The all-new range of Isuzu trucks has arrived. With a sleek new cab design, more advanced safety features and a smoother, more comfortable drive, the new range will change the way we rely on our trucks. Forever.
To find out more, visit your nearest Isuzu Trucks Dealer or visit isuzu.com.au
MEET THE TEAM
Australia’s leading truck magazine, Prime Mover, continues to invest more in its products and showcases a deep pool of editorial talent with a unique mix of experience and knowledge.
Christine Clancy | CEO
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
As the Editor of Prime Mover magazine since 2018 William has reported on the commercial road freight and logistics segments extensively. During that time he has been privileged to lead a team entrusted with covering the latest developments in trucks, transport, technology and the rapidly evolving domain of international supply chains and the role of leading Australian eets.
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.
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.
www.primemovermag.com.au
CEO Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au
Editor William Craske william.craske@primecreative.com.au
Managing Editor, Luke Applebee Transport Group luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au
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“Our in-house international freight forwarding and customs brokerage division gives us early visibility into shifting global conditions that often flow through to the Australian market.”
Prime Feature STORIES SIDE
FLEET FOCUS
26 Final Frontiers
Western Australian logistics outfit, Sadleirs, is endowed with a storied heritage that it continues today through the ongoing enhancement of its various capabilities.
32 Picking up Steam
Commercial linen laundries may not have a very high profile, yet their behind-the-scenes operations are essential for many other industries including hospitality and healthcare.
36 Licence to Chill
The food service industry relies upon wholesalers with good transport connections in order to provide their own customers with the products they require. TRUCK & TECH
44 Power of Partnerships
JR Equipment is a B2B specialist that builds concrete pump trucks. In just over four years it has emerged as a leader in the southeast Queensland market
Mountain High
Energy projects in the Snowy Mountains high country require an innovative approach to delivering concrete and Brennan’s Earthmoving is scaling new heights.
William Craske Editor
October, at least in the more temperate parts of Australia, brings with it seasonal change. It’s often the renewal September promises but never quite delivers. As the thoroughbreds of horse racing and the two major football codes prepare for events that culminate the year, there is a group of travellers that have by now returned home after making, what is for some, an annual pilgrimage to Alice Springs for the annual Festival of Transport. It’s here that the latest inductees to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame are announced. Far from the glitz and glitter of the nation’s capitals, it’s a ceremony, where people from all walks of life, attend having been nominated, sometimes con dentially, by colleagues, peers and family for services provided, often under the radar, that have kept the lights on somewhere or put food on the table somewhere else.
The biographies contain multitudes. Jamie Cooper, to cite the seemingly contrasting bookends of his journey, went from mining haulage in the Gulf to moving wine out of the Barossa. Nicknames like “Jungle” and “Trumby”
Best Years of their Lives
are par for the course. Anecdotes are intertwined with heritage trucks. The Leyland Comet, Chev Blitz, Dodge 760 and International S180s are peppered through these individual histories. Sometimes the roots to the land run deep. Other times a legend is made on the run, in transit, between places or vocations. Many began apprenticeships as tters, machinists, panel beaters and fabricators.
There are legacies that span the better part of the last century across geographic touchstones that will inspire intrepid travellers keen to know their own country a little better. From cattle mustering at Kurundi Station, logging contractors in the wilds of Tasmania, sawmilling communities, cement towing outposts, roadtrains in Tennant Creek, multigenerational family businesses out of Maryborough in western Victoria or central Queensland – take your pick –tiny towns like Killarney in southwest Victoria and small farms in Yumali, South Australia, to the picturesque hamlet of Dorrigo in the Tablelands of New South Wales. There was someone honoured who was either from there or worked there or ended up there after intending to pass through. Each commemorative plaque is inscribed with the distinction: ‘Lifetime Service to the Australian Road Transport Industry.’ Veneration should be simple.
Among the higher pro le inductions
were Mick and Dan Cahill of Cahill Transport, whose father Joe Cahill Jnr, joined the Wall of Fame 20 years ago. Another was Graeme Elphinstone, who after tting imported scales to a log truck in Triabunna, Tasmania in 1976, later became a recognised name in trailer and equipment design. His many innovations include the world’s rst folding skel trailer and quad dog trailers repurposed from idle tandem jinkers. Goldstar Transport Managing Director Sean Carren, one of nine inductees this year from Western Australia told me it was a privilege to be part of the event, saving a special mention.
“I have to share this accolade with our rst driver Dwayne Hickman, who has since moved back to New Zealand. He was immense for us when we were starting out and Dwayne’s son actually works for us now,” he said. “That legacy of family and good people is important, and the Festival of Transport had so many of those good people there and it just con rms for me the one thing the transport industry has running through its veins is good people.”
The past, in that sense, is never really the past. A lesson that bears repeating for those who forget winter will come again.
>CTI Logistics adds new 540hp prime movers to fleet
A division of CTI Logistics has invested in five new MAN TGX prime movers. CTI Regional Freight introduced the MAN TGX 26.540 recently with additional units already being planned. These trucks are being deployed on overnight deliveries into Geraldton, Albany, Hyden and Bunbury in Western Australia. An inline six-cylinder D3876 engine, which displaces 15.2 litres, offers an output of 397kW, enabling it to move between pulling B-doubles, B-triples and a roadtrain configuration to give a glimpse of the versatility being exploited by the fleet.
At present, the MAN TGX prime movers are averaging between 60-80 tonnes GCM. The accomplished Euro 6 powertrain is delivering solid figures according to CTI Logistics General Manager, Mark Cameron.
“CTI Regional Freight run the 540 horsepower engines, and we find the fuel burn rates are surprisingly good, getting around the 43.8L/100km mark in hilly terrain and down as low as 37.03L/100km on straight highway runs,” he told Prime Mover CTI Driver Brad Maddaford was given one of the first new generation MANs in the fleet.
“MAN got it right with this truck compared to previous models. Anyone who has driven the previous models
will understand,” he said, “The overall build quality compared to my previous truck is miles ahead. It’s just very robust. The cab is quiet, the seat is comfortable and the road feedback from the steering wheel is simply amazing. The power steering isn’t overdone, and the drivers vision is fantastic with the A pillars giving very little grief when looking around.”
Maddaford added, “I also find the gearing perfect, with almost no issues with acceleration from 70 to 100 as compared to my previous truck.”
In comparison to how other trucks were performing in the fleet Cameron sought out the maintenance department for insights.
”Their response was a loud and resounding ‘reliability,’” he noted.
Other than anomalous wildlife damage, the new TGX 26.540 MAN trucks have not had a single breakdown, yet.
“The MANs are serviced quickly and very little appears to be going wrong
>Australia Post begins largest electric van trial
Australia Post is accelerating its fleet electrification with the launch of a new electric van pilot. The pilot introduces 36 Mercedes-Benz eVito vans into its delivery network — the first time it has trialled a fleet of electric vans at this scale. Adding to its growing fleet of more than 5,000 electric vehicles already in operation, the pilot builds on Australia Post’s commitment to target Net Zero emissions by 2050. The eVito vans will operate in metro areas, where their stop-start efficiency is ideally suited to busy delivery routes.
The vans produce zero tailpipe emissions and will be powered through
Australia Post’s network charging infrastructure.
Australia Post Chief Sustainability Officer Richard Pittard said the pilot is an important addition to Australia Post’s focus on more sustainable operations for customers and the community, particularly with continued growth in parcel volumes driven by Australia’s growing e-commerce sector.
“The introduction of electric vans is an important milestone in our fleet electrification and decarbonisation strategy,” he said. “With more Australians shopping online than ever
with them,” said Cameron. One function he found particularly useful was the ability to gather information from the steering wheel which is “intuitive and very informative.”
This is not the first MAN product in the CTI fleet. CTI Regional have previously owned 15 MAN prime movers, both through the acquisition of other companies and outright purchases. Maddaford, who has been with CTI Logistics since 2016, said the new MAN TGX 26.540s were demonstrating a notable competitive advantage for the demanding application they were currently assigned.
“I believe MAN got it right with this model,“ he said. “Having done some quick metro trips with the MAN, its comfortable, it feels solid, it doesn’t have the MAN cab sway the older units had and it just feels like a good solid truck to drive.”
before, we’re delivering more parcels every day and we know we need to find more sustainable ways to do it.
“This is our largest electric van trial to date. It’s a meaningful step forward as we continue building a modern, sustainable delivery network that meets the evolving needs of our customers while reducing our environmental impact.”
The rollout will continue over the coming months, with Australia Post working closely with Mercedes-Benz to train team members and support a smooth transition to the new electric vehicles.
MAN TGX 26.540 roadtrain.
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>Flying Fuels strengthens capabilities with new Kenworth
Flying Fuels has taken delivery of a new heavy-duty prime mover. This truck, delivered by CMV Truck Centre just two weeks ago, is one of four T659s ordered for the interstate fuel supplier and transporter, having previously received another one earlier in the year with another pair of twin-steers coming. Established in Adelaide 21 years ago, Flying Fuels has since grown into various services across a variety of markets, according to Co-Director James Stark. “We began as an airport refuelling company, but have expanded into a range of off-field deliveries,” he told Prime Mover
This expansion included servicing cattle stations and various emergency services, before Flying Fuels branched out to the Northern Territory 13 years ago. The company expanded again just four years ago, this time into Queensland, where it’s heavily involved
in servicing cattle stations.
Joining Flying Fuels’ eclectic fleet of existing Kenworths, Mack Super-Liners and more, the new T659 was an ideal choice to support the supplier’s linehaul transport journeys through harsh conditions due to its durability.
“We’ve moved to using more and more Kenworths because of the rugged and remote work we do,” Stark said. “This work is pretty demanding, but we find that Kenworths are up to the challenge. We can rely on these vehicles.”
Set to be deployed in northern Queensland carrying Avgas and Jet A-1 fuels, Flying Fuels’ new T659 features a 130-tonne rating, an 18-speed manual transmission and 7.2 front-ends. These are joined by the fitments of a Chris Barron Engineering bullbar, Arkote powdercoated bar and tanks and Liquip hydraulics.
“We wanted to make this truck as tough
as it could be built,” Stark said. Meanwhile, CMV Truck Centre’s predelivery team completed the new T659’s internal fit up, cab rack, toolbox and guards. This fit up, along with a smooth handover, made Flying Fuels’ first delivery with CMV Truck Centre a success according to Stark.
“CMV Truck Centre has been fantastic to deal with,” he said. “We’ve been dealing with Campbell Byrne down there, and the whole process has been very easy and upfront. They’ve been great.”
While Flying Fuels’ drivers have not had the new T659 very long, Stark is confident it will perform well based on the reception of the previous model. “The previous T659 that we got interstate from Orange, NSW, has already traveled 10,000 kilometres,” he said. “The driver for that truck has been absolutely over the moon with it. So we’re expecting no less.”
>Toll Group unveils first Woolworths bound electric prime movers
Toll Group has announced the first of what will be a program of electric prime movers for Primary Connect at their new Moorebank Distribution Centre. This milestone marks the beginning of heavy electric vehicle deployment for Primary Connect, a logistics stable within the bigger Woolworths Group, in New South Wales, with additional units to follow. The program is supported by a 980kw EV charger at the Moorebank Distribution Centre, which builds on the strong sustainability focus of the site which includes a 3.8MW onsite solar generation system.
The ongoing introduction of electric vehicles complements the significant investment Woolworths has made in the new distribution centre and its dedicated charging capability. The delivery also forms part of Toll’s $67 million investment in battery electric heavy vehicles and charging infrastructure, co-funded with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) through its ‘Driving the
Nation’ program.
ARENA’s support has been instrumental in enabling Toll to progress this initiative.
Nick Vrckovski, Toll President Retail & Consumer, said the milestone reflected the longstanding partnership between Toll and Woolworths, built on a shared commitment to service excellence, safety, and environmental sustainability.
“We’re proud to support Woolworths’ transition to a cleaner transport network by introducing the first of a program of electric heavy vehicles to service its supply chain needs,” he said. “This is a significant moment in our 20-year partnership, as we work together toward a loweremissions future.”
Vrckovski said deploying electric vehicles at scale is a complex challenge but one Toll was committed to solving.
“Through collaboration, innovation, and targeted investment, we’re building a logistics network ready
to meet the demands of a more sustainable supply chain,” he said.
Chris Brooks, Acting Managing Director of Primary Connect and Chief Supply Chain Officer Woolworths Group said the initiative marks an important step forward in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint through innovation in heavy transport.
“This initiative allows us to demonstrate the practical application of electric vehicle technology in our heavy transport operations while also providing valuable insights into the infrastructure required to support and scale a future electric fleet,” he said in a statement. “Coupled with our investment in dedicated charging facilities, it underscores our commitment to driving sustainable change within the Australian logistics industry.”
The insights gained from the program will contribute to broader industry knowledge according to Toll especially when it comes to energy usage, route planning, and vehicle performance.
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DEPARTURE
9:10 AM
>Amazon opens new 52,000m² fulfilment centre in Melbourne
Amazon Australia has officially opened its third fulfilment centre (FC) in Victoria. The new 52,000m² facility in Cranbourne West is situated in Greenlink Estate, a new logistics hub that already includes transport companies CEVA, PFM Sensitive Freight and Maitex with Border Express now occupying a new site close by.
Along with creating 500 local jobs, Amazon expects to improve delivery outcomes for Melbourne customers, while creating additional opportunities for Victorian small businesses. The now fully operational Cranbourne West facility spans across two levels — the equivalent of two and a half Australian Rules football fields.
The site has the capacity to store up to 4 million products sold on amazon. com.au ranging from electronics, beauty products, furniture and books to everyday essentials. It’s one of two new, purpose-built sites to have opened in Victoria by Amazon in August, with the retailer also opening a logistics site in Melbourne’s northwest. Together, these represent an investment of $200 million in Victoria, and the operational sites will boost delivery speeds for customers across Melbourne and reportedly create 700 new jobs across the city.
Amazon said the majority of jobs will be permanent full-time roles, with leading pay and comprehensive benefits such as subsidised private
healthcare and up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave. The second facility is an 8,800m² delivery station in Ravenhall, which will serve as a delivery point for Amazon packages, creating more than 200 local jobs. The delivery station will provide opportunities for local entrepreneurs to become an Amazon delivery service partner or sign up with Amazon’s delivery service Amazon Flex.
“Melbourne was the home to our first Australian fulfilment centre in 2017, and we are thrilled to continue investing in Victoria opening our new purpose-built sites in Cranbourne West and Ravenhall,” said Amazon Australia Country Manager, Janet Menzies. “We’re proud to be creating hundreds of high-quality local job opportunities, offering on-thejob training and exciting career opportunities, in a safe and positive environment.
“At Amazon, we’re focused on providing our customers with great value, wide selection and fast delivery. These new sites strengthen our ability to meet these commitments for our Victorian customers. Prime members in Melbourne are already able to enjoy the convenience of next-day delivery, and these facilities will significantly expand the range of products available for swift local delivery.”
Menzies said Amazon was pleased to support small-and-medium-sized Australian businesses.
“The new fulfilment centre in Cranbourne West will create additional opportunities for local businesses to expand their reach, not just in Victoria but across the entire country,” she said.
“We’re excited to help these businesses grow and better serve their customers through our enhanced logistics network.”
Victorian Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson, and Stefan Koomen, Mayor of the City of Casey, were in attendance to mark the occasion.
“More than 65 per cent of our residents travel to work by car. Every minute that they save on their journey to-and-from work, means more time spent with those they love or doing activities that bring joy to their everyday lives,” said Koomen.
“Amazon’s investment is a powerful endorsement of our city’s strategic advantages as a premier destination for investment and innovation. As our city continues to grow, we remain committed to partnering with the business community to create even more local job opportunities.”
The state-of-the-art new facility was developed in close collaboration with ESR according to Head of Development Simon Sayers.
“Since its launch, the Greenlink Estate has attracted a diverse mix of global and local operators, reinforcing its position as a key destination for premium logistics and industrial spaces,” he said. “Greenlink offers an ideal location, including 800 metres of direct frontage to the Western Port Highway and direct access to arterial roads, while integrating a range of environmental and wellness features for the benefit of all site users.”
The Cranbourne West site brings the total of Amazon Australia’s fulfilment centres in Victoria to three. Expansion is complemented by three delivery stations with a new Robotics Fulfilment Centre currently under construction in Craigieburn.
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>Visy Logistics replenishes fleet with 30 new trucks
Visy Logistics has added 30 Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks to its fleet as part of a major truck fleet refurbishment. The company selected a range of 13-litre and 16-litre Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks for the first stage of its fleet modernisation. Another 60 vehicles will be eventually added as part of its ongoing renewal program. In Australia, Visy Logistics operates across 60 sites nationally, offering services in metropolitan warehousing and distribution, linehaul, container transport, bulk warehousing and haulage, and global forwarding.
Visy Logistics Australia Country Manager, Wayne Boxshall, said Daimler Truck Australia Pacific was the right partner for their refresh program.
“Safety, sustainability and driver comfort were key for our new fleet. These trucks will underpin our fast growing operations across Australia as we further support our food, beverage and industrial customers, ” said Boxhall.
The 13-litre and 16-litre Actros engines have been exclusively using Euro 6 technology in Australia since 2016.
Visy Logistics recently announced a new partnership with QA Hay. It will
provide an end-to-end supply chain specifically for the region’s farmers to get their hay from the farm gate, through to container operations at Warracknabeal, road transport to the Port of Melbourne and international shipping to global destinations. Up to 25 new roles will be created by Visy Logistics’ dedicated operations team as QA Hay reaches targeted hay volumes. Roles include truck drivers, container pad operators, administration, supervisory positions and a global forwarding role. Positions will be split between Melbourne and Warracknabeal, with a preference for
regional placement.
Initial exports are planned for Japan and China, with potential expansion into Southeast Asia and the Middle East likely based on current customer demand.
“We’re proud to support regional growers to get their goods to international markets,” said Visy Logistics Australia – Country Manager, Wayne Boxshall. “Our growth is linked to the growth of businesses in the region. We’re committed to regional jobs and high quality logistics services that can help companies like QA Hay continue to grow.”
>Penske Truck Leasing opens first stand-alone facility
Penske Truck Leasing is opening its first stand-alone facility in the southern hemisphere, adding a second Melbourne location to its network. Located in the southeast growth area of Pakenham, the new location complements the existing Penske Truck Leasing location west of Melbourne in Altona North. The state-ofthe-art Pakenham branch includes three workshop service bays, a wash bay, parts inventory, and a fleet of new trucks for short- or long-term hire.
“Since launching the Penske Truck Leasing business in Australia in mid2014, we have steadily grown our footprint to meet market demands,” said Adrian Beach, Managing Director Penske Truck Leasing. “Strategically positioned near the Princes Freeway,
we chose Pakenham to serve our eastside customers who have been driving across town through tunnels and over bridges to pick up a truck or drop one off for service.
“Our new location will be a huge convenience for them, and it also opens the door to fleets who couldn’t justify making that journey to Altona.
“Pakenham also has a built-in support network, with most of our existing vendors and partners nearby and open for trading.
“We’re minutes away from key dealerships, parts and tyre suppliers, and even smash repair shops.”
Offering a varied range of medium- and heavy-duty prime movers as well as rigids, the Penske Truck Leasing fleet includes
MAN, Hino, and Western Star trucks.
“Our fleet is spec’d to deliver maximum safety, fuel economy, and driver satisfaction,” he said. “We’re proud of our diverse line-up and OEM partnerships and feel we have a solution for almost every Australian on-highway freight task.”
Beach said the full-service lease product is highly bespoke, from the vehicle specs and livery to the support services included in the package.
“Even our short-term rental rates are customised and based on the customer’s application, the duration, and the distance they’ll be driving,” he said.
“Our new Pakenham site will enhance our ability to provide the right truck at the right time and place.”
Image: Daimler Truck.
Mercedes-Benz Actros 2653.
>Lindsay Australia delivers revenue boost in challenging market
Lindsay Australia has delivered what it calls a resilient performance in FY25, having managed macroeconomic challenges, shifts in seasonal demand, and elevated industry capacity driving competitive pressures. One of the highlights for the last financial year was the increase in revenue up 5.6 per cent to $849.8 million. Transport played a key role in this result along with its Rural division and contributions from recent acquisitions.
Underlying EBITDA, however, decreased 11.7 per cent to $81.4 million, reflecting margin pressure from a competitive operating environment, higher labour and elevated input costs, and softer consumer demand. Margins were, as a result impacted resulting in a 12.4 per cent decline in underlying segment profit. Underlying net profit before tax was $31.9 million, down 27.9 per cent on the prior year. Revenue in the Transport
division, however, increased by 1.7 per cent to $574 million after fuel levy recoveries. This was supported by organic growth from retailers and high value dairy and proteins manufacturers, as the division continues to strategically target growth in less seasonal revenue categories according to Lindsay Australia. Growth was also underpinned by contributions from GJ Freight and network expansion in Victoria. Through GJ Freight the division expanded into southwest Western Australia, a fast growing horticultural region and progressed construction of the new Perth facility, which remains on track for completion this month. Post year-end, the acquisition of SRT Logistics provided entry into Bass Strait Sea freight and the Tasmanian refrigerated transport market, further strengthening the Group’s national network.
Lindsay Australia said it would remain focused on its enterprise strategy, as it aimed to expand its network, deepen transformation, and continued to build the foundation for long-term value creation. “I’m pleased with the performance and progress we achieved in FY25. The Rural division carried its strong performance from H1 into H2, and Transport continued to grow with strong service delivery, multimodal solutions, and deployment of our unique integrated operating model to support new and existing customers,” said Lindsay Australia CEO, Clay McDonald. “The effects of elevated transport capacity and input cost pressures continued to impact margins, however, these industry dynamics are also leading to increasing market rationalisation. Our Transport division remains well placed to benefit when pricing equilibrium returns.”
>Brown and Hurley launches new branch at Port of Brisbane
The Brown and Hurley Group has announced the opening of a brandnew branch at the Port of Brisbane. The expansion is part of the truck dealership’s ongoing commitment to delivering outstanding customer service and providing convenient solutions for transport operators across Queensland. Opening 1 September 2025, the new facility at 21 Inghams Place, Hemmant, QLD 4174, will become a fully operational parts, service, and truck sales hub, giving customers in the Brisbane region a one-stop destination for all their transport needs.
Strategically positioned just off the Port of Brisbane Motorway (M4) and only three minutes from Junction 102, the site offers excellent access for operators moving freight through one of Australia’s busiest logistics gateways. “This new branch is a reflection of our belief in supporting our customers where they need us most,” said Ryan
O’Doherty, Brown and Hurley CEO. “Brisbane Port is a vital hub for transport and logistics, and this expansion will allow us to provide faster, more convenient parts and service to operators who rely on us every day.”
The facility will feature a fully stocked parts department with fast access to genuine components.
A modern service centre will be
staffed by experienced technicians. Transport operators, additionally, can anticipate tailored support from truck sales and aftersales.
In a statement Brown and Hurley said the expansion is about continuing to invest in relationships with transport operators and delivering reliability, convenience, and expertise where it matters most.
Image: Brown and Hurley.
>AirRoad boosts fleet with five new trucks
AirRoad Logistics has bolstered its linehaul fleet by adding four new Euro 6 compliant prime movers. The Volvo FH700s are working on interstate tasks hauling B-doubles between Melbourne and Sydney with provision for B-triples once permits in New South Wales are approved. Because these trucks are replacing another brand of prime mover and feature a different wheelbase access permits have had to be updated with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).
“The Volvo wheelbase is about an inch longer than the Kenworths that are being replaced on this lane which means we have had to submit new paperwork for approvals,” said Kevin Suggate, AirRoad National Linehaul Manager. “We decided to go down the one truck brand path on the heavies and a lot of companies are doing it now which makes it easier for servicing and reliability. That way our mechanics, who are all attuned to looking after the one model, don’t have to bounce around with different parts and technology.”
In the domain of high productivity units there are other conveniences in managing one truck brand.
“If you try and keep the same fleet you don’t have to change your permits too often,” said Suggate. “The NHVR have been good to deal with but there’s other government bodies they need to deal with in NSW.”
Upgrades to the Hexham Bridge in the Hunter Region and the Coffs Harbour bypass, which recently completed its third and final tunnel, have been factors in what is, at present, a wait and see approach for AirRoad.
“We’re hoping the permits will be relaxed a bit for the Sydney to Brisbane leg but we’re watching with interest what happens at the moment,” said Suggate.
The fleet is going to revisit the deployment of additional high productivity units, particularly into Adelaide in November, as it gets a better understanding of what the
economy is doing or not doing as the case may be. Suggate told Prime Mover that the extra horsepower offered by the new Volvo FH700s is proving beneficial for fuel efficiency evaluation. “That’s given us power to spare and a little less wear and tear over the hills these trucks encounter on the east coast,” he said.
AirRoad has previously run FH16s on linehaul tasks. It was a strategic decision to increase the power available moving from 600hp Volvos to 700hp. The six-cylinder 515kW D17 engine, which offers 3400Nm of torque, has left a good impression.
“It’s true that we had a good run on the older Volvo FH models. We find because of Volvo’s national breakdown network, the support from Volvo, if we need it, as we service our own vehicles, is great,” said Suggate. “Volvo seems to have the national breakdown network sewn up.”
Next year AirRoad begins its big expansion with new purpose-built facilities being built in Melbourne and Sydney. It runs several Hinos out of each of the current sites in these cities. Trucks in the local fleet are typically turned over every five to seven years. But with Hino, the reliability, even at end of life, makes it
tough to move them on according to Suggate.
“We get such good life out of them they tend to keep running strong when it comes time to look at replacing them and they get extended in the local fleet,” he said. “Our business is running half a dozen Hinos on metro deliveries in Sydney and another seven in Melbourne. We find they’re a good, reliable truck.”
AirRoad has also added a new Hino 300 Series hybrid electric from City Hino which replaces an internal combustion engine Hino that has recently reached end of life.
“Servicing with City Hino is good and we’ve had a strong relationship with them for over ten years,“ said Suggate. Suggate said he was looking to renew the fleet next year with late model Hino 500 Series vehicles.
“PUD work is low kilometres so we can keep them under the million kilometre mark,” he said. “A lot of the work is stop and unload and operational time is rarely more than five hours in a day.
“Our Specialized division accounts for sensitive freight so it can take a while to unload which cuts down on engine hours.
“We don’t rush that freight. It needs an airbag suspension and our OEM partners provide what we need.”
Image: AirRoad.
Volvo FH700 B-triple.
>Isuzu bolsters national network in Broken Hill
A new Isuzu Dealer Service and Parts Branch has officially opened in outback Australia. The all-new 3,000m² site in Broken Hill is situated on a crucial inland route both north and south via the Silver City Highway and east-west along the Barrier Highway. With the proliferation of mining and associated industries, as well as the many trucks and travellers using the highways that pass through the regional hub, the new Broken Hill Truck Centre will be the first port of call for regular servicing or emergency breakdown repairs for Isuzu trucks.
Owned and operated by Glenn and Rod Leake as part of the Mildura Truck Centre Dealership, which also includes Swan Hill, the Broken Hill facility is part of Isuzu’s vast 70-plus dealer footprint across the breadth of Australia, servicing Isuzu’s full range of light, medium and heavy-duty trucks.
“This new facility is a huge turning point for the business in Broken Hill,” said General Manager Anthony Dalfarra. “It will provide an increased
level of customer service, an increased level of amenity and access to Isuzu parts. It’s the pre-eminent commercial vehicle hub and support centre of Broken Hill. Whether the customer is a local wholesale food supplier who has a small Isuzu distributing to local businesses, or whether it’s a local linehaul operator or someone from out of town or interstate, passing through Broken Hill…they know they can get parts and service here in town.”
Dalfarra said those familiar with the former location will not have to look
> Bonney Energy takes order of new Kenworth
Bonney Energy’s Victorian operations have recently taken delivery of a new Kenworth truck from Hallam Truck Centre, marking the latest step in the company’s ongoing fleet development. The fuel distributor, which has operated across southern Victoria and northern Tasmania since the 1950s, runs a diverse fleet of trucks and fuel transport equipment. With a combined total of 48 vehicles across both states, the recent arrival of the T610SAR model in Victoria followed a comprehensive fleet review and planning process.
General Manager of Operations, Justin Durham, explained that the decision to purchase the T610SAR was the result of a strategic evaluation undertaken late last year.
“We have operated Kenworth’s in
the past, but after reviewing our fleet requirements we identified that the T610SAR was the right choice for our operational needs moving forward,” he said.
The newly delivered T610SAR has already been integrated into Victorian operations, with similar models planned for use in Tasmania. Its primary role will be to manage bulk fuel deliveries to Bonney Energy’s depot network, company-owned service stations, and a range of commercial and retail customers.
The truck is equipped with a Cummins X15 engine, an Alemlube automatic greasing system, and a Liquip fuel haul kit for safe and efficient fuel transport. It carries a 97-tonne rating and features an optimised wheelbase enabling it to tow 20-metre trailers. The inclusion of 4:11 differentials
too far for the new facility.
“The new facility is on the same street as the original Broken Hill Truck Centre, which we took over back in 2013,” he said. “It’s been built from the ground up with new offices, a huge parts showroom and a larger warehouse means greatly improved levels of stock on hand. It’s all about managing downtime in the truck world. We want to increase uptime for our customers and get them back on the road quickly and efficiently.”
from Dana Spicer also provide strong pulling power on steep routes while maintaining fuel efficiency on highways.
Driver comfort has also been considered, with Hallam Truck Centre’s pre-delivery team fitting a custommade centre console to house a fridge unit and to store loose items.
Durham noted that this addition has been well received.
“The drivers really appreciate the fridge, which is not common in a day cab,” he said. “It allows them to bring meals and keep food and drinks fresh which is good for driver wellbeing.
“They are also reporting strong performance from the truck, and the PACCAR Connect System is giving us accurate, real-time data on fuel use and operational costs.”
Image: Isuzu Australia.
Isuzu’s new Broken Hill facility.
DETROIT, SETS THE BAR.
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New emissions laws are almost here! Choose a Detroit engine that’s been meeting these standards since 2019.
>Easyshed
increases
truck fleet with six units
Australia’s largest shed brand has added six trucks to its fleet with additional units expected later in the year.
A regional success story, Easyshed is building its sheds at a state-ofthe-art production facility in Albury, New South Wales and expanding its business. The company, which was founded in 1983 and is Australianowned, has been recognised as one of Australia’s fastest growing directto-consumer (D2C) tech companies. As such, delivering its products is a critical part of this customerfirst offering.
Easyshed has recently rolled out three Mercedes-Benz Actros 2663 trucks to its specialized ‘Big Sheds’ delivery fleet and intends to continue adding more over the next 12 months. The company has also introduced three Fuso Canter trucks to its metro ‘Garden Shed’ delivery fleet and will add three more before the year is out. The transport fleet is central to its D2C offering.
Easyshed has chosen to vertically integrate the delivery function to
control and maintain their world class levels of customer service according to CFO Johan Andersson.
“Being an e-commerce business means that the delivery team and their equipment are the face of our company” he said.
“It’s critical for us that we control that process, to enable us to deliver a high-quality product with the very best customer experience, right across Australia.”
Andersson said Mercedes-Benz Truck and Fuso products are perfect for the task.
“At our core we are a data-led tech company, so it makes sense to use the most technologically advanced vehicles to deliver our products, that prioritise safety, efficiency and connectivity” he said.
Both the Actros and Canter models feature latest generation active emergency braking technology that can stop the truck in an emergency if it senses a potential collision. The Easyshed trucks were delivered by local dealership Daimler Trucks Albury, the winner of the 2022 Daimler Truck
Australia Pacific Dealer of the Year.
“Easyshed is an amazing regional success story and we are excited Daimler Truck vehicles are delivering its high-quality products to its customers,” said Daimler Truck Australia Pacific Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Andrew Assimo.
The Mercedes-Benz Actros 2663 sits at the top of the Actros line-up.
It features a16-litre OM473 six-cylinder engine that generates 630hp teamed with a 12-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). The engine meets Euro 6 emission standards.
To meet Euro 6 emission standards, truck engines must produce 70 per cent less hydrocarbons and 77-80 per cent less oxides of nitrogen (NOx), as well as 50-66 per cent smaller particulates. While some manufacturers are just now introducing Euro 6, Daimler Trucks, including Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso have notched up a combined 3 billion customer kilometres with Euro 6 (or equivalent) drivetrains on Australian roads during the last eight years.
Image: Daimler Truck.
Brad Ward, Easysheds Operations Manager.
>JCT freight management launches
A new freight management service from JCT Transport Group has officially launched. Customers are offered a carrier platform called MachShip that provides clients with cost-saving automation, real-time tracking, whitelabel branding, and scalable, tailored solutions.
This will ensure, according to Lucas Lopez, Commercial Manager at JCT Transport Group, competitive pricing, transparency, and efficiency, thereby attracting and retaining customers across diverse logistics needs.
“MachShip matches clients with carriers by integrating with over 500 Australian carriers, using real-time pricing and transit data to automate carrier selection, streamlining dispatch, tracking, and invoicing, saving time, reducing costs, and enhancing efficiency,” he told Prime Mover.
The service offers pickup and delivery of parcels and pallets to or from any location in Australia.
Several big carrier partners and customers have already signed on.
JCT Transport, originally and currently a respected crane truck carrier, follows the successful ventures of JCT Express
Haulage, a division that has a fleet of permanent vehicles ranging from twotonne vans to prime movers, spread across Victoria.
“Following the success of Express Haulage, JCT Labour Hire was born,” said Lopez. “This division currently provides over 20 drivers to clients who have struggled to gain consistency with filling driver positions with their own company equipment.”
The move into freight management comes as part of a wider strategic evolution for JCT Transport Group as it looks to harness the expertise of its experienced leadership team across various segments.
“JCT’s expansion into freight management really is to diversify our
>IVECO crowns national master technician
Fifty technicians have participated in IVECO’s inaugural National Master Technician Tournament. IVECO Sydney’s Workshop Foreman, Justin Abood was eventually crowned the winner. The tournament provides talented technicians from IVECO’s 60 plus dealer network with a platform to compete against each other for trophies, cash prizes and of course, bragging rights. Open to all IVECO technicians from upand-coming apprentices to experienced trade-qualified professionals, the event was held over three rounds through IVECO’s online Web Academy. Participants were asked to negotiate 75 challenging questions covering all aspects of servicing and maintaining the IVECO range, along with fault diagnosis. Second and third placings were taken out
by Jonothan Elias, a Senior Technician and Electrician from Black Truck Sales, and Nathan Wigger, IVECO Workshop Foreman at Melbourne’s Prestige Truck Centre.
IVECO Head of Network Development, Customer Experience and Training, John-Paul Falvo, said he was excited at the participation rate of the inaugural tournament and looked forward to growing the event in the years ahead.
“Interest in the National Master Technician Tournament from across the network was extremely positive, leading to a strong participation rate and three very enthusiastic winners,” Falvo said.
“The tournament provided a fantastic means by which technicians could test their knowledge against counterparts from across the country in a friendly yet
business and capture a larger share of the industry by leveraging our senior managers’ expertise in the Australian freight market,” said Lopez.
To deliver comprehensive, efficient logistics solutions and capture greater market share, it was a natural move to expand its offering in crane trucks, express haulage, and labour hire.
As a carrier-agnostic platform integrating over 500 Australian carriers, MachShip, according to Lopez, will empower its customers with flexibility, automation, and real-time visibility.
“I’m confident these factors will help position JCT as a leading innovator in the $99 billion freight market, driving efficiency and cost savings for our customers,” said Lopez.
competitive environment, while further honing their skills, which ultimately is a positive for IVECO owners.
“On behalf of IVECO, I extend a warm congratulations to our winners and thank all participants.”
Helping conceptualise the National Master Technician Tournament and oversee the program was IVECO Manager, Customer and Product Support, Jason Mobberley, who hinted at future growth.
“Spurred by the success of the inaugural event, plans are already underway for the 2026 instalment,” Mobberley said.
“I encourage dealership service teams to again become involved next year where we hope to expand the scope of the tournament by introducing new elements and challenges.”
Image: JCT Transport.
Lucas Lopez with Shaun O’Connor.
> EUTRACO
aims to go fully electric by 2035
EUTRACO has added the first four of a total of 50 new electric prime movers to its Belgium-based fleet. The logistics service provider has agreed to the significant order of Mercedes-Benz eActros 600s as another step in an overarching goal to have a completely electric truck fleet by 2035.
The handover took place at the premises of Ghistelinck Autobedrijven in the presence of CEO Serge Gregoir. “We are not investing in e-trucks because our customers demand it, but because we want to offer them the most sustainable logistics solution,” said CEO Gregoir. “The eActros 600 fits perfectly into our daily operations thanks to its 500-kilometre range, smart charging planning, and on-site charging infrastructure.”
EUTRACO considers energy and emissions as strategic components of its operations.
Transport electrification, per the company, goes hand in hand with investments in solar panels, battery storage, and smart Energy Management Systems.
Charging stations for the e-trucks are currently being installed at the logistics campuses in Roeselare, Ghent, and Willebroek.
“Sustainability should not come at an extra cost,” Gregoir said. “With smart choices and technology, we can become both more efficient and more responsible, without passing the initial purchase cost on to the customer.”
The cooperation with Ghistelinck Autobedrijven and Daimler Truck Belgium was crucial for this project.
Together, they worked on the operational plan, financing, maintenance contract, and integration of the e-trucks into the existing fleet.
The e-trucks will be used for regional
distribution and dedicated customer routes. Routes have been selected where electric driving can already make a difference. Belgium currently has 100,000 charging points for electric vehicles, the third most of any country in Europe.
Ghistelinck Autobedrijven will ensure phased delivery in the coming months and will continue to provide service and technical support.
The financing of the 50 eActros 600 trucks was made possible by Daimler Truck Financial Services Belgium. In the coming years, the company will continue to invest in electrification, energy efficiency, and digital emission tracking, also for customers.
“We not only want to reduce our emissions but also make them transparent and share them,” Gregoir said. “This is essential for the sector to make progress.”
Image: Daimler Truck.
EUTRACO CEO Serge Gregoir.
> MAN eTruck customers clock up 5 million kilometres
Fully electric trucks from MAN Truck & Bus have already reliably covered over five million kilometres in daily use since the beginning of 2025. What’s more, major European logistics service providers such as DB Schenker, Dachser, Duvenbeck and Dr xlmaier have been leading the way.
For MAN it endorses the practical suitability of its eTGX and eTGS flagships across a wide range of transport tasks. Approximately 200 battery-electric trucks averaging consumption of 90 kWh per 100 km that MAN put into customer use even before the start of series production, would have saved around 3,600 tonnes of CO in operation — compared to diesel trucks with a consumption of around 27 litres per 100 kilometres. Assuming that each of these vehicles covers 1.2 million kilometres in its lifetime, MAN Truck & Bus has claimed the eTrucks alone could save a total of around 172,000 tonnes of CO under the same conditions. That is roughly the same amount of carbon dioxide emitted annually by a German city with a population of 32,000.
”The five million kilometres covered in customer use is impressive proof of the practical suitability of our MAN eTrucks,” said Friedrich Baumann, Executive Board Member for Sales and Customer Solutions at MAN Truck & Bus. ”Whether
in automotive, timber or food logistics, the versatility of the vehicles is convincing across all industries. With our series production, we are now broadening this strength and providing our customers with the best solutions for sustainable road freight transport.”
In June 2025, series production of the eTGX and eTGS began at the MAN plant in Munich. These vehicles are particularly suitable for use on medium and long distances or in the construction or municipal sectors. The mixed production line, which manufactures both diesel and electric trucks on a single line, can produce up to 100 vehicles per day.
The goal for MAN Truck & Bus is to exceed the 1,000 order mark for electric trucks by the end of the year. Demand is there. Shortly after the start of series production, MAN had almost 800 heavy-duty electric trucks on its order books.
In the first half of 2025, MAN recorded growth in electric vehicles of 238 per cent compared to the same period last year — though from a low base. The list of companies already relying on MAN eTrucks is growing steadily according to the OEM. At the Behrens Group, one of Germany’s leading timber wholesalers, MAN eTGX trucks have already clocked up over 50,000 kilometres in fully electric
mode. The eTrucks are equipped with swap bodies for electric forklifts and are partly charged with their own photovoltaic electricity.
In France, the Jacky Perrenot Group, one of Europe’s largest food transport companies, has taken delivery of the first vehicles. The order comprises a total of more than 100 eTrucks. In the Netherlands, logistics service providers Cornelissen, van Doorn and Koopman are using the first eTrucks for urban and regional distribution transport. Danone, in Poland, is using fully electric MAN trucks for food transport, thereby reducing its carbon footprint along the supply chain. While in Portugal, the freight forwarder TJA is strengthening its fleet with eTrucks for national logistics tasks.
In the far north, Nor Tekstil, Norway’s largest textile service provider, has taken delivery of its first MAN eTruck, and in Denmark, the beverage group Royal Unibrew is relying on fully electric trucks for more sustainable deliveries to retailers.
MAN said it was also seeing growing interest in electric trucks in the municipal sector. An Austrian association of 12 cities and municipalities, among others, has agreed to a framework contract for up to 45 vehicles.
Image: MAN Truck & Bus.
The MAN eTGX used in inter-plant transport between the BMW Group plants in Leipzig and Regensburg.
FRONTIERS FINAL
Western Australian logistics outfit, Sadleirs, is endowed with a storied heritage that it continues today through the ongoing enhancement of its various capabilities.
FRONTIERS
Sadleirs takes its name from founder Ralph Crofton Sadleir who, following a stint in the gold elds, eventually prospered in Fremantle, Western Australia running a customs, shipping and forwarding agency circa 1895. That rst of ce occupied a corner on Cliff Street, Fremantle, a bustling corridor for merchants that eventually included a tramline and the initial headquarters of the Western Australian newspaper. A glimpse of that heritage still stands today.
Meanwhile, Lionel Samson and his younger brother William, who had arrived on one of the rst settlement vessels disembarking on the Swan River in 1829, had, by the turn of the century astride the resurgent gold rush, risen to prominence as the single largest importer of beer, wine and spirits into the country.
When Western Australia joined the rest of mainland Australia with the completion of the standard-gauge TransAustralian Railway to Kalgoorlie in 1917, Sadleir, with the help of his brothers George and Harry, capitalised on the
historic development by expanding its endeavours into Melbourne.
The rst motorised lorries began to replace legacy horsepower in the business around 1925, the same year a Prohibition Referendum was put to the vote in Western Australia. Had it not been subsequently defeated, perhaps the ascendent Lionel Samson & Son would have been grounded before take-off. With its growth trajectory unobstructed, Samson eventually acquired RC Sadleir in 1936, with both operations by this point having successfully burrowed into the network of supply chains.
Today the Sadleirs group delivers services across Australia and abroad through four specialist divisions, each dedicated to providing tailored logistics supported by the longstanding customer focus that has de ned the company for more than 195 years. Sadleirs Resources, with its eet of triple roadtrains powering north through Western Australia’s Pilbara and Gascoyne, is recognised for its work with mining, energy, oil and gas clients. Beyond road transport, the Sadleirs brand also spans rail, air and sea
through its domestic linehaul and global forwarding and customs brokerage divisions — demonstrating the scale and intermodal capability needed to support Australian businesses in their local and international logistics needs. Managing these interconnected global supply chains is challenging at the best of times especially when disruptions have been something of a constant over the past 18 months. Sadleirs, however, with its ability to draw upon the advantages of its vertical integration, is well placed to respond.
“Our in-house international freight forwarding and customs brokerage division gives us early visibility into shifting global conditions that often ow through to the Australian market,” says James Robinson, General Manager of West Coast Sadleirs Logistics and Sadleirs Resources.
“That insight has helped us stay ahead of challenges and adapt our approach quickly.”
The Sadleirs Resources division is responsible for its own eet of more than 20 trucks. Operational agility
These were the first prime movers ever purchased by Sadleirs from MAN Truck & Bus.
is embedded across the organisation and especially the Resources division.
Supporting the energy sector, of course, means working in environments where conditions can change rapidly. Being exible and responsive is critical to how Sadleirs Resources delivers.
Earlier this year the division welcomed ve MAN TGS 26.510 prime movers. It marked the rst trucks the eet had ever purchased from MAN Truck & Bus, a company whose commercial vehicle history goes back nearly as long as Sadleirs.
There are, in addition to these initial ve units, two others on the east coast split between Sydney and Melbourne. Those two MAN TGS prime movers are performing similar work to what the Sadleirs Resources division does in Western Australia.
“The task involves predominantly collecting boxes that are delivered to and from the railheads out of our depots,” explains James. “There are some metro
pickups as well in terms of collecting break bulk freight and being able to consolidate back in the depot but it’s mostly local and around town work for that pair of vehicles.”
Because the resource sector requirements combine remote access with time critical logistics, the Sadleirs Resources division must balance these urgencies with daily complexities.
“Our eet and our people are set up to handle that with exibility and care,” adds James.
The Resources team has a group of experienced drivers already accustomed to operating large prime movers that come with all the comforts ideal for a linehaul spec. These 120-tonnerated trucks had reached their mileage threshold in linehaul work and were subsequently redeployed into the metro eet for the remainder of their service life. As the new 510hp MAN TGS prime movers come with slightly smaller engines and cabins than the outgoing
eet, factors of comfort, naturally, would come under scrutiny by the drivers. Feedback was soon forthcoming. The drivers were unanimous no less in their enthusiasm.
For James, whose team had been “rigorous” in its process to evaluate the new trucks, it wasn’t a surprise. “To be completely honest and transparent we went out and tested several trucks,” he says. “We got quite a few trial vehicles in and got our drivers that are doing the metro work for us and some who perform the ad hoc trips to Carnarvon to do a couple of weeks running in various trucks to give us some feedback. Driver comfort was certainly part of our consideration.” Here the MAN TGS has a distinct advantage. The new generation MAN has been lauded for its clearly arranged driver workplace. The digital display instruments have been wisely integrated with intuitive driving functions that bene t from a new, adjustable
James Robinson, General Manager of West Coast Sadleirs Logistics and Resources.
multifunction steering wheel, as well as the innovative rotary pushbutton control function of the MAN SmartSelect system. In short, the trucks have been designed from the outset with a driver’s of ce in mind.
“As an industry we’re nding it harder and harder to get drivers,” says James. “Getting the vehicles and the trucks that gives them comfort and helps us attract and retain drivers is really important as well.”
The new MAN TGS trucks go on dog runs every second weekend to the aforementioned Carnarvon where the driver stays in the vehicle on a single overnight trip that covers close to 1800 kilometres per leg. On occasion they are dispatched to the likes of Sandy Ridge and Kalgoorlie in the Gold elds region but primarily they are being used in the local division.
The dog runs, in which a third trailer is added for another truck, as only two
are allowed south of Carnarvon, were added for company drivers who wanted additional work while also increasing the utilisation of the vehicle for the eet. “We probably wouldn’t run them full time on a linehaul spec just because of the space inside,” says James. “We’ve got a lot of drivers who are on 12 and two rosters so effectively they live in their truck for 12 days straight. From that perspective we look to have a bigger vehicle but from a metro task and impromptu long haul trips the comfort is still there, and the drivers are more than happy to utilise them for that run.”
Here the MANs have fast demonstrated an optimised versatility much sought after by eets.
“Absolutely. We deliberately purchase vehicles with a 90-tonne rating so we can have some versatility with them,” explains James. “We didn’t want them to be a one-trick pony and not provide some exibility for us because that’s what we try and sell to our customers is that we’re a exible operator that can meet their needs and some of our customers are not great at planning, so our job is to assist them when things go wrong and we can make a quick decision and go, ‘we’ve got a driver, we’ve got a truck.’ As we’re not looking to swap drivers between trucks, we can send someone out and they’re more than comfortable to do that.”
Nationally Sadleirs has over 500 trucks and trailers supporting over 350 employees. Across the organisation, once rigid-only drivers and subcontractors are counted, the driver pool is considerably larger. Because the volumes ebb and ow in the resources sector it’s incumbent on the eet to have the ability to bring in additional units for those peak periods. When it came to comparing the new trucks against competitor offerings there were two considerations given priority above all else. Fuel economy, from a cost perspective, was the rst. The second was emissions. Downtime and the eet’s ability to get the MAN TGS serviced and back on the road to keep utilisation high were other key criteria.
“For us, they were the important things
Sadleirs opted for trucks with a 90-tonne rating to optimise their versatility.
to measure, and these trucks have de nitely achieved that,” says James.
“We’re very happy with those two categories in particular when it comes to the performance of the vehicles.”
This includes uptime which has also been notably improved.
A commitment by Sadleirs to lower its emissions pro le certainly brought the Euro 6 compliant powertrain technology of the new generation MAN to the fore.
The transport industry, by its nature, plays a part in emissions according to James, particularly in Western Australia given its ‘tyranny of distance’ as he puts it.
“Internally it was something the business had identi ed and was looking at,” he says. “Obviously, there’s cost saving associated with that for us, but it’s also important for us to have a social responsibility and we’ve got a fairly big process and program that we go through around our emissions as a business overall and how we can make improvements in regard to that as well.”
The MANs are, ultimately, a smart, modern asset aligned with the type of eet Sadleirs wants to invest in longterm. That kind of cohesion has taken the business where it currently is and invariably where it is going.
Growth within the organisation is being driven twofold with much of it organic.
Just as the business is actively looking to pick up new customers it is mindful of playing to its current strengths in the market and leveraging those strengths to provide outstanding services for customers according to James.
“As a business we don’t necessarily operate as a cut-price option: the cheapest generally doesn’t come with a good service level and that’s why the MANs suit us as well,” he says. “Because we’re dealing with bigger companies who share our concern when it comes to sustainability and the environment but also the bene ts of reliability. They’re happy to pay a more competitive rate I suppose to get that reliability and if we’ve got vehicles breaking down then that obviously impacts our ability to provide service and for them to keep their operations running as well.”
Fleet replenishment is customarily based on usage pro les rather than a xed timeline. For prime movers, it’s typically every three to ve years or in accord with kilometres amassed and truck condition.
Vehicle technology coming into the industry is changing fast. Making allowances for what is on the horizon is one of the biggest changes to how businesses like Sadleirs approaches asset management especially over the past 18 months. What’s become noticeable just this decade is the capability of the vehicles coming into the market; not only the change but the way it is accelerating says James.
“If we jump a little bit ahead in terms of our planning and what we go through for purchasing equipment we’re looking a lot at operating leases and that’s so that we can ensure we can continue to take advantage of a technology improvement coming out in the industry,” he says. “Because I think every year we’re seeing more technology advances and if we’re looking to buy something and hold it for too long, you sort of miss out on some of those advantages and the bene ts that are coming to the industry whether it’s around fuel ef ciency, safety is a big one as well,
The new trucks were rigorously tested on metro work and long haul to Carnarvon.
driver comfort and the ability to give that information that our customers want in terms of truck location, fuel burn and other data.”
The intent, even if not immediately explicit, is to remain cautious when managing the eet to avoid getting locked into an asset that might be outdated in two years’ time.
“Exactly, that’s the dif culty,” says James. “But while the technology will evolve, our focus won’t change. It’ll still be about having reliable, t-for-purpose equipment that supports our people and delivers for our customers.”
Sadleirs has made targeted investments in PBS vehicles where it adds value especially for high-volume lanes. The goal is simple: move more with less. Likewise, the streamlining of routing, the pursuit of depot-level sustainability measures and the focus on the latest in Euro 6 emissions engine standards is at the forefront of the decisionmaking process. That helps Sadleirs to place orders earlier, rm up supplier relationships and tighten speci cations. “Partnering with reliable manufacturers like Penske helps us stay ahead,” says James. “The network’s evolving, but it’s also getting leaner, and our MAN trucks are part of that shift toward more ef cient linehaul operations.”
Images: Penske Australia.
STEAM PICKING UP
Commercial linen laundries may not have a very high pro le, yet their behind-the-scenes operations are essential for many other industries including hospitality and healthcare.
Gouge Linen and Garment Services was established during the 1940s as a dry-cleaning business in Shepparton in Central Victoria. The company has been owned by the Priestly family since the 1980s,
and has developed along two aligned paths as a dry-cleaning business and as a commercial laundry. The laundry includes services for collecting, cleaning, and delivering linen for customers in the accommodation, hospitality and healthcare industries, as
well as cleaning industrial workwear for a wide range of clients. The main laundry is located in Mooroopna, near Shepparton. As a direct result of strong business growth over an extended period the Mooroopna facility reached a point
where it was close to its capacity, and this situation drove the need to create more space in the form of a purposebuilt, highly automated laundry plant in Geelong. The new Geelong plant is twice the size of the Mooroopna facility and has suf cient space to expand further if required in the future in line with the company’s growth plans. The Geelong facility currently employs 80 people, bringing the total of staff to 500 across the broader operations of the company. A dry-cleaning and uniform cleaning operation based in Niddrie, in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, is also part of the business.
“We cover all of Victoria and southern New South Wales,” says John Calleja,
Chief Executive Of cer of Gouge Linen and Garment Services. “We pretty much go to every town in Victoria, so we have an extensive range and footprint.”
Gouge Linen provides its services to around 1,300 customers, ranging from a 20-bed hotel up to 1,100-room premium hotels in central Melbourne. Other clients include small agedcare homes and major hospitals in Melbourne and regionally. The uniform segment of the business launders around 55,000 garments per week. These uniforms range from mechanics to pharmaceutical, food manufacturing and abattoirs, through to front-of-house uniforms for the hospitality sector.
In addition to the three sites in Mooroopna, Niddrie and Geelong, there are satellite distribution sites in Bendigo, Ballarat and metropolitan Melbourne, which receive and distribute bulk linen from the cleaning facilities. In order to deliver fresh linen and garments direct to customers, and then to return soiled items to the laundries, the company has its own eet of 52 trucks which now includes two Scania prime movers (a 420 P and a 460 G) and eight Scania rigids with a mix of 280, 320 and 360horsepower engines in 4x2 and 6x2 con gurations.
“The Scania trucks have been on the eet only a short while,” says Damian Marston, General Manager of Logistics. Damian has been in the company for two years and comes from a logistics and warehousing background and now
has the responsibilities associated with operating the eet.
“Fleet management was new to me,” Damian says. “But it has the same KPIs and cost level triggers.”
Prior to deciding upon the Scania’s, Damian oversaw a detailed tender process which included comparisons with other truck brands and models on factors such as total costs of ownership, fuel ef ciency and safety features.
“The Scanias have a high level of safety spec, which also helps attract drivers,”
Damian says. “They’re living in the truck most of the day. They like the Scania in-dash driver support system that scores their driving style, and they bring it up in their toolbox meetings. They’re proud of their scores and they’ve taken photos on their phones of the dash with their performance displayed. It drives a healthy level of competition, and they are optimising their performance and driving with a positive attitude.”
Gouge Linen takes advantage of the availability of Scania Driver Training to deliver the best experience for the drivers as well as maximising safety and vehicle ef ciency.
“It just rounds out the package — the drivers have a comfortable truck, a safe truck, and they get real live feedback on how they’re driving the truck,”
Damian says.
Gouge Linen Chief Executive Of cer John Calleja likes the Scania Fleet Monitoring tools.
e ei ht i ri i s i the eet
There are two Scania prime m ers i the e i e eet
“We’re looking at the maintenance costs we’re incurring and comparing against the kilometres and the age of the vehicle and the fuel ef ciency and that’s really what’s driven our investment in the Scania eet,” he says. “I’m an accountant, so it’s really simple for me. If the numbers stack up and I’ve got a truck that’s better for our drivers, and safer for our drivers, then that’s a great outcome.”
The Scanias are each subject to a veyear repair and maintenance contract. There is a fundamentally strong focus on safety throughout the entire Gouge organisation and the features on the Scanias, such as side and turning cameras, help to set them apart.
“It is important for us for our drivers to be in good quality, safe trucks,” John says. “We want them to be comfortable
and we want to provide them with a good tool of trade. Plus, as an organisation we’re really keen to drive ef ciencies through the business. When
told me the fuel ef ciency the Scanias would be getting, I said that would be awesome but prove it. Scania loaned us a truck for a demonstration,
Damian
Damian Marston, General er isti s
and they delivered what they promised.
The Scanias have proven to be ef cient, safe and comfortable.”
Fuel economy is a Key Performance Indicator for the Gouge eet and driver training has been a contributing factor in obtaining improved results.
Just a few years ago the average fuel consumption across the eet was between 2.7 and 2.8 kilometres per litre, whereas now the average is 3.99 km/litre, with the Scania rigids achieving above 4.0km/litre.
“We’re pretty proud of that. The cost saving on fuel, traveling as far as we do, is an important factor,” Damian says.
“Some of the Scanias are doing around 1,300 kilometres a day, across two shifts and both the outward and return journeys see the trucks fully loaded, so
the fuel savings really add up.”
Reducing its carbon footprint is a major undertaking for the entire business and includes changes to reduce water consumption by 80 per cent compared to a conventional commercial laundry. Solar energy systems have been installed on some of the buildings’ rooftops, and the truck eet’s overall reduced rate of diesel consumption also plays a part.
“In concert with the fuel ef ciency, there’s the environmental bene ts and this is important to us as a business,” John says. “Being a regional business, and the distances we cover, makes electric trucks a challenge. That technology’s not right for us, yet. So, having Scanias that are really fuel ef cient is an important thing for us.”
Emissions, according to Damian, were a major consideration when Gouge bought the trucks.
“We’ve been speaking with Scania about electric trucks as well and what that looks like,” he says. “There is going to be a point in time when customers push suppliers towards electric vehicles.”
As Gouge Linen and Garment Services continues to grow it retains its commitments to its customers and the communities in which it operates.
“We’ve got an unwavering focus on three key areas,” John says. “The quality of the linen and uniforms we provide, ensuring our customers receive what they order every time, and both of these complemented with great customer service.”
Average fuel consumption for the Scanias i the eet h s impr e t m itre
CHILL LICENCE TO
CHILL
The food service industry relies upon wholesalers with good transport connections in order to provide their own customers with the products they require.
A pair of Hino 300 Series Hybrid Electric refrigerated trucks.
Based in Bundaberg on the Queensland coast, Rum City Foods is a locally owned and family-operated food service wholesaler, which was established in 1978 by then newlyweds, Kelvin and Glenda McIntyre. What began as a modest milk run today has grown to become the Wide Bay Region’s leading full food service provider stocking an astonishing 8,500 products including chilled, frozen and fresh foods, as well as dry foods, beverages, and packaging and cleaning supplies. Most of the company’s clients can be described as businesses which provide food service including clubs, pubs, cafés, and restaurants, hospitals, sporting organisations, schools and the mining industry.
Now in the hands of the family’s next generation, Rum City Foods is currently managed by Kelvin and Glenda’s son Scott McIntyre, with his brother-inlaw Colin Frohloff in the position of warehousing and logistics manager. Scott and Colin are supported by the company’s 100 employees.
Rum City Foods operates its own eet of around 50 trucks, the majority being from Hino, and includes three B-doubles with Volvo FH16 prime movers and the original Kenworth K104 B-double prime mover kept as a backup. Rum City Foods now has its
own facility in Brisbane from where its buyers source the freshest produce and the B-doubles perform linehaul duties between Brisbane and the company’s depots located in Bundaberg, Maryborough and Gladstone. From these facilities the rigid trucks deliver directly to clients throughout the Wide Bay region as far north as Rockhampton, which has a satellite depot and as far west as Emerald in the Queensland Central Highlands region.
The Hino trucks are spread across the passenger-licence 300 Series up to 14-pallet Hino Wide Cab 500 Series models.
The rigid trucks are equipped with Scully RSV bodies and ThermoKing refrigeration units and Scott has no issues supporting the decision to stick with these complementary brands.
“I know the product, I trust the product, they’ve got long-term staff, and they know our business,” Scott says. “They’ve got a full hire facility if we have a breakdown, or when we pick up a new contract and need additional trucks. They’re there every minute of every day for me so I don’t look sideways. It doesn’t come down to price, it comes down to service.”
Hino trucks feature Hino SmartSafe which is a comprehensive safety package with advanced driver-assist
technology providing an active focus on protecting all road users including pedestrians and includes Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Pedestrian Detection (PD), Safety Eye (SE) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS).
“The larger trucks do the most distance, so we might keep them for seven or eight years,” says Scott. “If the body is still in good condition and the fridge motor is in good condition, we might put a new cab chassis under it. Or vice versa: if the truck is in good nick but the body has had a hard run, we’ll change them over. We try to drag them out as long as possible and we probably start looking at getting rid of them at 800 or 900 thousand kilometres.”
All of the servicing for diesel vehicles, refrigeration, and electrical equipment is carried out by trusted regular contractors. Recent additions to the Rum City Foods eet are two Hino Hybrid trucks which were acquired after Scott had some conversations with the team at the local Sci-Fleet Hino dealership who put forward some ideas involving the innovative Hybrid Diesel Electric which utilises an electric motor and a diesel engine operating in parallel, intelligently switching between
the two or a combination of both driving through an automated manual transmission.
“We got into fresh fruit and vegetables which was the latest avenue for our business, and we put gas ripening rooms in to ripen avocados and bananas,” says Scott. “I thought of a marketing campaign along the lines of ‘fresher produce, greener deliveries’ and as a result we ordered the two Hino Hybrids.”
The Hino Hybrid’s maximum torque is generated at comparatively low engine speed of just 1,200rpm which minimises diesel fuel consumption and results in lower carbon emissions.
According to Scott’s records, the Hybrids average 17.5 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, which represents an average fuel saving of a worthwhile 26 per cent compared with equivalent diesel-only vehicles performing similar work. The engine idle stop system switches off the diesel engine when the truck comes to a stop with the brake pedal applied, saving unnecessary fuel use. There is no conventional starter motor; and the Hybrid uses the electric drive motor to restart the diesel engine when the brake pedal is released.
“We’re happy with them,” says Scott. “They take a bit of getting used to with the diesel engine stopping and starting, so we have dedicated drivers for each of them. They are brilliant for around town, and they work all day every day, mainly for our fruit and veg division.”
Bundaberg is the main hub for Rum City Foods and holds around 80 per cent of the stocked items. Ordered items are picked, packed and loaded onto the company’s rigid trucks for deliveries to the customers. Beverages are an important part of the business mix and Rum City Foods services more than 200 soft drink refrigerators in the marketplace.
Clients can use the online ordering system which, depending on the time of day the order is submitted, typically results in same or next day deliveries.
For the past year Rum City Foods has been developing a fully managed warehouse system, with full scan in and scan out of all goods and incorporating sign on glass proofs of delivery.
“It’s part of the plan to go paperless,” says Scott. “It’s been 12 months in the making and de nitely drives ef ciencies because we’re scanning in the stock so its live straight into
the system and cuts human error. We know exactly what stock is in which depot and we can manage the pickers and weights with extreme accuracy. It features voice picking as the computer tells them what to do, where to go, when to stop, and what product to scan. It will also tell them if they’ve scanned the wrong product and won’t let them go to the next bin until it’s corrected.”
The system advises warehouse staff with priority lists of which stock needs to be replenished so pickers aren’t waiting for stock to be on the shelf.
“It’s an existing product but we’ve done a lot of work to customise it to what we require,” adds Scott. “It’s taken 12 months but will be well worth it.”
Throughout its areas of operation
Rum City Foods is able to provide similar levels of reliability and scale as a national food services distributor in combination with the personal connection and community focus possible with a local supplier.
Customer service is further enhanced through the in-house logistics functions which extend across linehaul, storage, picking and nal delivery transport.
Scully RSV insulated body with ThermoKing refrigeration unit.
EFFECTS SIDE
Well into its fth decade, Dionysius Transport is a specialty Brisbane business with expertise in sideloaders and container logistics.
Originally conceived with the timber industry in mind, today sideloaders are commonplace at container parks and in landside operations. Engine hours for sideloader tasks are high intensity. Trucks must idle for large periods and movements, when they occur, are short and sharp usually close-by or within the con nes
of an inner metropolitan area. That operational precinct for Dionysius Transport is in and around the Port of Brisbane where Beven Dionysius has helmed the business for the better part of 40 years. Working out of the suburb of Morningside, the company also runs a 20,000m2 warehouse where they unpack and pack exports, imports and redeliver on Tautliners albeit these represent less
than 20 per cent of the eet. Sideloader transport is the main remit of the business, which along with its 30 trucks, includes two reachstackers that unload containers 24 hours a day.
While Beven’s vehicles don’t amass high kilometres, averaging, at most, 200,000kms a year, the duty cycle is punishing and during the formative years of the business a host of different
vehicles were trialled before he safely arrived at the DAF CF as the truck platform best suited to the challenges of his operations.
“We’re not going to tick up what they do on Outback Truckers. Some of those guys do 5,000 kilometres a week. That’s a lot,” he tells Prime Mover. “If we do 250kms in a day, for instance with a couple of trips to Rocklea, that is on the higher side. But it’s more the hours in the truck than the travel.”
End of life for a vehicle will often only equate to 450,000 kilometres. There is, however, 900 idle hours attached to that nal gure. The truck, put another way, is effectively always on. Over the years Beven has encountered trouble with overheated drivelines and AdBlue
Images: PACCAR Australia.
Beven Dionysius with long-time driver Steve Gardener.
DAF CF530 in Brisbane.
engine derating. This informs his eet management.
“DAF are the go-to vehicle for me because they are so reliable,” he says. “They don’t breakdown with turbos or engines. Aside from an air valve here and there that can need replacing overall for me they are very reliable.”
DAF as a dependable force in the eet dictates subsequent loyalty. The rst DAF was introduced into the business 20 years ago — a 460hp DAF CF95 with a ZF gearbox.
“When they eventually went to automated gearboxes it worked out better for me,” says Beven. “I wouldn’t have a gearstick in my eet for the quality of driver now. We don’t have the old school drivers anymore who can change gears. We don’t have clutches anymore. I’ve seen too many clutch brakes wrecked. Now they’ve got the AMTs in them and that’s money saved for me.”
Dionysius Transport has 16 DAFs in the eet along with six Mercedes-Benz prime movers, three Macks, and a Kenworth. A eet big enough to give him ‘a headache’ Beven jokes. An inhouse workshop with two full
time mechanics is equipped with truck lifts. They service the DAFs every 25,000 kilometres. The Mercedes-Benz are done at 30,000kms.
“My mechanics are pretty good and we do our own tyres and services. There’s no use skipping a service. As soon as you don’t x something or look after something you’re going to have a problem,” says Beven. “And normally that problem will occur halfway down to the Gold Coast or on the other side of Toowoomba or somewhere a long way away. There’s no use in not servicing vehicles. That’s where you make your money.”
Beven also has a welder on call. For anything the workshop is unable to x they will revert to the Brown and Hurley dealership and point of call, sales manager Mark Holden. As soon as the trucks get to ve years old Beven trades them in as part of his eet protocol. This accounts for R&M and depreciation.
Around the port precinct the eet also runs four A-doubles spearheaded by Euro 6 compliant DAF CF530s in addition to an eight-wheeler Super dog and a six-wheeler single dog.
These combinations are primarily used for dropping or picking up empty containers with the occasional light TEU thrown in. The single dog handles up to eight tonnes while the eightwheeler has a payload of 15 tonne.
“They’re very versatile, sometimes they’re better than a semi because you can get in and out of places with greater ease,” says Beven. “It’s a lot like having a motor car rather than having a trailer jackknife trying to get it into a place. But if you’ve got a 40 or a heavy box you’ve got to use a big lifter.”
The unit is hooked up with hydraulics and a PTO. Lifters run off the hydraulics for a vast improvement in tare weight via use of a power pack. By doing away with the petrol motor there is no need for a battery which alleviates downtime for servicing and having to buy replacement motors.
“You just click your PTO into gear and that runs the hydraulics and you clip onto your container pins and they’ll lift them like a forklift and put them on the ground,” says Beven. “But you’ve got to unplug if you want to take it off the truck because the sixth wheel has got a tray on it. I can use it for pallets.
Beven Dionysius.
Its versatile. You can use it for anything. You can use it for a at container. Or you can use it for a sideloader. We just unplug all the hydraulics and electronics, by taking it off to the side with a forklift and away you go.”
Brown and Hurley Yatala tted the hydraulics on the 8x4 before Hammar married it up connecting all the hoses to the PTO ahead of ensuring it was running smoothly. The eight-wheeler, which is only four months old, is also a DAF.
“DAF is the go-to for that 8x4 axle con guration,” adds Beven. “The visibility to see out of them is rst class, the turning circle second-to-none. I had one of my drivers trading up and he said to me, ‘can you get me a day cab DAF?’ That’s how much he liked it. They pull well. They’ve got the 530s in them. We originally had the 460hp engine, so they’ve stepped up the horsepower a little bit for our spec. I recommend it to anyone. The service kit is well priced. Pricewise they are competitive.”
That said, there are four prime movers with sleeper cabs to run linehaul in the eet.
“The competitive side of the transport industry means if you need to bring something up then you need to bring something back for any serious distance,” Beven explains. “I’ve been down to Melbourne a couple of times in DAFs to pick up trailers from CIMC over the years. We’ve bought 15 or 20 brand new trailers from them. You’d come back and you wouldn’t feel as if you’d been away. If you get out of a bonneted truck on that trip it ogs you around like you’re a pea in a bottle.”
While Dionysius Transport is into its fth decade as a carrier, sideloading is, by comparison, relatively new in the business with the rst Steelbro sideloader introduced just over 20 years ago. Initially, it was a boon for the business. But once the initial excitement wore off Beven realised in order to adequately service his customers he needed another. “I would take a box to Brendale and
the next minute you had to pick up a box from Yatala and then have to go to Carroll Park and come back via Rocklea,” recalls Beven. “It was a matter of resources. Having the one sideloader wasn’t enough to meet the demand so I bought two. But it was another case of picking up more work but not being able to cover it all around Brisbane. So, I added a third and a fourth. I just kept going.”
That’s how a business model changes, gradually and then suddenly. Beven, by way of backstory, began life as a driver for someone with ve trucks who carted toilet paper for Bowater-Scott. When the opportunity arose for Beven to buy one of the trucks, he jumped at it purchasing an IVECO 1810 ACCO with a trailer in partnership with another driver. Beven ended up with outright ownership. Through a year of hard labour, he kept the work coming in for the vehicle, attracting new contracts with it. From one truck he went to two. Two soon became three. Three became four. By the time he had ve trucks he was forced to move out of the acre he had in Heritage Park because there were too many vehicles to the displeasure of his neighbours. From there he moved to Hennant and eventually to where he has been stationed for the last 12 years. But a major turning point occurred when a rival brought in a sideloader from New Zealand, taking some of Beven’s work. It was pretext enough for his initial investment in that rst sideloader.
“The business evolved with the environment,” says Beven. “One thing suddenly becomes another.”
Dionysius Transport eventually bought its rst Hammar sideloader. So impressed with it that’s now all Beven opts to run in the eet.
A record volume of 1.62 million TEUs was handled through the Port of Brisbane for the last nancial year. It’s a 7.8 per cent increase in total tonnage to 34.9 million tonnes of trade on the year prior. Those numbers can’t but help change dynamics in the container cartage sector. Competition
is now more cutthroat. One of the inherent challenges for the business is to resist new entrants and the international shipping conglomerates that have begun to offer door-to-door services, often by way of outsourcing to subcontractors with little to no experience willing to undercut by signi cant margins.
“They can offer a service to your door in which they pick up their container on the truck, pack the container, put it on their ship, send it to Australia and then have their brokers clear it and have their truck pick it up and deliver it direct to the destination and then have one of their trucks take it back and dehire it,” says Beven. “By doing this they’re cutting out the transport brokers. A container from America to Australia can be done for say $5,000 and they’ll say they can do it for $3,000. They own everything on the chain. That’s effecting us as well.”
But with trillions of dollars in backing behind them, the shipping conglomerates, without complete oversight on the chain, are just as vulnerable to the weakest links.
In one such case Beven lost a contract to one of these shipping powerhouses. But in less than 12 months they had it back. Nearly half a century of dedicated service brings with it invaluable experience and expertise. That makes Dionysius Transport one of the ends in the end-to-end services often talked about in supply chains. But if the “middle can’t hold” as TS Elliott famously once reminded us, those ends will have no anchor points.
“Nowadays, you’ve got to try and be competitive with the rest of the world. When you quote on a job it usually comes down to the last ve dollars that wins or loses it in this day and age,” says Beven. “I try to be loyal to the people I deal with and you like for it to be reciprocated. Some days it does feel like there are more hurdles and red tape to get through.”
He quips, “But it is what it is I suppose. In the end I was the one who created this bloody monster.”
PARTNERSHIPS POWER OF
JR Equipment is a B2B specialist that builds concrete pump trucks. In just over four years it has emerged as a leader in the southeast Queensland market.
Partnerships formed long ago can lay the foundations for future enterprises not yet conceived at the time. This is ultimately the origin story of JR Equipment, a body builder on the Gold Coast, that has since 2020, risen to prominence as a proli c supplier in the concrete segment.
James Rule is its owner. As the Australian distributor of Hyundai Everdigm, JR Equipment builds a range of concrete pump trucks for the
commercial business sector. At present it orders approximately 20 trucks from Brown and Hurley, one of the key partnerships it counts on, annually.
Good going for a business that was founded during lockdowns when it was left to acquire its initial of ce furniture on Facebook marketplace and leave money in mailboxes.
“We started off working on the oor, building pumps, the three of us in a tiny little shed,” recalls James.
“Now we’ve got a nice setup and 14 employees.”
The setup is in Stapleton, merely a kilometre from the Brown and Hurley Yatala dealership. That’s important because as James puts it, a truck is a tool for JR Equipment to sell the pump.
“Trucks are a big part of what we do,” he says. “If you don’t have trucks, you can’t sell pumps. Brown and Hurley helped grandfather all the deals that I had prior to launching the business.”
What came ‘prior’ is involved. In sum, James, a quali ed auto electrician
PARTNERSHIPS
and second-class welder, worked on concrete pumps in the United Kingdom before moving back to Australia. He had stints in civil mining and fuel services in Western Australia and worked with John Holland in Sydney. He eventually found his way back to concrete pumps in Brisbane at a business he oversaw operations before striking out on his own. Despite having a healthy customer base to work from, supply chain shortages made getting trucks a challenge. His second truck order, an 8x4 DAF CF530, which was on a ship he was tracking online to
Brisbane, didn’t stop as it was supposed to just as he had a half million-dollar concrete pump sitting in his driveway.
“You don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel when you start a new business and you’re trying to impress everyone,” James says. “There’s immense pressure to make a good impression straight out of the box and when the truck doesn’t land in port and you can’t get paid for the pump because you’ve got no truck that makes it tough.”
Another shipment of DAF trucks was unloaded in Singapore and shunted back. It went on for three and a half months. Paul Hurley was still at Brown and Hurley at the time and current Dealer Principal Bruce Barnes, was James’ former sales manager.
“Even though we were a tiny out t back then they were big supporters, helping with PACCAR and they could see the potential of what we were going to be,” says James.
JR Equipment is predisposed to a speci cation for its 8x4s and DAF happens to provide a highly compatible one for concrete pumps with its standard reduction hubs, heavy axles, heavy springs. All of it counts when it comes to modi cations to the chassis which are conveniently minimal for someone looking to move
things around when tting a 42-metre extendable product. Incidentally, the 42-metre pump, according to James, is the most common pump they build with.
“Whereas, the model before that, they had to do a lot of modi cations inhouse before we could touch it,” he says. “DAF is being really proactive in designing the truck for the speci c concrete pump.”
JR Equipment will preorder pumps and trucks to create a package for customers. Usually, the pump arrives rst. It will be ordered in a speci c colour depending on the company it is destined for. Then JR Equipment will marry it all up to an approved build for the end-user. It can take up to four months to put together a package. They do smaller 30-metre booms on 6x4 Isuzus having an equally strong partnership at Isuzu Burpengary where Dealer Principal David Windsor has also been a pivotal long-time ally. In boom pump parlance, the numbers refer to vertical reach. A 51 will go on an 8x4. JR Equipment can legally get 39 tonnes on that con guration as it falls under the SPV classi cation in Queensland. Maximum allowance weights are generally permitted. The Isuzu trucks are usually married up with line pumps which work from
DAF CF550 with a 33-metre ZX Everdigm pump.
A low opening height under six-metres makes the 33 ZZ ideal for low awnings.
exible hoses on a trailer on the ground. Otherwise, JR Equipment offers 20-metre pumps right through to 51-metre boom pumps and are presently moving into the “big boy” category such as 56- and 61-metre booms which will go on special combinations like 10x4s and 12x4s. These booms are common on big projects and usually provide the groundwork on high rise buildings and the rst few levels before the operator needs to change to a satellite boom. Anything at or over 51-metres represents an engineering challenge as the boom will be negated by long overhangs and necessitate maximum weight. Absent that, they push the boundaries.
“Everything has to be 100 per cent spot on and made the same every single time,” says James. “It’s a big achievement to do them. Everyone is
The metre fi r ti h s the smallest front footprint.
m fi r ti r e ter i is compact, ideal for entry level commercial.
out for more output and bigger booms.” Booms, on this front, have gotten heavier to increase stability. But in doing so designers have needed to remove weight from somewhere.
Everdigm, according to James, found a clever solution he likes by shortening the chassis of the pump in order to facilitate a more stable boom giving the builder an extra 200 kilograms to play with. This new style product is called an external link boom.
The 42-metre boom is, however, the bread and butter of the business. Being that it has the smallest front footprint factoring in the spread of the four big outriggers when opened up.
“The biggest selling point on ours is the footprint is only 6.3-metres across the
front from outrigger to outrigger,” explains James. “It’s not much at all. That makes it the smallest in the whole industry on a 42-metre.”
Once vertical, operators still need to make a horizontal reach. The smaller the footprint, the better the access. Otherwise, they will require a bigger boom which brings additional costs. The higher you go the more significant they become.
“With a 42 we can get a bit closer and therefore it makes our boom a lot more versatile,” adds James.
“To go from a 42 to a 47 is a major jump in costs just for five additional metres.”
This 42-metre product is always packaged with a DAF truck.
“It’s the best combination hands down,” says James, referring more precisely to an 8x4 CF530. “It comes in at 32.5 tonne on an 8x4 with a 39-tonne GVM. It’s not heavy. It’s not overloaded. You haven’t got a lot of weight on the front. Your weight distribution is very good on it. You don’t have to modify anything. It basically bolts straight on without many modi cations at all. For us, it’s one of the best builds that we do. Everyone loves them.”
This is, in James’ view, also why the DAF CF is the most wanted in Australia in the segment.
He adds, “If you look online for trucks every second big model from a midsize pump upwards is sold on a DAF.”
Images: JR Equipment.
Euro 6 DAF CF530 8x4 is the go-to for 42-metre boom builds.
GOLDEN YEARS
Resources eet McMahon Burnett has bolstered its linehaul division by adding three new Kenworth T610SARs for its demanding operations in Western Australia.
Anew transmission was to be trialled. In this case it would be the 18-speed Eaton Endurant transmission. CJD sales manager Jesse Glassock had the product ready to test run for McMahon Burnett Operations Manager Donny Manolini, who had made according to eet history, the uncharacteristic request.
There are 60 trucks in the McMahon Burnett eet with 20 prime movers working in the linehaul division, all of which have been, until now, equipped with 18-speed manual gearboxes.
“He gave it a pretty good wrap, and we liked what we saw,” Manolini says of Jesse and the new Kenworth T610SARs which would become the very rst units of the model in the business
— a business very much historically aligned with the Mack Super-Liner and Kenworth T909. All that was set to change.
Powered by a Cummins ISX 550 15-litre, in-line, 6-cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine, these new trucks are triple roadtrain-rated at 120-tonnes and will cover an estimated 5,000 kilometres a week.
“All of our trucks are rated at 550 horsepower,” says Donny. “We think that’s more than enough for what we do.”
Based in Hazelmere near Perth, McMahon Burnett carries “anything and everything” in Donny’s words.
That includes general freight, food, dangerous goods, chemicals, machinery, steel works, cement, lime and oversize gear.
The new Kenworth T610SARs feature a 2.1-metre-wide aluminium cab and set forward front axle Manolini was keen to get accustomed to.
“Kenworth has a bloody good name but you’re always nervous when you’re set to introduce a new product given there’s always certain unknowns,” he says.
“That’s what we’re trying to eliminate as operators. But we are con dent the Kenworth name will shine through.”
Part of that apprehension derives from the extensive haulage the eet is required to perform on unsealed roads.
“We do a lot of dirt work out to mine sites, some of it 300 kilometres of dirt one way,” explains Donny. “In the past we have largely avoided having trucks primed with electronics because of the
GOLDEN
moisture and dust we encounter. Electronics and dirt really don’t go hand in hand.”
He adds, “But we’ve got high hopes with these new trucks.”
This is evident just by looking at them. Lights adorn the tanks, rear wings and also the air cleaners.
Two extra toolboxes have been bolted on behind the cab. The cab has an Icepack to keep the bunk cool for drivers especially over the summer period.
There’s a fabricated section on the front of the mudguards that holds a cheater bar and a crowbar.
“It’s a spot to put longer tools and we get away from having to store unwieldy items, which are very necessary, in the cab that can rattle around,” says Donny.
“There’s a big channel where Rob from RNA Fabrications laser cut it out and he lines it with rubber for longer tools. It works quite well, and we put it on all of our trucks. A few of his customers have seen it over the years and asked him to do it as well.”
RNA Fabrications, what’s more, are hired to provide touts like these on all the new trucks in the eet.
“I like to think they’re the best in Western Australia. Rob Evangelista over here does a magni cent job,” says Donny. “We tend to dress them up a little bit to make the drivers happy.
Kenworth is quick in getting them out of the factory and over here.”
McMahon & Burnett also paint the tanks and bullbar. The bullbar is spec’d with fold down roadtrain and oversize signs so no rag signs need to be tied on. Finally, sign-writing with detailed scroll work helps the trucks look the part.
The whole process from order to build and customisations is only six months.
“It’s more the tout among the different parties for those ner details that adds to the time,” says Donny. “The extra lights and wiring and the sleeper air, it all adds up.”
Trucks in the eet are not designated the same runs. Their tasks will vary subject to scheduling that week. To wit, two-up work is not part of the business model. “Our trucks will all move about. We don’t restrict trucks to one run. It’s all single driver work,” says Donny. “Drivers will drive to their legal fatigue hours.”
The longest run is approximately 1500 kilometres one way. McMahon Burnett dispatches up to seven trucks a week to Onslow, a coastal town in the Pilbara.
The eet is a known active presence in the Western Australian Gold elds region servicing gold mines in Kalgoorlie, Leonora, Laverton, Leinster and Wiluna.
“They’re all very busy at the moment with the current price of gold,” says Donny. “The price is up so they are spending. That’s good for us.”
Owner, Santo Guagliardo, began life at the business as a driver. The opportunity came for him to take a stake in the business which he did buying out McMahons before acquiring Burnett Transport a few years later, hence the current company name.
For the last 21 years the company has been headquartered in Hazelmere where they provide trucks for localised contracts.
Donny, who has been with the business 29 years, said its workforce was populated by many long-serving staff.
“A lot of our team have staying power which is good,” he says.
“We don’t seem to have a high turnover like some transport companies.”
Kenworth T610SAR features a unique fabrication for tool storage.
The new trucks are rated to 120-tonnes for triple roadtrain work.
Images: McMahon Burnett.
FLYING WITH
In addition to celebrating its centenary this year, Wettenhalls has received a prestigious technology award through its partnership with JOST.
Image: Wettenhalls.
COLOURS
The story of Wettenhalls is one of longevity. Reginald Amezdroz, who founded the company in 1925 by carrying perishable products for a major western district dairy, can’t have known at the time that a hundred years later it would also be one of rare ed continuity. In this, its centenary year, Wettenhalls, quite remarkably, even now provides transport services for the same dairy in Colac, the small town where it all began. Earlier in the year the company unveiled a commemorative Kenworth T909 combination with heritage livery on a Freighter refrigerated van. That unit serves as a real and present reminder of history in motion, on daily runs currently between Colac and Melbourne.
The company, however, is anything but stuck in the past. Last month it capped off the milestone year with major recognition as the Application of Technology category winner at the Australian Freight Industry Awards (AFIAs). The catalyst was its successful adoption and rollout of JOST’s JSK37 sensor coupling.
Part of JOST’s growing stable of advanced sensors and clear visual indicators, the JSK37 sensor coupling features a sensor that permanently monitors the connection status and incorporates a second sensor to control the position of the kingpin. An additional third sensor monitors the contact locking position and displays it in the driver’s cab.
Wettenhalls, according to Head of Fleet, Marcus Prato, began trialling the JOST technology around nine months ago.
“You always want the driver to get out and physically check the correct coupling but to have that secondary safeguard up on the dash provides an extra layer which is important,” he tells Prime Mover. “Anything that will help
them and guide them with safety the drivers are all for. The ease-of-use and knowing when the dash indicator goes green, they are connected correctly, it gives them peace of mind.”
The JSK37 sensor coupling plugs straight into the truck’s wiring loom. A graphic of a turntable appears on the truck’s dashboard. When the turntable lights up green it indicates to the driver that the fth wheel is successfully locked. Red indicates it is not safe to proceed. The integrated dash display lights up right in front of the driver’s eyes for both convenience and to minimise distraction.
As an advanced solution, it’s a simple to use ready instrument and one that promises to cultivate improved safety protocols incumbent on vital connection processes.
Marcus makes a keen observation. The sensor lock, he notes, also enhances the overall comfort of operating a high productivity spec’d prime mover.
“Along with emergency braking and other safety technology, the sensor lock coupling is an extra layer on top of those now essential functions and overall, our drivers love it,” says Marcus. “After ensuring it was a reliable product we’re wholly satis ed and have made it a standard feature on all prime movers going forward.”
That will include all prime moverbased applications. Wettenhalls have backed the product recognising it as a major safety initiative not only for their eet but for broader commercial use in the industry. There is currently 16 JOST sensor couplings active within the eet with another four on order. JOST offers greaseable and greaseless options in addition to optional lubetronic technology.
Wettenhalls recently deployed ten new prime movers for A-double assignment.
Of these eight are Mercedes-Benz Actros 2653s and two are Scania G560s. The trucks are transporting bulk products across Melbourne. It’s a 24-hour operation, over two shifts, ve days a week.
“They do an awful lot of coupling throughout the day and so it’s really important in an instance like that when you’re coupling trailers and dollies all day long,” says Marcus. “That was going to be our real test case coupling and uncoupling many times a day and it’s performing very well given the conditions.”
Not only is JOST’s sensor coupling roadtrain compliant it’s also suitable for use in the transport of dangerous goods per Australian Design Rules. The sensors on the fth wheel are located in protected zones on non-moving parts. Wettenhalls predominantly runs the JOST JSK37 fth wheel with nylon top across its eet which consists of over 200 trucks. “The nylon top decreases skid plate wear and brings better longevity to the turntable,” says Marcus. “If you wear out your nylon plates, they’re easily interchangeable and away you go again.”
Marcus, who has nearly three decades experience previously working with major OEMs, was present at the AFIAs when Wettenhalls was recognised among its industry peers.
“The award is great recognition for the business especially when you’re trying to push the barrow on safety and innovation,” he says. “It’s a company that turns 100 years this year and we’re not resting on our laurels. We want to be ahead of the curve and constantly pushing innovation and safety-related concepts. Any little extra safeguard that’s available off the shelf that we can utilise we’re happy to embrace it.”
NEED SPEED FOR
Image: Eaton.
Eaton has leveraged its experience and expertise in electrical systems and truck drivelines to develop transmissions speci cally engineered for the exponentially expanding medium- and heavy-duty commercial electric vehicle sectors.
Achallenge for the direct-drive con guration which has been very much the norm in EVs since they became serious contenders during the past few decades, has been the ability to achieve a smooth launch from a stationary position without sacri cing ef ciency at higher speeds such as when driving on the highway. Regardless of the motive power, whether ICE (internal combustion engines) or electric, a heavy vehicle requires a high level of torque at the drive axle when launching from a standstill, or climbing a grade, and even more torque when launching on a grade. In an electric vehicle the rpm will essentially be zero at launch and the main need is for torque. In the opposite situation when cruising at the road’s speed limit, the torque requirement is considerably less, but the rpm is much higher, and the need is for speed. The inclusion of a transmission such as the Heavy Duty EV from Eaton goes a long way towards addressing these situations. The key purpose of the transmission is to best match the available power to the driving situation. So, at launch, the need is for lots of torque but at a low speed, and a low gear ratio will accommodate that, and at road speeds, much less torque is required, but more rpm, and the direct 1:1 ratio top gear achieves this.
The Eaton Heavy Duty EV transmission enables a smooth launch on grades of up to 30 per cent, compared with the approximately 10 per cent grade capability of direct drive electric motors. On grades around three per cent the motor/transmission can hold steady at 95km/h (60mph). With maximum input speeds of 5,000rpm and torque capacities of up to 2,600Nm (1,900 lb/ft) the Eaton Heavy Duty EV transmission can be tailored for a range of electric commercial vehicle applications, motor pairings, and custom shift
calibrations. The standard rating is for up to 43 tonnes GCM, but higher ratings are possible, subject to Eaton application approval.
The HD EV casing is light-weight aluminium and the complete transmission weighs 196kg. Eaton’s Heavy Duty EV transmissions are based on the proven, robust and ef cient twin-counter shaft architecture used in the ubiquitous Eaton RoadRanger gearboxes and typical of modern automated manual transmissions such as the Eaton Endurant. Shifting is managed by an integrated electric actuation system and an electronic Transmission Control Unit. Eaton produces EV speci c mediumduty transmissions with four- and six-speeds, and a four-speed for Heavy Duty applications which also incorporates provision for a rear mount PTO.
The reason for a four-speed and not a two, or even an 18-speed, is in line with the ideal rpm range of the electric motor being used. A typical heavy duty diesel engine might operate best between 1,200rpm and 1,600rpm. Below 1,200rpm, available power will fall, and above 1,600rpm, fuel ef ciency will decrease. Therefore, the working range of a diesel is about 400rpm and to adapt that working range to a commercial vehicle might require 12 or more gears to provide the right balance of torque and speed in all road conditions.
Contrast that to an electric motor which typically can operate between 1,000rpm and 3,000rpm with high ef ciency and having 2,000rpm of effective working range means four gears are generally enough to match the wider working range to all road conditions.
A two-speed transmission might limit driveline torque too much, and limiting the operating grade (failure to
launch on a steep hill) or it might limit the maximum road speed. Having two gears spaced a long way apart would create a big gap which will mean a very large step in available torque or speed and that might mean it is not possible to nd the right balance between torque and speed for some load and road conditions. The ratio increments of the four-speed are attuned to match the typical torque curve of the electric motor and the ratios are optimised to deliver maximum gradeability, acceleration and smoothness. When accelerating, the motor’s torque falls as motor rpm rises and upon an up change, the transmission torque multiplication falls, but the motor rpm is reduced after the gear change, so motor torque rises again. The reduced torque multiplication of the transmission is almost perfectly matched to the increased torque delivered by the motor, which will make the gear change feel almost seamless to the driver.
The effective amount of torque available drops progressively as the vehicle speed builds which provides a very smooth sensation of acceleration and the upshifts are almost imperceptible.
The transmission’s electronics also control the down shifting strategy to deliver optimum regeneration to recharge the battery and also deliver a better engine braking effect due to the matching of the motor speed with road speed.
Leveraging decades of experience designing and building industryleading commercial vehicle transmissions, combined with extensive electrical system knowledge, Eaton’s portfolio of purpose-built EV transmissions offers ef cient and exible solutions to improve performance for medium- and heavyduty electric trucks and buses.
HIGH MOUNTAIN
Energy projects in the Snowy Mountains high country require an innovative approach to delivering concrete.
Brennan’s Earthmoving has been operating from the Snowy Mountains town of Tumbarumba for over 40 years. Established by Danny Brennan, the business was acquired by Goulburn’s Divall Group in July 2023 and has since seen signi cant investment in facilities and equipment including a new concrete batching plant.
The nature of the local environment and the climate presents some unique
challenges, something which Brennan’s manager Pat Wilesmith is very aware of after spending a decade with the operation.
“Winter is quieter here because it snows and rains,” says Pat. “Rain is the biggest challenge, not snow. We check the weather forecasts and move equipment and people to where they can work.
In winter we might struggle for three months from June to August and we aim to have major jobs complete by Easter.”
Many of those jobs involve making and maintaining all-weather roads through the forests which cover much of the surrounding area. Brennan’s also undertakes a lot of local government work such as drainage. Other projects Brennan’s has worked on include the Tumbarumba Rail Trail which repurposed the bed of a disused railway track to suit cyclists and walkers as a method to attract tourists during the warmer months.
IVECO T-Way 6x6.
Brennan’s was working on that very project when devastating bush res broke out in 2020. Homes, infrastructure and forest assets were destroyed but the outcome could have been much worse without the speedy response from local earthmovers including Brennan’s which deployed their plant and machinery such as bulldozers to clear rebreaks in an effort to stop the ames and minimise damage.
The recent expansion of the Brennan’s operations has been good for the town as the staff numbers have grown from 15 to currently 32 locals employed, plus some contractors. As the business has grown, of ce manager Sarah Kirton and her team have been instrumental in having the of ce area triple in size and it now includes modern staff facilities. Outside are large areas of concrete hardstand.
The eet has grown in numbers and
modernisation, with a number of former Divall’s units including three 8-wheeler Kenworth agitators and three Kenworth T409 tipper-dog combinations replacing some vehicles such as older T600s. By running under PBS the trailers are capable of 38 tonnes instead of the standard 32 tonnes.
“The four-axle dog set up suits us particularly when tipping road base on forestry roads,” says Pat. “The quad dog is about the limit to be able to tip gravel uphill and downhill.”
The trucks require bullbars, not just for errant livestock and native wildlife, but also because of the wild brumbies and feral deer which can be encountered on roads in the Snowy Mountains.
On forest blocks which have never been logged the Brennan’s team will initially push a road through with Caterpillar D8 bulldozers, then install drainage pits with an excavator, and
Brake checks are required every week for new drivers in the team.
then nally spread the trucked-in gravel with a grader. Most of the original forest roads were constructed to suit single semi-trailers, but with B-doubles now becoming the industry standard, constructing loading bays nine metres wide and big turnaround areas is required.
Much of the rock comes from a quarry near the hamlet of Tooma, locally renowned for its charming pub and community-minded cricket team, and is located deeper into the Snowy about 35 kilometres south of Tumbarumba.
A new and larger replacement crushing plant is being installed to increase capacity as demand for the products ramps up. Around 10,000 tonnes of road base have been delivered to Cabramurra which is the highest town in Australia.
A member of TruckSafe, Brennan’s has its own well-equipped workshop and the team of four mechanics maintain and service the trucks and equipment. A brake tester is being installed because service and engine brakes are even more important than usual in light of the many long and steep grades found on the mountain roads. Cooling system capabilities are important as well due to the extended periods a truck is required to ‘lug’ while negotiating the many long uphill grades in the region. The tippers are serviced every fortnight, which is around 5,000 kilometres, with the agitators serviced on the alternate week.
Trucks being driven by drivers who have recently joined the team have their brakes checked every week, and an experienced driver accompanies new drivers to check their brake use and their general driving abilities.
Following a conversation, which Andy Divall and Pat Wilesmith had with IVECO executives at the Brisbane Truck Show, it was decided to acquire some all-wheel drive agitator trucks and since their arrival the IVECO T-Way’s have impressed with their performance and their driver comfort.
“They’re a really good thing,” says Pat. “They deliver the con dence
they’ll climb anywhere, and we’ve trained drivers so we can move them between depots.”
The two IVECO 6x6 T-Ways are equipped with four cubic metre Davcron agitator barrels and are shared between the Tumbarumba operation and the Concrete-4Goulburn business which is also a part of the Divall’s group. Featuring 450hp 13.0-litre Cursor engines, the T-Ways are proving to be successful in ful lling the specialised requirements associated with constructing the tower bases for the high voltage electrical transmission lines being constructed between the Snowy 2.0 project and connecting to the main grid near Goulburn. There can be up to 40 cubic metres of concrete in one pier hole and delivering to some of the more remote locations is further challenged by the steep, and often slippery, terrain. In some instances the concrete is delivered as close to a job site as possible using an 8-wheeler agitator, and the mix is then transferred to one
The T it t rs re fitte with r cubic metre Davcron barrels.
of the IVECO T-Ways which, with its all-wheel drive capabilities, is able to deliver the concrete mix to the nal destination. Distances for deliveries and ambient temperatures dictate that special mixes are required for some batches of concrete.
“Going to Khancoban or Tom Groggin near Thredbo, you put it to ‘sleep’ and suspend the mix’s chemical reaction which keeps it at the same ‘slump’, then we just put in another additive to wake it up,” says Pat.
Extensive trials have been carried out keeping concrete in an agitator for up
to three hours to replicate the delivery times to the remotest locations, with the mix being tested every hour by taking a barrowful out and testing how ‘wet’ it is.
While it is still early days in the power line project, the IVECO T-Ways have already proved their capabilities.
“We did a wind farm job and they couldn’t get in with 6x4s, but we got the 6wd trucks in like a breeze,” says Pat
For this particular job Brennan’s involvement was purely to provide the transport function and a separate party provided the concrete.
“There was not any other option,” says Pat. “We saved them a lot of worry about how they were going to do it. The IVECO T-Ways will be based in Lobs Hole for much of this summer performing the delivery of concrete for the transmission tower pads, taking the concrete from the Snowy 2.0 tunnel’s batch plant.
There are many synergies already being realised by Brennan’s becoming a part of the overall Divall’s operation, not least of all by delivering excellent results for people and equipment operating in very challenging situations.
Kenworth T409 truck and dog.
BIG HOW DONE THINGS GET
The ambitious
undertaking
of Viva Energy’s hydrogen hub in Geelong is a story in itself.
After four years in the planning and building, the $61 million Viva Energy Hub was of cially opened in July, bringing Australia, if not the world, its rst service station to offer both diesel and hydrogen heavy vehicle refuelling side by side. Since 2018, Project Coordinator Sandra Lau, has looked at alternative fuels and new energies that were non-hydrocarbon based for the business to understand how it might play a bigger role in these future markets.
“When we looked at the annual transport emissions within Australia, while there was a lot of focus on the light vehicle sector, our business needed to decarbonise across all sectors,” she says.
“We supply long haul transport, aviation and agriculture and here the battery electric solution looked less viable.”
The decision was subsequently made to pursue a range of new technologies for its customers. Hydrogen being an energy source Viva Energy was strongly placed to deliver safely, reliably and in a commercially viable manner, it was soon considered a prominent area that played to the business’ natural strengths.
The hydrogen hub project was conceived in 2021 as part of this multi-pronged foray into zero and low emissions fuels and products.
Embarking on such an ambitious project, of course, comes with challenges. The crucial initial development period was mired in supply chain disruptions heavily impacted by COVID. Most of the equipment orders that were placed mid 2022, were caught up in a number of worldwide material shortages and shipping delays recalls Sandra.
“As we were a rst of a kind project in Australia, and with no solutions to our speci cation tried and tested in the Australian market, we had a number of compliance and engineering challenges to resolve throughout the design process to ensure a t-for-purpose installation,” says Sandra. “Vehicle risk in knowing for sure that we would have offtake to justify an infrastructure investment, was always the highest risk element to the project.”
Understanding which vehicle OEMs were coming to Australia, by when, what model vehicle and at what price was all up in the air in 2021 when Viva
Images: Viva Energy.
Hydrogen pipes getting delivered and ready for installation at the Geelong facility.
ser es the fi i e
r
Viva Energy’s hydrogen vehicles.
began to design the project. There were, to say nothing of, several other roadblocks for Sandra and her team to encounter.
Australian standard compliance of the hydrogen equipment, for example, was a major challenge.
“We are fortunate to have inhouse strength of engineering and technical design to have been able to work through this,” says Sandra. “In addition, we were able to leverage our existing relationships with regulators and external stakeholders to nd ways forward that was suitable for all parties.”
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle supply was a continuously moving situation. With the market being in its embryonic stages, there was much uncertainty surrounding the type of vehicles that were available, the timeframe to be Australian Design rules (ADR) ready for roadworthy compliance, which vendors would be able to deliver on time and who was coming to the market and when. This would clearly impact the success of the infrastructure being invested in, as well as whether it would actually be built or not.
There was, however, among the many obstacles and intense planning, a tipping point in which it became apparent the project was transitioning from concept to boots on the ground.
“Excitingly, it was when we received con rmation of grant funding from ARENA that we knew it was becoming a real, nanced project that would involve pouring concrete,” explains Sandra.
The project was eventually funded by the Australian Government’s $34 million investment through Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and a $1 million investment through the Victorian Government’s Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund.
The site, located in Corio on the outskirts of Geelong, produces up to 1,000kg of hydrogen per day using a 2.5MW electrolyser — the largest of its kind dedicated to mobility hydrogen production in Australia. Powered by renewable electricity and recycled water, electrolysers utilise electrical energy to separate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
The wait time for this particular electrolyser, ordered during the height of COVID restrictions, was the best part of 20 months with its ocean passage caught up in subsequent supply chain bottlenecks.
Bulk hydrogen while still in its infancy, is sold via tube trailer application, with two deliveries totalling over 300kg already completed.
Keeping hydrogen cool is very important to better control it. Measures across infrastructure design and monitoring the temperature have also been taken. To stabilise hydrogen, it is cooled through two sub 20˚ chillers that are also part of the site design. These chillers are PLC controlled and report digitally back to an overall control system, which monitors the temperature of the infrastructure system. For vehicles, having Infra-Red comms installed improves the refuelling process in which vehicle temperature and pressure to the refuelling system are communicated. In essence, the refuelling system and vehicle systems talk to each other.
The forecourt was designed with a combined canopy that houses both hydrogen and diesel dispensers, allowing for seamless refuelling of different vehicle types according to Sandra.
“This co-location allows for the mirroring of refuelling to what our transport operators are used to today, as well as enabling education and awareness of a hydrogen as a fuel by exposing everyday diesel drivers to what future fuel could look like, and that it can be done safely,” she says.
“Combining hydrogen and diesel under one canopy was a strategic decision to demonstrate integration and ease of use. It reinforces the message that hydrogen can be safely and practically incorporated into existing refuelling infrastructure.”
Aside from setting a precedent in Australia by making hydrogen and diesel both available at the same site, the New Energies Hub offers other advantages to industry. It encourages, for instance, operators to trial hydrogen without needing their own
infrastructure, supports mixed-fuel eets and showcases commercial viability.
This, in theory, assists eet operators to understand the different technologies and what they need to consider as they plan their eet decarbonising says Sandra.
“It also helps build con dence in hydrogen as a scalable and available solution for heavy transport and any other adjacent sectors,” she adds.
The station supports three nozzle types to accommodate various hydrogen vehicles. Hydrogen is dispensed at 350bar and 700bar pressures. The bowser doesn’t release any gas to the area where the vehicle is located under the canopy, but it does vent both hydrogen before lls commence and air as part of a nozzle deicing program post- ll.
“The 700bar customer offer was a scope addition that we added after the project was nanced and had commenced in recognition of changing market dynamics and clearer signals that large heavy vehicles would be coming to Australia at the higher pressure — an offer that we wanted to enable as well,” explains Sanda. “On site and within the plant, we store hydrogen at three different pressure to ensure an optimal refuelling experience for the customer.”
Cleanaway, who Viva Energy already supports with renewable diesel, along with Toll Group, Barwon Water and ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia are the founding project partners.
Viva Energy is currently working on bringing on new partners who will have a need for hydrogen delivered to their depots including for use in hydrogen gas generators. Collaboration opportunities with Deakin University and Kenworth who are running a joint hydrogen truck project in Warrnambool, are also being considered.
“The exibility to refuel at multiple pressures and with different nozzle types allows the station to serve a wide range of vehicles, from buses and waste trucks to prime movers and passenger cars,” says Sandra. “This bene ts eet operators and OEMs trialling hydrogen in real-world conditions. If you bring a vehicle to Australia, we can ll it!”
OFF THE RANK FIRST CAB
Glen Dyer joined IVECO Australia in early 2021, having held executive positions in the commercial sales and nancial services divisions with another prominent European manufacturer, both in the United Kingdom and Australia. Glen was appointed head of IVECO’s Australian and New Zealand operations in January 2024.
Prime Mover: You started your career in banking, so what brought you to trucks?
Glen Dyer: I wanted to be involved with something physical, and I’ve always loved cars. In the UK I got a job with London taxis which was like a different world. Potential drivers go out on a moped for two years solid to get ‘the knowledge’, learning every single street and back alley in London so they know exactly where they are going.
PM: What did you do after that?
GD: I got my passion for trucks when I joined one of Europe’s leading truck
brands in the UK, and in the particular role I had everything we did was solution-based, addressing customer questions like: ‘This truck, how do I make it work for my business?’, ‘How do I make sure it’s cost effective?’, ‘All you need to do is keep me on the road. I’ll pay the bill, you just keep me on the road.’
PM: What brought about the move to Australia?
GD: I was tapped on the shoulder to come to Australia with the nancial services division of that company to help set up some nance products. We
launched the program and packaged up operating leases with repair and maintenance contracts. I went on to head up light commercial retail sales with the same manufacturer in Australia. When I joined, I was told all I need to worry about is not losing the number one market position. So, no pressure! I spent six years there and grew the business pretty well and also retained #1.
PM: What prompted the move to IVECO?
GD: I had a senior contact who I knew very well from my very early days in
Glen Dyer, IVECO Australia CEO.
the country when he was a Dealer Principal, and when he went across to IVECO I was surprised, then six months later I followed him. There were some big decisions being made in terms of the production plant which had been discussed for a while. Although the majority of our vehicles were already produced in Europe, it was a monumental decision to sundown the plant and move remaining production to Europe.
PM: Was the transition from local manufacture to exclusively importing very challenging?
GD: We were pretty lucky, particularly with the engineers at the plant in Madrid, because they were very open to what we wanted to do in terms of product and trying to get everything done down the production line with our speci c ANZ models. They were used to building for Europeans with 90 per cent 4x2 tractor prime movers and all of a sudden they’ve got what would be our standard — heavy haulage, long range fuel tanks, and heavy duty cross members.
PM: Has one of the strengths of IVECO in Australia been good local engineers who have been able to say ‘look, this spec might look silly to you, but this is what we need?’
GD: Absolutely. Steve Allen still works over in Germany. He was quite instrumental for us with ACCO. Effectively we had an Australian engineer who was deeply involved with ACCO when he was here, able to assist in getting across the requirements of the product and help us make sure we got what we needed.
PM: Have local suppliers played a role in the success of ACCO?
GD: The ACCO, even now, has still got some of the core components that have been used in the product for a long time. We still use Australian suppliers for some components of ACCO, because they know the product, and what we require.
PM: Is the S-Way model living up to its potential in the market?
GD: Good Question. We’re really
pleased in terms of rigids which are going really well, whether it be ACCOs or any other of our popular rigid range. In terms of prime movers, moving from X-Way to be right up to date with S-Way, we really see this as our opportunity. What we’ve found are customers who have bought a 460, or have run some 460s, are coming back. In answer to your question, with the market decline we wish we’d sold more but the feedback on the product and the reliability means the outlook for the future is bright.
PM: IVECO unwrapped a new model of the Eurocargo at the Brisbane Truck Show. What are your hopes for the medium-duty sector?
GD: Initially our focus was on core market segments, so we’ve had really good interest and questions from our waste, municipal, and street sweeper customers who we’ve dealt with longterm. That’s given us a very good start, but we’re also looking to expand into some other areas we’ve not been in so much. We’re just nalising a tipper spec and the way that the new model has been recon gured and redesigned inside it has a much nicer feel. We’ve got a very good opportunity to move
into that medium-duty space a little bit more and with the new features it’s going to give us that extra push.
PM: What’s happening with Daily?
GD: In the van space we’ve still got some work to do to get into some of the bigger eets and the key now is to take the product to the next level. We’re very strong in the camper market, almost the ‘go to’ vehicle.
PM: Can IVECO leverage off that?
GD: On the van side the next focus is to actually push into some segments we’ve not really been in. And with cab-chassis, the 7.2-tonne GVM chassis is the only product that anyone can get in that space. It is literally unique. It’s an area where we want to focus because we know a lot of the European cab-chassis tap out at ve and a half tonnes and we know a lot of customers running them are absolutely on the limit with payload.
PM: Exciting times ahead?
GD: The past couple of years have been a bit of a whirlwind for us yet vindicated by the new model range which we are really pleased with, and it’s already been very well received. So de nitely exciting times ahead.
Glen Dyer at an OzHarvest partner event.
Images: IVECO Australia.
INTO THE FIRE
Raylene Dale took a leap of faith when she entered the world of commercial road transport and stuck the landing as Operations and Linehaul Manager for Freight Assist Australia.
Raylene Dale’s plunge into commercial road transport was a long time coming. Like many of those who work in the world of transport and its various spokes, the in uence of transport was strong and felt from the beginning, with her father working on a container ship. This presence in Raylene’s life only continued as both her sister and husband became truck drivers, too.
Despite the early, persistent exposure, Raylene’s early obsession was not with that transport world, but rather cars. “I’ve always had such a passion for cars, for as long as I can remember,” she says. “That passion actually took me into the car industry, where I worked for a very long time.”
For two decades, Raylene explored and mastered the ins and outs of the automotive industry’s different challenges, working in both customer service and operational roles for an assortment of notable car dealerships and service providers. Over the years, it became evident that the mystery that inspired Raylene’s excitement for the sector had dwindled with familiarity. Roads previously untravelled were now well mapped. Raylene needed something new.
“I am 100 per cent someone who needs to be challenged,” she explains. “I need problems to solve and things to go wrong so that I can x them. After spending so much time with cars, I wasn’t really under those pressures anymore so I decided to move.”
Because of her exposure to transport and logistics both in her childhood and adulthood, Raylene didn’t think the move from cars to trucks would be too big of a jump, at least at rst.
“In a certain way, the car industry and transport industry are very similar to each other,” she says. “There’s a shared niche there. It wasn’t hard for my love of cars to turn into a love for trucks.”
Jumping into the world of commercial transport with some applicable skills from her previous career certainly helped, too. Raylene’s very rst role was that of a shortterm team leader and utilized much of the customer service experience that she had developed over the past 20 years.
“I was basically working in customer service for my rst transport role,” she recalls. “It was critical to my development, though. I’m a big believer in implementing customer service into any job. If you know how to do it, you can apply it anywhere — and it needs to be applied everywhere.”
Additionally, the role served as a blueprint for bigger things to come, which Raylene took full advantage of in order to learn the ropes as quickly as she could. It was the perfect opportunity.
“I learned so much in that rst role,”
Raylene adds. “Mainly how transport actually works. The team lead role was very transport-oriented, not just customer-focused, so it was a great introduction into what was a new world for me at the time.”
She soon tackled how to move freight, how to coordinate with oor staff to ensure consignments were moving at a certain time, and a wealth of other nitty
Raylene Dale, Freight Assist Operations Manager.
gritty details surrounding it.
These fundamental lessons were important as she moved up and moved on, inevitably outgrowing the challenges of that rst role leaving a craving for something more. This led her to national transport and logistics service, Freight Assist Australia — a move which gave her the high-octane pressure she was after.
“While I did enjoy my rst role and learn so much, I knew there was so much more in transport that I could experience,” Raylene says. “That role predominantly focused on ooring. Whereas Freight Assist Australia was moving pallets of all shapes and sizes.
“It’s also a family-owned and run operation, and from everything I could see, the company really invested in its staff. I wanted to give it a go and see what I could do there.”
Joining the Freight Assist Australia team nearly four years ago, Raylene rst met with the company owner and director, Dean Wrigley, who helped to manage her great expectations somewhat.
“I told Dean what I wanted to do, what I aspire to, and he told me ‘not a chance’, because I was way too green at the time,” she says. “But over time, opportunities in the business rose as positions became free. Dean mentored me to a place where I was able to take one of them, so I really owe my growth in the business to him.”
This mentorship, along with Raylene’s trademark hard work, has eventuated in her working as an Operations Manager for the transport out t and, more recently, as National Linehaul Manager. “I took on the National Linehaul Manager role in August last year, in conjunction with my current role as an Operations Manager in Melbourne,” she says. “The previous linehaul manager had resigned, and I lled that void while we worked to replace that position more permanently. What I identi ed quickly, however, was that it really made sense for me to ll both roles. From a cost perspective, a customer perspective, an operations perspective. If I knew our business movements out of Melbourne, then I was able to get a better outcome for the business overall.”
With these two roles seemingly going hand-in-hand, Raylene had much ground to cover. Being surrounded by peers with considerably more experience in their respective transport roles, Raylene studied and learned constantly, propelled in part by onthe-job exposure, to become the best at what she was doing. And she’s been loving every minute of it.
“It hasn’t been easy to prove my way in this space with so many knowledgeable people, but any time I didn’t know something then I would do my best to
learn it until I knew it back-to-front,” she says. “The role challenges me daily, hourly sometimes. But I don’t think I’d want it any other way.”
This work seems to have paid off. In her tenure across these two positions, she’s overseen some big wins. As National Linehaul Manager, Raylene speci cally oversaw the successful launch of Freight Assist Australia’s A-double and B-triple range of units onto the company’s transport network, which delivered a range of bene ts.
“The launch of these ranges really helped the business to maximize its units and equipment,” she says.
“Pulling it off was a big task. It was a matter of understanding the equipment, understanding the freight, and working with the oor staff to make sure that each trailer was maximized with what it could carry.”
That also required much effort. It’s the kind of work project that doesn’t lend itself to rest days, but Raylene in her words is “okay with that.”
Much of Raylene’s operational efforts have even extended to transforming and strengthening work culture at Freight Assist Australia, with a particular focus on its drivers.
“I’m also really proud of how we’ve been able to give credit to our drivers,” she says. “I really believe that in this industry, drivers don’t get recognised the way that they should because they spend all their time on the road. But without them, freight doesn’t move.”
The team will send Raylene photos while they’re out on transport runs, and she ampli es these across the company. It’s helped to change the culture within the depot by engaging the relationship between staff.
Freight Assist Australia’s will soon be bracing for the incoming peak season, which Raylene can’t wait for.
“It’s going to be full-speed ahead pretty soon,” she says. “We’ve also got some major clients coming on board, which will be super exciting. The key is to keep our nger on the pulse. Our freight is moving. Our staff are happy. That’s all we can ask for.”
Images: Freight Assist.
One of Freight Assist’s roadtrain rated Kenworth T909s.
ARTSA-I recently held a meeting about about tyre condition management systems that monitor pressure and may also report temperature and alter the pressure. I want to consider the international mandates, the state of this technology, and whether it should be adopted in Australia. Tyres provide the interface between the heavy vehicle and the road. Tyre condition and characteristics are important factors for safe road handling, ride quality and fuel economy. In-cabin monitoring of tyre pressure and temperature is now proven and should be standard equipment on heavy vehicles. The step up to autonomous central tyre in ation is viable and sensible considering the proven bene ts to the operator of managing tyre air pressure to achieve optimum road handling, improved tyre life and to reduce rolling resistance. The new European requirements are based upon UN ECE Regulation 141 Uniform provisions concerning the approval or vehicles with regards to their Tyre Pressure Monitoring (TPMS). The UN ECE regulations are not law. Countries that participate in the UN ECE project, such as Australia, can decide to adopt all or part of the model regulation into its law. The European Union adopted this regulation for new model approvals of commercial motor vehicles and heavy trailers starting in July 2022
Tyre pressure management advantages for Australia
and for all new registrations from July 2024. The requirement is that these heavy vehicles have a functioning Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). That is, a system that alerts the driver via, at least, a warning lamp in the cabin when the air pressure in any tyre on the combination vehicle falls below a present level. The alert, which could be a single warning light, can take up to eight minutes to be given. Higher level systems display and record individual tyre pressures and temperatures. R141 does not require or consider display of tyre temperature. Pressure increases when temperature increases. Overpressure limits need to be set.
Regulation 141 also describes the technical requirements needed for a Tyre Pressure Re ll System (TPRS). The EU did not mandate this feature. The TPRS system must be able to re ll a tyre within 10 minutes of an alert occurring. The air pressure for the tyre may be delivered to the wheel hub internally via the axle or externally. In both cases a pneumatic slip joint is required. The tyre receives the air pressure from the supply point via a short length of tube that is connected to the valve stem. For dual tyres the pressure tube loops between each valve stem. Several European and US axle suppliers can provide TPRS systems that deliver air pressure to the wheel end via a ‘tunnel’ along the centre line of the axle. If the motor vehicle has a TPMS function, it can collect data from the trailer tyres via either the brake CAN data bus or by wireless communication. Tyre pressure monitoring can be an integrated feature of a trailer EBS brake system, in which case the EBS manages the tyre pressure measurement data and communicates it to the motor truck via the brake CAN data bus. If an older trailer has no TPMS then no CAN data is generated from that trailer and the cabin TPMS controller will ignore that trailer. Australia has effectively mandated EBS on new trailers in 2019. The United States has mandated a TPMS
function on light motor vehicles (GVM less than 10,000lb) since 2007. It is known as the ‘Tread Act’ (FMVSS 138) because it was developed in response to a spate of crashes due to tyre tread delamination on a speci c tyre model.
The US TPMS function requires that a visual alert be made to the driver when any single tyre on that vehicle has a pressure less than the present level by 25 per cent or more. US systems exist for the heavy vehicles, but they are unlikely to communicate data via a CAN bus because US manufactured trucks seldom have a brake CAN data bus. The USA systems usually have the form of a pressure sensor that is attached to the wheel valve stem. The pressure measurement is transmitted wirelessly to a collector that in turn communicates with a module in the truck cabin. Such systems can display the individual tyre pressures. TPRS systems are also available from US axle manufacturers for use on heavy trailers.
The US mandate does not apply to heavy motor vehicles or to heavy trailers and is unlikely to in the current political climate. There is also no Japanese mandate for Japanese made trucks. There is much Australian interest in both TPMS and TPRS. The HVIA has developed a discussion paper relevant to TPMS on heavy vehicles, and this was both educational and persuasive. While Australia has a policy of ‘harmonising’ its vehicle regulations with the UN ECE Regulations, Australia is cautious about adopting a new UN regulation when major supplier countries have not mandated the relevant function. But this should not be the situation for trailers. Considering that Australia has more tyres on an average truck than any other country on earth, the advantages of tyre monitoring and pressure management are ampli ed. LSM Technologies has developed a direct pressure sensor installed at each tyre and it collects pressure (and temperature) values and
PETER HART
can both display them to the driver and enter exception levels into a eet monitoring system. Air CTI, also an ARTSA-I af liated supplier, offers custom installed TPRS systems that displays pressures to the driver and allows the pressure level to be speci ed in the cabin and automatically set.
The reasons for installing both TPMS and TPRS are clear. Tyre pressure determines the shape of the loaded tyre. The road handling forces are generated by the tyre in response to the direction and speed of the wheel versus the direction and speed of the truck. Remarkably, it is not air pressure that supports the weight of the truck, it is the tyre sidewalls which should be the appropriate shape. The size of the contact patch of the tyre on the road determines how much of the road ‘roughness’ can be used during braking and acceleration.
The ratio of laden/unladen mass on a tyre determines how much tyre pressure should be reduced when the vehicle is unloaded. For the drive tyres on a prime mover that ratio is about 2 or 2.5:1. For a semi-trailer with a triaxle group, that ratio could be 4 or 5:1. If an 11R22.5 tyre
is in ated to 552kPa (80psi) on a laden vehicle, and the load is then removed, the contact patch on the road will probably be reduced by 75 per cent. Considering a 4:1 mass change, the available road friction will be 15–20 per cent less unless tyre pressure is altered. Hence the emergency stopping distance will be substantially increased and the risk of jackknife or trailer swing during braking will be increased. The sidewall will become taller with no loss of side force capability.
On the other hand, if the tyre pressure was at the correct value for the unladen tyre, which is about 207kPa (30psi), and the vehicle is loaded to four times the tare mass, the road contact patch will be twice the optimum area, and the sidewalls will be oppy. The vehicle is in serious risk of poor road handling due to loss of lateral force capability, and a signi cant re risk arises. Heating of the tyre sidewall and rubbing together of dual tyres is likely to occur. The tyre energy loss will be triple in this case. A common Australian practice is to drive with over in ated tyres as the least-worst option. So most Australian trucks experience a 15–20 per cent de cit
in optimal braking and road handling performance because the tyres are overin ated when the vehicle is unladen. It is time for the Federal Regulator to issue a notice of intention to mandate TPMS as de ned in UN ECE R141 on new heavy motor vehicles by July 2028. The Regulator should also mandate TPRS on new trailers based upon UN ECE R141 technical requirements. Australia manufactures about 90 per cent of its heavy trailers. TPRS systems are available from European, USA and Australia suppliers. Road safety and re safety would be improved. The majority of drag energy losses on multicombination vehicles comes from the tyres and a trailer life span is measured in decades. Substantial greenhouse gas reduction can be achieved directly and indirectly by improved tyre lifespan. TPRS seems very sensible with wide based super-single tyres that mainly could be used on trailers. There are compelling reasons to mandate TPRS, at least on new trailers by July 2028.
Peter Hart ARTSA-I Chair
A possible TPRS air supply path.
Australia consumes over 56 billion litres of liquid fossil fuels each year across 11 major sectors of the economy, including heavy vehicle road freight. This liquid fuel use accounted for nearly 150 MtCO2 in 2022–23, approximately 32 per cent of domestic greenhouse emissions. The heavy vehicle transport sector accounts for approximately 8.2 MtCO2 of this. As I have explored in some of my previous columns here, Low Carbon Liquid Fuels (LCLFs) have a large role to play in decarbonisation of liquid fuels in hard to abate sectors, many of which present in the truck space. Also, due to our old truck fleet that has an average age of 15 years (30-year total life) a mechanism is required to, at least, partially decarbonise existing vehicles, as a new diesel truck sold today may not retire from the Australian truck fleet until 2055. In global markets, LCLF production is scaling up rapidly due to supportive climate and economic policies, with global supply reaching 33 billion litres as of 2024. Australia is already playing an important role in these overseas markets by exporting a range of feedstocks which are processed into low carbon fuels. Unfortunately, we then import these processed LCLFs for use in trucks, aircraft, trains, mining and construction equipment, ships, etc, because the level of Australian
Growing our own fuels
bio-fuel production remains low, in the order of 10 million litres produced yearly. Despite the potential combined output of these local bio-diesel refineries being approximately 105 million litres annually.
Momentum for a new generation of Australian manufactured LCLFs is growing, with 12 advanced LCLF projects in various stages of development across the country. This was highlighted in a recent report published by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), that was developed by Deloitte.
The CEFC report details that the pace of electrification is increasing markedly as battery prices continue to fall and new models enter the passenger, light commercial, and some truck segments. However, a significant share of Australia’s liquid fuel demand is hard-to-electrify, meaning net zero targets could be at risk without other decarbonisation options.
The development of an Australian LCLF industry can deliver the decarbonisation of Australia’s hard-toelectrify sectors. Also acknowledged in the report is that our economy is characterised by significant reliance on long-distance transport and remote operations and that Australia is heavily reliant on imported liquid fuels, with little local petrol and diesel fuel production. The report reflects on a 14-year trend that has seen domestic refining capacity decline from 75 per cent of national consumption to just 20 per cent in 2024, across all transport liquid fuels. Further, even if electrification trends continue, hard to-abate sectors will remain exposed to this fuel security threat.
The report details how production of LCLFs can boost Australia’s economic prosperity, with benefits flowing directly to regional communities.
An LCLF industry can also deliver a significant economic benefit to Australian farmers and fuel producers.
The Australian agriculture sector has a competitive advantage with our abundant feedstock resources to supply the global LCLF market. Australian tallow and canola are major feedstocks for LCLF production. These feedstocks are currently exported to Europe and Asia where they are transformed into LCLFs for use in those markets. The reports analysis shows that most of the $15 billion domestic feedstock opportunity required by 2050 to underpin domestic re ners will be supplied by Australia’s agricultural sector. This would support a total domestic LCLF market valued at more than $36 billion in today’s dollars. With feedstock comprising up to 70 per cent of LCLF production costs, this represents a signi cant economic opportunity for Australia’s agricultural sector to diversify income streams for farmers and regional communities. In the future, Australia can leverage this comparative advantage in feedstocks and LCLF production to play a greater role in global trade, at great bene t to regional communities. Furthermore, the development of sovereign production capacity offers a pathway for onshoring greater value-added production.
The Truck Industry Council has been championing LCLFs as one of the solutions that is critical for decarbonising Australia’s heavy vehicle eet for some time now. Along with the electri cation of urban road freight and the use of higher productivity vehicle combinations, collectively these technologies will form the major pathways to decarbonisation of road freight in our country. Growing our own fuels simply makes sense. What we now require is clear policy direction from government to enable the growth in our current edgling local Low Carbon Liquid Fuel industry in Australia to best deliver cost effective low carbon fuels.
Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council
TONY MCMULLAN
The road transport industry has long been the engine room of Australia’s economy — delivering goods, connecting communities, and keeping our nation moving. Yet for too long, the people who power this essential industry – our truck drivers, couriers, and gig workers – have operated under immense pressure, often without the protections they deserve. That’s why the Closing the Loopholes legislation marks a historic turning point. With the introduction of automatic rights under the Digital Labour Platform Deactivation Code and the Road Transport Industry Termination Code, we are finally seeing long-overdue reforms that will make our industry safer, fairer, and more sustainable. These reforms are not just policy wins. They are life-changing protections for the people who keep our supply chains running.
Until now, gig workers could be deactivated from digital platforms – effectively losing their livelihoods – without explanation, recourse, or human contact. Similarly, ownerdrivers and small operators faced the constant threat of contract termination, often without warning or a fair process. These practices created a culture of fear and risk-taking, where workers felt compelled to meet unrealistic deadlines or accept unsafe conditions just to stay a oat.
Why new rights for drivers and gig workers matter
The new laws change that. Gig workers now have the right to speak to a real person about their deactivation and appeal decisions. Already, dozens have been reinstated through union support. For truck drivers and operators, the right to a fair process before termination and the possibility of reinstatement or compensation provides a vital safety net.
These rights are more than procedural — they are a recognition of the dignity and professionalism of transport workers. They reduce the pressure to take dangerous risks and restore a sense of fairness to the workplace.
As National Secretary of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO), I was proud to join other representative groups that played a pivotal role in securing this legislation. It was a privilege to be in Canberra with them recently for the full enactment of the Closing the Loopholes bill — an occasion that completed years of advocacy, consultation, and unity across the transport sector.
What makes these reforms even more remarkable is how they came to be. This was not a top-down imposition. It was the result of unprecedented unity across the transport sector. Workers, employers, associations, and industry leaders came together to demand change. We participated in Senate inquiries, roundtables, and nationwide convoys. We spoke with one voice: the system was broken, and it needed fixing.
Now, that same unity is being applied to implement the reforms. The Fair Work Commission is working with subcommittees of workers, employers, and academics to set minimum standards. The Road Transport Expert Panel is guiding the process. And further applications are already in development to address issues in rideshare and beyond. These reforms are not the end of the road —they are the beginning of a new era. In 2025 alone, over 100 people have died in truck-related crashes. Thirty-four of them were truck drivers. Since 2017, 23 gig workers have lost their lives. These are not just statistics — they are reminders of the human cost of inaction. These give us the tools to change this. By setting enforceable standards in areas like payment terms and parcel delivery, we can lift the oor for everyone. We can ensure that no worker is forced to choose between safety and survival.
The Closing the Loopholes legislation is a world- rst system; exible enough to address today’s challenges and future-proofed for tomorrow’s, including automation and AI. But its success depends on continued collaboration and vigilance.
I am proud of what the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation and our industry has achieved and committed to ensuring these rights are upheld, expanded, and embedded in the culture of our industry.
Peter Anderson
National Secretary, ARTIO
STUART ST CLAIR
PETER ANDERSON
Know When to Hold ‘Em
The Australian truck and heavy van markets recorded reduced sales during August when compared with the record setting results of August 2024. The August 2025 truck total of 2,810 units was 345 less than for the same month last year (-12.3 per cent) and the van result of 827 units was down 132 (-16 per cent). The year-to-date accrual of 22,740 trucks indicates a level of stability has come to the market as that statistic is 13.0 per cent down on the same period of last year and actually shows a slight rate of improvement over July (-14.6 per cent) and June (-14.4 per cent).
The Heavy Duty truck sector registered 1,081 new units for August, 227 less during August 2024 (-17.3 per cent), taking the YTD to 9,342 which is 1,985 less than for the rst eight months of 2024 (-17.5 per cent). In the USA, sales of Class 8 trucks (roughly equivalent to our Heavy Duty sector) are down 7.0 per cent when compared year-on-year with 2024’s results. According to the American Transportation Research Institute, the size transport eets in the USA were reduced by an average of 2.2 per cent over the 2024 year, an indication that operators there are holding back on investing in new equipment in the uncertain economic climate affected by factors such as changing US tariff and emissions policies.
In Australia, the Medium Duty category, despite a strong 2024 performance, has struggled this year and the August result of 539 new units was 118 less than for August 2024 (-18 per cent).
The YTD result of 4,768 was 548 units down on last August (-10.3 per cent).
Light Duty trucks were the exception with the category’s August 2025 monthly result of 1,190 units being exactly the same as in August last year. The YTD total of 8,630 units was 870 less than at the same point last year (-9.2 per cent).
Van sales of 827 units during August were 132 less than August 2024 (-16 per cent). The van category has been on a roller coaster in respect of its YTD performance since the start of this year and the total at the end of August of 7,109 shows a decrease of 456 sales (-6.0 per cent).
“Australian Heavy Vehicle sales have a noted cyclic history and with record, or near record, sales growth recorded over the
past four years, it is not entirely surprising to see sales cool this year,” says Tony McMullen, CEO of the Truck Industry Council. Sales are tracking at a rate that can be expected to see a combined truck and van market of around 45,000 units for the entire year, which would still make 2025 the third best result ever recorded.
