PowerTorque January 2024

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TECH KNOW

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ISSUE 138

VOLVO HEAVY ELECTRIC

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ON TEST

Care.

It’s what we do.

At Isuzu, we’ve always taken great care of our customers.

We’re Australia’s number one truck… an honour we’ve held for over three decades.

That means more businesses put their trust in us than any other truck brand.

We understand that reputations are riding on us and that’s why Isuzu Care is more than just an aftersales service package.

It’s part of our DNA. From day one, we support customers and demonstrate that reliability is everything. We pride ourselves on being proactive and always going the extra mile.

And as we look to new frontiers, we’re finding new ways to help our customers exceed their goals.

Isuzu Care is what sets us apart.

Always has, always will.

FSA/ISZS1660

JUST A THOUGHT

T

IF IT WASN’T HARD ENOUGH ALREADY

he drive towards lower emission road transport creates yet another headache for anybody running trucks, whether, as an owner driver or as part of a fleet, as if it wasn’t hard enough already. Running an individual truck or a fleet is not a simple task It’s not just as simple as a truck arriving at A, picking up item B and delivering it to location C. The level of compliance expected of a modern truck trucking operation has created a separate industry of its own.

There are the basic road rules which everybody on the road has to comply with. However, layered on top of this are extra rules for those involved in the trucking industry. There’s three available fatigue management regimes with which to comply, for example.

Then there is also the maintenance schemes, which it is a good idea to be involved in. Layered on top of this you also have a myriad of health and safety rules with which to comply and also which vary from state to state, as do many of the other regulations with which the trucking operation has to comply.

Then we have to deal with the fact that we have an aging working population in the trucking industry.

Young people are not attracted to working in trucking and are not knocking on the door of transport companies trying to get a job, they would prefer to work elsewhere. This is as a direct result of the poor image that the industry has been stuck with for quite a number of years.

So just to complicate matters, climate change, which is disrupting all industries, is going to be a major disrupter of the way things are done in

the trucking industry over the next 20 or 30 years, as we move towards zero carbon emissions.

It’s not going to be simply a substitution of an electric motor for a diesel engine. The whole paradigm is going to shift, operations will have to change behaviours across the board.

Jobs which in the past have been easy for the trucking industry will become difficult, some jobs will become easier. Running a truck fleet will become more complex. Fleets will not just have one type of power, a diesel engine, a large fleet is likely to have battery electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, hydrogen combustion engines and perhaps diesel engines using HVO. This level of complication is going to cause issues throughout any operation.

The lack of flexibility and ability to swap trucks from one job to another may occur, because one particular task can only be handled by a combustion engine truck. A fuel cell or battery may not be able to refuel or recharge on a particular route.

Running a truck workshop is going to be transformed with the new technology which is coming along and much higher safety standards are going to be needed around electric trucks.

With 600 volt cabling throughout the vehicle this is likely to mean that the small workshops which dot the country now will fade into memory and trucks will have to be maintained in larger higher tech facilities which can cope with the myriad of issues which will start to appear.

You thought it was hard running a trucking operation, in the past, but it looks like it’s going to get much harder into the future.

EDITOR

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

PUBLISHED BY Prime Creative Media Pty Ltd ABN 51 127 239 212 379 Docklands Drive, Docklands VIC 3008 Australia Telephone: 03 9690 8766 Fax: 03 9682 0044 Email: enquiries@primecreative.com.au Chief Executive Officer: John Murphy Managing Editor: Geoff Crockett Editor: Tim Giles Contributor: Bob Woodward Correspondent: Will Shiers (UK) Advertising Manager: Trevor Herkess: 0411 411 352, trevor.herkess@primecreative.com.au Client Success Manager: Salma Kennedy, salma.kennedy@primecreative.com.au Production Manager: Michelle Weston Circulation & Subscriptions Manager: Bobby Yung Head of Design: Blake Storey Designer: Cat Zappia Official Media Partners:

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ISSUE 138

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Contents

FULL ELECTRIC RANGE FROM VOLVO

On a recent demonstration day, the full electric range from Volvo was on display and available for some limited test drives, Tim Giles went along to see what’s new from the Swedish truck maker.

14 THE REALITY OF ELECTRIC TRUCKS

32 WHERE THE VAN MEETS THE SMALL TRUCK

yers a clear idea about the reality of electric trucks.

Throughout its existence the Iveco Daily has always been a bit of an outlier

20 POSSIBLE FUTURE POWER PROJECTS

because its truck like design lies at the point where the van meets the small

The road to zero carbon emissions is far from a certain route and technology companies like Cummins are having to develop several alternatives to meet future driveline demand in trucks.

36 AN ATYPICAL TRUCK RENTAL ENVIRONMENT

26 THE REALITY OF ELECTRIC TRUCKS Introducing electric trucks into the Australian truck market is as much an education process as a selling process, giving potential buyers a clear idea about the reality of electric trucks.

truck. PowerTorque takes its latest iteration for a spin.

Western Australia has very different truck leasing and rental requirements to the Eastern States, PowerTorque talks to the TR Group in WA about the differences.

44 THE SEARCH FOR A STAR BEGINS AGAIN After the success of last year’s search for a Rural Transport Rising Star, the ALRTA, in association with PowerTorque, are looking for nominations to find another Rising Star in 2024.

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ADELAIDE

u

com.au

Standard Issue 08 NEWS AND VIEWS A new e-learning program to help businesses in the transition to net zero emissions, this year’s Ted Pickering Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Road Transport Industry, the TIC has released its inaugural report into the Low Zero Emission Vehicle market and much more…

43 A HEALTHY INDUSTRY IN 2024 As one year ends and another begins, Warren Clark, CEO of NatRoad turns his mind to making a list of what our industry wants in the next twelve months.

46 BUZZ WORD BINGO Rachel Smith, ALRTA Executive Director looks at the many issues in the relationship between rural trucking and government.

48 OUR PLAN TO FIX THE FATIGUE RULES David Smith, the Chair of the ATA, outlines his association’s ideas to improve our fatigue management into the future.

54 ELECTRIC TRUCKS - SCANIA VS MAN

40 BACK IN THE ROOM TALKING There have been long periods in the trucking industry where operators did not talk to the unions and vice versa, now some operator representative bodies and unions are moving towards a reconciliation and are back in the room talking.

PowerTorque’s European Correspondent, Will Shiers, looks at Scania and MAN’s conflicting approaches to electrifying their heavy-duty truck ranges.

60 THE RETURN OF THE TMC After an online event in 2020 and a two year hiatus after that, the return of the TMC as part of the ATA calendar was warmly welcomed by the people who keep the nation’s trucks on the road.

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NEWS & VIEWS

DECARBONISING WITH NATROAD NatRoad and Bridgestone announced a new e-learning program to help road transport operators manage their businesses in the transition to net zero emissions.

The ‘Road to Decarbonisation’ program was developed by specialist net zero consultancy, 100% Renewables to help demystify carbon emission terminology, help businesses understand major contributors and assist them to proactively work with their customers

and suppliers.

NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said it is critical for operators to understand emissions and prepare for the future.

“With growing pressure on supply chains to offer lower-carbon services, we have worked with Bridgestone and 100per cent Renewables to develop this important initiative,” said Warren.

“It will not only help people understand emission types but provide them with basic tools to calculate contributions.”

PASSIONATE ADVOCATE Carol Single was announced as the recipient of this year’s Ted Pickering Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Road Transport Industry, at the NatRoad Conference. She is the co-owner of Single Transport from Mackay in Queensland and has worked tirelessly with the Mackay Road Accident Action group, a volunteer non-profit association committed to tackling road safety issues in Mackay and the Bowen Basin.

Carol represents the best that

DRIVER OF THE YEAR NatRoad’s Professional Driver of the Year award went to Dennis Harding of JSC Concrete Canberra, who is a longstanding employee, nominated for his devotion to safety, integrity and performance on the job.

Dennis is a company man who puts in long hours despite juggling commitments with a young family,” said Paul Fellows.

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

our industry has to offer – someone who is deeply involved in their own business but who finds time to be a champion for safer roads,” said NatRoad Chair Paul Fellows.

“Road freight arteries like the Peak Downs Highway are the lifeblood to the Mackay Region and the Bowen Basin, with thousands of vehicles using it daily. Much of Carol’s work is behind the scenes but she has made a life-saving difference for her peers - and indeed all roadusers – on those long stretches of North Queensland highway.”

NEWS & VIEWS

YOUTH EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR Stephanie Arpasi of Dubbo firm Fardell’s Heavy Haulage was named the NatRoad Youth Employee of the Year. She is a 22-year-old driver-operator, Stephanie has made a huge impact on colleagues in a short period of time.

Established in 2014, Fardell’s Heavy Haulage provides heavy haulage, general and bulk freight services, wet and dry plant hire and earthmoving solutions for the New South Wales Central West.

Colleagues say that Stephanie’s skills in safely securing heavy equipment for long haulage is meticulous and she applies the same approach to driving.

Paul Fellows said Stef was an outstanding example to other young women in a profession dominated by men.

RECHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK LAUNCHED

EACTROS 600 LAUNCHED IN GERMANY Mercedes-Benz Trucks has unveiled the production version of its first battery-electric longhaul truck, the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600.

The high battery capacity of more than 600 kilowatt hours, hence the model designation 600, and a new, efficient electric drive axle developed in-house,

enable the e-truck to achieve a range of 500 kilometres without intermediate charging.

The eActros 600 will be able to travel significantly more than 1,000 kilometres per day. This is made possible by intermediate charging during the legally prescribed driver breaks, even without megawatt fast charging.

A national network of public fast chargers for heavy electric trucks is opening in Sweden. The charging network is powered by renewable energy. A new service from Volvo Trucks lets transport operators easily find and access public charging stations for trucks, regardless of brand.

A network for fast charging of electric trucks is a key part of the transition to more sustainable heavy transportation. In Sweden, some 130 charging stations in total are planned to open in 2023 and 2024. The stations are operated by several different companies, and Volvo Trucks is one of the partners involved.

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NEWS & VIEWS

HINO HEADING DOWN THE ALT-POWER ROUTE

NEXT GENERATION SHOGUN Fuso is introducing the new Super Great (known here as the Shogun), which has been fully remodelled six years after its last major redesign in 2017.The latest model is equipped with the 6R30 12.8L engine, and the cab has been redesigned to improve aerodynamics.

The new model also features an upgraded cabin interior design with the new look designated as Fuso Black Belt, a style which which carry through the whole model lineup, from Canter to Shogun. The new truck is equipped with Active Brake Assist 6 and Active Side Guard Assist 2.0.

“The heavy-duty Shogun range is more popular than ever in Australia thanks to its safety, power and durability,” said Alex Müller, Fuso Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Vice President.

“We are excited to see the nextgeneration Super Great (called Shogun in Australia and New Zealand) revealed in Tokyo, which demonstrates that we are going further to bring state of art technology to our hard-working customers.

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

The stand in Tokyo at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 saw Hino heading down the alt-power route, with the light-duty Dutro Z-EV (Battery Electric Vehicle) and a prototype version of the heavyduty Profia Z-FCV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle), these models are known as 300 Series and 700 Series respectively in Australia.

The Dutro Z-EV has been in production in Japan for over a year, and customer demand in Japan has been stronger than expected,” said Daniel Petrovski, Department Manager, Product

Strategy for Hino Australia. “The design is particularly clever, with a compact 50kW electric motor mounted under the cab driving the front wheels.

“A low-profile lithium-ion battery is located under the vehicle and sits between and along the sides of the chassis rails, allowing for an ultra-low floor and cargo area. The ultralow floor makes it easier for operators to move around the vehicle to load and unload cargo, and importantly, to get in and out of the vehicle.”

80,000TH KENWORTH The 80,000th Australian-designed and -built Kenworth was handed over to Booth Transport at a celebration at the Kenworth DAF Bayswater Plant in Melbourne.

Fifty-two years after Kenworth began manufacturing its heavy-duty trucks in the suburb of Bayswater, employees came together to participate in an event that saw Booth Transport Director, Peter Booth, and CEO, Nathan Falconer accept from PACCAR Australian Managing Director, Damian Smethurst, the key to a T610SAR.

“Booth Transport is a fourthgeneration company that we at Kenworth are honoured to have partnered with for more than 25 years,” said Damian. “Eighty thousand trucks gives us another significant milestone to celebrate, one which we are immensely proud of. Though we also celebrate what happens every day. Every single customer whose truck comes down the line at Bayswater gets the same detail and care as even our largest customers; every single one of our trucks is going to have a life and a history.”

NEWS & VIEWS

INTEREST IN THE NEW LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGIES GROWS The Truck Industry Council (TIC) has released its inaugural report into the Low Zero Emission Vehicle market in Australia. This Low Zero Emission Truck Market Update Report is expected to be released quarterly on this topic, as interest in the new low carbon technologies grows in the trucking industry.

“The report heralds the evolution of the heavy vehicle market in Australia with new technologies now being introduced and provides clarity on the actual sales of low zero emission vehicles in one report,” said Mark Hammond, TIC Chief Technical Officer.

Low and zero emission new truck sales up until September this year total 259 vehicles, of which 94 were battery electric and 165 were hybrid electric vehicles. For the whole of last year, out of a total of 44,379 trucks sold, a record year in terms of new truck sales, 27 of these vehicles were battery electric and 72 were hybrid electric vehicles.

$65,000 INFRINGEMENT FINE The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator says its investigations unit has charged a company after analysing National Driver Work Diaries, fuel records, GPS data, and heavy vehicle sightings, revealing systemic issues with fatigue management, scheduling, and speed management, leading to a breach of Section 26C of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, a Category 3 Offence.

The investigation revealed 543 total infringements between 28 August 2020 to 22 September 2020 and 28 March 2022 to 6 April 2022.

These breaches, largely attributed to four drivers, included 44 work

and rest offences, 93 instances of providing false or misleading information, and 406 speeding violations.

Following a plea of guilty, the company was convicted and fined $65,000. Additionally, a

Supervisory Intervention Order was ordered for 12 months, necessitating significant operational reforms, including the adoption of Electronic Work Diaries and enhanced Fatigue Management Training.

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NEWS & VIEWS

SCANIA TO EXPAND IN THE WEST

SCANIA ACCELERATES SUSTAINABLE STEEL PATHWAY

Scania’s company-owned network of sales and service branches will expand in 2024/5 with the opening of a brand-new purpose-built facility at Hope Valley, WA. The facility will comprise a new parts warehouse to distribute throughout the state (opening in 2024) and a sales and service workshop, due to commence trading in 2025.

The selection of Hope Valley reflects the rapid growth of Perth’s

southern corridor and positions Scania close to major arterial roads for ease of customer access.

The workshop and parts warehouse will be based on a 19,000 m2 block and the multi-purpose facility will include a 3500 m2 central parts warehouse to service the WA market, while the workshop will be able to accommodate multicombination vehicle sets up to 36.5m long.

Truck manufacturer Scania has signed a letter of intent with materials provider SSAB to begin the process of decarbonising all steel used for the construction of the company’s vehicles from 2030.

Set to get underway in 2026, the deal will see SSAB’s fossil-free steel used in all Scania vehicles, with the goal in mind to target its zeroemissions goals in line with industry standards.

“I’m glad and proud that we have reached this agreement. Scania’s purpose is to drive the shift towards a sustainable transport system,” says Scania CEO Christian Levin. “To fulfil that purpose, we are acting across the value chain together with partners such as SSAB, who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable steel industry.”

Scania and SSAB are both part of the First Movers Coalition, a group of companies who have adopted sustainable 1. LEFT HAND PAGE practices ahead of time in their industries.

ON BOARD ON SITE ON DEMAND

VOLVO ACQUIRES PROTERRA

Truck maker Volvo has made a major move in the electric space, acquiring battery manufacturer Proterra Inc. for $210 million USD after the company recently filed for voluntary bankruptcy.

Expected to fully close in early 2024, the deal will see Volvo takeover all of the company’s assets, including a development centre for battery modules and packs in California and an assembly factory in South Carolina.

Given Volvo’s eagerness to expand its presence in the heavy electric vehicle space, particularly in Australia, this could be a major step for the company with a pathway for its own battery production.

D E D

NEWS & VIEWS

NEW BRAKING CALCULATOR The ARTSA Institute has developed an advanced Braking Calculator to assist vehicle technicians, engineers such as Accredited Vehicle Examiners (AVEs), and regulators to assess and potentially improve the braking performance of multi-heavy vehicle combinations.

The beta version of calculator is user friendly and free to use for accredited users and can be used to design and check heavy vehicle service-, emergencyand parking-brake systems. A feedback button will allow users to make suggestions on how to improve the calculator - visit www.artsa.com.au for further information.

Because of the complexity of brake design, only accredited users that have been through two half day web-based training and assessment sessions will be given access.

MAXIPARTS TAKES OVER INDEPENDANT PARTS Truck and trailer parts company MaxiPARTS is expanding its stronghold in Western Australia, acquiring 100 per cent of Nineteen Group and its subsidiary Independant Parts (IP) for $27 million AUD. In addition to this, MaxiPARTS subsidiary Förch Australia will acquire Förch Brisbane for $1.9 million, after it acquired the parent company in May of this year.

“The acquisition of IP is an exciting step forward in the expansion of MaxiPARTS and is fully aligned with our stated acquisition criteria,” says MaxiPARTS managing director and CEO Peter Loimaranta.

This will give MaxiPARTS three additional stores post-consolidation and establishes strong partnerships with key national logistics and mining customers in critical mining regions.

INTRODUCING THE IRON WOMEN DRIVERS Volvo Trucks Australia is introducing the Iron Women drivers training program, in conjunction with Wodonga TAFE. It is a driver training and licensing program aimed specifically at females.

This pilot program provides vocational training and heavy vehicle licensing to females of all ages and backgrounds interested in pursuing a career in road transport. The three-module course covers all facets of driver training, from compliance, fatigue management and load restraint to initially obtaining a Heavy Rigid

(HR) licence. On completion the participants will receive their Certificate III in Driving Operations.

After 12 months on the job as

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ALT-POWER

THE REALITY OF ELECTRIC TRUCKS Introducing electric trucks into the Australian truck market is as much an education process as a selling process, giving potential buyers a clear idea about the reality of electric trucks. Brands like Foton need to do more than just offer trucks for sale, they need to bring potential customers up to speed on the implications of moving over to a zero carbon transport operation.

T

he initial excitement about the introduction of electric vehicles has now passed.

Transport operators are now going through the process of getting their head around the implications of moving across to the new zero carbon paradigm.

One of the new electric trucks brands bidding for some market share in the new zero emissions truck market is Foton. This entity is starting from scratch here in Australia, although we have seen several introductions of the brand with diesel trucks before.

This time is very different from

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

ALT-POWER

those which came before. It’s not so much trying to break into the market, it is more like coming into the electric truck market on the ground floor, the same as every other brand and trying to grow a new market.

An important part of that process is the helping customers to understand what moving across to a zero emission fleet looks like, and also bringing into the equation all of the implications of that move.

It’s not just changing the vehicles in the transport fleet, it’s changing the business model away from diesel and towards electric power and all that implies.

This is why a new business entity Sustainable Vehicle Solutions (SVS) has been created by the CMV Group in Victoria and South Australia ,to not only sell sustainable vehicles but also to support potential customers and help them on the road to sustainability.

It has appointed Grant Mitchell as Battery Electric Vehicle Specialist/ Sales Manager, and it was he who convened a day of presentations and test drives to get those interested in the new technologies up to speed on the zero carbon process and on the Foton EV Trucks offered by SVS as battery electric vehicles in the light duty truck segment with 4.5 and 6.0.tonnes GVM options.

The Foton models are fully zero emission battery electric trucks. Tare weight comes out at 2.44 tonnes, meaning a payload of either two tonnes or 3.5 tonnes, depending on the GVM rating. Both models are the same, but one has been derated to allow drivers with a car license to drive them. The traction batteries used by Foton are made by CATL and are LFP batteries (Lithium Iron Phosphate or LiFePO). LFP batteries are chosen for their higher power density, saving mass in the truck design, they have a higher flash point and because they are relatively ecofriendly through not using harmful metals.

“We have a published range of 230km in our models, but the six tonne model will be slightly less, because it does carry a bit more weight,” says Grant. “The actual range

The Foton models are fully zero emission battery electric trucks.

www.powertorque.com.au

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ALT-POWER

Range will be around 180 to 200km and on some applications you might get 150km.

will be around 180 to 200km and on some applications you might get 150km, if you are at full weight a lot of the time. Weight does have an impact but, it’s actually more like 5-10 per cent.

“Range is dependent on factors like the roads, and the driver behaviour is a key one. Electric trucks, like electric cars, accelerate very quickly, so there’s a lot of things around the driver’s behaviour that can impact on your range.”

Another factor which affects range is speed, so the Foton has an Eco mode which when activated limits speed to 75 km/h. Running around in this mode has been found to reduce battery usage by 10 per cent. Light duty trucks in an urban environment are very unlikely to get to 75 km/h in a day’s work anyway, so it is possible to just leave Eco mode activated.

Normal mode also sets a speed limit, but at 95km/h.

To further protect the battery, when battery charge level gets down around 10 per cent the system goes into a conservative mode to get the truck to a charging point, the torque

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

Light duty trucks in an urban environment are very unlikely to get to 75 km/h in a day’s work.

available is reduced and the truck is limited to 65 km/h.

“One of the key things that we’re getting a lot of anecdotal evidence about from the customers, that we’ve delivered trucks to this year, is productivity,” says Grant. “This is one of the key benefits beyond zero emissions, we talk about a 10 to

20 per cent saving in time over the course of a day.

“One of our high profile customers is Woolworths, they have approximately 1300 diesel trucks running around on home delivery business delivery every day. Their first batch of electric trucks were Fotons and they’ve now got over 30

ALT-POWER

They’re saving about 40 minutes per shift.

operating in the Sydney area. They’ve just placed an order for another 131.

“Their drivers and their logistics people are reporting back that on two shifts a day, doing 50 to 90 km each shift, they’re saving about 40 minutes per shift. This is an electric vehicle and it’s not because the drivers speed. It’s just that an electric vehicle will accelerate quickly, they keep up with the traffic they don’t miss traffic light changes, they go up hills the same speed that they go down a hill.”

DRIVING THE FOTON Taking these trucks out of the road is simplicity itself. Put your foot on the brake, turn the key and it’s on. The only indication it’s ready to go comes from the dashboard lights. Then it’s simply a matter of releasing the park brake, selecting drive and hitting the go button.

Acceleration is smooth and controlled, they may take off faster than a diesel, because the gearbox is shifting, but it is not pushing your

18

head backwards type acceleration. The acceleration is fast and constant, all the way from a standstill up to cruising speed.

The way the torque and power comes in is nicely controlled, full power and torque are available from zero rpm, but the system doesn’t give it to you in one big lump, it drip-feeds it to you at the rate indicated by the right foot position.

The driver gets a more obvious feel of the power and torque available when tackling an ascent. The Greenhills Road which snakes up into the Adelaide Hills is a testing climb.

It is often used in car rallies and time trials.

This truck doesn’t seem to notice the grade as it hooks into the tight steep corners. The road speed is not dictated by the steepness of the climb, but by the driver backing off to go around the corners at a safe speed. The feedback from the truck tells the driver there is plenty of torque available, whenever they choose to use it.

On the drive back into Adelaide, the long descent out of the hills on the M1 is unrelenting and speed needs to be carefully controlled. It would be a good idea if the level of regenerative could be controlled by the driver more than is available on this model. Touching the brake pedal does set the system off to slow the vehicle to a certain extent, but regular touches to the brake pedal were needed to keep below a safe speed.

However, Foton assured us that the next iteration of these trucks will arrive with a two-speed regenerative braking control, which will make more retardation available in these circumstances.

Overall, the relaxing experience, in an almost silent cab, both through busy city centre traffic, out in the hills and down the motorway, was a pleasant one and one truck drivers in many tasks are going have to get used to. Who said truck driving was a tough job?

POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

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ALT-POWER

POSSIBLE FUTURE POWER PROJECTS

As the trucking industry moves slowly towards a planned zero carbon future, there are plenty of possible future fuels, which develop in some markets. A few of the contenders were talking about what will be on offer at the recent Victorian Transport Association Alternative Fuels Summit.

L

ooking into the future, over the next thirty years, the route map to a carbon free road transport system is far from clear. There is plenty of discussion around battery electric trucks or hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks, then there’s hydrogen combustion engines, plus using other alternative fuels in combustion engines.

At the moment, all of these

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

alternatives are possible, but none is far enough down the development route to be regarded as a, single mature solution. In fact, there is not likely to be one solution but a number of solutions. The problem is that we don’t know which ones will come out on top. Not only is it difficult to predict these future technologies, it is often difficult to gauge their effectiveness,

because of the lack of real world experience with the way they will work at scale.

One of the speakers at the VTA Alternative Fuels Summit, Andrew Headlam reckons 80 per cent of the solution will be electric trucks using shared charging facilities, where the needs of the trucking industry most needs it.

ALT-POWER

NATIONAL ELECTRIC CHARGING CHAIN A new business on the scene reckons it is working through the transition to zero emission vehicles through developing a national electric charging chain along Australia’s major freight corridors and critical industrial precincts.

“What we are talking about is rising costs, difficulty controlling input prices and it being hard to attract people into the industry,” said Anthony Headlam, CEO and co founder of NewVolt Infrastructure. “I’m a co founder of NewVolt Infrastructure, and our mission is pretty clear. We’ve got a singular focus, and that is about enabling the transition to electric trucks. The way we’re doing that is through a national network of shared use charging hubs, specifically for electric trucks.

“We think the infrastructure we’re rolling out will enable the industry to transition in a way that actually maximises the benefits. It should maximise the benefits for operators, and in maximising the benefits for drivers, transport buyers and ultimately, the economy. We’ve heard a

80 per cent of the solution will be electric trucks using shared charging facilities.

www.powertorque.com.au

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ALT-POWER

Anthony Headlam, CEO and co founder of NewVolt Infrastructure.

lot about the fact that this transition will cost money, and it will, but we think there are different ways you can do it, and we want that cost to be flipped around and at the other end of it, we get savings.

“Decarbonising road freight in any country requires two things. energy that can power trucks, without carbon emissions, and infrastructure that can deliver that energy as efficiently as possible. The entire world is on the same decarbonisation route. So the

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

rest of the world may provide a guide to how the transition could or should occur here.

“In Australia, the pace of change, we argue, could and should be very different. Australia is different. We have fundamental comparative advantages that should be kept in mind. When we think about the transition, the pathway, the technology and the pace of the future government.”

Australia has abundant renewable energy resources much more than

Europe, the US or most of Asia. None have the same renewable energy potential that we do, nor the land.

According to Anthony, Australia really can be the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy.

There’s ample land to enable solar and wind harvesting. Conveniently, these also have the lowest cost of generation. This is our comparative advantage number one according to Andrew, and comparative advantage number two is our road freight network.

“When thinking about the scale of the infrastructure challenge, in terms of accessible charging for heavy vehicles, the fact that Australians choose to live closely together in Southeast Queensland, in greater Sydney, in greater Melbourne and a few places elsewhere, is actually really helpful,” said Anthony.

“This means that electrified corridors, inter-modals and industrial precincts are the lowest hanging fruit.

80 per cent of the problem is actually very possible. We should not be paralysed by focusing on the last five per cent, the last 10 per cent, or even the last 20 per cent, of the hardest to abate use cases. The 80 per cent will

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be a huge market and that is really important.

“The technology is here now, and the solution is obvious, for that lowest hanging 80 per cent. That’s what we’re focused on, and our view is electric trucks do that. Highlighting this distinction is really important, because if we look at a comparable map of Europe, or the US, it’s a very different story. It is a much, much more challenging infrastructure story that these other economies have.”

The solution NewVolt is developing is known as the ‘noodle network’ and it was born out of this context. based on the assumption that Australia has renewable energy that can deliver low cost electricity, and that a national charging for trucks is achievable.

“It sounds ambitious, until you look at the map,” said Anthony. “It is actually achievable. NewVolt will deliver price reliable, renewable energy through a national network of shared charging infrastructure for the transport industry. Stage one, from 2027, will deliver major charging hubs in key industrial precincts in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, plus charging hubs to enable electric trucks to run the Hume Highway.

“Stage two, from 2030, will see additional major industrial precincts, plus electrification of the Pacific, the Newell, the Sturt and the Western Highways. We have started much sooner and much closer to home, we are very advanced in a first project in Altona.

“Just as important as the infrastructure, the transport industry needs a commercial proposition to accompany it, that recognises that trucking is different commercially, and operationally. Our commercial proposition needs to be one that actually optimises the business case. If we’re moving into a world of theoretically low cost energy, but, right now, far higher cost trucks, then we need a commercial proposition to recognise that fact.”

Energy in the future should be cheaper and it will need to be renewable as the trucking industry moves across to a low carbon model.

The industry also needs price

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

certainty. NewVolt reckon that with a combination of on-site generation, storage and financial instruments, it can be achieved.

Into the future trucking operations will need access to scheduled charging, supported by commercial guarantees of availability. NewVolt’s proposal is to create shared use charging hubs. The company says these charging hubs will be critical and will over time make sense as the way to optimise and utilise our infrastructure.

“Depot charging is today, understandably, what anyone who’s going electric is thinking about, they’re thinking about one to three trucks and, operationally what they can do. Over time we think that thinking is really going to change, the economics of that infrastructure is going to drive the recognition across operator and buyers of transport services, who will have a greater

understanding of the economics, that they want the lowest cost fuel or charging solution.

“These hubs will deliver megawatt charging, which is already being tested by leading OEMs from suppliers in Europe today. By 2027, in Australia, we want to have that technology available. This type of infrastructure can, and should, be amortised over 20 or 30 years. It does not make sense for a transport operator who may be a tenant in their own depot, and who is unlikely to have a 20 or 30 year view when it comes to making large capital outlays.

“We are talking about one demonstration charging hub starting in a year’s time. What we want to talk about is for this to become a national network. We recognise a national network is actually what people in the industry, who run national operations, need. This needs to be a viable pathway, at a national level.”

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FULL ELECTRIC RANGE FROM VOLVO On a recent demonstration day, the full electric range from Volvo was on display and available for some limited test drives, Tim Giles went along to see what’s new from the Swedish truck maker.

I

t is clear that Volvo are aiming to be seen as the leaders of the drive towards zero emission trucks in Australia. The brand has long identified itself as environmentally responsible, and the drive towards electric trucks is another string, and a very important string, to that bow.

There is, of course an inevitability about the move towards the zero carbon truck and all truck makers are going to get there, at some point.

The point for Volvo is to be seen as a pace setter and leader in the seismic changes which are happening throughout industries, but are very apparent in the trucking industry.

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

Electric Volvo FE.

ALT-POWER

Last year, Volvo previewed the heavy duty electric models in the FM and FH ranges, showed them at the IAA event in Hanover and were the first brand to have a full range of trucks on offer with an electric powertrain.

Now that full range of trucks have arrived on our shores and are in the introduction stage where Volvo will try them out in specific roles and then evaluate the final specifications of the final trucks destined to go on sale in Australia.

The offering from Volvo is now complete, with the FL and FE being joined by the electric FM, FMX and FH. The medium duty and light heavy FL and FE have been here for some time, but the larger heavy duty models were brought into the country in anticipation of the decision, now made by the Federal Government, to allow low carbon emission trucks to run out to 2.55 metres in width and with higher

front axle masses available on a trial basis.

The sums involved in developing these trucks is astronomical, therefore it was not a good idea to expect the truck makers to then take these astronomical funds and add to them by making a special adaptation to bring the width in from the 2.55m used in Europe, for the few thousand trucks

which do come into Australia, just in order to make them inside keep them inside Australia’s 2.5m limit.

After some strongly worded lobbying by the truck makers to politicians where a lot of pressure was brought to bear, especially by the truck manufacturers who actually assemble their vehicles in this country, the government finally got on board

Electric Volvo FM.

www.powertorque.com.au

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ALT-POWER

Electric Volvo FL.

and we do have a 2.55m width allowance on new zero emission trucks The second major issue is going to be front axle mass. We saw the long drawn out process which finally gave us 6.5 tonnes on the front axle as opposed to the previous six tonnes, when moving to lower emissions, from Euro 2 to Euro 3.

When electric motors and batteries are brought into the picture or hydrogen storage tanks, even a small jump up to seven tonnes is probably not going to get us anywhere. 7.5 tonnes is the the minimum with which the truck industry says it could cope, as it goes forward in trying to provide trucks powered by electric or hydrogen for the Australian market.

THE TRUCKS The FL Electric is a rigid 4x2 with a choice of three of four batteries, giving the truck either 280 or 375kWh of energy storage to power its single electric motor with a two speed transmission. According to Volvo, this equated to a top range of 450km.

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

However, this stated range is one of the important variables, with driving style, load and speed all making a major difference in actual real world operation.

The FE model is available both as a 4x2 and a 6x2 and comes with the same battery options as the FL. However, this model uses two electric motors to handle the higher masses and is limited to an estimated 300km range by Volvo.

The newer kids on the block are the genuine heavies, starting with the FM Electric, available as a prime mover, which uses five or six batteries, with a 450 or 540 kWh capacity, which offers a 300km range (with the usual caveats). This model uses three electric motors coupled together with a standard iShift gearbox, which puts out up to 490kW (666hp) of motive power. There is an FMX also available with the same basic specs, but with construction industry ready fixtures and fittings. The FH is also on offer in an electric guise with the same basic driveline configuration as the FM and

the same energy storage capacity.

All of these models are air suspended on every axle and will be able to access the extra mass allowances on the front axle which are going on trial in some of the Eastern states. However, there will be no extra allowance on overall GCM, so the higher tare weights of these trucks will mean payload will be somewhat compromised on these initial models.

Charging times vary between types of charger and the capacity of the batteries to take charge. On the FL and FE it will be possible to charge the four battery model in 16.8 hours using a 22kW AC charger or 2.3 hours with a 150kW DC charger. Those numbers on the heavier trucks come out at 9.5 hours with a 43kW AC charger, or 2.5 hours with a 250kW DC charger.

In essence, with this initial group of trucks from Volvo, which amount to a full range, this is the electrification of the existing diesel powered range, with an electric motor replacing the diesel engine and the battery packs replacing the fuel tanks.

We can expect the next generation, which will be coming through in the next number of years to represent a substantial step forward from this initial offering. By then the Volvo e-axle will be a reality, combining the motor, transmission and differential in one package. It was on show at the IAA in Hanover last year and its inclusion in the design will radically effect the next generation’s design and capabilities.

Going with an e-axle assembly which also includes the electric motor and transmission will free up considerable space between the chassis rails to allow for more flexibility with design and layout, it will also build in more weight distribution flexibility for the truck’s designers.

THE ELECTRIC PRACTICALITIES “What influences driving range and how much?”, asks Shayne Commons, Volvo’s Director of Product and Performance. “I think it’s important to say first about electric vehicles, that when it comes down to driving an electric vehicle, it’s still a truck, a truck is a truck, whether it’s a diesel truck or an electric truck, there still is a way to drive these efficiently and effectively.

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“Whilst there’s some technology differences, driving the truck efficiently comes down to virtually the same requirements and parameters.

When we do look at what differs, temperatures can have a large impact on the electric range whether it’s hot or cold. Cold generally has a lot more impact on the range or usable energy.”

Weight and speed is very important, and can have a substantial effect, because Australia is a truck market that runs much higher weights at higher speeds than a lot of other markets.

These can seriously alter the effective range available from each set of batteries. There’s also approximately a 20 per cent reduction from new to old when it comes to battery degradation over the life of that battery.

“What we look to do with electric vehicles is to optimise the performance of that vehicle through regenerative braking and trying to recuperate that power in some of the different driving conditions,” says Shayne. “We want to utilise more coasting, we want to reduce stop and start driving because you don’t want to shift that heavy mass and momentum.

“A lot of people think, it’s an electric vehicle, it’s got better regeneration, a driver has to do the regenerative braking to get the power back and regenerate the batteries, but in actual fact, and what we’ve seen is, that it’s best not to brake at all, if you don’t have to. So, anticipate the traffic ahead, then keep a conservative driving style, and look for and keep a stable steady pace. If you need to brake, do it gently if you need to accelerate, also do it gently.

“What we’re trying to do is not rely too much on the system in different conditions. Whilst historically we’ve said you need to utilise topography, cruise control in all conditions, sometimes with an electric vehicle it’s better to not use cruise control because that will try and maintain the distance ahead and then maintain that distance through speeding up and braking. In some situations it’s best to optimise your driving style and keep a conservative distance away.

“An analogy that is used quite often with the electric vehicles, and what we’ve used through our training, is

30

not the coffee cup in the cup holder, we actually use a wind chime in the cab to try and show that momentum will change the acceleration and braking, to develop an understanding of how the vehicle is being driven.

You want to anticipate braking, anticipate the traffic or the traffic lights ahead and then try not to drive too fast as you progress through them.”

CREATING A ZERO TAIL PIPE EMISSIONS TRUCK In January 2021 the first electric Volvo FL and the FE trucks outside of Europe arrived in Australia. In 2022, Volvo started full series production of the heavy duty electric range, with the company expressing its ambition to build electric trucks in Australia in 2027.

“At the Volvo Group we’ve signed up to the net zero Paris Agreement science based targets so we will be a net zero company by 2050,” says Tim Camilleri, E-mobility Solutions Manager at Volvo Australia. “Our scope three emissions are measured as those produced by our products when they are in our end-operator’s and consumer’s hands, measured over a 10 year period, and need to be net zero by 2050.

“Overall, when we start to look at

the freight task, the applications and the energy intensity of the different applications, we see solutions spread across different platforms, there is no silver bullet, and overall we are energy agnostic.

“The key differential between battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is that the fuel cell is a battery electric vehicle with a fuel cell taking hydrogen and converting it into electricity on the fly. We don’t see the death of the internal combustion engine. In fact, we’re still refining and committing to that and investing in that technology.

“At Volvo group we deploy what we call ’CAST’ strategies, that’s ’common architecture of shared technology’.

What that means is that for the electrical components in our vehicles, whether it’s bus, truck, construction equipment, or Volvo Penta, we have a higher level of investment and refinement in terms of electric motors, gearboxes, batteries, cooling systems, etc.

“What that means is that critical parts held on shelf or made, are held in a more efficient way. So rather than having bespoke batteries for every different individual chassis or vehicle or configuration, one battery is held across a multitude of different platforms.”

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TRUCKS ON TEST

WHERE THE

VAN MEETS THE

SMALL TRUCK Throughout its existence the Iveco Daily has always been a bit of an outlier because its truck like design lies at the point where the van meets the small truck. Tim Giles takes its latest iteration for a spin.

S

ince its relaunch on the Australian market, back in 2002, the Iveco Daily has held a steady position in the van and small truck market. It has not grown to dominate the market and a number of other players have come and gone, but it has kept up steady numbers year in, year out.

Of course, all brands and models have their ups and downs, but the Daily seems to have cemented its place in several niches in the light duty market. Its design is not the same as any of its competitors and that gives it some advantages in the niches where it goes well, like motorhomes.

While other van brands have made fundamental changes to layout and design, the Daily has stuck to its guns and retained a truck-like design at its core. This gives the Daily a bit more resilience and strength, it also adds some weight to the van when empty.

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

TRUCKS ON TEST

The rigidity and strength that comes from the ladder frame chassis is at the core of the design has enabled the many iterations of the design to stick with rear wheel drive at a time when many in the market were going to, or flirting, with a front wheel drive layout.

This was a boon for sales early in the model’s life. It gained a reputation as being the van/truck that could be overloaded and still handle the task at hand. Of course, this sort of behaviour is no longer tolerated, but it does illustrate the strength of this design.

Other van designs can feel a little fragile or skittish running at highway speeds when fully loaded. The Daily never has.

Basically, if you are running around in a van or cab chassis which is loaded a lot of the time, then the Daily will feel stable from the driver’s point of view. So there was no trepidation when PowerTorque picked up the two examples available for a test drive with a a pallet loaded with four full 200 litre drums on each vehicle.

The Iveco brand has not performed well overall in the truck market to a certain extent, in Australia, in recent years, and the end of the old Acco design has highlighted that issue.

However, there is one area where it does still perform. The Daily has had

The Daily has had a strong showing since its return in 2002.

a strong showing since its return in 2002. It’s sold well and it’s sold in good numbers. It’s not going to be number

one in the market, but it’ll always sell well because there are people who recognise, it’s got different values, there are different strengths.

The Daily does some simple things well in its cabin design. There’s a really handy small bin on the top of the dash into which the driver can put phone, pens, keys etc, and know they are not going to go sliding anywhere, even going around a tight bend.

There’s also a long document box as well which is equally as secure, as well as two USB sockets on either side and a headphone socket. There are big bins in the doors for drinks and documents.

It’s true that the Europeans do in-cabin storage better than similar vehicles from elsewhere in the world.

The central dash is the home of the usual controls which are used intermittently. This is also the home of an impressively crisp screen for the radio, which, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to support Apple CarPlay, but it can be connected to on Bluetooth.

Surprisingly the air con controls seem to be quite basic.

www.powertorque.com.au

33

TRUCKS ON TEST

The active cruise control worked well, especially when travelling on urban motorways, in and out of the city.

The screen directly in front of the driver is relatively small, sitting between the speedo and the tacho. It may be small, but its clear and crisp design make it easy to understand.

The layout is clear and the driver can keep tabs on the useful information, especially when using adaptive cruise control.

The engine stop function is a very useful device, especially for any Daily which is involved in urban delivery work. This is where the engine turns itself off when the van is stationary and fires it back up when the lights change and it’s time to get going again. This does make the cabin quieter and more comfortable when in heavy traffic.

When it come to the Hi-Matic eight speed auto transmission fitted in the Daily, life is improved for the driver by its ease of use and for what it adds to the driving experience The transmission contributes to a feeling from behind the steering wheel that this van has plenty of ‘get up and go’.

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

This ZF-made gearbox comes with a stylish controller fitted to the dash board which makes controlling what’s going on the road easy for the driver.

When the Daily pulls up to a stop there’s a button up at the top of the controller, press that and you’re parked. Taking off after a delivery is simply a matter of pulling the controller across and down into drive.

Pushing it across to the left gives you neutral and then across and up is reverse gear. Push it over to the right and it toggles between power and eco mode. There is a difference between the modes, but in most driving scenarios it’s simple enough to leave it in eco and it handles the job easily.

Another design element which works well in the Daily is the visibility, which is very good with deep windows going well below waist level. It’s just about impossible to lose sight of people around the van, with the mirrors and the low windows.

Sitting in this cabin, it’s probably not the roomiest on the market, but is

certainly big enough, but it does look good, there are elements of Italian design. It looks modern.and has a much different feel from competitors from Japan or Korea.

On this test drive the van was from the basic range, whereas the cab chassis with a flat body was the model with the higher specification set-up. The active cruise control worked well, especially when travelling on urban motorways, in and out of the city.

The Daily now features one of those things which appeared a few years ago and is now becoming a standard fitment from small vans up to the heaviest prime mover, and that is the flat bottomed steering wheel. There doesn’t seem to be a strong argument for this to be a better design, the world has just decided this is a good idea. It is difficult to discern whether there are good practical reasons for its introduction, or whether it’s just a style thing, or that drivers are just getting fatter.

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TRUCK RENTAL

AN ATYPICAL TRUCK RENTAL ENVIRONMENT Western Australia has very different truck leasing and rental requirements to the Eastern States, Tim Giles talks to the TR Group in WA about the differences

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

TRUCK RENTAL

O

verall the Western Australian economy fluctuates regularly, as it is synchronised with the on/off nature of the mining industry. In good times there is a massive demand for equipment like trucks and trailers, but when the tide turns, the picture is the complete opposite.

In Perth, PowerTorque talked to Andrew McAdam who is the Perth Branch Manager for the TR Group, who specialise in all forms of truck and trailer rental and leasing.

“The environment that we’re working in is very different from New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland,” says Andrew. “In the Eastern States there’s a lot of work centred around just basic road transport, where you might be running around in metropolitan areas, around the port, etc. We do have that here, but a huge part of the people that we’re dealing with are running up into the Pilbara, into the Wheatbelt, or into the Goldfields.

“We’re talking about covering 1,000-plus km a day. We’re also servicing the mining sector, the contractors, operations actually working on site. So we’ve got a big fleet of side tipper trailers and the

contractors are actually physically using those on site for civil works, for mining works on the sites.

“Others are using them in road building, profiling, those types of projects as well. There’s no side tipper work anywhere else in, in Australia, for TR Group. There’s a possibility it may develop for us in Queensland. There’s projects up there that might need it, but nothing anywhere else.

With some assets, we will control the servicing ourselves. particularly things like prime movers we will work with OEM’s branches, Volvo or CJD in Perth, and get those guys to manage the servicing. Depending on where things are located, we may also allow the client to do servicing, obviously reported, managed and reported back to us.”

The business in those remote areas is more typically involving trailers. If the location is super remote, the clients do the servicing, the maintenance, and it’s all part of the the agreed contract terms.

EAST VS WEST “That is completely different to anything, anywhere in the Eastern States, for TR Group,” says Andrew.

“Actually, I have to admit, I quite liked

the TR Group model of of managing the service internally, because it just allows you to have a bit more control over what’s done, how it’s done and where it’s done.

“I think, where we can do it, it’s actually adding value for our clients as well. We’re not just saying, here’s the gear, away you go, you get on with it.

“I had a conversation with a client who is having some issues with their prime mover fleet, and they run general transport, line haul all over the state. They were saying the hire gear is expensive and it does cost them a lot to run. What we’re trying to do is actually take away the pain.

“This particular company has had prime movers off the road for months.

They can’t get parts, they can’t get stuff fixed, they’re down gear and they’re being forced to rent equipment.

Whereas what we’re saying is, if we if we come up with a rental solution for you, that’s our problem. It becomes our pain. We’ll deal with it and you focus on what you need to do. If it means we’ve got to go and give you another prime mover or we’ve got to bring a prime mover over from the east or whatever, we’ll do that so that you get the right service.”

The drift towards leasing is growing

www.powertorque.com.au

37

TRUCK RENTAL

and some in the industry are starting to talk about moving towards a truck as a service, rather than a truck as a cost centre. This may be a generational thing, where younger people are not quite so tied to the ownership model.

People in the industry seem to be a bit more open to different economic models, whether it’s a combination of owning certain things, and hiring or leasing others, “This is something we’ve come across with with some clients, where they will want to own specific types of asset and they are more than happy to lease or rent other things, that complement their core fleet,” says Andrew. “The key thing in any proposal like that, is the commercial aspect to it. Does it make sense commercially for us to go down this path? You’ve got an asset that you own, if you own a truck, but it’s a depreciating asset.

“You’re then going to look after it, services, maintain it, and then you’ve got to actually have people dedicated to doing that, well. We can take all of that off your plate and deal with all of the fuss and the pain, all you get is a late model, reliable,

tailor made bit of equipment.

“The big difference in the TR Group model is the service and backup.

That’s actually a huge change for us here, to go from a small outpost on Andrew McAdam (right) TR Group Perth Branch Manager and his team.

38

the on the far west coast of WA, to now be part of this big group, which is multinational as well. The fact that we’ve now got access to a team supporting us from Melbourne, people that can help us with maintenance, finance and fleet planning. We’ve got lots of firepower, financially, in the group as well.”

That sort of firepower behind an operation is helpful, particularly in a market where equipment is hard to access for smaller operators.

“We’re moving away from the supershort-term stuff,” says Andrew. “We are moving away from that to focus more on the longer term work. We try not to just turn things down, but we’ve got to make a commercial decision about the longevity of the hire and whether it’s worth us doing that job.

“We’re now starting to evolve the leasing side of the business. So in New Zealand, my understanding is that it’s about 80 per cent lease 20 per cent rental, but in Australia, it’s the opposite. Leasing actually builds much longer term relationships with the client, because you’re working over two years, three years, four years, five years, seven plus, life of asset.

So you’re really building a long term relationship with that.”

*

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

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2/11/2023 09:53

INDUSTRY ISSUE

BACK IN THE ROOM TALKING There have been long periods in the trucking industry where operators did not talk to the unions and vice versa, now some operator representative bodies and unions are moving towards a reconciliation and are back in the room talking.

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s a result of a more conciliatory approach from both NatRoad and the Transport Workers’ Union, the NatRoad Conference welcomed Michael Kaine, National Secretary of the TWU onto the stage to talk about taking the trucking industry forward.

The proposed Fair Work Legislation Amendment, which is going through parliament was initially of concern to the trucking industry as it was feared it may be a return to the dark days of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal. However, the Closing the Loopholes Bill 2023 is a package of reforms that will have a substantial impact on employers, employees, principals and contractors. It is a more measured initiative, and one which both unions and employers should be able to live with.

“It’s really nice to be in the room

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with NatRoad. Don’t worry, I’ve scoped out my pathways to the exit, just in case things get a bit heated, but they won’t get heated” said Michael Kaine, in his first appearance at a NatRoad event.

“What’s really important about this bill for the transport industry, is that it, for the first time, moves with really widespread industry support, but it is a bit of a process.

“The new Labor, government has made good on this promise, that it said it was going to make changes and it’s made changes, this transition of workplace changes is critical to this industry and it promises to deliver change that can make a real difference to the businesses and the interests in this room in a positive way.

And it’s really good that we are on the same page.”

When asked about the biggest challenge in actually getting this

legislation through parliament, Michael replied that the biggest challenge is for all of the parties to be unified as genuine industry voices about the change that’s necessary. People around the industry have gone a long way or come a long way in overcoming that challenge.

“The next biggest challenge is to make sure that we bring that unity to bear against those disingenuous voices, which will be arguing against this legislative change and those disingenuous voices come from the across the spectrum of politics,” said Michael. “Those voices are based on ideology, we can’t afford ideology, and I hope that is clear, from the work that’s gone on between the TWU and NatRoad in the last little while. The fact that I’m at the NatRoad Conference shows we have put the ideologies to one side, because the practical reality

INDUSTRY ISSUE

about the changes we need are much more important.

“We are going to get voices, that represent themselves as industry voices, speaking out against this legislation. Why? Because they’ll be running lines about the freedom of contract, they’ll be running lines about interfering with competition.

Damn right we need to interfere with competition in road transport.

“The industry is broken. People are having contracts imposed upon them with little or no bargaining power, and that goes for transport operators, owner operators, even large transport operators. Yes, there’s something wrong with the competition and we need these types of laws to fix it.”

On this topic the TWU have been working to cut through with the message that these reforms are needed and utilising the media to get the message across. A feature of this campaign has been that it has seen

the TWU working in collaboration with industry employer associations and some of the employers themselves.

“The gig companies, who are right now moving into the heart of transport, are major disruptors who have undercut our market, and we need this legislation to hold them to account,” said Michael. “In a breathtaking turn of events, they are actually supporting regulation. Why? Because they can see that it’s only a blink before some other disrupter comes in and undercuts them.

“They can also see that from a community standpoint, their reputation is starting to be tarnished. So they want sustainability in the industry as much as anyone else, and we’ve got this moment of time to be able to bring all these interests together.”

The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) reform has been a long drawn out and unsatisfactory process for everyone involved in road transport

and Michael was asked about the TWU perspective on the much delayed changes.

“I think it’s a good opportunity to talk about the place of National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR),” said Michael. “There was an effort to try and harmonise laws across various states, and the theory was to alleviate some of the regulatory burdens and cut through some of the red tape. There’s nothing wrong with that aspiration.

“The problem is, it has been mired in inquiry after inquiry about what reform needs to be undertaken. We need appropriate enforcement, but the role of the NHVR in those laws is to enforce industry standards.

“The problem we’ve got is that when we talk about reform, what we’re all yearning for is for reform of what those standards are, and most importantly, we’re yearning for reform about how do we somehow grab some of the commercial balance back to

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INDUSTRY ISSUE

good transport operators, transport companies and workers and away from those at the top of our contract supply chains? How do we wrest power back from them together? What are the reforms that we can put in place to do that, to give ourselves more commercial clout, more commercial influence?”

The argument is that when operator contracts are more sustainable, then workers get a better outcome as well.

The proposed new laws that are before the federal parliament could empower the Fair Work Commission to set new standards in a consultation process, according to Kaine.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if the standards that were put in place were focused on ensuring that those with the economic power pay their fair share, and stopped sharp contractual practices against us?,” said Micahel. “Then the role of the NHVR and the laws could be focused on enforcing that new standard against those with the economic clout.

“Enforcement has been focused on those with the least power to modify industry behaviour, that is drivers and

NatRoad Conference MC, Jillian Whiting interviews Michael Kaine

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transport companies. That’s not saying that people don’t have an appropriate responsibility for what they do. I know for transport companies it’s at the forefront of their mind to do the right thing, but enforcement is currently focused on breaches.

“Enforcement is focused after something’s gone wrong, after someone’s dead, after there’s been a major incident, and then you’ve got this notion that somehow through the concept of chain of responsibility, somehow a driver who was involved in an incident might sue or be party to a prosecution against the employer that pays his wage, and the employer might somehow be involved in a prosecution against the client that feeds the contract that they’re party to. This is all fantasyland. It’s not reality.

“Even if that were to occur, it’s confined to the individual circumstances of the individual breach and a client might get a fine. What does that do, modify the behaviour of the entire client community? Of course it doesn’t. So we’re in a situation where we’ve got to provide better tools to our

regulator, so that they’re able to target those with the economic power and, and prosecute them for the systems they don’t yet have in place and should have in place for the contracts that they’re imposing that are below cost recovery.”

From Kaine’s point of view the proposed Closing Loopholes Legislation empowers the Fair Work Commission to set standards in contract chains and in respect of contract chain participants. Those standards can target those at the top, with the economic power, and impose upon them proactive obligations to change their perceived supply chain bullying behaviour.

The new rules are aimed at redressing the imbalance which has existed for a long time, in the relationships between parties in the supply chain. Kaine reckons contracts will be fairer, to enable cost recovery plus a margin, which helps transport operators sustainably provide good quality work to the drivers who actually perform the task, the TWU’s members included.

INDUSTRY ISSUE

A HEALTHY INDUSTRY IN 2024

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s one year ends and another begins, Warren Clark, CEO of NatRoad turns his mind to making a list of what our industry wants in the next twelve months.

Be warned: It’s a very long wish list and some of the items have been there for a very long time.

There is plenty of scope to meaningfully overhaul regulations without re-making law that needs to be taken through the Parliament.

The mapping and creation of a national online freight access system, for one, where the freight task is not reliant on excessive red tape and preapproval is granted where it is safe.

An enforcement regime where the severity of the penalties handed out bears relation to the crime, and where truck drivers are treated with respect and courtesy.

Another thing most of us seem to agree we need is a practical mechanism for putting in place minimum operating standards.

The law the Federal Government has proposed still needs fine tuning in parts but isn’t a rerun of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal which unfairly impacted small operators.

Giving the Fair Work Commission power to make orders will come with safeguards. Things like a year-long consultation process for each change, after direct input from industry experts, give cause for optimism.

Australia has suffered a long spell of natural disasters that did major damage, but long before that you could have made the case that funding for maintenance wasn’t keeping pace with demand.

The Grattan Institute put forward some viable ideas for extra funding and policy change in November, but our entire system of road user charging needs an overhaul.

The looming decarbonisation of our industry makes that a case of not if, but when. Some certainty is required on how our industry is going to tackle the challenges of net zero.

It’s not realistic to expect every

operator to go out and buy new trucks powered by alternative fuels without incentives that will make the switch affordable. That’s not a call for an industry hand-out, just a hand-up.

New regulations, achievable emissions standards and a roadmap showing us how we’re going to reach our destination.

The road transport needs enough drivers and diesel mechanics to solve our industry shortage. It’s time that the Federal Government jumped ahead of its design of the immigration system and took positive action, but only after making sure we have a national accreditation standard in place, so imported drivers are competent to drive.

It would be a stop-gap measure, and there are underlying structural issues that need to change, but it’s essential if we’re to put our industry on a more viable footing.

The big wish, however, is that each, and every one of you and your loved ones have a safe and Happy New Year.

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR MORE FROM NATROAD

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RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

THE SEARCH FOR A STAR BEGINS AGAIN After the success of last year’s search for a Rural Transport Rising Star, the Australian Rural and Livestock Transporters Association, in association with PowerTorque, are looking for nominations to find another Rising Star in 2024.

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here are many great people working in the transport industry in rural areas, who go the extra mile and make a difference, both to their career, in the business where they work and to the general community around them.

These are the kind of people which the rural transport industry needs and depends on. Highlighting their effort is hoped to encourage more people to join the industry and make a contribution, as we struggle to get enough personnel to fulfil the transport task we have today and into the future.

That’s why we are are looking for a Rural Transport Rising Star for 2024, and the award will be presented at the Livestock and Rural Transport Association of Queensland/ALRTA Combined Conference in Toowoomba on March 21 2024.

TO NOMINATE SCAN THIS QR CODE:

The Rural Transport Rising Star Award was inaugurated to shine the spotlight on and encourage the best in the young people who are working in the rural trucking industry and driving it forward into the future. This is an annual initiative to celebrate and reward the young people building the rural transport industry of the future.

Like many sectors of the economy, the rural trucking sector is crying out for bright new entrants into the industry. The award is designed to highlight young people currently working in many roles in this sector, creating change and improving

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the industry, to demonstrate the possibilities and encourage other young potential entrants into our industry.

After the call for nominations for the Rural Transport Rising Star award in 2023, PowerTorque and the ALRTA received a wide range of entrants from all over the country to be considered for the prize.

The process to choose the final winner was a difficult one with quality candidates throughout the field, but at the end of the day the judging panel came up with the two final contenders who were flown out to attend the joint ALRTA and Livestock and Rural Transport Association of Western Australia conference back in September.

The winner that day was Amy Throckmorton, who works as an Operations Manager for TGR Transport in Geelong, running a fleet of company trucks and subcontractors hauling various loads around the country. She just won out against a worthy runnerup, Damian Swalling, of Swalling Livestock Transport in Toowoomba.

“I like the fact that the Rural Transport Rising Star award highlights the fact that we’re an industry that needs new people coming through in lots of different areas ,” said Amy after her win. “We only highlight truck drivers and you don’t see all the behind the scenes people that may handle things like scheduling.

You don’t see the three am ridiculous phone calls, or any of that.

“My partner’s a diesel mechanic and even in that area now you don’t see any young guys coming through to work in the industry. People aren’t coming through as mechanics. It’s scary.

“I’m lucky I’ve got a boss who just thinks all this stuff is great and he’s happy to back all of this sort of stuff. At the end of the day you have to go with it, there’s no choice now, it’s become more and more about the people rather than about actually doing the damn job. It’s so important to remember that. It’s all of these flexible working conditions you have to deal with and in the past they didn’t exist.”

Asked what she enjoys most about

Scott McDonald, President of the ALRTA, Damian Swalling, Amy Throckmorton, Kathy Young Commercial Fuel Sales (Fleet) WA for BP, Tim Giles, Editor PowerTorque

RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

Last year’s Rural Transport Rising Star, Amt Throckmorton.

her job, Amy pointed to the fact that she has a million things to do every day, she’s likes the variation every day and to work towards organising the chaos that a road transport operation often is.

NOMINATE NOW PowerTorque encourages anyone who is involved in rural transport and knows someone who deserves recognition for the work they do, to download the nomination form.

Those who nominated an entrant for the 2023 award, is encouraged to

nominate again for the 2024 award.

The entry criteria are simple: • Entrants to be under 35 years.

• Will be working in a rural area or involved in rural transport • They do not need to be a member of an industry association, but need to be nominated by an industry association member.

Entries opened at 9:00am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Friday, 27 October 2023 and all entries must be received no later than 11.59pm AEST on Friday, 2 February 2024. Late entries will not be accepted.

Each finalist will be given a score based on the answers provided in each category of their application. The highest scorer will be announced as the winner at the ALRTA Conference on March 21 2024.

Two finalists will be announced and contacted. The panel of judges for the award have been selected by the Organisers. The panel is made up of a representative from PowerTorque, an ALRTA representative, and a bp award sponsor representative.

www.powertorque.com.au

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RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

BUZZ WORD BINGO Rachel Smith, Australian Rural and Livestock Transporters Association Executive Director looks at the many issues in the relationship between rural trucking and government

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afety and productivity, sometimes it feels like buzz word bingo! However, these are two key focus areas of the transport industry, how do we move more freight, in a more safe, productive and efficient manner.

Many Australians would not be aware, road transport is one of the most regulated industries in Australia, whether it be Heavy Vehicle National Law, WH&S, animal welfare, biosecurity, registration, and licensing, it is not easy to be an operator or driver.

Like many transport industry associations ALRTA has been focussed on inputting productive and pragmatic advice to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) reform review process. It has been a lengthy process to get to this point, following the August 2021 Infrastructure Transport Ministers’ Meeting (ITMM) decision to take on the recommendations from the Kanofsky review.

ALRTA has been focussed on providing input to ensure the amount of regulation and enforcement is proportional to the safety outcomes.

This includes recommending 4.6m high trailers, with appropriate safety features fitted, and taking a riskbased approach to enforcement, particularly around low-level fatigue infringements and administrative errors in EWDs. Education should be a precursor to penalty and those that have issues managing low level fatigue should be encouraged to apply for the BFM or AFM programs. Simply penalising significant sums of money for low level offences does little to address the problem, except to add stress to the operator.

The HVNL reforms form just one part of the safety picture, it was encouraging to see the Federal Government announced the ‘Roads to Recovery’ funding will increase from

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$500M to $1B annually. Minister King stated: “Regional road networks have been battered by severe weather events over the last few years. This funding will help councils to fix and maintain our roads.

This investment will support regional communities, and help move freight to and from our rural production centres.”

This funding announcement came off the back of a Grattan Institute Report, ‘Potholes and Pitfalls: How to fix local roads’ which concluded Australia’s roads were underfunded by $1B per year.

Fixing local roads is paramount to driver safety and wellbeing. Well maintained roads help freight moves faster and more efficiently and reduce the risk of accidents and has positive impacts on fatigue management.

ALRTA along with other peaks has been advocating for the heightening visibility of passive level crossings.

This is an important advocacy issue for regional and rural operators as passive level crossings pose an unacceptable risk to heavy and light vehicle drivers, with high numbers of locomotive and vehicle collisions because of poor signalling and lighting.

Building on this, it is also important drivers have access to clean, tidy and well maintained and located driver rest areas. ALRTA has been

working with the Heavy Vehicle Rest Area Committee, led by Senator Glenn Sterle, via our representatives to assist in ensuring driver welfare is maintained by the building of strategical placed driver facilities.

These will be delivered over the next 10 years in partnership with state authorities. It is important for industry to continue advocate for suitable locations to relevant state transport bodies.

If the industry is to remain viable, we need to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our workforce is maintained through timely investment in road maintenance and upgrades, reducing the need for onerous and duplicative regulation, ensuring enforcement and penalties is proportional to alleged offence and provision of safe and clean driver facilities.

Transport is often overlooked as a profession, but driving takes skill, experience and is essential to the Australian economy. Households would be at a loss without the contribution our drivers and industry make.

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NOMINATE

A RURAL TRANSPORT RISING STAR FOR 2024 Following the award of the 2023 Rural Transport Rising Star to Amy Throckmorton, it’s already time to start the search for the 2024 candidates.

Amy is one of those in the rural trucking industry who shows others what can be achieved and inspires more people to engage with rural trucking.

Do you know someone actively involved in Rural Transport who is really applying themselves, kicking major goals for the tasks they are charged with? Office staff, yard people, drivers, workshop folk, are all included in our search to find the new RISING STAR!

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INDUSTRY ISSUE

OUR PLAN TO FIX THE FATIGUE RULES David Smith, the Chair of the Australian Trucking Association, outlines his association’s ideas to improve our fatigue management into the future.

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he National Transport Commission has been reviewing the Heavy Vehicle National Law since 2019. The review has made slow progress. It won’t achieve the dramatic improvements to safety and productivity that we were seeking.

But there’s no reason to give up. The review could still deliver worthwhile changes to the driver fatigue rules, if ministers sign on to the plan we put forward in November 2023. The plan draws on the options in the NTC’s October 2023 consultation statement.

The statement looked at three areas for reforming fatigue management: record keeping, the scope of fatigue regulated heavy vehicles and enforcement. The statement did not look at changing standard hours, but I hope the NTC will be able to work on this in 2024.

We know that the rules for filling in work diaries are a confusing maze.

There is no tolerance for mistakes.

The NTC concluded that simplifying work diaries would be an improvement, although the analysis said that the reduction in the time needed to fill out each page would not be material.

We told the NTC that its consultation statement understated the benefits of fixing work diaries.

The current work diary rules are an unnecessary stress on good, safe drivers. They discourage people from working in the fatigue regulated sector of the industry – or contribute to their decision to leave.

When the fatigue laws were developed, it was decided to exclude the drivers of trucks between 4.5 and 12 tonnes. It was assumed that long working hours and fatigue were less of a problem for these drivers.

We now know that this assumption was wrong. There is a strong case for

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extending fatigue regulation to cover all trucks, although the local work exemption should still apply.

The extension would improve safety, but it should not occur until fatigue enforcement and penalties are fixed.

We put forward a plan to do this.

We said there should be a 14 day limit on the timeframe for issuing fatigue-related infringements or court attendance notices, because old work diary breaches are not an immediate safety risk.

The NHVR would still be able to use breaches older than the 14 day limit as evidence in safety or fatigue duty prosecutions. The 14 day limit would not apply to offences detected by the safety camera network.

We said that drivers should be able to seek a review of fines for trifling administrative offences and for work diary breaches already dealt with under a business’s internal procedures.

We argued for changes to the rules for formal warnings, so an enforcement officer would have more discretion to issue a formal warning if they reasonably believed it was appropriate.

The consultation statement raised the option of restricting formal warnings to administrative offences rather than work and rest hour breaches.

We said no. Officers should be able to issue warnings for understandable breaches such as a driver avoiding a rest area due to concerns about their personal safety or working an extra half hour to get home at the end of a trip.

Finally, the ATA argued throughout the HVNL review process that record keeping and work and rest hour penalties are too high. It’s just unfair that a couple of minor offences could cost a driver a week’s wage. The NTC should review all these penalties in 2024 and set them at sensible levels.

Taken in combination, simpler work diaries, fairer enforcement, lower penalties and greater safety for smaller trucks would all be worthwhile outcomes from the HVNL review.

It just shouldn’t be taking so long.

I believe that governments and the industry need to take a hard look at how reviews of the law could be done better.

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OPERATOR PROFILE

ON TRACK WITH ARIES RAIL AND ISUZU A truck rolling down the railway track is an unusual sight to see, unless you work for Aries Rail, who specialise in road rail conversion vehicles which are most commonly used in infrastructure projects.

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heir Aries Hyrail brand vehicles come in a variety of shapes and forms: from utes and 4WDs through to lightduty maintenance trucks, and all the way to larger crane trucks, tippers, tilttrays and vacuum pumpers.

IN-DEMAND RIGS Aries Rail Engineering Director Phil Gooch says current demand for their product is through the roof.

“A lot of the big tunnelling projects, particularly in Sydney and Brisbane, are desperate for vehicles that don’t exist; there’s just not a surplus of

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road rail trucks in the hire market in Australia.

“We know the quality of our product and technical compliance speaks for itself compared to what’s already out there in the hire space.

“For example, many of our clients need the flexibility to be able to pick up tools and equipment from a yard, drive from there to the rail, jump on the railway into the tunnel and get to where that work needs to happen,” he explained.

“We’ve responded to that demand by building a hire fleet of Isuzu trucks that can go on road and any rail

network in Australia and be compliant with any standard across the network.”

HIRE HEROES Within three years, Aries Rail have built quite the dry-hire cache. They have over 30 vehicle assets, a large proportion of which are Isuzu trucks converted for road and rail use.

Aries Rail have chosen hard-wearing medium-duty models to provide the backbone of the fleet, modifying FVR, FVZ, FXY, and specifically, FVY trucks with a strengthened chassis and rail suspension system, amongst other fittings.

OPERATOR PROFILE

“One of the reasons we specifically chose Isuzu’s FVY platform is that we needed a truck that could run a different type of rail axle that can handle both broad and narrow gauges,” Phil explained.

“We needed a combination of engine power to drive the rail wheels, payload for the equipment and also the correct chassis length… the FVY sits perfectly amongst all these criteria.”

With an on-road GVM of 24,000 kg, the 6x4 FVY 240-300 can carry serious weight. Under the hood, an Isuzu 6HK1-TCS turbocharged engine produces 221 kW (300 PS) @ 2,400 rpm of power and torque of 981 Nm @ 1,450 rpm, matching the specific

requirements they need to power the rail wheels.

A generous payload is available despite the extra mass of the rail equipment, ensuring the FVY reliably meets the brief for carrying either heavy maintenance tools, equipment, or loads of debris from construction worksites along the nations’ railway networks.

SPOILT FOR CHOICE Further to the FVY’s suitability for their requirements, Phil says it’s Isuzu’s comprehensive model range that offers flexibility in developing vehicles to round-out their burgeoning hire fleet.

“We’ve worked with many different

truck manufacturers over the years, and it was a no-brainer to go with Isuzu when we were looking at our own fleet,” he said. “Our experience is that they’re robust for pretty much any application. We have only one truck that is between jobs at the moment, all the others have been on hire almost from the day they were built!”

Using the rugged Isuzu cab chassis platform, Aries Rail have created a turnkey package which is attractive to clients, cutting down what has traditionally been a lengthy weight time.

Though this doesn’t mean the complex custom builds have gone out the window—the team pump out around a dozen custom-builds per year and have a long prospective client list.

Currently, Aries Rail is in the process of building four Isuzu NPS 75-155 4x4 narrow gauge maintenance vehicles and a new FSR 140-260—to name just a few—for transport networks from Western Australia over to the east coast of Queensland.

With the hire fleet expanding and their vehicles in high demand, it looks like Aries Rail are on track for future growth.

www.powertorque.com.au

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GOING GLOBAL

DAF XG+ PREVIEW One of the big stories of 2024 is going to be launch of the DAF XG+ which was previewed at the Brisbane Truck Show last year. To set the scene for this new model, PowerTorque revisits our initial coverage of the XG+ written after our European Correspondent, Will Shiers, test drove the new DAF range.

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here is little doubt that one of the major talking points of the Brisbane Truck Show was the unveiling, by Paccar, of the DAF XG+. The new cabin was released in Europe in 2021, but it was the driveline which got everyone in Australia talking, an all new, lighter and more powerful engine from Cummins, the X15D, matched with the Eaton Endurant XD transmission, which has already shown, in the K220, that it is an AMT to match the European transmissions.

The other factor, leading to the excitement around the truck, is the design of the new cabin used in the XG+. This is a new design from the ground up and takes advantage of the new European regulations on

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dimensions and axle mass.

“The European Union introduced new masses and dimensions regulations, giving truck makers more freedom in terms of cab length, and thus encouraging them to push the boundaries with aerodynamics, safety and driver comfort,” said Will in his article. “A decade ago, most of the manufacturers were lobbying for exactly these changes, but funnily enough they fell silent more recently, after rolling out their (current length) new models.

“DAF however, bided its time and waited for the new regulations to come into force. And then it unleashed the new XF/XG/XG+ range, having embraced the longer dimensions.

“Ron Borsboom, director of

product development at DAF Trucks, explained that the design process started seven years ago, with a completely clean sheet of paper. In the early days almost nothing was ruled out, and the Dutch truck maker even built a working prototype of a truck with a protruding nose, which wouldn’t have looked out of place on the front of a Japanese Bullet train.

“But this was quickly dismissed when tests revealed that the aerodynamic gains were barely any better than when using a subtle bulge.

Other drawbacks included worse manoeuvrability, a higher production cost and a significant weight penalty.”

The final design, which is used on the front of all three New Generation DAF trucks, consists of a 160mm

GOING GLOBAL

tapered protrusion. In addition to being more pedestrian friendly than a flat front, it boosts aerodynamics to the tune of 19 per cent, equating to a 6.3 per cent improvement in fuel economy compared with the previous XF. Meanwhile, the XG and XG+

both get an additional 330mm of length at the back of the cab, while the flagship XG+ has 200mm of extra roof height too (see diagrams).

“Although the headline grabber has been the XG+ with its 12.5cu m of cab volume (which is palatial by European standards), the real story is

arguably the new XF, which looks set to become the volume seller,” said Will.

“Inside however, while everything is completely new, it’s still unmistakably DAF. That said, it all feels a little better built, helped by the use of more softtouch plastics.

“Although the current four-spoke steering wheel is carried over, the button groupings have changed, with all speed controls moving to the left, and infotainment buttons on the right.

This is all part of DAF’s ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road’ philosophy.

“It’s out with the old analogue dashboard, and in with a new 30cm digital version. It can be configured to either ‘modern’ or ‘classic’ modes, and provides drivers with as little or as much information as they require.”

“From the driver’s seat, everything looks sleek and modern, the one exception being a pair of thick steering column-mounted stalks, which appear chunky and cumbersome in comparison.”

DAF’s designers set about improving visibility, the driver gets a clear view of the road, both ahead and to the sides.

The front wrap-around windscreen is 33 per cent larger than on the current XF, the side windows are 15 per cent bigger, and the passenger windowsill is particularly low, providing a clear view towards the pavement.

The elements mentioned here are those almost certain to carry over into the XG+ for Australia and should work well for DAF. However, the driveline is going to be all new and here at PowerTorque, we can’t wait to see what a 660hp Cummins X15D can do, with the Endurant XD Pro in behind it!

www.powertorque.com.au

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GOING GLOBAL

ELECTRIC TRUCKS

SCANIA VS MAN PowerTorque’s European Correspondent, Will Shiers, tells us sibling rivalry is alive and well at the Traton Group, as evidenced

by Scania and MAN’s conflicting approaches to electrifying their heavy-duty truck ranges

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GOING GLOBAL

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f you give two chefs the same ingredients, they will bake different tasting cakes,” said an MAN spokesman, when I asked him why there isn’t more parts commonality between its recently launched electric trucks and those of sibling Scania.

The analogy was made in Munich, Germany at the launch of its eTGS heavy distribution and eTGX longhaul trucks, just a week after Scania revealed its R- and S-series regional battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Knowing that both companies are part of the Traton Group, I had assumed that they would have similar approaches to electrifying their trucks, but in actual fact they’re poles apart.

For starters, Scania has opted for nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) for its 104kWh batteries. Constructed in Northern Sweden by Northvolt, they’re billed by Scania as the world’s greenest batteries. It claims a key advantage to this chemistry is its ability to be charged repeatedly up to 100% without any impact to lifespan.

Consequently, Scania says they’re good for 1.5 million km. NMC batteries use rare earth metals, which makes them expensive, but according

Scania Electric Motor

to Scania this has an advantage when the vehicle reaches its end of life, where a business case for recycling will exist. In total, six of them (624kWh) are mounted on the outside of the truck’s redesigned e-chassis rails.

MAN on the other hand sources cells and modules for its lithium ion batteries from CATL. The Chinese manufacturer produces them in

eastern Germany, while MAN assembles the actual batteries at a plant in Nuremberg. It has 6,000 of these batteries on the road in the 1,000 electric buses it has already produced.

Although MAN’s 80kWh batteries are all chemically identical, they vary in size. This is because MAN, unlike Scania, has designed two of them to fit directly beneath the cab, in place

The MAN five battery layout

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GOING GLOBAL

of the engine and gearbox. Further batteries (you can have up to six in total, giving a maximum output of 480kWh), are positioned along the chassis. Whether you opt for three, four, five or six batteries, there will always be a pair of them under the cab.

MAN says locating them here has numerous advantages, one being favourable weight distribution. By moving them forwards, there is less chance of overloading the drive axle.

MAN cites the truck’s comparatively short wheelbase as another positive.

Unlike its Swedish sibling, whose 4x2 electric prime movers have a whopping 4,150mm wheelbase in order to accommodate the batteries, MAN’s is just 3,750mm. This is only 150mm greater than an equivalent diesel-powered prime mover. MAN claims that this is the shortest on the market, and says it means customers can pull their existing trailer portfolio without breaching European length limits.

Additionally, by changing the shape of the batteries to fit the truck, MAN has been able to retain its existing chassis on both prime movers and rigids, which it says was a conscious decision to appease bodybuilders.

Another thing to separate the pair are their electric motors. Scania has its EM C1-4 family of electric motors. Using mainly tried and tested electric propulsion technology, this 450kW (610hp) motor incorporates a transmission, which in the case of the regional trucks has six speeds. It is currently matched to a conventional rear axle borrowed from the Super driveline.

Meanwhile, MAN’s centrally

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

located electric motor comes in three performance ratings - 254kW (333hp), 330kW (449hp) or 400kW (544hp).

The least powerful is designed for light distribution, and is matched to a 2-speed transmission, while the others have four speeds. It says the 400kW variant, offers similar performance to its 15.2-litre D38 combustion engine.

While neither company offers an e-Axle, both confirm that they have one in development. As to whether or not this will be a shared component, remains to be seen.

MAN claims a fully laden 5-axle semi will typically have a range of 400km. Then, having spent 30 minutes on a 375kW charger, can continue for a further 200km, giving it a daily range of 600km. Like Scania, its e-trucks are Megawatt Charging System (MCS)-ready, and when the technology becomes available, their daily ranges will increase to 800km.

Perhaps the Swedes are a glasshalf-empty race, as they appear to be

The Scania Northvolt Batery Cell

downplaying their truck’s range. The official figure quoted is just 350km, but a spokesman told me that the reality is more like 400km. Still, this won’t be enough for all customers to drive 4.5 hours in one stint, which is the maximum driving time without a break permitted under European driver’s hours legislation. There are plans to tackle this by adding another battery in a year or so, increasing capacity to 700kWh. Using a standard CCS charger will add roughly 270km of range per hour.

“Ultimately we want our customers to be able to drive for 4.5 hours, charge for 45 minutes [the minimum required break after 4.5 hours of driving in Europe], and then drive for 4.5 hours,” said a spokesman, “and that will come with MCS.” Frederik Allard, senior vice president head of e-mobility, added: “We are a bit stuck on the concept of always filling from 10 per cent to 100 per cent as we do with diesel.

GOING GLOBAL

With battery-electric vehicles the mindset should be to charge for the required range instead: if you have 120km to go to your home depot charger, it would be unnecessary to charge for more than that distance with some small extra margin.”

Both companies believe that electric trucks should look just like their combustion-engined equivalents.

Consequently the cabs aren’t shaped like Darth Vader’s helmet, there’s no central seating position, and behind the wheel everything looks very familiar. It’s certainly a more costeffective approach than starting over again with a BEV-specific cab.

While MAN and Scania’s baked goods do indeed look very different to each other, we’ll have to wait a while longer to see which one electric truck buyers prefer the taste of.

While Scania’s BEVs are already in full production, MAN’s require a bit longer in the oven. While its order books are now open, it will deliver just 200 units in 2024, with production ramping up in 2025.

With electric trucks costing roughly three times more than their diesel equivalents, and Europe’s public charging infrastructure being woefully poor, it’s safe to say that customer appetites will be somewhat suppressed, and neither manufacturers’ cakes will be flying off the shelves any time soon.

ON THE ROAD I spent some time behind the wheel of both Scania’s R40 and S45 electric trucks at its Swedish demo centre, and was impressed with their power delivery. It’s helped by the integrated 6-speed gearbox, which works in a similar way to VW’s DSG transmission. At any point two gears are selected, meaning changes are seamless, without any interruption in torque delivery.

It stops as well as it goes too, thanks to the five-stage 450kW auxiliary brake.

At low speeds the cab is an incredibly serene place. You can’t fault Scania’s interior build quality, which is noticeably squeak and rattle-free. And without a combustion engine under the cab, the driver is met with almost total silence. At higher speeds, the road, wind and tyre noise begin to develop, but it’s still probably the quietest truck I’ve ever driven.

For as long as I can remember, truck journalists have commented on how quiet cabs are, and are quick to criticise excessive engine noise. In recent years noise levels have dropped significantly, and now that electric trucks have appeared on the scene, you’d think we’d be happy. Well, not quite.

With no engine noise at all, they’re becoming a bit...dare I say boring?

While their stealth-like qualities

will no doubt be welcomed by the vast majority of people who experience them, especially those carrying out urban distribution work, I reckon some regional and long-haul Scania drivers are going to be less enthused.

This of course especially applies to those stepping out of a V8. That engine holds a special place in drivers’ hearts, and the characteristic growl is a soundtrack some will miss. I wonder how long it will be until someone develops a V8 sound to play in battery electric Scanias! (I have been calling for this for many years! - Ed) I only had a small taste of MAN’s new 330kW e-TGX in Germany, when I briefly got behind the wheel of an early prototype truck.

However, two laps of a flat test track in the dark, didn’t allow me to draw many meaningful conclusions from the experience.

One of my few observations from the drive, was that unlike the Scania, acceleration was not overly smooth. It jerked and shuddered slightly when moving off, and then lurched as it changed up through the 4-speed gearbox. However, the MAN demonstration driver in the passenger seat reassured me that this was down to it being a development truck, and confirmed that production vehicles will be far more refined.

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GOING GLOBAL

CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE Both companies would welcome European government assistance to boost demand for electric vehicles. MAN is specifically asking for an investment in a proper charging infrastructure, financial support for operators looking to invest in depot charging, and more stable energy pricing.

Together with Daimler Truck and the Volvo Group, the Traton Group has also established Milence, a joint venture to set up a charging infrastructure on major European corridors. It plans to install 1,700 charging points across Europe by 2027.

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

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TECH KNOW

THE RETURN OF THE TMC After an online event in 2020 and a two year hiatus after that, the return of the TMC as part of the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) calendar was warmly welcomed by the people who keep the nation’s trucks on the road. “

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I

t seemed like we would never hold this conference in person again, but here we are and we are sold out with over 400 delegates,” said David Smith, at the TMC opening.

“A good thing is that 155 of these delegates are attending for the first time. Some of you have returned year after year, to share your knowledge, and it’s great to have you back.”

The Technical and Maintenance Conference has been a mainstay of the ATA event program since its inauguration in the early nineties. It has been attended by the succeeding generations working on the technical side of the industry. It is an opportunity for those focussed on specifying and maintaining equipment to compare

POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

notes and put the spotlight on those who are taking the industry forward.

“One of the biggest eye openers for me having come back into a technical role in the last 12 months is, the interest in zero carbon trucks, there’s a lot of sentiment for it to happen, but when you get to see the amount of time, energy and money that’s been spent on this by manufacturers around the world, it is mind boggling,” said Brad May, Chief Engineer at Paccar Australia. “Something that we’re selling so few of today, but it’s such a big part of our future, it’s dominating the world of engineering, and investment in all sorts of technology.”

To outline the approach of the truck manufacturers in Australia, Tony

McMullen, who is the CEO of the Truck Industry Council (TIC), was on hand to outline the road ahead and what the truck makers, who he represents, are doing as a group to enable progress down the zero emission route for the trucking industry.

“My work does involve a lot of time in Canberra and also involves a lot of time with state governments, opposition parties, minor parties, interest groups, or people with a view,” said Tony. “We try and advocate for a better future for the Australian truck fleet. Australia is the most competitive market in the world.

“What’s behind the move to low zero emission vehicles? From my point of view, it’s about the public

TECH KNOW

expectation that climate change needs to be addressed. The public have a perception that there is inaction going on in terms of climate change.

When expectation does not equal the perception, we then end up with a gap, a policy gap. The 2022 federal election, was in part fought on how to best address this gap.

“It presents a dilemma for the heavy vehicle, road freight transport sector.

How are we going to decarbonise the heavy vehicle sector? The government’s approach to date has been that there’s a target of a 43 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, below 2005 levels, by 2030 and net zero by 2050.”

So far, most of the discussion on this topic has been on electric technologies. There has been no plan for developed for CO2 abatement for the transport sector in the lead up to 2030. In Europe, it’s target is for a 45 per cent reduction by 2030. However, Europe recognises the transport

Tony McMullen, CEO of the Truck Industry Council.

industry is a hard to abate sector and has set a realistic transport specific CO2 reduction target of 12 per cent.

“The European Union has changed its position on banning sales of new internal combustion engine (ICE)

powered engines by 2035,” said Tony.

“Its latest plan accepts the benefits that renewable fuels provide across the existing vehicle fleet and the new ICE powered vehicles, will significantly reduce road transport CO2 emissions.

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TECH KNOW

David Smith, ATA Chair.

The revised plan will now also allow the sale of new ICE powered vehicles, beyond 2035, that run on carbon neutral fuels or ICE engines that run on green hydrogen. The EU’s thinking is now about ambition meeting reality and not about specific technologies, required to achieve a zero emission outcome.

“The industry faces options for its adoption to power Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet going forward . In reality there is no viable zero emission technical solution for many road transport sectors. For example, line haul or mass constrained freight.

There’s unlikely to be a single fuel or energy replacement for diesel and there is little or no discussion by government about renewable fuels.

“Of the 44,379 trucks that were sold last year in Australia, 27 were zero emission trucks and 72 hybrid trucks.

As of September 2023, it was 94 battery electric and 165 hybrid trucks. The truck fleet average age is 15 years, so trucks sold today will be on the road in 2052. The ADR regulations are inadequate to support zero emission trucks. State and Territory laws are inadequate to support these vehicles.

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

“Axle mass limits must be overhauled, the road user charge must be reformed now, to a vehicle user charge. We need this now because of the fact that all will take so long to get it implemented. We’re looking at an implementation date of 2028, before we can even get this determined. Industry needs certainty and when you’re considering buying these vehicles, you need to know what costs you’re up for.”

Operators will only embrace low zero emission trucks if the road user charge incentivises the take up of the new technology. In 2030, TIC estimates that there will be 10,000 new zero emission trucks sold in that year, that one in four trucks will be zero emission. It also reckons there will be 6,000 low emission (hybrid) trucks representing one per cent of the fleet.

12,000 zero emission trucks in Australia would represent two per cent of the truck fleet by 2030. This means 98 per cent of trucks will require diesel and TIC reckons zero emission take-up will happen slowly, without government policy, such as a reform to the road user charge and incentives to operators to purchase vehicles. It’s either that or hoping for a significant

technology breakthrough.

“We need a plan for the future, and the TIC plan addresses the policy gap between the public expectation and the public perception,” said Tony. “It is a plan to lower carbon for Australia’s heavy vehicle future. The transition needs to decarbonise the existing diesel truck fleet. 98 per cent of the trucks in 2030 will be operating on diesel. How are we going to cut emissions? Zero emission trucks being two per cent of the fleet at 2030 will produce two per cent emission savings. Hybrid trucks will produce a one per cent reduction by 2030.

“The implementation of Euro 6 emission standards with its better fuel economy will reduce CO2 by two per cent. Renewable fuels for existing diesel trucks could give us savings between five and 10 per cent across the fleet. Moving more with less truck movements, using high productivity vehicles can produce another two per cent. It’s only coincidental that it ends up being 12 per cent, we didn’t find out about the Europe target until after we worked this out ourselves.”

In reality, TIC is looking at between 12 and 17 per cent fuel savings that can be done now, actual CO2 reductions that can be done between now and 2030. This is the kind of progress which can be made as Australia comes up with a real world plan for the future.

It is clear government and industry need to work together for the public good. From the point of view of the trucking industry there needs to be an industry specific emission plan from government. TIC reckons any plan needs to bring renewable fuels in as a factor in any transition strategy.

Trucking also needs a clear step by step guide to the road it will need to take from the current state to the future desirable state. This will be an opportunity to modernise the truck fleet through operator incentives and offset the productivity disadvantages for operators to move to a low and zero emission future.

“TIC members are developing the technologies required, but government needs to provide the regulatory and fiscal pathways to achieve the public’s climate change expectations,” was Tony’s final remark.

ALT-POWER

PROJECTA ADDS HEAVY DUTY TO JUMP STARTER RANGE Earlier this year Projecta broadened its market-leading INTELLI-START Jump Starter range with the launch of its IS1400 and IS2000 models – now the line-up is complete with the addition of two powerful new variants, the IS3000 and IS5000.

P

rojecta has added the heavy duty IS3000 & IS5000 to the Innovative INTELLI-START Jump Starter Range. The, power-packed, IS3000 and IS5000 Jump Starters are ideal for use on large industrial and commercial equipment including heavy-duty trucks, tractors, and agricultural equipment. Until now, there hasn’t been an easy or efficient means of jump starting heavy equipment, with users often resulting to moving large batteries around on unwieldy trolleys to jump start the machines.

With their easy portability, light weight (10.6kg and 13.5kg respectively) and patented Rapid Recharge Technology (RRT), the IS3000 and IS5000 industrial jump starters alleviate these pain points adding convenience and efficiency for users.

The IS Jump Starter range also reduces the risk of being caught out without charge when going to jump start a vehicle, as recharging the trolley rigs can often be forgotten.

RAPID RECHARGE TECHNOLOGY By leaving the INTELLI-START Jump Starters connected to a vehicle’s battery once started, RRT can fully replenish the energy that was discharged during the starting process in just 40 seconds. This feature means that the INTELLISTART Jump Starters will then be ready to use in the next emergency without needing regular recharging – its clever technology that is unique to the Projecta INTELLI-START Jump Starter range.

The IS3000 is suitable for both 12V and 24V electrical systems and provides 1000A clamp power for 12V systems and 850A for 24V electrical set-ups, along with 3000 peak amps – it’s enough to start petrol and diesel engines up to 12L displacement in 12V machines and all 24V engines.

The larger IS5000 has even greater clamp power, an impressive 1500A in 12V electrical systems and 1000A for 24V systems – in both cases peak amps are 5000. This output is sufficient to breathe life into petrol and diesel engines up to 16L capacity

in equipment with 12V systems, and unlimited capacity in the case of vehicles with 24V electrics. The two jump starters also offer ‘no battery’ operation and can jump start vehicles without a starter battery.

Both the IS3000 and IS5000 Jump Starters feature a strong exterior casing that uses a steel chassis and rubber over-moulded construction with integrated handle and concealed cable storage. Also ensuring reliability and safety are ‘no solder’, high current connections and solid 3mm clamp teeth, while an advanced all-in-one protection system prevents surges, short circuits and overheating in these units.

For greater convenience, both models also boast auto sensing clamp connection, while operating this equipment is also simple via the intuitive LCD display with real time updates. A further benefit of the new models is their ability to jump start vehicles and machines that use a variety of battery types including Lithium, Wet, AGM, Gel and Calcium.

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TECH KNOW

THE FUTURE OF VEHICLE STANDARDS

2024 is here, Happy New Year, will it be a good year for road transport? This is the question Bob Woodward is asking.

W

hen Governments (Federal and State) change, there is a new minister, who believes that they are in charge, but the reality is, the department deadwood tell the same stories to the new minister and nothing changes. The minister should not need to know the nitty gritty, and its repeated at Local Government level. Programs are not completed on time and/or on budget but how can change be implemented and effective?

VEHICLE STANDARDS Australian Design Rules were released in 1989 and by mid-1990 shortcomings were identified including ADRs 62 and 63, drawbar design strength calculations and road train coupling position height. It then took eight years for the inclusion in ADR 62/01 (July 1998) of clause 62.13.3.3 for design. However, it then took another 25 years (not until 2023) for the determination of the ‘Approved’ calculation procedures.

It’s now more than 30 years on and operators require an exemption from ADR 63/00 Clause 63.5.1.2 to build a better performing combination.

There was a review of this ADR in 2012 including coupling height, but it’s ten plus years later, and there’s still no update to the ADR. This history makes breeding elephants a

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

speed of light event.

Vehicle standards issues continue, when the NHVR concept was first raised, there was much hope about national standards with common rules, but it was just another dream.

The signatory states are supposedly adopting the same standard for inspections, but recent experience suggests otherwise. National inspectors training should be to a standard, but it seems that inspectors trained and authorised by the State jurisdictions operate differently.

A roadworthy inspector, approved

by VicRoads, has scope to apply additional conditions, so what is technically a repair can then be required to have a certificate for an engineering modification. I recall a state inspector being very proud of his statement, at a past ATA TMC, to make it as difficult as possible for the operator.

Those who develop and progress such systems have little experience in the real world, like the engineer who quoted Ackermann principle on the axles of the dolly of a dog trailer.

Wrong! There is no Ackermann to apply!

An approved AVE who couldn’t identify original equipment on a trailer, didn’t have a clue as to the relevance of the SARN on the compliance plate, an example of referencing an engineering degree

in an irrelevant discipline as a qualification, such issues must be addressed.

Access continues as an issue for many operators. 30 metre PBS A-doubles have had adequate exposure and putting a new combination on the road should be a simple, tick the box process.

Recently an operator complained about getting a new A-double into service. The vehicle was completed, then registration and PBS certification was required before applying for the access permit, two months later the vehicle started earning.

In PowerTorque May/June 2023 an approach was promoted to simplify access. I wonder who in regulation read and absorbed that suggestion?

The real problem is the rule makers/promoters seldom understand the impacts. PBS hasn’t delivered it’s potential, the migration from PBS to prescriptive hasn’t happened. There must be published networks, as was proposed within two years of PBS, for all levels.

Local government area access is a significant hurdle so let’s develop the plan for fixing it.

2024 is another year, there will be many New Year resolutions, hopefully these will be positive for change? Or will the B-double be replaced with B-triple just to carry the documentation?

TECH KNOW

PREVENTING DAMAGE FROM RAISE LOWER VALVES Raise Lower (Docking) valves are used to bring the trailer deck height in line with loading bays. They are very useful when dealing with various height loading bays. However, the valves can also cause considerable damage if not installed or used correctly.

R

aise Lower (Docking) valves work by bypassing the height control valve to set trailer height. This means that the operator could inadvertently put full system air pressure into the air springs.

So, an air spring that may usually see a maximum of around 70 psi, could be pressurised up to 140 psi, if left in the raise position. This excess pressure could damage air springs, shock absorbers and mountings if left in this state.

To prevent this kind of damage, all genuine Hendrickson Raise Lower valve kits contain a pre-set protective pressure regulator. However, if installing an aftermarket Raise Lower valve, then you should supply and install a pressure regulator set to a maximum of 80 psi. It is vital that these regulators be installed in the air supply line to the Raise Lower valve, which will minimise accidental component damage from over-pressurisation.

What can make the situation worse, is when drivers set the deck height and then accidentally drive off with

80 psi Pressure Regulator

the trailer raised. The suspension will now bump against the extended shock absorbers, which can severely damage limit straps, shocks and mountings. This can be bad enough with a regulator set 80 psi, but without a regulator the results will be catastrophic to the components involved.

Some trucks have an option called RtR (Reset to Ride Height), which resets the ride height on account of a speed related signal from the EBS (or ABS) systems. This built in override is a great addition and is usually set to operate when vehicle speed reaches around 6 to 15 kmh. Even with an RtR, it is still important for the driver to manually set the Raise Lower valve back to standard before driving off.

There are two reasons for this practice. Firstly, it takes time for the suspension to react and drop down.

By that time the driver could have already caused some damage. More importantly the RtR will not operate if the EBS is not operating properly. This could be due to an electrical wiring

Raise Lower Valve

fault, malfunctioning EBS unit or a disconnected wiring harness. This is probably the worst-case scenario because the driver will be unaware that there is any problem until it is too late.

That is why driver education must be included as part of the solution to preventing damage due to Raise Lower valves. Driver education should include warning of the possible consequences of leaving the Raise Lower valve set high and to not simply rely on the RtR to prevent any damage.

In summary, preventing air spring, shock, shock clevis and mounting damage caused by Raise Lower valves can be prevented by incorporating several actions: • Install an 80 psi maximum regulator before the Raise Lower valve.

• Install Raise Lower valves with RtR (Reset to Ride Height).

• Educate drivers of the likely results of leaving the Raise Lower valve in the high position.

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65

COLD CHAIN

REFRIGERATION TRANSITION, PART ONE As the trucking industry moves across to a zero carbon future the cold chain will have to re-examine the technology mix and drive a refrigeration transition across to zero carbon systems. This article is the first in a series outlining the issues faces by refrigerated transport and offering some possible solutions.

T

he current refrigeration technology used in the refrigerated trucking is dependent on the use of diesel as a fuel in both trailers and rigid refrigerated trucks. The transition cannot be a simple transfer from diesel to electric power as there will be issues around compatibility between systems used when the truck is on the road and when it has access to shore power at loading and unloading sites, as well as home depots.

The inevitability of the road to zero carbon means the industry needs to be prepared for the changes which will be needed in order for the cold chain to meet its zero carbon requirements.

Even though governmental initiatives are talking about long term goals in 10, 20 or 30 years time, clauses about meeting stringent environmental standards are already appearing in transport contracts with the large cold chain players.

For all freight operators there are organisational and operational barriers to face in the transition and an operation will need to make commitment to start moving down the carbon reduction path to stay in business long-term.

The first step on this road to zero is the decision to start doing something about the issue. It needs the organisation to make a commitment to change and then to resolve to educate the organisation about the options which will become available to enable.

It doesn’t matter where the motivation to change comes from, whether it be from customers, contracts or within the business, the important issue is to make that initial step towards innovation and develop a route for the operation to a zero emission future. For

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POWERTORQUE January/February 2024

anyone involved in the cold chain one of the major energy users is the way the goods are refrigerated.

A zero carbon operation needs suitably equipped trucks and loading an unloading sites to support the operational and site constraints of working in a carbon free environment.

For refrigeration fleets the task is tougher as the fridge is an energy draw on the truck systems and with low carbon equipment, energy saving is very important.

It starts with the need for efficient bodies and fridges, something that Eurocold and it partners IsoKit and Carrier are all expert in. The fridge will increase energy use and reduce an EV’s range. To what extent depends on the operation (set temperature/ambient temperature/loading practices) but it’s certainly an impact.

Payload is a challenge in some sectors, particularly at 4.5 tonnes GVM

and axle mass in larger trucks. This may result in larger electric trucks being required for a given body size.

Revora has done extensive work across dozens of EV models to consider what works.

Fleets will likely need to change operational behaviour to accommodate EVs, sometimes this is a positive like operating silently at night or without polluting fumes.

Getting energy back in a zero carbon truck is as important as operating it, matching the solution to the task and the site is the key to a cost effective solution. Revora embraces the concept: The slower the better but fast enough to consistently fulfil the task.

Get the next instalment in this series, in the PowerTorque magazine and online, with details on the options for refrigerated transporters for zero emissions operation explained.

POWERTORQUE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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