet to be an ideal test bed for electric vehicles in commercial applications. In January last year, the Tasmanian State Government expanded its $50 million Energy Saver Loan Scheme to include EV charging infrastructure.
It followed state owned utility Hydro Tasmania’s announcement in 2023 that it had plans to replace its entire diesel passenger vehicle fleet with 130 electric vehicles by 2030 as part of a net zero plan.
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Two new Mack Super-Liners purchased by Bordertown Haulage and Trading (BHT) last year have seamlessly fit into the fleet.
The first is a 70-tonne-rated five-axle truck and dog while the latest addition is a 131-tonne capable A-double. Riding on eight bag air suspension and fitted with an Aussie-CTI system, the latest prime movers are powered by a 685hp MP10 engine paired with a 13-speed mDRIVE.
There are eight prime movers in the fleet at present.
Mack trucks have been an integral part of the South Australian operation since 1980. That’s the year when Peter Karger founded the business.
Angus Karger, who took over in 2023, said Macks have been around his whole life.
“I joined the business in 1982, the day I was born, there’s a picture of me when I was a baby, standing in Dad’s old R600 with my hands on the steering wheel,” he said. “So I was probably always going to get a Mack myself.”
Not that it was a snap decision.
The company had tried trucks from a range of other manufacturers, but consistently found them to be unreliable, expensive to maintain, or simply out of date when it came to technology.
When Mack introduced models that had disc brakes and the mDRIVE automated manual gearbox as standard, the decision made itself.
“We’re only a small family business, but we’ve always been all-in on safety,” said Karger. “We started out early on putting disc brakes on our trailers, and we were
always looking for automatics, so when Mack brought out the Super-Liner it fitted our requirements perfectly.”
He hasn’t looked back, acquiring two more Super-Liners, including one of the Centenary models, all of them maintained through Mack service agreements.
“I like that these trucks come out of Brisbane,” said Karger. “It’s Australianmade and that’s pretty rare these days.”
The newest Super-Liners are providing operational flexibility for the wide range of loads the fleet is required to carry nationwide.
Operations extend as far afield as Esperance in Western Australia and Townsville in north Queensland.
BHT’s tippers and drop-deck flat tops commonly deliver grain, hay, gypsum, gravel and general freight.
A typical journey might entail departing from the depot in Bordertown, just inside South Australia on the Victorian border, to somewhere reasonably local like Geelong, or as far away as north Queensland.
After growing up in the house that still sits in the front of the depot, Karger went to boarding school, then joined the army in the year 2000 where he trained as a diesel mechanic.
“I’m a diesel mechanic, but I know my limitations, so I look after a couple of the old trucks, but Mack do all our servicing, and that’s one reason they’re so reliable,” he said.
“I like that Mack take responsibility for the whole truck, there’s none of this ‘that’s someone else’s problem’ stuff.”
After six years of service that included a stint in Afghanistan, Karger came back and joined the family business in 2006.
This might explain why, besides the Super-Liners, there’s one more Mack in the fleet: a 6×6 ex-army tipper he bought at auction, still in its camouflage paint.
“Yeah, I had my eye on it for a while, and one day it was up for auction, so I took the opportunity, fixed it up and got it registered,” he said.
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Evans Petroleum has amplified its supply and transport capabilities with the addition of new vehicles to its fleet. The fuel supplier and transporter, which now operates 29 vehicles, ordered a new Kenworth T610 prime mover, two Kenworth T610 SARs and a DAF rigid farm delivery truck — all of which have been delivered and put to work over the last five months.
These vehicles have all been ordered to different lengths and customisations so they can each perform their particular duties, towing a range of Holmwood Highgate tankers, according to Evans Petroleum General Manager, Stuart Evans.
“Our Kenworth T610 is 25 metres, while the two Kenworth SARs are 19 and 20 metres each,” he said. These trucks are fitted with 18-speed RoadRangers and are being used as fuel tankers for deliveries. While the
two Kenworth SARs are transporting fuel on an intrastate scale, the Kenworth T610 is operating both locally and interstate, predominantly making trips from Melbourne’s metro terminals to Gippsland and other areas within the northern region of Victoria, where Evans Petroleum has enjoyed a strong operational presence for decades.
Meanwhile, the company’s DAF rigid farm delivery truck, a twinsteer CF530 fitted with a PACCAR engine and an attached dog trailer, is being used for fuel transport and delivery across both farmlands and metropolitan areas.
Evans was drawn to ordering Kenworth and DAF trucks in particular due to the company’s positive experiences with the brands throughout more than 50 years of its operations. According to Evans, using the same trucks would
provide reliability and familiarity to the Evans Petroleum drivers, who wanted to undertake deliveries with a level of comfort.
“We’ve run these trucks beforehand, and we’ve been very happy with them, so we’ve continued using them,” Evans said. “And our drivers have switched trucks before, but we’ve found that providing them with a sense of familiarity is a big help in making deliveries.”
Evans Petroleum collected these new Kenworth and DAF trucks through Hallam Truck Centre, which Evans has become well acquainted with throughout his long career.
“They’ve been great,” he said. “We order all our vehicles through them, and they offer great service. We’re always happy with the product and the great after sale service they provide. There’s never any trouble.”
Robert Riordan has announced his retirement from Riordan Fuels, effective 28 February.
The Owner and Managing Director, who oversaw his company’s daily operations and management for nearly 60 years, is assuring his retirement is made in great health and at an opportune time to allow a successful management transition for the business. Riordan’s career in the fuel industry began in 1965 when he purchased the Shell Distributionship for Southwestern Victoria and his first service station in Colac.
Following great success and expansion with his own network of service stations, Riordan and his family relocated to Geelong in 1990 to go into partnership in the Geelong
Distributionship for Shell.
Riordan Fuels has grown into one of Victoria’s foremost private and independent fuel distributors, currently boasting an extensive unmanned tank and bulk distribution network across Victoria and Southern NSW.
Under Riordan’s leadership, the company has thrived while maintaining a strong commitment to its loyal community. Riordan himself has been an active member of various community organisations, consistently advocating for rural issues, and was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal in 2022 for his contributions to the fuel industry, Water Authority Boards, Marcus Oldham College, and his generous support of
Toll Group has appointed Michael Rugendyke to the role of President for the Industrials and Resources portfolio. Rugendyke joins Toll from Team Global Express, where he most recently held the role of Executive General Manager of Strategic Customer Sales.
Prior to that, he served as Executive General Manager for the Palletised Express business. His career in logistics spans 26 years across road, rail, sea, air, stevedoring, and warehousing logistics.
Rugendyke, who is familiar with leading large, complex logistics businesses and driven growth for Tier 1 logistics providers, has also held logistics and freight-related roles at TNT, AirRoad Group, Silk Logistics Group, and Patrick.
“Michael has a proven track record of delivering strong revenue and profit growth within highly competitive segments of the supply chain industry,” said Alan Beacham, Managing Director of Toll Group.
As part of his responsibilities, Rugendyke will lead the Resources and Industrials Division, managing
a team of approximately 2,500 members. This team provides specialised integrated contract logistics to some of Australia’s largest customers in sectors such as fuels and gases, mining and energy, steel, industrials, and security-sensitive industries.
“Michael’s appointment is a significant step forward for our organisation,” Beacham told Prime Mover. “His extensive experience in logistics and proven ability to drive growth will
regional communities.
In a letter to his customers, Riordan expressed immense gratitude for their support throughout his career and celebrated the dedication of various long-standing staff members who have played a critical role in the success of Riordan Fuels.
“Our locally owned, family-operated business will continue to serve you well, and I thank you for your patronage over the years,” Riordan wrote. “I wish you all the best in your business endeavours.”
Following his retirement, Riordan Fuels will be led by General Manager, Brent Squires who will report to Chief Commercial Officer, Mark Lewis. Lewis, in turn, will report to Managing Director of Riordan Group, Jim Riordan.
be invaluable. This Resources and Industrials Division is crucial to our business, contributing 20 per cent of our group revenue.
“We are confident that under Michael’s leadership, we will continue to strengthen our service offerings for our customers and expand our reach in the industry.”
Rugendyke’s oversight includes operations in 96 locations in various regions including some of the most remote locations in Australia.
“Toll’s Resources and Industrials business supports some of Australia’s most important entities through its unique infrastructure and market leading capability,” said Rugendyke.
“Toll is well positioned to serve Australia’s energy transition while reshaping the means in which focused Resources and Industrials market segments are served.
“The opportunity to bring together
Toll Group’s expertise and incredible experience to expand customer relationships into new geographies, and to evolve traditional service models both domestically and in key global corridors is incredibly exciting.”
Brisbane-based transport company, South East Queensland Hauliers (SEQH), has taken delivery of Australia’s first Euro 6 Mack Super-Liner with another one on the way.
Powered by a 780hp 17-litre MP11 engine, the Super-Liner delivers an impressive 2,800 lb/ft of torque and features an mDRIVE automatic transmission with crawler gear.
It also boasts a 36-inch sleeper cab and a custom-built Titan bonnet, manufactured at Mack’s Wacol facility in Queensland. Creating an imposing and commanding appearance, the custom bonnet allows the truck to be built to a higher Gross Combination Mass.
The unit has been deployed in SEQH’s long-distance fleet which travels over Queensland and Northern New South Wales carting animal hives, grain and heavy haulage as well.
“It’s being used for the heavier
applications as one of the larger-sized trucks in our fleet, and everything’s looking positive so far,” said SEQH Deputy Managing Director, Nathan Craner. “The driver is very happy with it and he’s really proud to be able to use it.”
Beyond its power and performance, SEQH has already seen noticeable fuel efficiency gains and improved trip speeds with the Euro 6 model.
The latest Super-Liner joins a fleet of over 80 Mack trucks at SEQH which, according to SEQH Sales and Marketing Manager, Gabriel Aguilar, have all played a critical role in the company’s growth.
“We’ve partnered with Mack for well over 20 years,” he told Prime Mover “The company has been growing consistently year-on-year since Brett Plummer purchased it back in the late ‘90s, and we feel that that growth has been made possible because of the
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strong partnership with Mack.”
SEQH was also mourning the passing of one of its professional drivers, Ricky Mitchell, who Craner said had “suddenly and sadly, passed away,” recently.
“Ricky’s sudden passing has devastated our organisation and our deep condolences and thoughts remain with his loving family,” said Craner in an online statement.
Mitchell commenced working with the organisation in 1998. He later went on to run a fleet of his own and after selling that business, resumed working for SEQH from 2016 to present.
“Ricky’s skill level, contribution and dedication was second to none,” said Craner. “Within our business, he moved general freight, containers, over-size cargo and bulk commodities via tippers. Positioned within our long distance fleet is where he felt he could contribute to SEQH in particular.”
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TotalEnergies and DAF Trucks NV have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on their joint commitment to develop zero-emission mobility solutions for road transport. This partnership leverages DAF’s leadership in truck manufacturing and TotalEnergies’ expertise in developing sustainable mobility solutions.
It also underlines both companies’ commitment to supporting the energy transition and meeting the European Union’s CO₂ emission reduction standards.
In essence, the agreement focuses on investigating the opportunities for DAF customers to optimally make use of the TotalEnergies charging network and
their roaming services.
This includes accelerating the development of Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) for ultra-fast charging of electric trucks with a pilot initiative helping to shape the future of charging infrastructure; and offering a range of energy solutions from TotalEnergies, to supply low carbon energy products and solutions to the DAF manufacturing sites in order to support DAF in reducing its scope 1 & 2 CO₂ emissions.
“As a key partner of the road transport sector, we are delighted to collaborate with DAF and contribute to the decarbonisation of the industry,” said Mathieu Soulas, Senior Vice President New Mobilities at TotalEnergies.
“This partnership demonstrates
TotalEnergies’ ability to provide concrete solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of its customers’ fleets. We need such pragmatic collaborations to make the Energy Transition happen”.
The collaboration with TotalEnergies is, according to Harald Seidel, President of DAF Trucks NV, a great opportunity to combine respective expertise in offering customers sustainable and innovative transport solutions.
“DAF is leading the way in battery electric vehicles, offering zero emission ranges of up to 500 kilometres on a single charge,” he said in a statement. “The MoU provides enhanced opportunities to accelerate the transition to sustainable road transport solutions.”
Isuzu North America Corporation will establish a new production facility in South Carolina, to strengthen its vehicle supply capability in anticipation of the electrification of commercial vehicles in North America. The total investment will be approximately US$280 million and the new facility is slated to be operational in 2027.
It is expected to employ more than 700 people, with an annual production capacity of approximately 50,000 vehicles by 2030.
While Isuzu carefully monitors the adoption of electric commercial vehicles in the medium- to long-term, the new facility will introduce a variablemodel, variable-volume production system that can also respond to demand for internal combustion engine vehicles.
Specifically, the facility will be the first in the Isuzu Group to use a production line without conveyors or pits, realising a highly-advanced line that maximises flexibility and scalability.
To establish a quality assurance system for all processes, the facility
will automate inspections to eliminate operational errors, ensure traceability of parts, and introduce image inspections and other methods to prevent any outflow of defective products.
Isuzu entered the North American market in 1984. With record sales of 44,000 vehicles in the last fiscal year and a key market for Isuzu, the company is looking to strengthen manufacturing, sales, and service in North America.
Isuzu aims to further expand its business in North America by promoting local sourcing of components required for the production of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), for which demand is expected to grow over the medium- to long-term.
In April 2024, the Isuzu Group announced its medium-term management plan, ISUZU Transformation - Growth to 2030 (IX), which aims to expand the three areas of (1) Autonomous driving solutions, (2) Connected services, and (3) Carbonneutral solutions as new future revenue sources, contributing 1 trillion yen in
sales by the 2030s.
The IX plan positions North America as a pioneering region for the BEV business.
Last August, Isuzu began rolling out connected services in conjunction with the launch of light-duty BEV trucks and is accelerating efforts to expand its North American business.
Isuzu will continue to develop technologies and offer products that meet market needs and accelerate its business in North America, to achieve the Group’s purpose of “Moving the World - for You.”
The establishment of an Isuzu-owned and operated production base in the United States, according to Isuzu North America Corporation President, Noboru Murakami, reflects both Isuzu’s commitment to, and success in, the North American market.
“The plant will be optimally designed for our needs, streamline our processes, provide us with flexibility to react to changing market conditions, and position us for even greater growth in the North American Market,” he said.
A DAF XG validation prime mover was promptly snapped up after it was successfully trialled in Queensland where it operates in some of the most challenging conditions for pedigree eet Morgan Transport.
Situated in the transport precinct at Bohle, in the western part of Townsville, Morgan Transport Group is a growing business focused primarily on two non-competing markets in North Queensland. When the business rst began trading as Morgan Transport in 1996 it was dispatching a 1990 Ford LTS 9000 on produce deliveries to a supermarket. That’s still the main remit of the business though it was quick to diversify operations not long after inception with mining related transport activities which are ongoing today. While the year 1996 doesn’t seem that long ago, it must for Morgan Transport. In that short time, it has managed to successfully manoeuvre over the shifting tectonic plates wrought on essential industries post-GFC downturn, postCOVID in ation and the latest sequel to expansionist US hegemonic disruption. Morgan Transport now handles movements of 76 trucks every day in humid, hot, dry conditions that make great demands of the commercial assets run by David Morgan. David’s innate modesty, a quality prone to that part of the world, shouldn’t trivialise the momentum and gains the company continues to make. Mechanically minded, David, as a diesel technician by trade, is not only intuitive to problem solving processes, but expert in capitalising on that which is effective and then honing its inherent worth for greater ef ciencies.
Boiled down that often means getting the most out of an individual asset.
A workshop staffed by nine keeps the Kenworth trucks, of which there are nearly 30 prime movers, in top running order. The move to Kenworth from Ford, where there were family ties with David’s father Don Morgan, who previously ran the local Ford dealership, happened in 2003.
The Kenworth eet currently comprises three Legend SARs, a Legend 900, three T659s, three T410s, three T409s, three K200s, one T409SAR, four T610s, three T909s, one T408, one K104 and a T401.
“The Kenworths we keep forever because
they’re just a great product,” says David. “We very rarely get rid of Kenworth. Maintenance costs once they hit 600,000kms on some other brands are out of control. Those things that fail just makes Kenworth look so much better. Over the life of the truck the cents per kilometre just blow out.”
The Morgan Transport eet presents at a uniformly high standard. Especially on the big trucks.
“My motto is ‘if it’s chromeless it’s homeless’” jokes David. “I like my trucks to look good. Even the European vehicles get stripes, and I have a friend who does all the signwriting.”
Although self-described as “north Queensland specialists,” that niche takes in an immense territory given the size of the state. Daily shuttle services carrying mining reagents, prop equipment and dangerous goods go into Mt Isa and Cloncurry and the surrounding mines. As for roadtrains, the geographic threshold is the Tanami Desert.
The other segment involves major contracts with Woolworths, bread maker Tip Top and Bega Milk triangulating depots that again involve huge runs that can include Brisbane to the south, Mossman to the north and Mt Isa out west. This is where the DAF prime movers come into their own. Morgan Transport operates 19 of these, none of which are more than four years old. No wonder. It doesn’t take long to run up clicks on the odometer given the vast distances being covered.
“The DAFs are mainly CF530s and XF530s and there’s an 11-litre CF450 dedicated to a bread run,” says David. “They are all Euro 6. One is only two and half years old and has already hit 500,000 kilometres.”
On the refrigerated application the trucks are, without exception, carrying palletised freight.
The DAFs are on a lease plan and get replaced every three years when they reach 550,000kms. David foresees adding more DAF XFs in the near future as they are roomier and better suited to hot shifts for his bigger drivers.
A new DAF XG validation truck
with the business in February last year. So impressed was David that he has since purchased the vehicle.
“The only way I can describe it is just awesome,” he says. “It’s got heaps of power and it’s extremely comfortable. Driver acceptance is up there. It’s great on fuel. There was a couple of little issues that they have gone out of their way to repair, nothing you wouldn’t expect on a validation program anyway.”
The DAF XG is now running as a B-double on HML carrying 65.5 tonnes daily up through dense rainforest to Palmerston, prominent for its banana plantations. From Townsville it can depart in temperatures of 36’c with 90 per cent humidity but by the time it gets halfway up Harvey Range it often will be foggy and teeming with rain
“The XG goes through a whole range of tough conditions in each trip,” says Peter. “It rains and then it’s hot and then it rains again and it’s hot. It’s on a demanding run braving a Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.”
Two drivers have sampled the XG so far. The operator that is currently in it recently surprised David with a comment.
“The other day he told me, ’I don’t think you’ll ever get me out of this’” he says. “It’s just a very nice truck to drive.”
Running north to the dairy region of Malanda seven times a week, the DAF XG is loaded both ways and the fuel economy delivered by the new drivetrain with its PACCAR PX-15 engine so far surpasses everything else in the eet.
“For a validation truck it has been well behaved,” says David. “The horsepower and gear changes and the ride are all so good. And also, the appearance is important to me.”
The tall-geared truck can produce up to 3,200Nm and the tapered cabin along with a judiciously curved windscreen makes it a slippery prospect — hence the astounding fuel results. Morgan Transport, as part of its next round of purchases, will more than likely invest in additional XGs according to David. “I honestly think it will be our
replacement when we’re going to buy big cabover trucks to do a task,” he says. “We’ve got X15s and XF530s running on the milk as well and the XG outshines them all.”
Morgan Transport partners closely with Brown and Hurley Townsville and its Dealer Principal Tony Burton. They are primarily the reason behind why the eet buys the DAF product.
“They rate a mention as there’s lots of other European options out there
and Kenworth sell themselves. Brown and Hurley’s service, parts and staff are incredible,” says David. “Brown and Hurley have also allowed us to grow by taking a chance on us as well. There’s been hard times. We’ve had, for instance, say, two engine failures in a month and they’ve covered it for a month. They’re just great people. They really are.”
Having ridden its fair share of ups and downs, David can point to 2021
as being a watershed moment when the company acquired rival local carrier Mystgold. Not only did it help to reinforce its growth path, but the acquisition brought with it a major contract and additional pieces of equipment.
“It certainly increased our footprint up here,” recalls David. “With that decision we were able to better service our customers as a result of having more equipment.”
While the company suddenly found the new business it was accommoding had expanded upon its immediate reach, it also crucially gave them a foot in the door at Woolworths. The exposure to, and demand for, Euro 6 equivalent cabovers expanded from here as did the appetite for new technologies.
Morgan Transport recently installed a new system, Taro, for accounting, scheduling and fatigue monitoring. It’s locally developed by Michael Markwell;
and a program is being devised between the two partners to integrate fatigue cameras, four-way cameras and electronic work diaries.
“We’re hoping that he will be able to provide a one-stop shop for everything from our invoicing to the bloke out there on the roads,” says David. “All of the servicing in the workshop is on glass. There’s no paperwork anymore. We’ve only been running that for ve weeks and it has streamlined and eased
up the workshop personnel in the of ce to diversify and do some other stuff.”
Well resourced, the workshop is a holdover from the company’s heritage days and still offers retail, as a sideline, which includes sub-contractors for Team Global Express and dates back to the days of IPEC, a once commonly recognised name in freight. Single operator, Kerry Brown, who harkens back to those days, David cites as one of three formative in uences to have helped mentor him over the journey.
“He’s the type of guy who sits there
and reads ADR books and proves the scale he’s on at the side of the road is wrong,” says David. “He’s a wealth of knowledge. Even nowadays if I have a problem, I’ll ring up Kerry and say ‘hey, dude what do you think about this?’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that son I reckon.’”
The two other mentors are Les Collins, who previously owned Talco, a large transport company in North Queensland and his father Don Morgan.
“He’s a champion. Dad is the reason behind my work ethic,” notes David.
“He was a hard worker, and I followed
in his footsteps observing the way he used to do it. I admire the man.”
The word DNA is oated around with high frequency these days when it comes to the industry and suppliers. But at Morgan Transport Group bloodlines are embedded in the business. The brains behind the operation, as David likes to call her, is his wife Kellie, who is the Admin Manager. Their son Jacob serves as the DC Co-ordinator while daughter Rylee works part time in the of ce. David’s father-in-law Tom Collins is a subbie, his brother-in-law Shane
Mitchell is the Service Manager and nephew Jessie Mitchell is a third-year apprentice. Cameron Wright, General Manager, meanwhile has been at the company over ten years.
Longevity like endurance comes with its own valued utility. Wisdom, after all, is itself a scarce commodity in any era.
David is apt to receive visitors that are retired former transport professionals that he grew up around. He cherishes the stories they share even if he’s mostly heard them before.
“They sit at my desk and tell me the
same stories and I love the same stories every time because I just love the guys,” he says. “There’s one in particular, when he comes in, I’m like a kid in a candystore. Even though I know he’s going to tell me the same story, but it’s all in the delivery.”
Far from hyperbole, it’s a reality that the deeply entrenched knowledge of the older generation nearing or at retirement age will be lost once they’re gone. Wider industry appears illprepared, at any rate, to harness these assets before the inevitable happens.
The youngest at Morgan Transport is 27. While the oldest, Alan “Pops” Johnstone, is 82.
“The 82-year-old is obviously limited to what he can do, so he only works weekends for us, and you say to him ‘want a weekend off Pops?’” says David. “He says, ‘nah, I’ll probably die’. So, it’s, ‘alright Pops just make sure you rest up all week for the weekend’. And that’s what he does. There’s some of that camaraderie missing at the moment in the industry because it’s extremely cutthroat. But I just love the old guys.”
“Dad is the reason behind my work ethic. He was a hard worker and I followed in his footsteps observing the way he used to do it.”
David Morgan Morgan Transport Group Founder
Baxters Concrete utilises a new hi-tech combination to deliver a key ingredient to its operation.
Cement is the critical component in concrete and to ensure supply for their own increasing requirements when the local cement depot closed some years ago, Wodonga’s Baxters Concrete needed to source the product from Melbourne, so they purchased a B-double cement tanker to perform the task. The combination was initially pulled by a second-hand Kenworth K104 which was later replaced by a new Freightliner Coronado which travelled more than a million kilometres before being retired and was recently replaced by a 630hp Mercedes-Benz Actros combined with an A-double pneumatic dry bulk trailer set.
“We made the decision to upgrade
to an A-double, and had to go to a cabover prime mover to make it work,” says Andrew Baxter. “We’d been looking at cabover prime movers, and examining the options including the 630hp Actros and then Andrew Woodward from Daimler Trucks in Albury rang me from the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show and told me about the Actros 25th Anniversary Driver Edition and that there were only 25 coming into the country but we needed to order it that day without even knowing the nal cost if we wanted one.
Thankfully he did the right thing by us and the truck was quite a good price and all was good.”
Brothers Stephen and David Baxter were farmers in the Wodonga region who repurposed an old grain tipper
truck to carry gravel from a neighbour’s gravel pit, and as frequently happens in such arrangements, soon found themselves in demand. This led them to establishing their own commercial gravel quarry.
The business is today run by David Baxter (Stephen passed away some 12 years ago) and sons Brendan and Andrew. Competition from a large quarry that had opened up in the region inspired Steven and David to establish their own concrete plant to provide an outlet for the gravel from their quarry. Since its beginnings in 1989, the Baxters Concrete operation has grown from that original plant in Wodonga to include plants in Rutherglen and Corryong which provide ready-mix concrete service
throughout the north-eastern region of Victoria and the southern Riverina area. The Baxter Group also has its own concrete pumps for placing the concrete on site. Baxter’s Concrete delivers concrete to jobs ranging from house slabs and driveways to major projects in the region including some challenging locations in the Victorian ski elds.
Sand and aggregate materials are sourced from the company’s quarries. These utilise the latest in high-tech earthmoving equipment and Baxters Concrete’s own Freightliner B-double and tipper and dog combinations. The current agitator truck eet is predominantly 8x4 Freightliner Columbias, but since the cessation of manufacture of that model some Mack, Kenworth and Hino trucks have joined the eet.
The trucks are serviced at local dealerships with additional support from independent Border Truck Repairs.
The oldest trucks in the day-to-day eet are 2013 models which Andrew acknowledges are probably getting to the end of their working lives.
“It’s an interesting time at the moment to be trying to buy new trucks,” he says. “We have a general progression at Baxters. They start off as new trucks and they end up under a tree. We’re not very good at selling anything, to be quite honest. Everything I’ve ever sold I’ve wanted back at some stage.”
A challenge the concrete industry is facing in Australia is the supply of suitable vehicles, with the Freightliner Columbia agitator-spec truck no longer available and the current Mack Metroliner and Kenworth T360
scheduled to cease production in Euro V guise later in 2025.
“The corrosion resistance of the American driveline agitator trucks is much better and their hardened chassis rails stand up to concrete corrosion a lot better than other trucks,” says Andrew, The A-double cement tanker began operating in late 2024 and is hauled by a Mercedes-Benz Actros 25th Anniversary Driver Edition prime mover powered by a 630hp Euro VI 16-litre engine combined with a 12-speed automated transmission. The Actros 25 Driver Edition is built around the Gigaspace cab, which is taller and provides more headroom and space for front-mounted cabinets above the windscreen. One of these cabinets includes a microwave, and other interior features include leather-seats,
a leather wrapped steering wheel and woodgrain trim.
On the outside, the limited edition truck is distinguished by a European style driving light bar mounted above the windscreen, stainless steel steps, and Actros 25 Driver Edition graphics. The 25th Anniversary package includes Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels and polished checker plate covers on the rear chassis and at the back of the cab to protect the trailer air lines and electrical cables. In addition to its extensive suite of integrated safety systems, the Actros is equipped with the Predictive Powertrain Control system, which uses topographical information, including pre-mapped three-dimensional GPS data, to enable the truck to make the best, and most economical, choice of throttle application and gear
selection. This includes saving fuel by coasting for long periods with the driveline automatically disengaged and re-engaged. The Actros 25 Driver Edition also features Active Drive Assist technology, which helps to actively steer the truck and keep it in the centre of its lane, although the driver is still required to hold the steering wheel at all times. The A-double trailer set has been manufactured for Baxters by Convair Engineering which also handled the required PBS approval process. The A-double combination can operate at a gross weight of 85.5 tonnes. That converts to a 58-tonnes payload. The trailers are equipped with steerable rear axles SAF disc brake axles and Andrew says it tracks better than the B-double. “We were actually a little bit nervous when we ordered the A-double because
it’s quite tight getting in our driveway, but it handles it quite easily,” he says.
“The A-double combination has worked out really well and has exceeded our expectations.”
The truck’s regular driver is Craig Matthews who loads out of the Melbourne Cement facility at South Dock in Port Melbourne and delivers to the Wodonga batching plant six times a week, a daily round trip of around 650 kilometres. Although the truck is typically back at its Wodonga base by mid-afternoon, the Gigaspace cab includes a xed bed and a folding bunk as well as twin slide out fridges.
“Craig is the type of driver who was open to trying a European truck and he loves it,” says Andrew. “He looks after his truck and does a great job. We’re lucky we have a really good team here.”
Western Australian mining and transport out t, MLG runs a massive eet of roadtrains in the heaviest applications, with some units rated up to 360-tonnes. The company, little more than two decades into its history, is the product of a singular vision made possible by uni ed team ethic.
As a young man, Murray Leahy was content to travel the country, picking up driving jobs and enjoying the surrounds of where he found himself. He had been born into a family earthmoving company. The immediate lessons were that the concerns of business don’t await the leisure of youth. It wasn’t, however, until he was later confronted with an ultimatum that set forth Murray in a new direction, one he would eventually helm even if he didn’t know it at the time.
A brief sketch of what that destination looks like now would include a payroll of 1300 staff, 200 contractors, ve operational headquarters and 170 roadtrains. Not bad for a guy who is a boilermaker by trade and started off with just one truck — his father’s.
“I began the business in 2002 as a one truck operation,” he recalls. “My parents had an earthmoving business with a truck that I was driving, and it really originated there.”
It was soon apparent that he had developed his own ideas about running a business while away from the family that now decidedly differed.
“It was different to the way dad wanted to go about it so about eight months in he looked at me one day and said, ‘you’re either buying this asset or leaving, you make up your mind what you want to do,’” Murray recalls. “And that’s how MLG came to fruition.”
MLG has three main business arms all connected to mining. There is the large bulk haulage division along with an open pit mining division and a crushing and screening division. Just as a large part of the business is
associated with servicing gold mining, it also covers iron ore and base metals undertaking satellite pit to processing plant feeds.
“Our business will pick up the ore from the active mine and in some cases, we are mining that within our mining division outside of our trucks,” says Murray. “We’ll pick it up and we will transport it through to the processing facility and feed it into either our crushing plant or their processing facility for them to extract the gold.”
Key to this business segment is MLG’s off-road haulage division where a combination of Mack and Kenworth prime movers are designed and built for 260-tonne payload triple roadtrain con guration across approximately ten different operations throughout Western Australia and the Northern Territory. MLG frequently revisits the trucks it
wants to bring into the fold in the lead up to its annual eet reinvestment. Historically, it has operated a series of Kenworth C510s with a Cummins QSK 19-Series engine. That prompted Murray to look at what Kenworth had done to the C509 platform with the integrated cab design and also the Eaton Autoshift marrying with the Cummins engine.
“We saw the platform presented really well,” he says. “Having run a lot of Kenworths over a period of time we thought they would be a very good t for particularly our high ambient temperature jobs, places like the Tanami Desert and the northern gold elds in the Pilbara where we are working these trucks very hard at the upper end of their GCM in a very heavy duty cycle.”
About a dozen new Kenworth C509s
“Having run a lot of Kenworths over a period of time we thought they would be a very good t for particularly our high ambient temperature jobs, places like the Tanami Desert and the northern gold elds in the Pilbara.”
Murray Leahy MLG Founder
have recently been purchased, separated in two ratings capacities of 360-tonne and 240-tonnes.
Typically, the Kenworth C509s will be operating 24/7.
“We work towards achieving about 6500 hours a year out of our off-road haulage eet,” explains Murray. “So, they will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with about the only thing that interrupts them being wet weather.”
Over the last 18 months uptake in orders for the Kenworth C509, particularly from Western Australia, have been noticeable at PACCAR Australia’s manufacturing plant in Bayswater. Murray proposes a theory. “I can talk to that in great detail,” he says. “Uptake of the C509 from a Western Australian perspective has really been driven by the fact that both on-road and off-road we’ve seen a big
uptick in GCM capacity over the last ve years.”
The transition of super quad and ultra quad trucks coming onto the road network in Western Australia have helped pave the way according to Murray.
“But we’ve also seen our off-road GCM increase,” he says. “Ten years ago, you would run 150 tonne payload off-road at maximum GCM of 210 tonnes. Now we’ve seen that GCM get to 360 tonnes off-road and 260 tonnes off-road and the C509 platform with its straight chassis rails versus the tapered front end chassis rails of the Kenworth T909 presents a really strong chassis ladder that stands the test of time.”
That design also allows for a larger radiator assembly, which means the cooling capacity of the truck is higher.
“The C509 also offers the slipper spring front end married to the nine-tonne
Meritor steer-axle that allows for a good turning circle,” adds Murray. “It’s a very robust front suspension. A slipper spring versus a shackle top spring on a torsion bar assembly and that straight chassis rail is bloody bulletproof and on top of that you’ve got this great big radiator that can keep the engine cool with 300-odd tonne swinging off its back end.”
These latest Kenworths are powered by a 620hp Cummins X15 paired with an Eaton Autoshift. The AutoShift transmission is an advanced shift-bywire system consisting of an Eaton Fuller heavy-duty box communicating with an electronic engine utilising the SAE-J1939 protocol for precise control of the engine and transmission functions.
This drivetrain is run in concert with a SISU hub reduction tri-drive axle group. The new C509s have been purchased for both additional business and as part of ongoing eet renewal. Two new projects have recently commenced including a three-year agreement with Westgold transferring Run of Mine ore from its various mines to its Higginsville and Lakewood processing facilities. While approximately 60 per cent of the eet is considered on-road, dirt tracks into mine sites account for a signi cant percentage of that category. Onroad, by that measure, is a combination of bitumen or gravel and operating on gazetted roads. The eet has evolved over time to be evenly split between Kenworth and Mack brands.
“With the advent of the Mack MP10 and mDRIVE and the issues associated with the early stage EGR Cummins engines we had a slant towards purchasing more Macks for a period of time,” says Murray. “We will dovetail the operations of the business to a particular brand and what I mean by that is where we nd the Mack ts better, we’ll run that complete site all Mack and then on the sites where the Kenworth product works better, and this can be for a multitude of reasons like the turning load
requirements, the traf c interaction and the vision required, those kind of things will then guide whether we are focused predominantly on Mack or on Kenworth for that particular operation.”
Last year, to some fanfare, MLG took delivery of the 80,000th Mack prime mover produced in Australia. It was the last unit in a 13 truck order from Mack. Since then, the 685hp Titan has successfully been working as a triple roadtrain south of Kalgoorlie on a private road network.
“That’s been going really well,” says Murray. “It’s not a dissimilar set-up to the 509, other than it has a MP10 engine and an mDRIVE versus the X15 and the Eaton Autoshift.”
The decision-making process that goes into eet revitalisation is in depth. It must factor operational hours and individual task requirements. Where are they working? What is the support capacity in terms of parts, access to OEM support in the speci c region the truck is working? The job conditions?
“Is it a dirt road? Is it a well maintained dirt road? Is it a bitumen road? Are there any gradient related items that are an issue or a potential issue that you need to deal with and all that information then feeds into what we do for decision-making around the product that we purchase and the other thing that comes with that is the lead time, too,” says Murray. “Over the last three or four years lead time has become quite challenging. It’s only in recent times has it become far better. Twelve months ago, you were looking at 12, 14, 15 months for a delivery of a prime mover. So, you were a little bit beholden sometimes to making a square peg t in a round hole but fortunately we’ve transitioned back to a period where that lead time is materially shorter than what it was, historically. We’re no longer in the situation of having that really steer what assets we put where.”
Operations stretch from Esperance in the south of WA right through to the Kimberley. MLG is very active in the
Tanami Desert, the Northern Territory and the gulf regions as well. The operational spread covers 35 full time sites and includes depots in Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Leonora and Perth. Murray is based in Kalgoorlie but spends about 50 per cent of his time in Perth. The business has invested heavily in technology especially around fatigue management, asset tracking and asset utilisation according to Murray.
“We’ve got a large Microsoft Power BI oversight across what’s happening both individually at an asset level but also operationally at a site, group and wider business level,” he says. “As a business, we’re a relatively young and consistently growing business. One that has this thirst and desire for knowledge which underpins a desire to drive sustained growth through informed decision making.”
The business is consistently working on initiatives — initiatives built around how it might better create the best environment for its team of people to work within. Murray is also concerned about ensuring the people at MLG have capacity to hold themselves and their work colleagues to account in ensuring they deliver on the business’ expectation of service but also on what is required of it for customers.
“We’re a business that is very focused on making sure we hold ourselves to account and measure ourselves very accurately to be able to deliver on what our customers are looking to try and achieve but ultimately one that also allows our workforce to be material contributors to our success,” he says. “We are very much a people-focused business that considers our people our most valuable asset. When you have an empowered team that are driven to achieve at a high level all pulling together in the same direction great things can be achieved and that is what MLG is all about.”
Support vehicles are integral in the operations of mobile cranes to achieve the successful completion of Australia’s many building and infrastructure projects.
With its head of ce in Western Sydney and operating along the east coast of New South Wales and Queensland, Borger Cranes provides lifting and rigging services across a variety of clients from local home builders to major projects involving Australia’s largest construction companies. Borger Cranes commenced operations in 1980 when Jon Borger and wife Barbara acquired their rst crane which had a 23-tonne capacity. Today the mobile crane
eet exceeds 270 units, ranging from 3-tonnes to an incredible 750-tonnes capacity and the company now employs 900 people.
Regardless of their capacities, the mobile cranes require ancillary equipment such as counter weights and rigging, which are transported by a eet of trucks including Volvo prime movers with semi-trailers, and Hino rigids which also frequently serve as escort vehicles when the larger cranes are driven on public roads.
The primary role for most of the drivers
of the trucks is to act as riggers and dogmen for the cranes, which requires them to have a very specialised skills set to maintain a high level of safety.
The fully automatic transmissions available in the Hino trucks are a key requirement to Borger’s needs.
“It’s hard to get drivers today to drive manuals,” says General Manager Shawn Borger. “We’ve got to adapt for the next generation and the Hinos are a lot easier to drive being automatics. We don’t have to worry about clutch problems, gearbox issues, or diff issues
and it’s been a real achievement for industry to change into these kinds of trucks. The younger generation don’t have manual cars, let alone manual trucks. Honestly, you can’t beat a Hino. It’s got an Allison automatic in it so they can simply just press ‘D’.”
The Hino 500 Series Wide Cab models are powered by eight-litre engines developing 280 horsepower and the Allison transmissions make full advantage of the 883Nm of maximum torque which is available as low as 1,500 rpm. The ve-litre engines in the 300 Series 921 crew cabs are rated at 205 horsepower and have a maximum torque of 600Nm.
The 300 and 500 Series Hinos are
tted with custom tray bodies which can include special guides for the crane counterweights and equipment lockers. Working at major projects such as Sydney’s Westconnex freeways or the Sydney Metro demand a higher level of compliance, including a minimum standard for lights and fall protection systems.
“We call it the ‘Borger kit’,” says Shawn. “It doesn’t matter what brand of truck we buy we require items such as wheel nut indicators, ashing lights, and even bullbars on some trucks. Other suppliers may just say ‘their truck, their tray and see ya later’, but not Hino.” Borger Cranes collaborates with the Hino dealership in the design,
manufacture and tment of the custom tray bodies.
Historically, the Borger family has always invested in new cranes, yet for a long time sourced its trucks from the secondhand market.
“We’d always buy secondhand three- or four-year old trucks such as Scanias and until 2014 we’d never bought a new truck,” says Shawn.
That position changed in 2014 when Borger Cranes purchased two new Volvo prime movers and the company have since bought many more. Shortly after then new Hino trucks started to become the rigid trucks of choice. Shawn regards it as false economy to not invest in new vehicles.
Custom tray bodies can include special guides for the crane counterweights and equipment lockers.
“A lot of people in our industry think because they’re not really getting paid for the truck it’s not important,” says Shawn. “But buy a $30,000 secondhand truck and it’s ne until it breaks down and then you can’t earn money with the very expensive crane. I learned the hard way: buy a truck for $250,000, then ten years later sell it for $125,000 and you’ve had a great truck which has cost you $125,000. Or you can buy a secondhand one for $125,000, have all the problems which come with it and eventually sell it for only $5,000.”
For Shawn, that meant paying closer attention to what other transport operators were doing with their eets. “If you look at typical transport people like Linfox, you don’t you see them buying second-hand trucks,” he says. “Not a chance in the world, because they’re on tight times and budgets and they manage their businesses very well.”
Reliability, ef ciency and safety may be the main criteria and Shawn acknowledges another factor which is important in today’s tight labour market.
“Another bene t is when you’ve got good gear people want to work for you,” he says. “Now we only buy new trucks, and we only buy two brands: Volvos for big horsepower stuff and we buy Hinos for all our rigid applications and we are about to acquire some Hino prime movers as well.”
The company took delivery of its 50th Volvo in 2024 and in 2025 it will be placing an order for another 25 new Hino trucks.
“We choose Hino for a range of reasons,” says Borger Cranes Operations Manager Rob Beukers. “Numbers one and two are the engines and the gearboxes. Full autos are important to our needs because we have a whole range of people drive them. While we have a number of professional truck drivers, we also have dogmen and riggers who drive as well.”
That approach is endorsed by Shawn Borger.
“You’ve got to remember, we’re the crane industry and we buy trucks to support us. We’re not truck drivers as such, so with our eet of Volvos and Hinos they’re trucks that anyone can drive,” he says.
Interactions with the Hino dealership at nearby Huntingwood is important as well.
“They’re great people to deal with,” says Shawn. “I’ve never had any major issues with them. We did look at other brands, but we just felt that Hino was a good solid truck.”
Trucks and cranes move between Borger’s depots as required. The trucks are serviced in Borger’s well-equipped workshops and the Hino trucks deliver some advantages in this area as well.
“From a mechanical perspective they are very similar across the board, which makes it easier for the mechanics,” says Rob.
The Hino trucks are typically working at their maximum gross weight limit because they go out to a job loaded and return to the depot with the same
load. They usually travel with the crane, following with the accessories and at the conclusion of the crane job the crane and truck return to the depot after repacking the rigging gear and counterweights. Most of the trucks operate under the Concessional Mass Limit (CML) scheme in order to legally achieve a slightly higher payload.
“That makes it easier because we’re mostly right on the money with our weights so CML gives us the tolerance we need to remain legal,” says Rob.
The Hino 300 Series 921 dual cab models and Hino 500 Series wide cab FM models don’t cover a lot of distance, typically less than 20,000 kilometres per year. Although they may not travel very far compared to some other applications, the fuel ef ciency delivered by the Hinos impresses Borger management which also has an eye on the future.
“I’m sure everyone will go hybrid eventually,” says Shawn. “I don’t know about full electric yet for Australia, but hybrids will de nitely play a part.”
Wash It Australia’s versatile operating capabilities, technological innovations and transparency with customers have helped secure its position as the country’s foremost truck-washing service.
Like the many commercial vehicle eet cleans it provides, Wash It Australia has always been thorough. Since its establishment in 2008, founder and CEO Ben Hennock has worked tirelessly to grow his Brisbane business, born from his entrepreneurial spirit, a personal loan, some luck after winning a radio contest and, in his eyes, a then-untapped market with a world
of potential.
Wash It Australia’s operations started quite humble, but didn’t stay this way for long. Initially comprised of Ben, a couple of his high school friends and a few pieces of equipment, the company’s diligent and meticulous washing services cleaned a path for greater expansion and success. Some 17 years later, and the outlet has transformed into a near 200-person
team helming 15 Isuzu trucks to clientele in nearly every major capital city across the country.
Now, while the company prepares to open its new Darwin site later this year, it is now evident that this methodical approach is not just present in truck washing, but in fact every aspect of Wash It Australia’s operations and tasks. According to National Safety Compliance Of cer, Mitchell
Robertson, the company’s thorough and persevering operations enable it to be greatly adaptable, even something of a superpower.
“We are always looking for ways to make our operations more ef cient,” Mitchell says.
“If a solution involves something we haven’t done previously, we will nd a way to do it.”
This desire to maximise operational ef ciencies manifests itself differently across the company’s many facets. Wash It Australia’s washing schedules and servicing agreements for its customers, for one, have undergone many iterations as the company has expanded to assist eets around the country. Today, the adaptability and exibility of the company’s washing service is an integral aspect of its value proposition, being able to provide thorough cleaning solutions to a wide array of customers with very speci c cleaning requirements.
“Every customer has their own unique site and eet, so we need to provide exible solutions,” says Alana Kennedy, National Account Manager.
The extent of this versatility is determined with a diligent checking process: Wash It Australia appraises the sites of its new customers to assess
all factors which could change their value proposition. The eet size, wash frequency, site access, attendance times and level of risk present all contribute to a customer pro le, which then dictates how Wash It Australia will employ its services.
“These factors are imperative to planning our operations,” Mitchell adds. “Some customers that we service are only available during the week, while others may only want our service on the weekends. Specialty customers like eets for supermarkets or garbage trucks each have their own speci c schedules we need to adhere to.”
Wash It Australia is able to service these specialty customers with certain accreditations, like the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) sanitation certi cation, which licences the company to safely clean the vehicle interiors of food-handling eets.
In addition to adaptability in its washing services, Wash It Australia is also a keen developer of its internal processes, undergoing constant technological innovation to keep the company operationally competitive. Many of these internal processes have been made more ef cient through the integration of modern technology, something that has taken on various
forms during the near 20-year life of the company.
Many of the company’s formerly analogue approaches to certain tasks when Alana Mitchell joined the team have now been entirely replaced — most notably, the company’s invoicing system, which keeps track of the registrations of eet vehicles that have been washed on a national scale.
“I remember putting everything on paper and having to type every registration on a spreadsheet, along with the invoice, to then send to the customers so that they could see every vehicle that was washed,” Alana recalls. Mitchell particularly spearheaded the endeavour to modernise this process with technology.
“About six years ago, I started looking into ways that we could streamline this process and take the middleman out of recording our data,” he says.
“That’s when we came up with the rst iteration of our Data Management System (DMS). It was a simple online spreadsheet with some formulas put into it. Team members would scroll through a list, select the eet number they were after, label it as either an interior or exterior wash, and then it would save onto that le.”
This DMS, now on its fth generation,
has been changed to accommodate Wash It Australia’s growing business capabilities. As the company’s value proposition now works across the country, Mitchell’s DMS helps to invoice customers in different parts of Australia and also prevents workers from re-washing vehicles that have already been washed. Similarly, the adaptability of this technology and its diligent application both play an essential role in nurturing Wash It Australia’s customer relationships; the company’s large databases also hold images of eet vehicles after they have been washed, taken by Wash It Australia employees
with their business-supplied iPads. These images serve as proof of Wash It Australia’s thorough work to customers and offer peace of mind to them as a result, which can be particularly important given that in certain circumstances, the Wash It Australia crew can be the only people on customer lots.
The company’s modernisation does not stop there. Looking to the future, Alana and Mitchell are already in the midst of another innovative rollout.
“The newest technological process that we are working on at the moment is providing feedback cards on all of our customers’ vehicles,” Mitchell says.
“These cards contain QR codes which can be easily scanned, and links back into our system, allowing us to track any vehicles that are being reported with consistent issues. The innovation started with our DMS programming but is now extending to our maintenance systems and equipment tracking.”
Wash It Australia’s eet-washing capabilities have grown exponentially since the company’s inception.
Fuelled directly by the right balance of a thorough business approach and constant push to innovate, the company’s adaptable and versatile value proposition is sought after by transport companies and beyond.
DEPARTURE
DURATION
DISTANCE SPEED FUEL 9:10 AM 4:28 HRS 90.8 KM 40 K/PH 14.4 K/PL
As part of an inhouse validation, Simon National Carriers has been testing a 780hp Mack Super-Liner on expansive interstate legs.
Pursuing the normal means to af rming new drivetrain technology while carrying well over 100 tonnes is hardly a normal endeavour. What becomes considered a benchmark can, at least from the outside, seem an impossibly high standard in Australia where the ingenuity and knowhow acquired from servicing some of the most punishing freight corridors in the world will often be taken for granted especially by those who bene t from it most — consumers. Not so much by the OEMs and transport companies willing to chase down a target when it comes to trialling new technology.
In partnership with Mack Trucks Australia and Volvo Group Trucks Technology, Simon National Carriers has been putting an MP11-powered Mack Super-Liner to the test as part of the testing and validation of the recently launched powerplant. The 780hp/2800 lb-ft Euro 6 powerplant and new generation mDRIVE transmission has operationalised hauling triple roadtrains between southeast Queensland and Darwin at weights of up to 130 tonnes.
The Northern Territory run usually sees refrigerated goods hauled north bound while general freight and seasonal products are brought south back to Brisbane.
The truck is tted with a 58-inch Joe Bradley sleeper, a diesel bunk cooler and rides on revised cab suspension. Feedback from the eet’s two-up teams has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Simon National Carriers National Fleet Manager, Scott Horwood. “The product has been very good for us,” he tells Prime Mover. “The drivers’ responses around comfort have been all positive, as there’s always one driver asleep in the bunk during operation.
They’ve really liked how the truck rides, and how they can get their rest and manage fatigue.”
The delivery of the Mack test vehicle and its frequent use by Simon National Carriers is an endorsement of the logistics provider’s longstanding relationship with Mack Trucks and the local dealer, VCV Brisbane South. According to Horwood, the Mack test vehicle is even wrapped in the logistics provider’s original colours
to commemorate its 300th delivery from Volvo Group Australia and their relationship, however, this was delayed due to COVID-19 complications.
“The relationship between us and Volvo Group goes a long way back,” Scott says.
“We’re predominantly a Volvo Group eet, which is why this vehicle testing is done between our companies. As an end-user, we greatly bene t from these tests. It’s a perfect opportunity for us to get a feel for the product and see how it
operates in real conditions.”
Brisbane to Darwin is a 36-hour journey, some 3,400 kilometres on the road in sometimes blistering hot conditions. For an overseas equivalent you’d have to drive from Nagpur to Baghdad. That said, the Australian-built Mack product is a unique vehicle, as Jeff Hamanne, Vice President, Group Trucks Technology for VGA, explains, found nowhere else in the world.
“We ensure that all our products are
tested to their limits before we put them in customer hands,” he says.
“In the case of this testing program the truck performed awlessly in a harsh application while delivering astonishing fuel economy.”
Scott certainly is of the same mind based on what he has seen of the data accumulated internally.
“The truck’s fuel use and ef ciency has also been good,” he adds. “It’s certainly met our expectations.”
Australia Post has installed new electric vehicle infrastructure at two of its sites in Melbourne with the help of the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.
Australia Post has welcomed the opportunity to deploy new charging infrastructure and is committed to reducing carbon emissions from its business. This means nding effective ways to decarbonise its large eet of vehicles,
including vans and trucks. The initial focus has been in the last mile delivery with 5,131 electric delivery vehicles that cover 50 per cent of existing rounds. The transaction from traditional hydrocarbon to low carbon battery electric vehicles is complex, especially given the size, diverse
needs and required range of the Australia Post eet.
Two of Australia Post’s major transport hubs in Melbourne have completed installation of new electric vehicle charging stations. The project, funded under the Victorian Department of
Transport and Planning’s CSIF grants program, was nearly two years in the making. Australia Post had initially invested in Fuso eCanters, the rst battery electric trucks in the country. These were wholly reliant on three-phase power or the equivalent of trickle charging.
“Through the CSIF program we knew we needed to install more sophisticated charging infrastructure,” recalls Peter Shelley, Australia Post Senior Manager
for Decarbonisation Community, Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement. “This has enabled us to charge vehicles more ef ciently. Previously charging was always overnight and not across shifts.”
JET Charge, who were awarded the tender for the project by Australia Post having previously worked in a consultative capacity, purchased Kempower recti ers, a modular system popular in Europe.
Australia Post’s Sunshine West Parcel Delivery Centre and Dandenong Letter Centre each received one of the modular power systems that converts alternating current (AC) power into direct current (DC) power.
“Multi con gurations can be designed and wired in a variety of different ways, so it’s really helpful when you work with a client and work out their requirements and work out the vehicles and what’s going to work best for them,” says Tyson Steel, JET Charge Project Manager.
“The individual port satellites are really quite compact and small and allow for these multiple con gurations. You can install up to eight ports or eight separate satellites. One satellite can have two charging leads or a single.”
For this initial stage, Australia Post had JET Charge install a single cabinet at a charging capacity of 200kW with four single port satellites and provision for an additional four ports on the same system. Being a niche area, the project undertaking was considered “split scope” according to Tyson, with a headworks electrician who provided upgrades upstream in order to facilitate the hardware requirements, working in close partnership with JET Charge.
Switchboards that would be used exclusively for the EV chargers were added, so too new positional cabling and concrete footings.
JET Charge also provides an inhouse load management system which is tried and tested. The load management system integrates with a charger and the electrical supply to the switchboard. Its purpose is to ensure the charger is working within the limits of that capacity so that it doesn’t get overloaded. An electric vehicle is commonly brought out to site by JET Charge and put under load to test all is working correctly.
Historically, Australia Post delivery vehicles have always reversed into the available parking bays at both depots. To accommodate this logistical function, a ten-metre cable was sourced in anticipation of bigger electric prime movers.
There is no public infrastructure available, at present, for charging battery electric trucks or large vans. It’s all but a zerosum investment in mobile assets unless the eets themselves commit to charging infrastructure on their own property.
“Our vans don’t typically fuel on site, so this is going to mean a complete transformation of the operations model required to support these types of vehicles,” says Peter.
The dependence on battery electric vehicles at this early juncture for the technology invites chicken or egg comparisons. As Peter notes, it became evident the charging infrastructure is necessary rst to enable the critical conversations with suppliers when it comes to trialling the ef cacy of the product at some relevant scale.
“Without the infrastructure in place the trials are not going to be as successful,” he says. “Obviously, the difference between a 200kW charger and one that trickle charges overnight is going to result in a profound contrast in user experience and make for a very different application.”
Practical completion of the project
happened in late November but not before some supply chain challenges needed to be overcome to get the recti ers out of Finland in time.
“Australia Post really wanted all the works completed before December last year due to the high volumes of the Christmas period,” says Tyson. “Our procurement team were able to engage with Kempower and use their logistics company to get it on an intercontinental ship and get it here just in time at the 11th hour.”
By concentrating on the Sunshine and Dandenong locations, Australia Post now has real-world data to draw from to plan its future strategy.
For the moment that might result in running battery electric vehicles between the two sites, or operating the units with longer ranges out to other sites and returning back to base. While these appear the most likely models in the short-term, Peter acknowledges there are some challenges to work through.
“Ultimately, for Australia Post as a whole, the question is whether we need chargers at all depot sites or whether we can rely on a central model, which is effectively how the current diesel re-fuelling works today,” says Peter.
Building up greater usage of each individual asset is one of the central concerns. Outside of the more obvious metropolitan short haul task, how might regional locations such as Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo be linked together? How many vehicles in those sites would
make it worthwhile? Would a purposebuilt centralised transport hub be a better long-term option? These are all questions Australia Post is working through. Evolving technology is proving more sophisticated than what has been available over the past few years.
“You de nitely feel you get some bene t from it as it continues to evolve,” says Peter. “In the future it might be a 600kW facility with ten outlets. The way we set it up will depend on the availability of current or future charge capacity to support the requirements of the vehicles and other services that use that switchboard.”
Two different approaches are likely; utilise the 300amps the depots now have
available in the short-term, with a longerterm view of upgrading switchboards and electrical capacity to support bigger electric vehicle projects.
Peter says the nancial model requires careful consideration.
“Do you buy or lease vehicles today especially considering the technology redundancy? It’s like buying a phone and knowing that in three years’ time the functionality may seem outdated,” he says. “The battery product in 2030 is going to be very different to what it is today. We’ve already seen that with vehicles as later generations have double the range.”
Commercial vehicles in the EV market are already getting upgraded to carry greater capacity and over much longer ranges. The conundrum for eet management is to avoid being stuck with a product that will be discontinued as superior versions arrive.
“We’ve been exploring that in our vans,” explains Peter. “You really want models that can be introduced as a like-for-like replacement.”
Battery electric vans and light trucks are currently undergoing evaluation. To further test the waters, Australia Post is introducing some Mercedes-Benz eVito vans into the eet.
“Now that we have the infrastructure in place, we’ll contact other manufacturers to see what opportunities there are to test and utilise the charging stations,” says Peter.
Keeping freight on the move – and cash owing – has been at the heart of more than two decades of success for Global Trade Logistics.
For a smaller freight-forwarding company to compete with international behemoths, Global Trade Logistics founder Gary Coutsoudis knows he and his team must out-perform others in the market.
That includes crucial factors, such as delivering exceptional customer service and playing it smart with nancing.
On the service front, he is proud of the culture the company has created –built around personalisation, exibility and relationships – as it handles air and sea freight, customs clearances, warehousing and distribution services.
“From the smallest client to the big multinationals, they all want service,” says Gary. “We’re very good at that and it’s something I’ve instilled in the staff from the very beginning.”
Gary leads a team of 15 at Global Trade Logistics (GTL), which has of ces in Sydney and Brisbane servicing every port and location throughout Australia, as well as agents in Asia, Oceania, Europe and the United States.
The service-led approach has paid off. Operating for more than two decades as a family business, GTL has an enviable reputation across Australia, Asia, Europe and the US for transporting goods from food and wine to furniture, stone, tiles and marble products,
oversized machinery, plus vehicles and automotive products.
One memorable instance demonstrates the bene t of great service for Gary. Many years ago, another freight forwarder opted out of an air-freight shipment for its client, a Hungarian based water-treatment company. So, GTL stepped up, did the job and impressed the client, securing its business.
“Unbeknown to me, they were just about to be bought out by a big multinational” Gary recalls. “That relationship has since grown from one small shipment into a multi-milliondollar client.”
GTL’s pledge is to ensure businesses safely and cost-effectively navigate an increasingly dynamic trade environment. Being smaller and more agile helps. For example, having multiple independent agents in China is advantageous when setting freight rates.
“We can pick and choose rates from different agents, whereas the big guys have to stick to rates set by their head of ce,” says Gary.
Financing has been another vital area of focus for Gary since he set up the business in 1999, following a split from a previous long-term business partner.
After that upheaval, money was initially tight. Relying on a simple cheque account and not having property as collateral for bank nancing, GTL was operating on a “shoestring” budget that restricted growth.
“For the rst three or four years, I just had to rebuild,” Gary recalls. Key to the turnaround is the banking relationship he initiated with Westpac that’s become a 20-plus-year partnership.
“They’ve helped us all along the way with home loans and business facilities,” says Gary. “They’ve been very, very supportive.”
GTL’s biggest challenge in the early days was cash ow. Fortuitously, in 2008, Gary’s accountant recommended invoice nance – aka debtor nance –and it’s been a game-changer.
“I would highly recommend this facility to others,” Gary says. “If they’ve got a good client base, but their cash ow is tight, you just can’t beat it.”
How does it work? In essence, invoice nance is a exible line of credit linked to and secured by outstanding accounts receivable. The Westpac facility allows businesses to use unpaid invoices to unlock up to 85 per cent of their value, boosting cash ow for operating expenses and growth opportunities and it’s a tool that can grow with a business. The more invoices issued, the more
funds that can be accessed.
Westpac also offers a 24/7 self-serve portal, enabling the business to upload invoices in seconds and draw down funds in minutes, which helps reduce paperwork and administration.
No cash ow hurdles
Today, GTL has a very large invoice nance facility with Westpac. This means GTL can con dently service its global partners and support global trade as goods are moved quickly and seamlessly. Gary says it has been crucial to GTL’s growth. There’s no waiting for invoices to be paid. Gary explains that with a multinational client, one invoice
T&Cs
alone could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“If you are operating just on an overdraft, you’ve got to wait 30-90 days to get that money,” he says.
However, with invoice nance, GTL gets 85 per cent of the invoice up front, freeing up cash to service the client and funds to run the business.
“Just like an overdraft though, it’s crucial you stay on top of your collections,” Gary adds.
It’s created cash ow for GTL to expand beyond traditional markets such as Australia and the US into fast-growing locations across Spain, Turkey and China, with the Asian powerhouse
being a strong growth region. With GTL performing well in multiple markets, Gary is con dent of ongoing success. The business’s experience and service ethic will hold it in good stead, he believes, and it’s in sound hands with son Christopher following in his footsteps, supported by General Manager Daniel Jovanovic, CFO Tou c Khoury and a strong team.
Invoice nance has also been key to the business’s expansion to date and Gary anticipates his long-term relationship with Westpac will ease any nancing needs as the business seeks further growth, with hopes to open a Melbourne of ce soon.
This information is general in nature and has been prepared without taking your personal objectives, circumstances and needs into account. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your own circumstances and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice. Consider the terms and conditions for the product before making any decision.
NAPA is a leading provider of specialised heavy-duty products and business services across Australia, working as a trusted partner for truck eets, mining companies and other segments.
The National Automotive Parts Association – more commonly known as NAPA – has undergone an international journey with various company titles over the years in Australia.
NAPA itself, a subsidiary of the 100-yearold United States-based Genuine Parts Company (GPC), and throughout its own period of operations, has established many regional divisions to break into other markets around the world, such as GPC Asia Paci c in Australasia.
Under GPC Asia Paci c, the rst dedicated NAPA outlet opened in Australia in 2018, and was followed closely by the rebranding of some key subsidiaries to NAPA stores, like Ashdown-Ingram, Covs, Global Auto Spares and R&E Auto Parts. Now, sporting an amalgamation of operational capabilities from some of the country’s most prominent commercial transport parts businesses, NAPA offers an
extremely varied and thorough service capacity across a network of locations in the majority of Australia’s capital cities. According to Wesley Skewis, NAPA National Sales Manager – Industrial, the ownership of such varied industry knowledge enables NAPA to provide an unmatched service experience to customers.
“Our expertise ensures you stay ahead of industry demands,” Wesley says.
“We combine 100 years of industry knowledge with unrivalled distribution capability. Backed by smarter technologies and operational ef ciencies, we deliver value that goes beyond expectations.”
These ‘smarter’ technologies are largely designed for heavy-duty vehicle applications in both the commercial transport and mining industries, bolstering truck eet capabilities with a variety of additions to safety and performance.
Recognising the necessity in reliable electrical systems for heavy-duty vehicles, NAPA’s auto electrical solutions offerings include robust heavy-duty batteries for extended performance, alternators & starter motors, lighting, UHF communications and original equipment (OE)-grade electrical consumables — such as lugs, connectors, crimps and heat shrink.
Additionally, these solutions also consist of ef cient 12- and 24V jump starters, inverters, BC-DC chargers and transformers.
“All of these solutions work to ensure consistent power for heavy duty vehicles in all conditions,” Wesley says. The effective operations of these heavy-duty vehicles in many weather conditions is further supported by NAPA’s air conditioning components, which include compressors, condensers, evaporators, belts and pumps, sourced from many globally trusted brands.
These parts, provided at a lower cost through NAPA’s OE First Fit solutions program, are made more accessible to transport operators for seamless integration into their eet vehicles. Furthermore, safety is a top priority for NAPA and its products, and is delivered largely in the form of high performance braking and suspension.
Speci cally, NAPA provides brake pads, rotors, drums and callipers designed for heavy-duty applications, in addition to OE-spec suspension components which enhance vehicle stability and durability. This safety also extends to the care of vehicle components, which NAPA enables through its premium drive belts, lubricants and lters, all of which are also provided through the company’s First Fit solutions program and, according to Wesley, offer essential help with part protection.
“The health and safety of our teams is of paramount importance to us,” Wesley says. “Our commitment to operating a safer business is deeply rooted into our company values, with initiatives driven from all areas of the combined GPC Asia Paci c businesses.”
NAPA’s safety offering also includes basic features like rst aid kits, warning systems, re extinguishers, personal protective equipment and mobile safety solutions, ensuring compliance with Australian safety standards.
“It’s more than just wearing hi-vis on site and complying with a code,” adds Wesley. “We take safety to new levels, ensuring continuous improvement and the safest possible environment for anyone interacting with a NAPA team member, product, or initiative.”
Apart from NAPA’s thorough service offering for heavy-duty vehicles, the company also specialises in a range of strategic business solutions designed to give customers competitive advantages in their markets through various means.
Shedding some light on these offerings, Wesley outlines NAPA’s goal in helping its customers with business operations.
“At NAPA, we go beyond supplying components,” Wesley says. “Our goal is to enhance ef ciency, productivity, and pro tability for your business with a variety of tailored solutions.”
These tailored solutions tackle productivity and pro tability by reviewing companies’ value propositions and making critical changes to operations to cut costs and provide a clearer offering for customers.
This includes vendor rationalisation and range standardisation, which mainly aims to streamline procurement by consolidating suppliers and standardising product ranges.
NAPA also provides businesses with assistance in maintaining optimal stock levels through intelligent
inventory management and strategic sourcing solutions.
These improved stock capabilities are further supported by the NAPA PROLink ordering platform, which provides real time stock visibility and pricing from the nearest NAPA branch, automated ordering and advanced parts identi cation, which helps reduce errors in this space.
NAPA provides these meticulous services with expertise gained from the brand’s ISO 9001 accreditation that Wesley says is a testament to its uncompromising quality.
“With our ISO 9001 accreditation, we maintain rigorous quality control across our entire supply chain,” Wesley adds. “Every product meets strict OE speci cations, ensuring durability, reliability and peak performance. We then help our other customers achieve this standard.”
NAPA’s pool of industry knowledge, national supply presence and expansive offering of both heavy-duty products and strategic business plans have allowed it to successfully service much of Australia’s commercial transport and mining industry.
The combination of these qualities has ensured the brand’s position as a leading supplier for at least the near future, bringing cost-effective solutions to customers and industries.
Both agricultural and military heritages combine to deliver what is probably the toughest truck on the planet — the Mercedes-Benz Unimog.
The vehicle we know today as the Mercedes-Benz Unimog was rst produced in 1946 with the intention to be a versatile farm tractor which could also deliver produce to market and transport agricultural supplies back to the farms. In common with most tractors, the Unimog was and still is, equipped with a power take off (PTO) which enables the operation of various pieces of auxiliary equipment for which there is an extensive range as diverse as snow ploughs to grass mowers. Since the second half of the twentieth century the Unimog has become synonymous with military use as well as expansive civilian applications such as forestry, electricity transmission line construction and maintenance, and Unimogs have also been applied to
mining work and emergency services such as the SES here in Australia. The Unimog’s rugged architecture belies the advanced technology which underpins the truck’s impressive capabilities.
The Unimog’s chassis is fully welded to achieve life-long resistance to torsional stress which is important as the combination of the coil spring suspension and the exible chassis allows for axle articulation of up to 30 degrees. Components such as the engine and the transmission have three mounting points to allow the chassis to twist.
Power for this 5023 model Unimog is from a 5.1-litre four-cylinder twin turbo diesel engine generating 231hp (170kW) and providing a maximum of 900Nm of torque between 1,200 and 1,600 rpm. The engine meets Euro VI emissions
standards and is mounted separately from the transmission and is connected to it by a shaft to take further advantage of the chassis’ torsional capabilities.
Our test vehicle has the eight-speed Electronic Automated Transmission (EAS) and the optional “Working Gears” low-range mode which enables a total of 16 forward gears and 12 reverse gears ensuring a ratio for every situation. The
driveline can be switched from 2WD to 4WD and have the diff locks engaged while moving at slow speed by the ick of a rotary switch located on the dash. The vehicle is required to be stationary before selecting ‘Working Gears’ mode which is indicated on the dash by an illuminated logo of a donkey carrying a heavy load. The transmission also features Electronic Quick Reverse (EQR) which almost instantaneously selects reverse gear if circumstances require it such as entering water that is too deep even for the Unimog’s fording abilities.
The transmission is an automated manual setup that can be operated in fullautomatic mode, or when manual mode is called for, the driver can choose to use an innovative fold-out clutch pedal which allows for optimum vehicle control at low speed in slippery conditions where precise clutch control is a bene t. In
manual mode gear changing is via the control stalk on the right hand side of the steering column which is similar to a pre-selection system as the clutch needs to be fully depressed for the transmission to shift ratios.
The Unimog features ‘portal axles’ that contribute to its excellent ground clearance while assisting in maintaining a low centre of gravity and a high degree of vehicle stability on uneven surfaces. For those familiar with off-road parlance, the front approach angle is 44 degrees, with an over angle of 34 degrees, combined with a 51 degree departure angle at the rear. In conjunction with its other off road features, this translates into the Unimog being pretty much unstoppable. The reduction gears at the wheel ends of the portal axles allow for much smaller differential crown wheels which still achieve the low speed abilities of the
Unimog (overall gear reduction can be down to 180:1) while having much more compact diff housings to contribute to the remarkable ground clearance. Great if you need to go rock crawling and not damage the underneath of the truck.
The front and rear coil spring suspension provides up to 30 degrees of axle articulation, a limit which we experience for ourselves at the Mercedes-Benz testing facility located near the Black Forest (which is actually very green when we visit) at Otigheim near the German town of Gaggenau where the Unimog was manufactured until 2002, before transitioning to the Daimler truck plant in Worth.
Mercedes-Benz have constructed a diabolical test course at this German facility, which would likely break any vehicles other than Unimogs, Zetroses or armoured tanks. The people at the
test facility start by acknowledging the Unimog’s tyres are all due for replacement and that traction may not be optimal. We set out to tackle the most exteme obstacles anyway with plenty of in-cab assistance from the resident experts. The Unimog has a maximum climbing angle of 45 degrees, which initially seems to be nothing less than facing a sheer cliff when assessed from the driver’s seat. The side tipping angle of 38 degrees seems like laying the truck on the ground and demonstrates the low centre of gravity which is achieved despite the truck’s ground clearance of almost half a metre. The chunky 46-inch diameter tyres are mounted on 20-inch rims and feature a central in ation system which allows the driver to drop or raise tyre pressure to aid low speed driving in tricky conditions. A screen in the cab details each tyre’s pressure which can be speci ed by the driver or generalised by selecting between Highway, Cross Country, Sand/Mud/ Snow or Emergency. The ability to “air down” and also pump-up from the comfort of the cab demonstrates the value of this feature especially when driving in bad weather.
There are no exposed drive shafts under the Unimog and the entire drivetrain is encased in sealed torque tubes that protect the drive shaft components from contaminations such as the dust, water, rocks and vegetation typically encountered when driving off-road. The airlines for the central in ation system are also protected within the torque tubes. This is a valuable feature when taking into account the Unimog’s standard 800mm fording depth. The test truck has the optional 1.2 metre fording spec, so naturally we test this to the limit ourselves, creating some impressive bow waves for the bene t of the photographers.
We’re also turned loose in the MercedesBenz Zetros 6x6 truck which is powered by a 510hp engine backed by a six-speed Allison automatic transmission. The long bonnet of the Zetros blocks vision when coming over the crests so it’s a leap of faith to commence the steeper
decents unsighted. The semi-forward control driving position of the Unimog eliminates this problem and provides good forward vision, which can be almost as daunting as not being able to see what‘s about to happen.
The Zetros is no longer manufactured in right hand drive con guration; a real shame given that means we no longer get it in Australia.
Ascending the 60 per cent concrete staircase in the Unimog the theme from Rocky is playing in the mind, overscored by the mantra “don’t back off, don’t back off!”
After achieving the summit, the rst trip down the 80 per cent (36.6 degrees) version of the stairs is only slightly confronting and the mountain goat-like stability of the Unimog quickly secures our con dence and subsequent descents
are completed without riding the air operated disc brakes at all, although we did make use of the two stage engine brake to help maintain a steady downhill speed.
Despite its rugged no-nonsense appearance the Unimog is surprisingly agile with a turning circle just slightly wider than 16 metres. As many Unimogs are custom-made to suit buyers‘ applications, speci ed weights are generalised rather than being quoted speci cally. The people in the know at the test facility suggest a typical tare weight of around seven tonnes, and a payload of around ve tonnes.
The Unimog for a number of years has been unversally considered the World’s Most Capable 4x4 Truck. After our experiences in Germany, we see no reason to disagree.
ben.coleman@primecreative.com.au
Ben Lasry has spent his entire career of over 25 years in the automotive industry including key roles at GM Holden, and stints with the Walkinshaw Automotive Group and PrixCar Services.
Ben Lasry joined Isuzu Australia Limited in 2020, and has executive responsibility for the overall performance and operation of the Sales, Aftersales, Network Development, Legal and Supply Chain teams supporting the Isuzu network of dealers, authorised outlets and their customers.
Prime Mover: Isuzu has had 36 years as number one in truck sales in Australia and this year’s new model launch is the biggest in the company’s history with new models, cabs, drivelines, interiors, safety and technology. Is it too much?
Ben Lasry: Some may see it that way,
but I don’t. I think the market is probably looking to the market leader for what the next generation of trucks looks like. There is a lot in it, but it also shows that Isuzu Motors in Japan and Isuzu Australia are really up there in understanding what truck customers want and need, and even what they don’t yet know they need. You look at the regulatory environment around safe operation of vehicles, you look at the transition of people who may have never driven a truck, and are now starting to drive trucks, and you look at the technology expectations of the market. It is de nitely a lot to take in, but I think this is the right time to bring this new range to market.
PM: So you’re geared up for it?
BL: Totally. We’ve resourced the business and we’ve put the right people in the right places to plan and execute this launch. We are very con dent around that and we’ve got a really solid business plan for how we are going to launch the new range. Different products are being launched stage by stage and some might say they’d rather do it all in one go, and there’s some merit in that, but I actually think the way we are launching allows the market to better understand the product and allows our teams to launch that product and get out with customers and dealers in a more structured and less-rushed way so that we and the customers fully
understand the vehicle. It sounds a bit ippant, but it also gives the team here a bit of time to breathe between model releases as well.
PM: When can the market expect to see the new line up?
BL: The Brisbane Truck Show is the of cial launch of the entire new model range. When it becomes time to be out with our dealers and customers, there are some alternate timelines by model. You’ll see the rst vehicles on the road around the middle of the year. I think it’s a really good plan and I’m really comfortable towards how we are going to approach this.
PM: Will we see an increase in ready to work vehicles?
BL: The short answer is yes. We have some plans for the near future to roll out new ready to work models across, not just our traditional models, but we’re also looking at some opportunities in other weight classes and applications because we know body builders are congested and so many more customers are looking for that turn-key, ready to go solution. We are adding resources to our product team and the product managers are always looking at other opportunities in the car-licence and light duty ready to work areas.
PM: There seems to a lot more driver focus in the new models. Is that a deliberate strategy because the industry has a challenge in getting drivers?
BL: We look at it in three ways. There’s features and technology and driver features in the new product which the Australian Design Rules and government and regulatory bodies say you have to have, including things like Autonomous Emergency Braking and stability control, then there are other features in the truck that if people are going to spend more time in the truck or if they are new to the truck and are coming out of a car or a ute, they have expectations around ergonomics, so
we’d like to put some of those features in the vehicle. Then there’s another factor which involves the situation where the nature of truck driving is changing, so we look at more carlike features such as the prevalence of two pedal as opposed to manuals and improved HVAC performance, for example. So, there’s three strings to it: the regulatory, the ergonomics and the need to keep people coming in and driving trucks, so let’s make them more like a car to drive.
PM: There also appears to be an increased safety focus which has gone above and beyond the current norm and the minimum requirements of the regulators. Do you see that as a marketing tool, and do you think the market really cares about safety?
BL: I believe increasingly the market does absolutely care about safety. One of the key insights from our 2024 Future of Trucking report was that increasing safety technology is one of the key reasons for new truck purchases. Add to that the role trucks have in overall road safety including a focus on the road toll and factors like road conditions, driver distraction, chain of responsibility and even attracting people to come and drive trucks. I do think there’s a continued focus on
safety and, again, I’ll come back to what people expect of the market leader, and I’d venture to suggest that we do go over and above from a safety perspective and we’re proud to stake our claim to that and be the leader in safety.
PM: You were recently appointed a director of IAL. How is that different from a senior sales and marketing position?
BL: As Director I have a duciary duty to Isuzu Australia Limited, over and above anything else, which is a legal obligation to act in the best interest of the organisation at all times. I’m not just the executive for sales and aftersales. You’ve got to be across everything and make sure there are processes and people in place to carry out the business responsibly in compliance with the law.
PM: As perennial Number One, is it a challenge to keep up the level of enthusiasm?
BL: I’ve been in the automotive industry all of my career, mainly in sales, marketing and distribution. I love the front end of the business. I’ve been with Isuzu for nearly ve years and I just love being out with dealers and customers and moving product, and we’re really excited about the new range.
THERE’S
Not many people on transport sales roles have the background and commitment of Errin-leigh Spratt.
An early job in Errin-leigh Spratt’s career was in child care and she progressed to a sales-based job on the recommendations from some of the parents of the children she looked after. This lead to a small courier company and it was only then that she became increasingly interested in much bigger trucks. It’s also partly the reason behind her working the past decade at Brisbanebased Team Transport and Logistics where she very enthusiastically lls the busy role as Business Development Manager and Marketing, Staff and Community Engagement Leader.
“I’m now in sales, the marketing and brand ambassador and part-time ll in truck driver,” she says. To enable her to better commit to the driving aspects of her varied role, Errin-leigh obtained her Multi Combination licence with manual RoadRanger gearbox endorsement.
Errin-leigh says that her experiences behind the wheel provides her with a much better insight from a driver’s perspective on what they deal with on a daily basis. This change in empathy frequently means she tends to side more with the drivers than the customers.
“I used to go immediately with whatever the customer said,” says Errin-leigh. “But then after getting my own licence and getting out there on my own or even just going with other drivers to dif cult sites or dif cult customers, I tend to side with the driver now.”
Errin-leigh also has the same
understanding of the challenges for the Operations team.
“I’ve spent quite a lot of time in Operations during my tenure at Team Transport and I tend to side with my team in there as well,” she says. “Overwhelmingly, in the majority of times everyone has done the best they can.”
During recent years, Team Transport and Logistics has deliberately embarked on a plan to provide a more diverse range of offerings in order to not only appeal to a wider group of potential clients, but to provide a more complete service to
existing customers.
“I think a lot of transport companies that are speci c to just a single type of transport such as palletised linehaul, may struggle as the world changes especially in areas of technology,” says Errin-leigh. “The construction industry may slow down or speed up, and the import and export sectors may change radically as well.”
Additional transport services added to the Team Transport menu include crane trucks, truck-mounted forklifts and project logistics.
“We have divisions that support each
other, so if our import/export wharf cartage division is slowing down, our general cartage will be picking up and supporting where any lull exists, or our projects division, or the warehousing team is producing extra revenue when we need it,” she says. “So we’re a total one stop shop for most of our clients.”
This has required some sizeable investments into services such as providing the right facilities for working with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to provide a complete import logistics offering.
“It also means the teams need to work together seamlessly because in many cases we are dealing with large items coming off the wharves which gets our heavy haulage involved, and then back to the yard for the unpack and breakdown, and then the nal deliveries. So we all band together, and if a weather event occurs freight needs to be stored so we get the warehouse team involved, and even AQUIS involved if need be, so we all work together really well in that aspect.”
After around 15 years in the transport industry Errin-leigh is quali ed to make comment on the advancements in diversity and inclusion, especially in relation to women becoming more involved across multiple roles.
“As a female I’m pretty proud to say the challenges I faced back when I was starting out are very limited now,” she says. “I’m also proud we have quite a few female drivers now as well, and I’m not the only one in Team Transport and I’m certainly not the only one with a MC licence anymore.”
Errin-leigh is considered by many to be an ambassador for women, particularly in the transport industry.
“I was when I started out but I’m more so now because I can give them a back story. The males I work with are very supportive and actually proud of me, which is very encouraging. I don’t tend to face the obstacles I used to or get the push back or the doubt of my knowledge,” she says.
Errin-leigh’s role at the company has continued to expand to now include
being Events Co-ordinator and Staff and Engagement Leader. Events include not simply the Christmas parties, but also Team Transport’s involvement in various convoys, as well as celebrations such as International Women’s Day.
Errin-leigh was the recipient of the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) Young Achiever award in 2017, and she and the company remain active members, attending all Brisbane-based QTA events.
As Staff and Community Engagement Leader Errin-leigh handles all the charity outreach programs the company involves itself in, such as its partnership with the RSPCA where they provide free transport for the adoption centres when they get large donations such as metal dog beds and large sections of cages. To promote this important relationship a Team Transport Kenworth is now known as the ‘puppy truck’ around Brisbane.
“We originally wrapped the Kenworth in 2017, and rewrapped it last year,” says Errin-leigh. “All the animals featured are success stories of adoptions and we happily parade that up and down the
Gateway Motorway every day as it’s on container duty. I normally take it every year to convoys to really showcase it and get the word out.”
Errin-leigh considers 2025 is likely to be a de ning year for Team Transport and Logistics.
“We had the biggest February we’ve had in a long time in terms of contracts coming in and I’m nding we’re changing a lot of the import items that we are moving including a lot of electric cars which we never really thought we’d get into in such a large scale,” she says.
“I’m very excited about our heavy haulage division because we have made a massive investment in buying three Kenworth T610SARs and a TIDD 28-tonne 3G mobile crane so we are positioned to support the heavy haulage space this year.”
Errin-leigh con des in us that part of her motivation in obtaining her MC licence was to have a fall-back position should she ever get out of sales. But that doesn’t now seem at all possible.
“I fall in love with my role a little more every day,” she says.
For about a decade ARTSAInstitute has obtained a redacted version of the NEVDIS heavy vehicle database from AustRoads.
I want to tell you more about the heavy-vehicle information that is in the NEVDIS database. NEVDIS is the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information Service. All road-registered heavy vehicles should have an entry in NEVDIS. This facilitates a new vehicle to be registered either by an accredited motor vehicle trader or by a road agency. Entries into NEVDIS come from suppliers or manufacturers of new vehicles that hold a new vehicle approval issued by the Federal vehicle authority (Vehicle Standards Section). NEVDIS also contains entries for wheeled heavy vehicles that are not intended to be road-registered, such as wheel loaders or combine harvesters. Wheeled vehicles that come into Australia by ship should have an important approval that is issued by the Federal vehicle imports section that is within the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts – DITRDCA. Prior to registration the basic vehicle information (make, model, VIN, number of axles, gross rating) is entered. The “pre-registration” data is provided either by the supplier/manufacturer to the Federal
imports group or by a state/territory road agency. AustRoads ensures that the data is from a valid source and that the necessary elds were provided. Then the vehicle entry is added to NEVDIS. A VIN listing in NEVDIS is a pre-requisite for roadregistration except for: ADF military vehicles, temporary-entry vehicles or manufacturer’s evaluation vehicles. The Federal regulator also produces a register of new vehicles called the RAV – Register of Australian Vehicles. However, the RAV information does not get into NEVDIS. The RAV is a Federal Database and NEVDIS is a State database.
ARTSA-I gets about 30 NEVDIS data elds for each vehicle. Most of the data in these elds is added when the vehicle is registered, such as state postcode, registration charge code and body type. The registration data is added in each jurisdiction at registration time. Unfortunately, the data may not be entered consistently, so some elds have debatable accuracy. There are national registration codes that help us identify the type of vehicle. For example, a prime mover registered for a single trailer application has a different registration code to a multi-combination prime mover. Because the registration code is tied to a monetary charge, this data is reliable, as is the state of registration. Some elds such as ‘body type’ is accurate when the body is occupational, such as a tanker, concrete agitator or crane. Most freight vehicles are described as having a ‘freight’ body — so a curtainsider is not differentiated from a tray body. ARTSA-I puts a lot of effort into ‘interpreting and cleaning’ the data we receive. I want to show how useful the NEVDIS database is for answering basic questions about the Australian heavy vehicle eet. Consider prime movers that can have a registration code SP*(single trailer - with * reporting the number of axles), or a registration code MC* for either A-type of B-type multicombination connections, or a registration code LP* for use with A-type roadtrains only. The total number of registered prime movers at the end of 2024 was 129,503. As shown in Figure 1, of these 53 per cent were for single trailers, 46 per cent for multi-combinations and 0.1 per cent for long roadtrain
combinations. These proportions indicate how multicombination trucks that can legally pull two or more trailers, with either A-type trailer connection or a B-type trailer connection, have become normal. This transformation has occurred over the past 30 years.
The rst three characters of the VIN identify the country where the VIN was issued and for full-volume suppliers, the manufacturer’s code. ARTSA-I uses this information to identify the make and the country of VIN origin. Having an Australian VIN does not necessarily mean full manufacture of the vehicle in Australia, but it does imply substantial local manufactured content. Figure 2 shows graphically the countries of VIN origin for the single trailer registration code SP*. About 41 per cent of these have an Austrralian VIN. The Australian VINs are mainly for Kenworth, Volvo, International IVECO and Mack. Figure 3 shows that for multi-combination prime movers the proportion with an Australian VIN is higher at 54 per cent. Australia has allowed multi-combination trucks to operate in major towns and cities. Allowing long trucks to operate in major towns and cities has increased productivity and reduced truck traf c compared to the single trailer scenario. It has also underpinned a signi cant prime mover truck manufacturing industry in Australia.
Figure 4 shows the VIN country of origin for heavy rigid trucks. The total eet of heavy rigid trucks numbers 408,967. The contrast to the prime mover category is stark. The majority of rigid trucks have a Japanese VIN, whereas Japanese suppliers account for only a few percentages in the prime mover category. There are about 398,000 heavy trailers registered in Australia. Figure 5 shows the VIN country for all heavy trailers. Eighty per cent of trailers have an Australian VIN. About 13 per cent of trailers have a chassis number but no VIN. The implication is that they were manufactured before 1989, when the rules required all heavy vehicles to have a VIN number. Most of these old trailers were also manufactured in Australia. So, well over 90 per cent
of heavy trailers were manufactured in Australia.
The VIN analysis provides ARTSA with one aspect of its detailed analysis of local manufacturing in Australia’s heavy vehicle sector. ARTSA can identify the make, model, body type and load
capacity of every registered heavy vehicle. We also know the postcode of the registration address. It is a powerful database!
Peter Hart, Chairman, ARTSA-i
TONY MCMULLAN
It was recently detailed by Nikkei Asia Media that Toyota Motors Japan is accelerating the use of hydrogen fuel cell trucks and factory equipment on its home turf in Japan’s Chubu region and that it will produce large scale quantities of the zero-emissions fuel at its headquarters plant in Aichi. The company’s aim to accelerate the use of hydrogen in commercial vehicles and factory equipment is to support its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035. Toyota are using these fuel cell trucks in its supply chain in Chubu’s Aichi prefecture, in addition to similar efforts in Europe. Toyota has partnered with engineering company Chiyoda to develop hydrogen production equipment that will be installed at its Toyota City plant next year. The process will split water to create hydrogen, and oxygen, using renewable electricity. The initial output will be 5 megawatts, producing about 100 kilograms of hydrogen per hour, with plans to double capacity over time. This will signi cantly exceed the hydrogen output of a similar project in Fukushima. However, despite the generation of large volumes of green hydrogen, Toyota’s current plan to roll out just several hydrogen trucks is nothing more than a trial it appears. The majority of the hydrogen produced will be used in other industrial processes, as Toyota explores the viability of hydrogen across its
manufacturing and distribution networks.
Despite Toyota’s investments, hydrogen costs remain a challenge in Japan, where prices are roughly double those in South Korea and China. Even in these advanced hydrogen markets of Korea and China, fuel cell trucks currently have operating costs approximately three times higher than diesel vehicles, making government subsidies crucial for economically viable hydrogen fuelled road freight. Of further concern is news that Chinese efforts to promote hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles is showing signs of stalling despite years of generous government subsidies. State-owned oil company Sinopec announced plans in 2022 to build 1,000 hydrogen lling stations by the end of 2025. However, as of June 30th 2024, just 131 had been completed. In an earnings conference in August 2024 the company detailed that it is being “very cautious” about rolling out the stations, Chairman Ma Yongsheng told reporters. Sinopec added just three hydrogen stations in the six months through June last year, down sharply from the pace of 20 to 30 refuelling stations a year in 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile Beijing SinoHytec, China’s largest supplier of fuel cell systems and a partner of Toyota Motors, says it is facing a “complex and severe macroeconomic environment.”
Commercial-vehicle manufacturer
Zhengzhou Yutong Group had the biggest market share of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in China, at roughly 15 per cent, according to the Orange Research Institute. It was followed by Foshan Feichi Motor Technology and Beiqi Foton Motor, all truck manufacturers. China was the biggest market for hydrogen powered vehicles in the six
months to June 2024, at 2,501 units across all vehicle sectors, but that was declined of 17 per cent.
The latest data indicated that global sales of fuel cell vehicles dropped 34 per cent year-on-year to 5,621 units in the rst half of 2024, as reported by South Korea’s SNe Research group. So why are hydrogen vehicles such a hard sell? Fundamentally for the road freight sector it comes down to bottom line economics. Currently, hydrogen fuel cell trucks are simply too expensive. Looking at China again, a diesel-powered heavy-duty truck there costs 300,000 to 400,000 yuan, however an equivalent fuel cell truck ranges around 1.3 million to 1.5 million yuan, based on Chinese media reports. That is a four-fold increase to purchase the hydrogen powered truck and as was discussed above, running that truck in China is three times the cost of its diesel equivalent. Then add to these costs a limited refuelling network that is expanding at a snail’s pace in China. Even the most advanced hydrogen market in the world, backed by substantial Chinese government incentives, is struggling to make hydrogen work practically at this point in time.
The Truck Industry Council (TIC) remains open to all forms of decarbonisation in the road freight sector, including hydrogen over time. However, with the 2025 Australian federal election looming, TIC cautions our politicians to look and learn from global decarbonisation efforts and develop realistic policy settings that can work for the Australian road freight sector in the short to mid-term.
Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council
In recent years, the global shipping industry has experienced unprecedented changes, leading to signi cant increases in shipping rates. These increases have had a profound impact on Australian businesses and consumers, who are now facing rapidly increasing costs for imported goods. The increase on costs from the international shipping lines that service Australia falls directly on their ability to be protected under an exemption from competition laws.
As the CEO of the Victorian Transport Association (VTA), I am renewing our calls for the repeal of Part X of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to address these unfair and anticompetitive practices in the shipping industry.
Part X of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 was originally designed to regulate international liner shipping services to and from Australia. It aimed to ensure that exporters and importers had access to reliable and competitive shipping services. However, the current global shipping landscape has changed dramatically, and Part X is no longer t-for-purpose. Instead of promoting competition, it has allowed shipping lines to engage in anticompetitive practices, leading to skyrocketing shipping rates and reduced service quality.
The COVID pandemic exacerbated these issues, with shipping lines taking advantage of the crisis to
manipulate capacity and drive-up rates. Shipping lines have reported record pro ts, validating calls for changes to competition laws. The current regulatory framework under Part X has failed to protect Australian businesses and consumers from these exploitative practices.
One of the main issues with Part X is that it provides shipping lines with exemptions from certain competition laws, allowing them to engage in cartellike behaviour. This has led to a lack of competition in the market, with a few major players dominating the industry. As a result, shipping rates have become increasingly volatile, with businesses struggling to absorb the unvalidated additional costs. This has had a ripple effect on the entire supply chain, ultimately impacting consumers who are forced to pay higher prices for goods.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Productivity Commission have also raised concerns about the anticompetitive behaviour of shipping lines. In a recent investigation, the ACCC found evidence of collusion and price- xing among major shipping companies. These practices have not only harmed Australian businesses but have also undermined the principles of fair competition that are essential for a healthy economy.
To address these issues, it is crucial that we repeal Part X of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. By doing so, we can remove the exemptions that allow shipping lines to engage in anticompetitive practices and restore competition to the market. This will help to stabilise shipping rates and ensure that Australian businesses and consumers are not subjected to unfair price increases.
The potential consequences of repealing Part X are signi cant. Higher shipping costs will inevitably be passed onto
road and rail freight operators, who will then pass these costs onto consumers. This will put upward pressure on the cost of living and lead to higher prices throughout supply chains. The impact will be felt across various sectors, from retail to manufacturing, ultimately affecting the affordability of everyday goods and services.
In addition to repealing Part X, we must also implement stronger regulatory measures to oversee the shipping industry. This includes increasing the powers of the ACCC to investigate and act against anticompetitive behaviour. We should also consider introducing measures to promote transparency in the industry, such as requiring shipping lines to disclose their pricing structures and capacity management practices.
It is essential that we support Australian businesses in navigating the challenges posed by the current shipping environment. This includes providing nancial assistance to help businesses absorb the increased costs and investing in infrastructure to improve the ef ciency of our ports and supply chains. By doing so, we can help to mitigate the impact of high shipping rates and ensure that our economy remains resilient in the face of global disruptions.
Repealing Part X of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 is necessary to address the unfair and anticompetitive practices in domestic and global shipping. By removing the exemptions that allow shipping lines to engage in cartel-like behaviour, we can restore competition to the market and protect Australian businesses and consumers from exploitative price increases. It is time for the government to act and ensure that our competition laws are t-for-purpose in the modern global economy.
Peter Anderson CEO, VTA
