Trailer Magazine July 2020

®

A U S T R A L A S I A’ S T R A I L E R I N D U S T R Y R E S O U R C E

JULY 2020

TAKING THE LEAD

A CELEBRATION OF STRONG BUSINESS FOUNDATIONS

9 771838 231003

JULY 2020 $10.00

ISSN 1838-2312

06

Refrigerated TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT NEWS

W O R L D M A P TRAILER BUILDER ECONOMY I N D U S T R Y I C O N PAINT AND COATINGS N E W S

SHOWCASING

THE

VERY

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AND

BODY

TECHNOLOGY

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B Triple Drop Deck

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Featuring 4,600mm overall height and with an internal volume of 210 cubic metre | Capacity of Rear steer axles to both trailers ensure a turning circle equivalent to a 34 pallet combination | M Vawdrey Victoria Ph: (03) 9797 3700

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eaders in ased Standards A Double Titeliner

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK PUBLISHER

John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Luke Applebee luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALISTS William Craske william.craske@primecreative.com.au Paul Matthei paul.matthei@primecreative.com.au

ADVERTISING

Ashley Blachford: 0425 699 819 ashley.blachford@primecreative.com.au

DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER

Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

Trailer Magazine Editor Luke Applebee

ART DIRECTOR Blake Storey

The power of precognition A report covering major incidents in 2019 – detailing driver errors (inattention and distraction), nonimpact fire, truck driver fatalities, fatigue, car, truck collisions and steer tyre failure – was released in May this year. Compiled by National Transport Insurance and the National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC), the presentation is the ninth in a series that examines the issues and trends in heavy vehicle road safety based on data from heavy motor insurance claims – a total of 848 incidents, an increase of 92 compared with 2017 data.

Interestingly, it was found that when a truck and a car were involved in a fatal crash, the car was at fault 80 per cent of the time. Also, fatigue losses are reported to be the single largest cause of heavy vehicle operator fatality at 34.8 per cent.

These sobering details highlight the importance of road safety initiatives.

For National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) CEO, Sal Petroccitto, safety information is critically important to the work the Regulator does. The NTARC report enables the NHVR to access major accident data in a more effective and timely manner and in this instance has confirmed fatigue and distraction are a major cause for heavy vehicle crashes.

6

The 2002 Steven Spielberg film Minority Report teases a potential future where cops catch criminals before a crime is even committed.

What if the trucking industry, or at least law enforcement, had access to tech that could detect the early onset of fatigue in heavy vehicle operators or prevent driver distraction?

The good news is that in-cab driver monitoring systems are available, providing real-time alerts and distraction warnings to help mitigate accident-related risks.

Will we see this advanced technology, in the form of sensors, augmented reality and connectivity, extend to the trailer for a complete combination solution? Taking a holistic approach to improving road safety with truck and trailer technology seems to be the logical step forward. Overseas, there are live examples of cameras being used to provide visibility via heads-up display showing the rear of the trailer as if the payload was invisible.

All of these innovations play their part in improving road safety, and who knows, maybe Spielberg will be inspired to direct a sequel.

DESIGNERS

Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

HEAD OFFICE

Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia

SUBSCRIPTIONS

03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Trailer Magazine is available by subscription from the publisher.

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ARTICLES

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

COPYRIGHT

Trailer Magazine is owned by Prime Creative and published by John Murphy.

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

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

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

The opinions expressed in Trailer Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

Officially endorsed by the VTA

www.trailermag.com.au Trailer Magazine JULY 20

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July 2020

32

10 Industry News The latest news in the commercial road transport industry.

28 Economy The trucking industry is set to benefit from a series of regulator and government changes while the Reserve Bank of Australia continues to appraise the state of Australia’s economy in light of Covid-19 recovery.

30 Refrigerated Transport Equipment When EuroPantech owner Dave Murphy set out to create a 33-pallet refrigerated semi-trailer with a 38-tonne payload capacity, he entrusted Carrier Transicold with the task of supplying a fridge unit capable of efficiently cooling the vast interior.

36

32 Trailer Builder The latest developments in Australia’s trailer building scene.

44 Paint and Coatings Aldom Motor Body Builders exclusively uses Valspar Industrial Mix to provide a high-end finish on every trailer and body it produces.

40

46 Trailer Building Materials & Components The latest innovations in trailer building equipment and components.

50 Industry Leaders

Trailer Magazine met with Bec Coleman to learn more about her journey in the commercial road transport industry.

52 Industry Icon Starting out as an apprentice diesel mechanic, Renzo Barone embarked on a road transport journey that led to his current position as Territory Manager – Truck with truck axle and suspension specialist Meritor – a company he has been with for 28 years.

48

54 Fleet of the Month Canberra based Flexible Australia utilises an ultra-high-tech approach to the maintenance of what can be lying beneath the nation capital’s streets.

56 World Map Businesses built on the ability to collect, analyse and act on data are proliferating due to the success stories of those brave enough to drive change in everything from culture to process to behaviour.

58 What’s On

Upcoming shows and field days.

8

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

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NEWS

Vale Alan Kimber

Alan Kimber.

Alan Kimber, founder of Sydney-based body

business will carry on and Alan’s Legacy will

and trailer builder, Banmere, has passed

never be forgotten.”

away following a battle with brain cancer.

“Alan’s right-hand man and son, Ben, who

Kimber commenced Banmere operations in

has been part of Banmere for 22 years

1984, in and old shed in Silverdale (Sydney

will carry on,” the friend said – adding

Western Suburbs). His business produces car

that Kimber is survived by five children,

carriers, brick bodies, tippers and floats in

17 grandchildren and his wife, Dee. “Alan

addition to trailers and bodies.

brought Joy to many with his sharp wit.

Alan was a great tradesman with a great

He was also a huge Newtown Jets fan and

technical mind and Banmere quality is

collected and restored Foden trucks. Alan

second to none,” a close friend and supplier

was the most Loyal, funniest, friendliest and

of 30 years told Trailer Magazine. “The

respected person.”

Manufacturers to tap new markets with $4.9M funding initiative The Federal Government has announced

the world, which will drive economic

successful hub with matched funding of up

10 export hubs from five states will receive

growth here at home and create new

to $1.5 million for projects up to two years

more than $4.9 million under the SME

Australian jobs.

in length.

Export Hubs Initiative and include industries

“We want to put Australia in the best

Export hubs can operate in six key industry

where Australia has large growth potential

position possible so we can thrive after this

sectors: advanced manufacturing; cyber

including food and agribusiness, energy,

pandemic is finished,” she said.

security; food and agribusiness; medical

advanced manufacturing and mining

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment,

technologies and pharmaceuticals; mining

services.

Simon Birmingham, welcomed the funding

equipment, technology and services; and oil,

Minister for Industry, Science and

boost to help Australian SME exporters get

gas and energy resources.

Technology, Karen Andrews, said the grants

moving again.

One of the successful grant recipients is Food

would help SMEs to harness opportunities

“We recognise the current Covid-19 crisis

South Australia who were part of round one

in international markets, which will be an

has placed immense pressure on our

of the initiative. They have been allocated

important part of helping them bounce

exporters and in many cases has hindered

$194,467 in round two to further expand

back and create jobs after the coronavirus

their ability to enter new markets or reach

their activities including servicing businesses

pandemic.

their existing overseas customers,” said

on Kangaroo Island, which was devastated

“These grants will help get businesses back

Birmingham.

by the summer bushfires and are now

on the front foot after the disruption caused

“This funding boost will help our SME

hurting through the coronavirus pandemic.

by this unprecedented pandemic,” said

exporters get more exposure in international

“The world has completely changed with

Andrews.

markets allowing them to establish supply-

the effect of Covid-19 having impacts on all

“I’m confident demand for Australian goods

chains as well as form new relationships

businesses,” said Food South Australia CEO,

and services will be even stronger when we

with potential customers, that we know is so

Catherine Sayer. “Now more than ever, it is

come out the other side of this pandemic,

critical to export success.

so important for businesses to look at their

and the Government is committed to helping

“Getting our exporters back on track will

market diversification strategies and export

businesses develop export opportunities and

be crucial to reducing job losses throughout

is one of those. Covid-19 has added much

connections.

“These export hubs help SMEs take

this crisis and a critical part of the ultimate

more complexity to export and the SME

economic recovery,” he said.

Export Hub will assist food and beverage

advantage of opportunities around

The SME Export Hub Initiative provides each

businesses navigate the challenges.”

10

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Report shows demand for safer livestock unloading infrastructure A feasibility report into the trial of innovative

Association (ALRTA) on the PAL frame

“Loading and unloading livestock is a high-

infrastructure that delivers safer outcomes for

at Kilcoy Global Foods concluded that

risk activity. This trial confirmed that the

personnel loading and unloading livestock

‘depending on the type of gantry installed

majority of operators are willing to share the

has demonstrated there is a quantifiable

and average daily usage rates, installation

cost if it means safer unloading for drivers,”

demand for such equipment.

and maintenance costs can typically be fully

said Marley.

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight

recovered by a higher volume livestock facility

“Not only have we proven a willingness

Transport, Scott Buchholz, said that the trial

in less than three year.

to contribute, we have also demonstrated

of a Parallel Access Landing (PAL) frame

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR)

that it is technically possible to operate

has included a user-pays option for drivers

CEO, Sal Petroccitto, said that the project

infrastructure on a user-pay basis without

unloading livestock at Kilcoy Global Foods in

was funded by the Heavy Vehicle Safety

impacting efficiency.

south-east Queensland.

Initiative (HVSI), supported by the Federal

“In partnership with (PAL manufacturer)

“Having seen the PAL frame in action, it’s

Government.

ProWay, this project produced a first of its

clear that there are big safety benefits for

“Heavy vehicle safety is everyone’s

kind moving gantry that fully retracts while

operators as well as for livestock,” said

responsibility, and our support for this

remaining parallel to the ramp and vehicle,

Buchholz.

project is a perfect example of how the

so there is a range of gantry systems available

“It provides easy access to the top decks of

NHVR is helping to deliver tangible safety

to suit all sites.

trailers, keeping drivers safe from falls and

improvements, with the potential for this

“Livestock facility owners can now bring

separated from livestock at all times.

type of infrastructure to be rolled out

forward safety improvements using the user-

“The positive result from this trial means that

nationally,” said Petroccitto.

pay option with full confidence that it is a

other businesses can now seriously think

ALRTA National President Stephen Marley

low-risk proposition accepted by the majority

about this as an option,” he said.

said the trial had demonstrated that

of transporters.”

The PAL frame is manufactured by specialist

transport businesses are willing to contribute

Over the course of the trial there were no

engineering firm ProWay Livestock

to the cost of safer infrastructure via a user-

safety incidents for those operators using the

Equipment based in Wagga Wagga NSW.

pay system.

PAL frame.

The company has 20 years’ experience in the manufacture and installation of livestock handling facilities for corporate and private farms, livestock feedlots, abattoirs and commercial sale yards across Australia and internationally. All of ProWay’s custom designed products are manufactured in Australia.

Kilcoy Global Foods Limited is an international company with centres in Australia, China and the USA. The Kilcoy meat processing facility, operated by Kilcoy Global Foods Australia (KGF), located just outside of Kilcoy in south-east Queensland, has operated since 1953. The facility employs over 1,600 staff processing an average of 1,400 head of cattle daily. Exports account for 70-80 per cent of production while 20-30 per cent is consumed domestically.

The feasibility study undertaken by the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters

The Parallel Access Landing (PAL) frame improves livestock loading and unloading procedures.

www.trailermag.com.au

11

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NEWS

Victorian Building Works package to benefit transport industry As part of its economic response to

3700 new jobs.

“As we all know, any time a new school,

the Covid-19 pandemic, the Victorian

As part of this new support package, $328

road, rail line is built, hundreds of truck

Government has announced $2.7 billion

million has been allocated for resurfacing

movements are required to deliver

in additional expenditure to fund the

and patching roads, including 300

construction materials, excavate soil and

activation of large and small shovel-ready

kilometres of regional rail improvements

remove waste from sites, which translates

projects around the state.

and repairs and maintenance across the

into more work for transport operators and

The Building Works projects will include

transport network.

jobs in our sector.

a combination of investments in building

“The transport industry will benefit directly

“The VTA welcomes these new initiatives

new schools and renovating existing

and indirectly through these projects

which will underpin the Victorian

ones, along with upgrades to CFA and

with jobs in supply chains including

Government’s Economic Survival Package

SES stations, disability accommodation, mental health, aged care facilities and

manufacturing, logistics, transportation

that was announced to help businesses get

and warehousing,” said VTA CEO, Peter

through the massive disruption caused by

other public infrastructure, creating up to

Anderson.

the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

New light tare Drake for Dixie Holdings Yatala (Queensland) based Earthmoving

While the company formerly had multiple

equipment trader Dixie Holdings has

Drake floats for general heavy haulage,

deck; basically we just tried to keep extras to a minimum to keep the tare

purchased a new Drake 4x4 Full Widener

the new unit is now the sole float which is

weight down.”

float that tares at 14.75 tonnes.

used to shift machinery for the company

Other special features include auto-

The new unit and matching 2x4 dolly –

and its customers.

tensioning ramp chains and a lift

known as a 50-tonne combination due

“We had been using contractors for a

function on the first and fourth axles

to the payload capacity – were picked up

while but we got to the stage where we

which minimises tyre wear when running

from Drake headquarters in Brisbane and

could justify having our own float again

lightly laden.

the following day were on their way to

for shifting our own and customers’

“We didn’t opt for a self-tracking rear axle

Alice Springs with a water cart onboard.

equipment to and from the workshop,”

because we don’t do much around town

“It’s first run was a 9,000km round trip

said McDonald.

work, and again, it adds more weight.”

to test its operation,” said Dixie Holdings

The unit has been built to Dixie Holdings’

said McDonald.

General Manager, Tom McDonald.

specific requirements, with a light

“It was more important for us to have

This is the company’s sixth new Drake

the lift axles because we do mostly long-

trailer and according to McDonald,

tare being of paramount importance.

Critically, the company wanted a payload

in terms of low loaders and floats, he

capacity of 50 tonnes without the added

one job to the next.”

wouldn’t buy anything else.

complication and expense of a ‘rows of

The smart looking unit, finished in ‘Cat

“The quality of workmanship and

eight’ (4x8) trailer.

yellow’, features polished aluminium air

aftersales support I think are as good as it

“We’re always chasing payload capacity

tanks and an additional neat touch in the

gets and we have a solid relationship with

and we needed to be able to legally carry

recessed Drake emblem on the gooseneck.

Sam Drake (Drake Sales Manager) and the

machines weighing up to 50 tonnes, like

“We asked for the Drake plaque to be

other guys at Drake,” said McDonald.

Cat D9T and D9R dozers which weigh

flush mounted on the gooseneck which

“If we have any issues or need parts they

around 48 or 49 tonnes,” said McDonald.

Drake hadn’t done on a 50-tonne combo

are always available over the phone and

“We have adopted a number of measures

before,” said McDonald.

ready to make things happen quickly

like 19.5-inch Alcoa alloy wheels

“The Drake engineers worked out a way

where they can, which is very important in

throughout, eight-stud BPW drum brake

to do this on our float and we are really

our industry,” he said.

axles, standard size ramps and a level

happy with the end result.”

14

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

distance work and often travel empty from

VTA honours Hopley for decades of service, welcomes new Executive Council member The Executive Council and Secretariat of

Melbourne sale, the Western Distributor,

the Victorian Transport Association has

upgrades to the Westgate Bridge and M1,

expressed its sincere gratitude and thanks to

toll charges with Transurban, HPFVs, and

Brendan Hopley, who is leaving the Executive

truck curfews in the inner west, inner north

Council after many decades of loyal and

and bayside.

dedicated service.

“On behalf of our President, Mike Lean, and

Hopley has served the VTA and the transport

the Executive Council and Secretariat, I thank

industry for over 50 years and has earnt the

Brendan for his many years of service, and

trust, respect and admiration of his peers

for the positive change he helped bring to

for his many achievements. He has been an

the Association and the industry,” said VTA

active and engaged officer of the VTA for

CEO, Peter Anderson.

most of this time, serving as vice president

“With Brendan’s departure I am also pleased

and president of the Association, and as

to welcome Cameron Murphy who joins the

chairman of numerous Executive Council

Executive Council.

committees that have helped to establish

“Cameron is CEO of Murphy Transport

policy and strategic direction for the VTA.

Solutions and hails from a renowned and

As president, Brendan was influential in

proud transport family. Cameron is well-

advocacy and policy work that saw the

known in the industry and among the VTA

he said. “With Covid-19 restrictions starting

VTA lobby successfully for construction

membership as a respected business leader,

to ease, we look forward to acknowledging

of the North East Link, as well as policy

and we look forward to his input and

Brendan and Cameron at a VTA function

and regulatory work around the Port of

involvement in the work of the Council,”

hopefully in the not-to-distant future.”

Brendan Hopley.

Container logistics study gets green light Port of Melbourne has commissioned a

said in a statement. “The project will deliver a

time and location data to track container

study with support from the Department of

report that will provide valuable information

movements in Microsoft Excel or CSV format.

Transport.

to the industry, the Port and Government.”

We are not seeking customer or commercial

The Container Logistics Chain Study (CLCS),

Port of Melbourne has engaged GHD

information and reporting of data will be at

according to the Port of Melbourne,

Advisory to deliver this project and has

an aggregated level.

will provide a thorough and current

assured participants of its rigorous collection

“Data received will be treated as commercial-

understanding of the container supply chain,

process and the protection of confidentiality

in-confidence in accordance with our Data

supporting industry and its future planning

and security of information.

efforts. It will also inform policy development

“We will be seeking container movement

Governance Strategy.

“Despite the current challenges industry

and investment decision-making for the Port

data over the period of September and

faces as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,

and the Victorian Government.

October 2019, which was selected

Port of Melbourne is committed to

The study will build on the 2009 CLCS, which

to ensure that the period provides an

progressing the project, while being flexible

has been heavily utilised by industry.

accurate representation that is not skewed

and considerate of industry demands. Our

“Now more than ever, we need reliable data

by externalities such as the bushfires or

team can work with you to contribute to

and information to support investment and

Covid-19,” said Port of Melbourne.

the project without placing a burden on

business decision making,” Port of Melbourne

“GHD Advisory will be requesting movement,

your business.” www.trailermag.com.au

15

NEWS

Rockhampton to see productivity and safety gains with $1B Rocky Ring Road project improving flood immunity on the Bruce Highway will make life a lot easier for locals and businesses,” said Landry.

“The Rockhampton Ring Road is key to keeping Central Queensland moving efficiently and ensuring the city continues contributing to the region’s economic growth,” she said.

State Member for Rockhampton, Barry O’Rourke, said with more than 5,000 businesses calling the region home, the ring road would keep businesses moving and pave the way for more jobs in Central Queensland.

“The ring road will improve connectivity for our $4.8 billion economy. It’ll mean families and businesses can get to our airport,

This investment in Rockhampton will enhance the accessibility of the road network.

defence base, hospital, emergency services, educational facilities, and entertainment

The Federal and Queensland governments

to keeping Central Queensland moving

have released details of Rockhampton’s

efficiently and ensuring the city continues

and industrial precincts,” said O’Rourke.

The road will provide a western link of

$1 billion ring road project which is set to

contributing to the region’s economic

the Bruce Highway extending from the

improve travel times for 35,000 road users.

growth,” he said.

Capricorn Highway (Nelson Street) in

Animated flyovers for the 17km project also

Queensland Transport and Main Roads

the south, through to Rockhampton-

show a new Fitzroy River crossing.

Minister, Mark Bailey, who recently inspected

Yeppoon Road/Bruce Highway

It comes as the next round of consultation

major road upgrades in Rockhampton,

intersection in the north.

launches online this month, releasing the

said it would be the largest road project in

“It will also create better connections

concept design for this major infrastructure

Queensland once shovels hit the ground,

between Gracemere and Parkhurst, improve

project to the community.

supporting close to 800 jobs.

access to the Capricorn Coast in the east,

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for

“We’ve already seen construction businesses

and link our crucial resource and agriculture

Infrastructure, Transport and Regional

open up new offices in the beef capital

sectors to the west,” said O’Rourke.

Development, Michael McCormack, said the

because they know not only is there plenty

State Member for Keppel, Brittany Lauga,

concept design for the Rockhampton Ring

of work around now, there’ll be plenty more

said the ring road would connect with the

Road had now been finalised.

to come,” said Bailey.

$157 million Bruce Highway upgrade north

“The latest round of consultation is an

“It’s why the Queensland Government is

of Rockhampton, which has already created

opportunity for the community to better

delivering more than $14.5 billion in road

more than 400 jobs for the region.

understand the project and share their

projects across regional Queensland, creating

“The Rockhampton Ring Road will solve

feedback,” said McCormack.

more than 13,500 jobs,” he said.

one of the highway’s last pinch points,

“Due to Covid-19, face-to-face engagement

Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle

eliminating the need for vehicles to

with the public has been postponed,

Landry, said the Rockhampton Ring Road

navigate 19-sets of traffic signals through

however sharing this information with the

project would enhance the capacity, safety

Rockhampton’s urban centre,” said Lauga.

community is important to ensure we receive

and accessibility of the road network in

“I’m sure families, local businesses and

a wide range of feedback, which will inform

Rockhampton.

the 2,600 daily truckies who drive through

the design.

“Taking trucks off suburban streets, reducing

Rockhampton every day will welcome this

“The Rockhampton Ring Road is key

travel times, peak hour congestion and

upgrade,” she said.

16

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Lineage Logistics closes acquisition Temperature-controlled logistics specialist,

Orleans Cold Storage and its four US facilities

and, in turn, playing a key role in helping our

Lineage Logistics, has closed a deal that was

anchored in the Ports of New Orleans,

customers grow their respective businesses,”

first announced November 2019.

Houston and Charleston.

he said.

Lineage Logistics’ acquisition of Emergent

“Welcoming Emergent Cold and New

“We continue to be laser focused on

Cold is complete, solidifying its presence in

Orleans Cold Storage to the Lineage family

strategically and intentionally growing the

the Asia-Pacific region.

provides a dramatically expanded footprint

business to provide the most expansive and

The combined company expands on the

of facilities in the Asia-Pacific region and

innovative logistics services in the world,” said

largest temperature-controlled facility

further connects our customers’ global supply

Kevin Marchetti, Co-Founder and Managing

network globally, with over 1.9 billion cubic

chains through one network as a result,”

Partner of Bay Grove, LLC (“Bay Grove”), the

feet and 53 million square feet of capacity

said Mike McClendon, Lineage’s President of

principal investment firm backing Lineage.

across more than 300 facilities spanning

International Operations & EVP of Network

“The close of this transaction is an important

12 countries across North America, South

Optimization.

step in building our Asia-Pacific platform and

America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New

“With many of the acquired facilities located

unlocks new doors for Lineage’s customers.”

Zealand.

in key domestic and international ports,

Lineage is reported to be the world’s largest

As part of the transaction, Lineage also

we are better positioned than ever to more

and most innovative provider of temperature-

acquires newly constructed distribution

efficiently serve our customers in nearly

controlled logistics solutions. Lineage’s

centres located in the Dallas-Fort Worth

every corner of the world. We look forward

market and in Piura, Peru, as well as New

to building on Emergent’s exciting growth

end-to-end logistical solutions benefit from its unrivalled real estate network.

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NEWS

Former Aurizon and WSP executives join Port of Newcastle

Glenn Thornton.

Senior Australian infrastructure leaders

Paul Brown.

Thornton is a former Hunter Business

Glenn Thornton and Paul Brown will join

diversification plans.

“Both Glenn and Paul have extensive

Port of Newcastle’s (PON) executive team on

leadership experience involving significant

relationships with senior leaders within

9 June as the organisation enters a major

assets and projects worth billions of

business and government. With more

growth phase.

dollars – this will be critical as the port

than 30 years’ experience in the delivery

Thornton – who joins the Port from global

pursues projects designed to directly

of major infrastructure, including advisory,

engineering professional services consulting

contribute to the Hunter’s economic

planning, design, governance and project

firm WSP, where he was the NSW Region

recovery from Covid-19 and secure

management, Thornton said

Director and Project Director Advisory for

the region’s long term prosperity,” said

he was pleased to be helping future-proof

Australia – has been appointed PON’s

the Hunter region.

Executive Manager Projects.

Carmody.

“Port of Newcastle is building the

Brown, appointed the port’s Executive

foundations of a broader plan to

Port of Newcastle will not only create

Manager Business Development, was

ensure the Hunter, NSW and Australian

thousands of jobs during construction, it

formerly General Manager of Growth and

economies have the future infrastructure

will also have huge ongoing employment

Business Development at freight rail operator

they will need – that involves investments

and business growth implications for this

Aurizon. He was most recently based in New

in a range of trade opportunities, including

city and the Hunter region for the years to

York with one of the world’s most innovative

the proposed $1.8 billion Multi-purpose

come,” said Thornton.

companies, General Electric, as Sales Director

Deepwater Terminal (MDT) project.

“In both cases, we have appointed senior

Brown said he was pleased to use his

GE Transportation (Rail, Mining and Marine).

Port of Newcastle CEO, Craig Carmody,

leaders with a deep understanding of, and

optimisation and innovative technology

first-hand experience in, all commercial

in rail, mining and energy to drive new

said the two executive appointments

aspects of the large-scale projects Port of

came at a critical time for the port’s

Newcastle is now pursuing,” he said.

forms of trade through the largest port on Australia’s east coast.

for GE Renewable Energy and, before that,

18

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Chamber CEO who has forged strong

“The investment that is planned for the

mix of experience in infrastructure, asset

VTA welcomes extension to Mode Shift Incentive Scheme Victorian Minister for Ports and Freight,

that created greater capacity and efficiency

“As I often say, ships, trains and planes

Melissa Horne, has announced an

in the supply chain was good news for all

carry freight but only trucks deliver,

extension to the Mode Shift Incentive

freight operators.

so we welcome the extension of the

Scheme (MSIS) to 30 June 2021, along

“For Victoria to remain the freight

Scheme, which will improve intermodal

with a commitment of an additional $4

capital of Australia it is essential we

connectivity on our freight network and

million to fund rail infrastructure to support

have significant investments in road,

create productivity and efficiency gains

Victoria’s growing freight task.

rail and sea infrastructure that enables

for operators.”

The announcement builds on the

better management and the seamless

The Scheme is just one of several

Andrews Labor Government’s $20 million

and efficient movement of freight from

initiatives the VTA has advocated for so

investment in the scheme over the past

paddock to port,” said Anderson.

that Victoria’s freight network can handle

five years, which was initiated to support

“For every rail movement of freight

the tripling of freight volumes that is

rail companies to make rail transport costs

there are at least one or two

expected over the next 30 years.

more competitive and to help Victorian

movements involving a heavy vehicle

Other key projects include the $125

exporters get their goods to the Port of

which demonstrates how operators

million On-Dock Rail project at East

Melbourne and beyond, faster.

throughout the supply chain benefit from

Swanson Dock, Port Rail Shuttle and

VTA CEO, Peter Anderson, welcomed the

rail investments like the Minister has

intermodal terminals at Truganina

extension of the Scheme, saying initiatives

announced today.

and Beveridge.

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NEWS

Road train network expansion to boost Australia’s freight productivity

High productivity vehicles are set to see greater utility across the country.

A new road train network for Victoria,

upgrade the notice and update the national

improvements to cross-border travel and

road train networks, and I’m delighted

permit,” said Hogben.

“South Australia has enabled access

fewer requirements for access permits

that this has been agreed to by all road

under the Notice to 30m A-doubles,

will begin under a new national road

managers.”

36.5m B-triples and AB-triples, as well

train notice.

The 2020 National Class 2 Road Train

as rigid trucks towing two dog trailers

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and

Notice replaces the 2015 National Class 2

– significantly reducing the number of

Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz, said the

Road Train Notice.

permits required by operators of these

2020 National Class 2 Road Train Notice

NHVR Chief Regulatory Policy and

combinations.

will commence on Thursday in New South

Standards Officer, Don Hogben, said the

“Also, a number of eligible road trains

Wales, Queensland, South Australia and

NHVR had been working closely with state

can now access a single, Type 2 road

Victoria, where road trains carry more than

and local government road managers to

train network, while previous access was

15 billion tonnes-km of freight every year.

develop the notice, which consolidates road

only for specific Type 2 combinations.

“Since the original national road train

train combination requirements, facilitates

notice was introduced, we’ve seen

cross-border access and reduces permit

This aligns with existing arrangements in Queensland.”

significant growth in the freight task, as

requirements for operators.

“For the first time, Victoria is part of

The notice will also provide standard

well as the productivity and safety benefits of harmonised networks,” said Buchholz.

the national road train notice, granting

train configurations and improve

“I’m grateful to all the road authorities for

access to 36.5m A-doubles on a road

taking the time to work with the NHVR to

network previously only accessible by

the overall consistency of access and vehicle conditions.

20

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

definitions and categorisation of road

Australia to build third transcontinental highway Providing interstate connectivity for the

through Alice Springs in the Northern

“A graduation ceremony was held in

freight industry will help support the

Territory and connecting all the way to

Laverton on [14 February 2020] where each

Australian economy far into the future

Winton in Queensland,” he said.

trainee was presented a training certificate

according to Deputy Prime Minister, Michael

West Australian Minister for Transport, Rita

and offered a job with CareyMC Pty Ltd to

McCormack.

His comments refer to work which will

Saffioti, said Great Central Road provides

work on the Outback Way project,” he said.

the ultimate ‘Aussie Outback’ experience -

West Australian Treasurer and Minister for

soon begin on sealing Great Central Road

sealing this road will allow more visitors to

Finance, Aboriginal Affairs, and Lands, Ben

with a $20 million contract awarded to

travel this iconic route and experience a true

Wyatt, said the communities along the

Wongutha Way Alliance, a joint venture

West Australian Outback adventure.

Great Central Road offer some of the most

between CareyMC Ltd and Central

“The Wongutha Way Alliance is the first of

unique cultural experiences in the country,

Earthmoving Pty Ltd. In consultation with local elders, the Alliance

its kind, and embodies our commitment to

giving tourists a real insight into Australia’s

providing long term, sustainable employment

Aboriginal heritage.

was aptly named the ‘Wongutha’ Way

opportunities for West Australians in the

“This project will see up to 30 Aboriginal

Alliance, meaning the broad group of local

most remote parts of our state,” said Saffioti.

people involved in construction works and

Aboriginal people who reside in the area

“It is pleasing to see the commitment made

ongoing employment opportunities, with an

and celebrating the united commitment to

by this joint venture in both training and

expected economic boost from an increase in

provide benefit to local communities.

guiding trainees on this project,” she said.

visitors to the area,” said Wyatt.

“It’s exciting to see work starting on this

Federal Member for O’Connor, Rick Wilson,

“Both CareyMC and Central Earthmoving

41km section of Great Central Road,” said

said the Wongutha Way Alliance has been

have embraced the McGowan Government’s

McCormack.

preparing for this project since 2019, with

commitment to increase employment

“The project includes reconstruction of the

the recruitment of local Aboriginal people

opportunities for local Aboriginal people and

pavement and sealing the road surface,

into structured training programs.

businesses in the region,” he said.

which will ultimately form part of the longer-

“These programs included theory and

The Great Central Road project is a

term upgrade of ‘Outback Way’.

practical ‘hands-on’ training modules, which

jointly funded project with the Australian

“This will create Australia’s third

were carried out in the Laverton Community

Government committing $37.2 million and

Transcontinental Highway, providing a sealed

Hall, Carey’s Laverton yard and nearby sites,”

the West Australian Government committing

route starting in Laverton, Western Australia,

said Wilson.

$9.3 million.

NEWS

BRE continues to drive fuel costs down Bruce Rock Engineering (BRE) has manufactured a 13.65-metre drop deck trailer featuring fuel saving features headed by lay flat ramps.

BRE is a bespoke trailer builder, with facilities at Bruce Rock and Forrestfield (Perth) in WA, and is well known for its innovative approach to achieving solutions for its customers that improve efficiencies and safety outcomes.

This latest trailer is no exception, featuring the company’s newly developed 4.4m lay flat ramps with electric over hydraulic control that minimise wind drag, particularly when travelling empty.

This unit has joined the company’s own transport fleet which is primarily responsible for moving components from its Forrestfield fabrication factory to Bruce Rock where the

BRE is known for its innovative solutions.

trailers are assembled. Other duties include transporting completed trailers to various

mechanism, again improving fuel economy

Other features include tool boxes on both

shows and events around the country.

and reducing tyre wear when travelling

sides and at the rear as well as a handy chain

The custom drop deck trailer is equipped

lightly loaded. This is controlled via WABCO

storage box neatly recessed into the floor at

with SAF-Holland INTRADISC Plus nine-

Electronic Braking System (EBS).

the front centre of the lower deck.

tonne air suspension and 19.5-inch Alcoa

Also incorporated is an effective safety

BRE is renowned for producing robust trailers

DuraBright alloy rims shod with Michelin

mechanism – SAF Tyre Pilot – which

with relatively light tare weights and this unit

265/70R 19.5 XTE2 tyres.

continuously monitors and maintains the

continues this trend with a tare weight of

The lead axle incorporates a BPW lift

correct pressure in each of the tyres.

8.76 tonnes.

NSW OSOM permits transfer to NHVR Portal The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR)

Portal on the entire route, including state,

is now processing all Class 1 Oversize and

territory and local council roads,” said

Portal,” said Mackay.

Petroccitto said operators should also check

Overmass (OSOM) permit applications for

Petroccitto.

out the recently released Multi-State Class 1

New South Wales.

Transport for NSW Executive Director Freight,

Load Carrying Vehicles Dimension and Mass

NHVR CEO, Sal Petroccitto, said the NHVR

Susie Mackay, said the current heavy vehicle

Exemption Notices which increased mass

had been working closely with Transport

permits issued in NSW will remain valid until

for the OSOM network in NSW up to 115

for NSW, NSW local councils and the heavy

the permit’s expiry date, unless amended or

vehicle industry to finalise the transfer of

renewed by the NHVR.

tonnes and the width has been increased up to five metres.

OSOM permit processing.

“The return of delegation is a critical step

“Before submitting your application, please

“All heavy vehicle operators requiring an

in progressing the efficient management

check you actually require a permit, as you

access permit to travel in NSW now have a

of access in NSW by providing a centrally

may be able to operate under a notice or

single point of contact through the NHVR

managed process through the online NHVR

approved network,” he said.

22

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

National $8M project to improve heavy vehicle access Work is now underway on an $8 million

“For many local councils, especially in

work undertaking assessments with the

project aimed to make it easier for local

regional and rural Australia, the task of

local councils in the pilot.

councils to support heavy vehicle operators

assessing infrastructure such as bridge

“We’re looking forward to kicking off this

to choose the most productive routes.

weight limits and height can be complex,

work in the coming weeks with a diverse

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and

especially when you consider the enormous

group of councils from right across the

Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz, said

number of different vehicle configurations.

country,” said Petroccitto.

that the Strategic Local Government Asset

“This project will balance productivity and

“The project will improve heavy vehicle

Assessment Project would include 12

reduce movement risks by giving local

access by identifying key heavy vehicle

councils nationwide in its pilot phase.

councils access to engineers and other

routes on local roads and assisting local

“Important freight corridors around

experts so they can make the best decisions

governments with the management of their

Australia include many assets like bridges

about improving accessibility on these

road asset data.

and culverts on local roads that have

important routes.

“It will also provide a central database that

not been assessed in many years,” said

“Improving our freight transport corridors

contains information on road assets making

Buchholz.

and making the information available to

it easier for heavy vehicle operators to use

“These local roads serve an essential

industry, means it’s easier to plan. That

routes that can accommodate them.

purpose as key links on the transport

means knowing the best route and the right

“By working with local councils we can

network, helping to keep industry moving

truck for the job.”

simplify things, by improving the certainty

with everything from mining equipment to

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator CEO, Sal

of access for the wide range of vehicles that

keeping our shelves stocked.

Petroccitto, said that the NHVR would start

use our roads.”

Austroads tackles road transport decarbonisation Road transport has a role to play in

Transport Network Operations in Australia

are required to substantially reduce road

supporting state and national emissions

and New Zealand’ explores the policy

transport emissions by 2050,” said Delplace.

reduction goals according to the latest report

landscapes of both countries and reviews

“However, the accelerated adoption of

from Austroads.

several decarbonisation pathways in the

low and zero-emission vehicles must be

The report analyses the contribution of

context of the Paris Agreement’s goal to

supplemented with efficient and holistic

the road transport sector to generating

reduce the risks and impacts of climate

approach to road transport network

greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and

change by limiting the temperature increase

operations, planning and management. This

New Zealand and found that if left unabated

to 1.5°C.

includes encouraging behaviour change with

the transportation sector will continue to

The transition to electric vehicles across the

respect to mode choice, supporting strategic

drive emissions growth.

road network is a critical initiative in reducing

planning for efficient freight networks and

Also, business as usual is inconsistent with

greenhouse gas emissions as highlighted in

supporting active transport.

the ambition for net zero emissions by

the recently released Technology Investment

“While reducing emissions is essential

2020 across Australia and New Zealand

Roadmap Discussion Paper: A Framework to

to reducing the risks associated with

jurisdictions.

Accelerate Low Emissions TechnologiesOpens

climate change, additional benefits include

“The roads sector has an important role to

in new window from the Australian

health benefits related to air quality

play in supporting the state and national

Commonwealth Government.

improvements and more active travel modes,

goals in the transition to net zero emissions

“Policy makers and road transport network

competitiveness benefits and broader

by 2050 as it accounts for approx. 14 per

operators can have real impact on the road

economic benefits,” he said.

cent of Australian GHG emissions,” said

sector’s decarbonisation; crucially, policy

The findings, according to Delplace, will

Austroads Program Manager Network,

interventions to support electric vehicle sales

inform Austroads’ strategic review of the

Richard Delplace.

and the early retirement of inefficient internal

Guide to Traffic Management and future

The issues paper ‘Decarbonisation of Road

combustion engine vehicles from the fleet

research within the Network Program. www.trailermag.com.au

23

NEWS

Buchholz applauds Woolworths’ COVID-19 response Assistant Minister for Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz has congratulated Woolworths Group on ‘a job well done’ after recently visiting the Brisbane Regional Distribution Centre at Larapinta.

Visiting the site to discuss supply chain support and care packages for heavy vehicle and truck drivers, Buchholz was subject to Woolworths’ strict coronavirus measures.

“I was visiting for a short meeting with the site Supply Chain Manager and a small group of team members, including a truckie and the regional transport manager,” said Bucholz.

“It is important that we, as Government, have a clear understanding of the supply chains

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz and truck driver, Dean Murray.

we’re relying on to get goods from one place to another. During the coronavirus pandemic,

Paul Graham, said approximately 4,000

essentials flowing into stores for Australian

I’ve been working closely with industry

care packages were being distributed to

communities.

representatives, owner-drivers and businesses

drivers across the country, put together by

“We appreciate everything they do for

to ensure there was limited disruption to our

Woolworths team members.

Woolworths, and the care packs are just a

supply chains.

“The last couple of months have been

small way of giving something extra back and

“One of the issues that has been raised is the

extremely busy across our entire supply chain

saying thank you for all their efforts.

importance of protecting staff and particularly

network,” said Graham.

“Truck drivers are essential to our business

truck drivers.

“The additional volume of stock flowing

and we want to do what we can to support

“The Woolworths team, to their absolute

through our distribution centres and into

their safety and wellbeing as well, just like we

credit, have implemented strict coronavirus

stores has only been made possible with the

do for our own team members.”

protection measures – including temperature

support of our valued transport partners and

Buchholz said the Woolworths care packages

checks, isolation stations, social distancing

their teams.

were an additional measure to assist truck

and sign-in requirements.”

“Many drivers will have made sacrifices

drivers and freight operators, demonstrating a

Woolworths Chief Supply Chain Officer,

at work or at home to keep the food and

commitment to ensuring supply and safety.

Drivers denied amenities at feedlots: ALRTA The Australian Livestock and Rural

be denied access to basic amenities.

to provide amenities safety,” said Marley.

Transporters Association (ALRTA) has

“Feedlots are reliant on deliveries of livestock,

“Information on how to do so has been

requested a change to a Covid-19 guideline

grain, fodder and fuel,” he said. “Practically

published in the Australian Government

regarding feedlots. ALRTA has written to the

every animal spending time in a feedlot will

protocols released in conjunction with the

Australian Lot Feeders Association (ALFA)

have been on a truck at least twice.”

exemption for businesses operating truck

to request removal of the guideline ‘Do not

ALRTA has asked ALFA to reconsider the

driver facilities,” he said.

permit drivers to use amenities from the document Covid-19 – A Guide for Feedlots.

obligation of feedlots to manage fatigue risk

“It is important for the rural supply chain to

under heavy vehicle laws.

work together to deal with increased meat

ALRTA National President, Stephen Marley,

“We have recommended that the restriction

demand while continuing to operate in a

said that truck drivers provide an essential

on allowing drivers to access amenities

manner that best protects the safety of

service for feedlot operations and must not

be replaced with information about how

all workers.”

24

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Mal Highet lifts spirits with ‘Visit a Farmer’ campaign With a big heart for helping those doing it tough on the land, Mal Highet and a number of volunteers have been delivering water, supplies and friendship to farming communities over the past 18 months.

Highet, a full-time truck driver for LCL Heavy Haulage based in Adelaide, initiated the Menindee Water Run in January 2019 to help Far West NSW landholders who were running out of household water as the Darling River dried up.

Having grown up at Menindee beside the banks of the Darling before moving to Adelaide 30 years ago, Highet said he had maintained contact with people in the district and when he found out they were running out of water he put the call out via his personal Facebook page for donations of water.

An Adelaide-based water company, Crystal Springs, came onboard and provided boxed water at a discounted price enabling Highet to deliver a road train load of boxed water – 44,000 litres – to Menindee every month. He did most of the driving himself, with his employer, Peter Taylor, donating the fuel

Mal Highet encourages people to visit those hardworking individuals doing it tough in the bush.

and providing use of the prime mover on weekends.

pushing for government assistance.

that’s when the idea of Visit a Farmer

“We started as a drive-thru at the

“The NSW government started paying for

Menindee pub,” said Highet.

the water in May last year, so since then

came to him.

“I couldn’t stand the thought of it getting

“The response was unbelievable, people

we have done all the organising and the

that bad for anyone we had been visiting,

were just so appreciative to receive a box

government has paid the bills,” he said.

or anyone else for that matter,” he said.

of water. It was like we were in a third-

Highet and his team has since transported

“I thought people needed to show their

world country.

more than one million litres of water to

appreciation more, get out themselves and

“Young families were considering leaving

Far Western NSW, as well as helping South

the land because their children were

Australian pastoralists.

see how their local farmers were getting on.

Highet started the Visit a Farmer Facebook

getting sick from the water. It felt good

They have also received funding for new

page in October to encourage members to

to be able to help keep them on their

tanks and water filter installations.

“get out in the bush and say g’day to our

properties.

“Even though there is now water in the

people on the land doing it tough – thank

“We started a Menindee Water Run

Darling, it is still too dirty to use,” said

them and be a mate”.

Facebook page because of the support.

Highet. “We won’t stop delivering until it

He also started receiving donations, which

We now have 1,400 followers,” he said.

is fit for purpose.”

enabled the new team of four volunteers

Australians, according to Highet, need

It was during a trip to Queensland that

to deliver hampers and supplies to those

to start putting farmers first “because

Highet heard the devastating story of

in need.

without them we wouldn’t have food”.

a Queensland farmer who had lost

“Olympic Trailers also helped part-fund a

Also, with the cost burden starting to

everything due to the drought and

delivery trailer for us, which we were so

become a bit overwhelming, he began

consequently taken his own life. He said

appreciative of,” said Highet. www.trailermag.com.au

25

NEWS

Drake takes the cake according to Ace Ace Haulage, based in Yatala, Queensland, has taken delivery of a new Drake 4x4 Deck Widener – the fourth Drake trailer to join the heavy haulage specialist’s fleet.

The company transports a wide variety of heavy machinery for civil construction, mining and earthmoving companies Australia-wide.

Currently comprising seven low-loaders and seven tilt trays, Ace has experienced

Ace Haulage has a mix of Drake trailers in its fleet.

exponential growth over the last three years, having grown its fleet from five trucks to 14.

over angle and make things easier when

deliver a 30-tonne excavator because they’d

With a deck that widens from 2.5 to 3.5

loading machinery.

end up hopping gutters and damaging rims

metres, the newest Drake unit features BPW

“We shift a lot of crushers and screens

and tyres,” he said.

axles, including a self-tracking rear steer axle,

that move on tracks and are quite low so

“The narrower track of the steerable rear

hydraulic suspension and bi-fold ramps.

I decided to go with the bi-folds to help

axle deck widener means they can easily

According to Ace Haulage Operations

lower the angle of the ramps and lessen the

negotiate tight corners without jumping the

Manager, Tom Willis, Drake’s 4x4 (quad)

likelihood of bottoming out,” said Willis.

kerb. The rear self-tracking axle helps a lot in

deck widener is an ideal choice for Ace’s

“It’s amazing how just a few degrees

reducing trailer cut-in on turns.”

operation.

“You can’t go past Drake when it comes

difference in the angle makes loading a

Speaking about the axles, Willis said he

machine so much easier.”

continues to use BPW because they have

to deck widener and full widener quads –

Willis said he has a mix of deck wideners and

never let him down.

they’re second to none,” said Willis. “When

full wideners in the fleet. With deck wideners

“I’ve always run BPW axles; while they cost

you pick up a new Drake trailer from the

the deck widens while the wheel track stays

a bit more upfront, in the long run they save

factory, the outstanding quality and finish

the same. Whereas with full wideners the

you money because they last longer and give

of the entire unit just puts a big smile on

wheels move out with the decks as they

the trailer better resale value when you’re

your face.”

While all the other units have one-piece

widen, substantially increasing the overall

finished with it,” he said.

wheel track.

“We try to keep our fleet updated and

ramps, Willis decided to specify longer bi-fold

“I won’t send my full wideners into tight

modern, so we replace all our equipment at

ramps on the latest one to lessen the ramp-

access places like housing subdivisions to

between five and seven years of age.”

Toll opens new Queensland facility Logistics specialist, Toll, has confirmed

procedures, a 5KW solar system, an energy

services for its customers.

operations at a new purpose-built facility

efficient LED Smart Sensor lighting system,

“We continue to look for opportunities to

have commenced.

on-site recycling reducing landfill, eco-

improve the speed and quality of our services

Based in the Chevallum hinterland, the

friendly landscaping with 500 new plants

to support our customers,” said Toll President

Sunshine Coast facility, which has been

to offset carbon footprint and rainwater

Global Express, Alan Beacham.

operational since early February, officially

harvesting for gardens.

“Toll Sunshine Coast is a purpose-built

opened at the start of the month and

The $19 million investment by Toll into the

facility, modern logistics hub that has allowed

includes 5,000sqm of warehouse space and a

Queensland market leverages contractors

us to integrate our existing services to meet

532-square-metre two-storey office.

from regional businesses on the Sunshine

the needs of our customers now and into the

Three sites in the area have been

Coast, Moreton and Gympie.

future,” he said. “We’re proud of what the

consolidated into one, reducing the

Toll confirmed it has brought together its

team have been able to achieve in bringing

required number of commercial vehicles and

palletised and parcel operations at the site,

our people and services together to support

associated emissions.

where a full range of vehicles from vans to

the Sunshine Coast community.”

Other environmental and energy benefits

rigids to linehaul prime movers are being

The development follows a plan to transform

at the facility include eco-friendly idling

utilised, to provide better integration of

Toll’s regional footprint.

26

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Govt considers next steps for fuel storage options Much needed increases to Australia’s

This will ease the storage pressures currently

“The Morrison Government has a

domestic fuel storage capacity will be the

being felt by refineries from the drop in

comprehensive fuel security package, with

subject of the Request for Information (RFI)

demand for fuel products as a result of

the next steps of this plan focusing on

recently opened by the Federal Government.

As it looks to ease pressure on the nation’s

Covid-19.

High quality diesel will continue to be

strengthening Australia’s local industry,” he said in a statement.

refineries and bolster Australia’s domestic

supplied to the retail market and the change

“The Government wants to assess how we

fuel security, the Government today

will not affect the operation of vehicles, the

can best partner with industry to increase

announced it has sought RFIS from industry

our storage capacity to further enhance our

players on potential projects.

environment, or health and safety.

The temporary change to the diesel

This will inform the next steps for exploring

flashpoint was supported by state and

“We are also working closely with our

storage opportunities including volume,

territory agencies, fuel refiners, car and

local refineries to better understand their

location and storage specifications expected

truck manufacturers, and clean air experts.

challenges by assessing the long-term

to be announced later this year.

The Government has, in addition to this,

sustainability of the sector. By taking an

The RFI process, according to the

commenced a long-term strategic study of

industry-wide view, we will be able to make

Government, will form part of its

the refining industry in which the state of

sure that we protect Australia’s national

comprehensive fuel security package.

the industry and any required actions will be

sovereignty and back the future of our fuel-

It follows on from Australia and the United

assessed with the objective of maintaining

using industries like our truckies, miners,

States finalising a deal to store Australian

the long-term fuel security of the nation

farmers, and Australian motorists.”

Government owned oil in the US Strategic

and enhancing national sovereignty.

In April Taylor announced that the

Petroleum Reserve earlier in June.

Australia, according to Angus Taylor

Government would take advantage of the

As part of the domestically focused aspects

Minister for Energy and Emissions

current low world oil prices to help Australia

of the package, the Government is also

Reduction, continues to enjoy a reliable

boost its oil holdings.

working to support the local refining sector

supply of fuel, despite the Covid-19

The Government said it was committed to

in both the short and medium term.

pandemic highlighting the impact that

improving Australia’s fuel security and to

Temporary changes to diesel standard will

large, unexpected changes in fuel supply

ensure the settings are right to help the

be allowed to enable all Australian refineries

and demand can have on the fuel storage

domestic industry through the Covid-19

to utilise excess jet fuel supplies.

and refining sectors.

pandemic and beyond.

onshore fuel security.

Centurion wins three-year deal with mining firm Transport and logistics company, Centurion,

pleased the excellent working relationship

Over the last three years, the CFC Group has

has secured a three-year contract extension

with CITIC had been extended for a further

contributed, directly and indirectly, to more

with a prominent mining operation in the

three years.

than $800 million in spending in the WA

Pilbara region of Western Australia.

“The extension of this contract is a great

community.

Centurion will provide integrated logistics

validation of the current quality and

“The renewal of the CITIC contract is

services for CITIC Pacific Mining’s (CPM)

efficiency of Centurion’s integrated logistics

of strategic importance as it reaffirms

Sino Iron project.

offering,” said Cardaci. “We have developed

Centurion’s position as a leading provider

Centurion has been providing integrated

a strong relationship with CITIC over the past

of logistics services to the resources

logistics services to CPM for more than eight

eight years and this extension is a tribute to

industry across the west coast of Australia,”

years, including line haul, regional transport

the importance of establishing long term

said Cardaci. “Our client operations are

services and offsite receipting.

supported by a fleet of more than 2,000

Sino Iron Project is located at Cape Preston

relationships with customers.”

CITIC’s support allows Centurion to

in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

continue its economic contribution to

branches offering receipting and last mile

Centurion CEO, Justin Cardaci, said he was

the Karratha region.

logistic services.”

owned assets and a network of regional

www.trailermag.com.au

27

ECONOMY

What you need to know in July THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY IS SET TO BENEFIT FROM A SERIES OF REGULATOR AND GOVERNMENT CHANGES WHILE THE RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA CONTINUES TO APPRAISE THE STATE OF AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMY IN LIGHT OF COVID-19 RECOVERY.

6.2%

0.25%

2.5%

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE APRIL 2020

INTEREST RATE MARCH 2020

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION MARCH 2020

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

can help in providing financial relief to

and second-hand assets, was originally

(NHVR) announced last month it would

more than 20,000 heavy vehicle businesses

slated to end on 30 June 2020.

freeze fee increases on all NHVR-provided

The extension is estimated to cost the

services until January 2021.

using NHVR’s services.”

The Federal Government announced on

NHVR Chair, Duncan Gay, said helping

9 June 2020 that it would extend, by six

forward estimates.

the industry had been a priority for the

months, the $150,000 instant asset write-

Meanwhile, earlier this year, in May, the

regulator, with the fee freeze the latest

off to the end of the calendar year.

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released

in a series of initiatives aimed at assisting

It represents a major win for the road

a statement on monetary policy, which

operators through Covid-19.

transport industry in which the new

confirmed a large and near-simultaneous

“We recognise this has been a tough

threshold for each asset purchased for under

contraction across the global economy. In

period for many operators and now more

Australia, output is expected to contract

than ever we want to encourage heavy

$150,000 can be accessed multiple times.

Increased from $30,000 in March as

vehicle businesses to focus on their safety

a measure to mitigate the impacts of

mostly in the June quarter according

and that of other road users,” said Gay.

Covid-19 on the economy, the asset write-

to the RBA. While the exact size of the

“This fee freeze is a small way the NHVR

off scheme, which applies to both new

contraction is still uncertain, a decline in

Industry and government are working together for a brighter trucking future.

28

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Federal budget $300 million over the

significantly over the first half of 2020,

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of around

could peak at around 10 per cent – the

rather than zero as it would have been

10 per cent from peak to trough is

increase according to the RBA – would

the case under the previous arrangements.

expected.

have been much larger were it not for the

At the time of writing, iif the lifting of

This contraction in activity has reportedly

JobKeeeper wage subsidy program.

restrictions is delayed or the restrictions

affected labour markets severely where

Banks in Australia have also implemented

need to be reimposed or household

large and rapid increases in unemployment

comprehensive policy packages in

and business confidence remains low,

are also occurring in many countries.

response to current market conditions.

the outcomes would be even more

These numbers, the RBA stated, would not

These included policy rate reductions,

challenging than those in the baseline

capture the full extent of the decline in

large-scale market operations and

scenario according to the RBA.

labour demand.

purchase programs for government bonds

“In the context of these extraordinary

“Lockdowns, school closures and other

and other securities, the provision of term

times and consistent with its broad

restrictions on activity have meant that

funding to banks and the establishment of

mandate to promote the economic

many workers who have been laid off will

foreign exchange swap lines.

welfare of the people of Australia, the

not be actively searching for another job

“These measures complemented fiscal

Reserve Bank will continue to play its role

for a time and therefore not be counted as

stimulus aimed at supporting incomes

in building the bridge to the time when

unemployed, while other workers will have

and the flow of funding to households

the recovery takes place,” the RBA said.

left the labour force,” the RBA said. “In

and businesses,” the RBA said – adding

“It will maintain its efforts to keep funding

addition, many firms have cut the hours of

that it launched a package in March to

costs low in Australia and credit available

their employees rather than laying them

promote the functioning of key financial

to households and businesses. The Board

off entirely. More of the labour market

markets. The four elements in this

will not increase the cash rate target

adjustment is likely to occur through

package included a reduction in the cash

until progress is being made towards

hours worked rather than job losses in

rate to 25 basis points, a target for the

full employment and it is confident that

economies with more comprehensive

three-year Australian Government bond

inflation will be sustainably within the

wage subsidy programs. And by preserving

yield of around 0.25 per cent, a term

2–3 per cent target band. The Board is

employment relationships over the period

funding facility for the banking system,

committed to do what it can to support

of lockdowns, these programs should

with particular support for credit to small

jobs, incomes and businesses during this

also hasten the subsequent recoveries in

and medium-sized businesses and the

difficult period and to make sure that

activity and employment.”

remuneration of exchange settlement

Australia is well placed for the

The unemployment rate in Australia

balances at the RBA at 10 basis points

expected recovery.”

AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS CONFIDENCE

20

3

2

1

0 -1

-2

0

-3

-2

-5

-20

-20

-40

-46 -60

-65 Jul 2019

Oct2019

Jan 2020

Apr 2020

-80

Sources: tradingeconomics.com | National Australia Bank

www.trailermag.com.au

29

REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT

The long and the cool WHEN EUROPANTECH OWNER, DAVE MURPHY, SET OUT TO CREATE A 33-PALLET REFRIGERATED SEMI-TRAILER WITH A 38-TONNE PAYLOAD CAPACITY, HE ENTRUSTED CARRIER TRANSICOLD WITH THE TASK OF SUPPLYING A FRIDGE UNIT CAPABLE OF EFFICIENTLY COOLING THE VAST INTERIOR. Efficiency is key in any transport operation,

ago we changed to 24-pallet single trailers

discovered it was possible too, so that’s how

even more so with refrigerated transport

rather than B-doubles on our Melbourne-

this latest concept was born.”

where the cost of running the fridge plant

Sydney runs.

The rear of the van tapers in a ‘boat-

adds to overall running costs.

“I also wanted a better class of van so when

tail’ fashion to improve highway speed

While refrigerated B-doubles provide a

I first started EuroPantech my mission was to

aerodynamics, and as a result, only has space

substantial increase in payload and cargo

import European vans into Australia.

for one pallet space at the very back.

capacity over single trailers, the trade-

”But then I discovered Performance-Based

Due to the bespoke design, Dave devised

off is the extra time it takes to split the

Standards (PBS) and was curious to find out

bi-fold rear doors that close to form an

combination for dock loading/unloading.

if a 16.75-metre 28-pallet van could be used

obtuse angle and when fully opened provide

It was these factors that led Dave Murphy to

under Level 1 PBS,” he says – adding that at

unimpeded forklift access to the trailer.

develop his own unique refrigerated trailer

this stage a 28-pallet van was unheard of.

“I contacted Marcus Coleman (Managing

“On the Type 2 network we proved that a

that he says alleviates a common complaint with B-doubles doing linehaul work.

Director of PBS certification company Tiger

“Then while trying to get aerodynamic

“There’s too much work involved at either

Spider) who initially told me it couldn’t be

components approved I worked out that if I

end for a B-double driver running between

done. It was only after I asked him to show

could build bi-fold doors then an extra pallet

Melbourne and Sydney,” Dave says. “Because

me why it couldn’t be done that we proved

could be carried.”

of this you need to have a support structure

Other aerodynamic enhancements of the

involving extra drivers to do the loading

it could.

“After ongoing discussions to see if we could

and unloading at each end, which adds

push the envelope further, I engaged Marcus

ultra-close coupling to the Kenworth T610

considerable cost to the operation.

“We found that our B-double drivers were

to find out if a 33-pallet van measuring 20

prime mover, which features a full aero kit

metres would be allowable on PBS Type 2

along with aerodynamically optimised front

regularly running late so about 10 years

road networks. After doing the research he

bumper, hood and cab designs. The overall

30

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

32-pallet van was possible,” Dave says.

semi-trailer include full-length side skirts and

the van is largely thanks to the high-tech

contributing to a claimed 15 per cent drop

sandwich panels imported from Unitrans

in maintenance costs compared to the

in Italy. This feature, along with the ample

Vector 1950.

cooling capacity and other benefits of the

There’s also a number of features of the

Carrier Vector HE 19 fridge unit, make the

Vector HE 19 that make it particularly suited

super-long EuroPantech fridge van suitable

to the EuroPantech trailer, specifically in

for the hot Australian climate.

terms of the aerodynamically optimised close

Furthermore, the close coupling requirement

coupling to the Kenworth 8x4 prime mover

demanded a slim-line fridge unit that would

and the gigantic interior volume.

operate effectively in the confined space

“There’s a new condenser and revamped

between the trailer front wall and

condenser fan design for superior heat

prime mover.

exchange and better airflow across the coil,”

With the HE denoting High Efficiency, the

Kelly says.

up-to-the-minute Vector HE 19, launched in

“This translates to elevated performance in

Australia at last year’s Brisbane Truck Show,

high ambient temperature conditions and in

has proven more than up to the task.

tight coupling scenarios common with PBS

It features Carrier Transicold’s patented

combinations.”

all-electric E-Drive™ technology whereby

Inside, the evaporator airflow management

the diesel engine drives a generator which

system has also been heavily revised in order

produces AC electricity to power the entire

to harness the Coanda effect.

refrigeration system. It can also be plugged

“In a fridge van sense, this essentially means

into mains power when stationary.

the cool air ‘sticks’ to the ceiling of the trailer,

“This was a huge step forward for trailer

creating a much more efficient airflow which

refrigeration and the most important

helps maintain consistency of the set-point

length of the combination is 24.5 metres.

refrigeration unit to be launched by Carrier

temperature throughout the EuroPantech

The next challenge for Dave with a van of this

Transicold in Australia in more than a

trailer’s lengthy interior,” Kelly explains.

size was in ensuring effective cooling of the

decade,” says Kelly Geddes, Director of

According to Dave, this was verified by

larger interior volume and it was here that

Product & Aftermarket Solutions, Carrier

the fact that the unit was able to maintain

Carrier Transicold’s expertise came to the fore.

Transicold Australia.

a temperature of -30°C in hot ambient

Dave says the superior thermal efficiency of

“The new multi-speed engine design helps

conditions.

deliver up to a 30 per cent reduction in fuel

Also critical for PBS units is tare weight, and

consumption, compared with the existing

at 805kg the new Vector HE 19 is a

Vector 1950 unit.

significant 85kg lighter than the Vector 1950.

“This has been independently verified using

In terms of remote monitoring, the

the European Committee for Standardisation

EuroPantech’s Carrier Vector HE 19 unit is

(CEN) and the Association Technic Energy

fitted with Carrier eSolutions telematics

Environment (ATEE) partial load fuel burn

system that enables full temperature

standards,” he says.

monitoring, GPS tracking and two-way

Another advantage, Carrier claims, of its

control over the refrigeration unit.

hermetically sealed compressor is superior

All up, the innovative features of the Carrier

refrigerant gas retention over the life of

Vector HE 19 make it an ideal fridge plant for

the unit compared to mechanically driven

the equally innovative EuroPantech

compressors which over time are prone to

33-pallet trailer.

Front and rear self-tracking axles provide the 33-pallet EuroPantech trailer with a similar swept path to a standard 26-metre B-double.

Carrier Transicold’s Vector HE 19 fridge plant features improved internal airflow management, lighter weight and significantly enhanced fuel efficiency.

refrigerant leakage past the drive shaft seal.

“Carrier’s hermetically sealed scroll compressor and economiser helps to deliver a 40 per cent increase in refrigeration capacity during pull-down, while reducing the chance of refrigerant escape by 50 per cent,” Kelly says.

Less maintenance is also a strong point of the Vector HE 19, with a doubling of the oil drain interval from 1,500 hours to 3,000 hours

Contact Carrier Transicold Australia National Sales: 1800 448 166 Melbourne: 03 8353 6100 Sydney: 02 9648 6100 Brisbane: 07 3216 4750 Adelaide: 08 8262 6535 Perth: 08 9353 4544 Web: www.carrier.com.au Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain.

EuroPantech Email: Dave@europantech.net

www.trailermag.com.au

31

TRAILER BUILDER

Days of future past VICTORIAN TRANSPORT COMPANY, FBT TRANSWEST, HONOURS PETER GUNN AND MICK VAWDREY – TWO FOUNDING FATHERS OF AUSTRALIA’S FREIGHT INDUSTRY – AND DETAILS THE ADVANTAGES OF CHALLENGING TRAILER MANUFACTURER AND FAMILY BUSINESS, VAWDREY AUSTRALIA, WITH PRODUCING TRAILING EQUIPMENT THAT INCREASES THE FLEET’S SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE RATINGS. Peter Gunn is a legendary name in what

he single-handedly revolutionised the cubic

at Vawdrey’s manufacturing facility in

is today a world-class industry. His mantra

freight market and introduced technologies

Dandenong South, Victoria. Between

for the past 50 years in transport has been

and processes that are still currently in use.

Peter’s acute attention to detail and

‘specialisation, innovation, standardisation’.

A seminal mover in railway, multimodal

Mick’s passionate ethos, both gentlemen

Peter’s relentless way of doing things,

solutions, Peter pioneered the introduction

exemplify what it takes to understand the

his passion for trucking and building

of the 48’ rail container in Australia in the

national freight task and provide leading-

businesses, has been critical in contributing

early 1990s. With the introduction of these

edge trailing equipment that champions

to road transport becoming a major driver

containers for cubic freight came a purpose

for the Australian economy and, more

designed 5 pack well wagon with shared

productivity gains and improved road safety.

Mick himself has seen the Vawdrey family

broadly, influencing modern trailer design.

On the back of WWII – decades before high-

bogies. This design reduced tare weight and

business grow from a small workshop to

allowed containers to be double stacked

a national marquee brand supporting 400

productivity schemes such as Performance-

between Adelaide and Perth.

staff, celebrating 45 years of operation

Based Standards (PBS) were even ratified

A quintessential inventor, Peter’s approach

in September last year. Seeing the two of

– Peter was at the forefront of genuine

to optimising cubic freight in transport

them talk shop and reflect on their industry

innovation, solving technical dilemmas and

also saw other design changes such as

contributions was indeed a sight to behold.

finding better ways to operate.

To pay his way through university during the

low floors, drop decks and smaller wheels

For FBT Transwest Managing Director,

which have since been widely adopted by

Cameron Dunn, investing in the latest

1950s, he took up a trucking gig. His first

other innovative trailer manufacturers like

Vawdrey trailer designs reinforces his

job was with Fred Brown Transport. Years

Vawdrey Australia ever since.

mission: to maintain safe and sustainable

later, perhaps out of sentiment and a keen

After decades of strong growth, Peter

business operations. By fostering reliable

sense for business acumen, he would go

merged his business in 1999 with the

support networks, partnering with suppliers

on to acquire the company which is known

logistics division of Mayne Nickless to build

like Vawdrey is essential when reducing

today as FBT Transwest.

a powerful Melbourne-based investment

operational risk and maximising the potential

By the late 1960s, Peter completed his

firm, PGA Group.

of the fleet.

tertiary studies (commerce at the University

With a keen interest in trucking that

Through his work with the Victorian

of Melbourne) and established his own

continues to endure, Peter recently met

Transport Association as President, to

transport services business, Cubico, where

with Mick Vawdrey for a factory tour

managing FBT Transwest, Cameron has

32

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Peter Gunn reflects on his proud history in trailer innovation.

on this trailer includes three-way twist locks

A lightweight 20/20 skeletal B-double is

with 800mm high lift to suit the heavy 20’

also joining the FBT Transwest fleet to carry

central container for discharge purposes as

tanktainers. This set was designed with

well as SAF Intradisc and WABCO Electronic

a slope in the chassis rail to comply with

Braking System (EBS). Stainless steel drip

operating criteria of 64 degrees to the centre

trays and hose carriers were also fitted.

of the tanktainer along with all of the other

forged a reputation for distilling often

The chassis is of lighter-weight construction

safety features fitted as standard.

complex issues down to a simple message

comprising high tensile Domex which

By implementing a strict procurement policy

and leading by example. This commitment

enables lighter tare weight for increased

with Vawdrey Australia – reinforced by the

to taking action is a daily challenge as he

payloads. Additional safety features include

dedication of industry luminaries like Peter

firmly believes ‘if you talk the talk, you need

full width walkway with access ladder and

and Mick – Cameron is realising his vision for

to walk the walk’. The supply of Vawdrey

hinge-up grab handles.

a safer, more efficient road

trailers, built to specification, has been an

Another lightweight drop deck A-double

transport business.

important part of Cameron’s safety advocacy.

combination was also manufactured and

FBT Transwest’s latest Vawdrey order includes

set up to carry high payload 20’ containers.

lightweight 12.2m drop deck Tanktainer

This set features Domex chassis, alloy wheels

skeletal trailers that are Performance-Based

and SAF-Holland axles and suspension. For

Standards (PBS) approved and can operate as

improved vehicle operator safety, WABCO

an A-double combination. Standout features

EBS is fitted along with pull-out steps.

Contact Vawdrey Australia 1-53 Quantum Close Dandenong South VIC 3175 Ph: 03 9797 3700 Web: www.vawdrey.com.au

Factory tour at Vawdrey Australia’s facility in Dandenong, Victoria.

www.trailermag.com.au

33

TRAILER BUILDER

National pride TO INCREASE TRAILER SALES AND BRAND AWARENESS IN THE SOUTH EASTERN STATES, BRUCE ROCK ENGINEERING HAS APPOINTED MICHAEL BOOKER AS REGIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR VICTORIA, TASMANIA AND NEW SOUTH WALES. Founded in 1980 in the WA wheatbelt

trailing equipment lines, BRE is seeking to

attitude and was always taking

town of Bruce Rock, Bruce Rock

bolster its presence in Australia’s east coast

forward steps.”

Engineering (BRE) has built an enviable

market as well as its home state of WA.

Michael has been working for BRE since

reputation for producing some of the most

With this in mind, the company has

November last year, based at Derrimut

durable yet light tare weight trailers in

employed Michael Booker to continue

in Victoria, and is striving to increase the

the country.

to raise awareness of the BRE brand

concentration of BRE products in the south

The company has adopted clever

and products, supporting fleets with the

eastern corner of the country.

engineering practices and utilises the full

personalised customer experience that BRE

spectrum of available high- and ultra-high

strives for.

“With a proven reputation assisting clients in the bulk haulage/tipper segments, I am

tensile steels for its trailer chassis designs

Michael is a trailer industry sales veteran,

keen to showcase and demonstrate the

which enable maximum strength with

having worked with a number of

efficiency and quality advantages of BRE’s

minimal weight.

Australia’s trailer manufacturers with a

range of side and end tipper products,”

A prime example of the company’s

career spanning 14 years.

Michael says. “We’ll also be pushing the

innovative approach to trailer building

During a tenure with one of these

Cold Core MSC refrigerated trailer range

can be seen in the recently introduced

manufacturers, Michael worked with Lee

that was launched at the Brisbane Truck

refrigerated vans, Cold Core MSC.

Maddison, who is now BRE’s WA Sales

Show last year.

Having partnered with North American

Manager.

“We’ve had two demo units out and

trailer manufacturer Wabash National,

“I’m really happy to be working alongside

about for 11 months now and we’re

BRE imports the van body componentry

Lee again and to be back in the tipper

just starting to see new stock hitting the

– which are constructed using Wabash’s

industry,” Michael says.

ground,” Michael says – adding that the

Moulded Structural Composite (MSC)

“It’s a great chance to meet new

response from the industry to the demo

technology – and integrates them with its

customers and reconnect with past

unit trials has been excellent.

own rugged light tare chassis design.

customers from Victoria, southern NSW

Tare weight of these new units is among

The resultant trailer, according to BRE,

and Tasmania.

the lightest in the market and thermal

is strong, light and provides enhanced

“From the initial chats I had with Damion

efficiency is outstanding, going by the

thermal efficiency for the Australian

Verhoogt (BRE Managing Director) it

feedback we’ve received from those who

market.

was clear to me that the Bruce Rock

have trialled it and our own testing done

With this product, along with other

Engineering group had a really positive

before the launch.”

34

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Bruce Rock Engineering Regional Sales Manager, Michael Booker.

As for the tippers, Michael says the company’s focus is on selling light tare

the floor is sensational and the product release is excellent due to the radius

Fast Fact

units constructed with durable Hardox

corners,” he says.

Bruce Rock Engineering has

steel for the quarrying and grain haulage

Another BRE product Michael is keen to

employed Michael Booker as its

sectors.

promote is the tri-axle drop-deck widener

Sales Manager for the states of

He says the advantages of the steel bodies

which also features a light tare weight and

Victoria, New South Wales and

far outweigh the minimal approximately

the availability of fold down ramps which

Tasmania.

1.5 per cent heavier tare weight compared

improve aerodynamics, particularly when

to aluminium tippers.

running empty.

Michael says that having worked with a

“It’s a very versatile unit that can carry

number of Australian trailer production

everything from machinery to containers

facilities he believes the BRE process is

to loads of hay,” he says. “I would

second to none.

estimate it tares about 400kg lighter than

“I’ve visited some of the main trailer

our competitors’ units while still being able

factories in Australia and from what I’ve

to do the same tasks.

seen BRE has the best workmanship as far

“I’m looking forward to selling the various

as welding and steelwork are concerned,”

products in the BRE range and showing

he says. “They are built for durability,

clients the many benefits this equipment

presentation and tare weight and they

has to offer.”

tread the balance between the three necessary factors very well.”

Michael emphasises the innovative radius floor design of the BRE steel end tippers.

“Having just one join in the middle of

Contact Bruce Rock Engineering 15 Swan Street Bruce Rock WA 6418 Ph: 08 90611253 or 1300 611 253 Web: www.brucerockengineering.com.au

www.trailermag.com.au

35

TRAILER BUILDER

The dog with two bins WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY ON ITS COUNTRY RUNS, RECYCLING SPECIALIST DELTA GROUP HAS TAKEN DELIVERY OF A BULK TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT FIVE-AXLE DOG TRAILER PULLED BY A SCANIA R 620 8X4 HOOKLIFT RIGID TRUCK. ITS GROSS COMBINATION MASS LIMIT IS 67.5 TONNES. The advent of Performance-Based Standards

enable the company to significantly increase

maximised bin volume was an important

(PBS) has opened up a whole new world of

productivity on its regional runs.

consideration. Each of the three bins in the

opportunities for truck operators and trailer

“With an increased workload in regional

25.5 metre combination has a capacity of

builders in recent times.

and country Victoria of late, we wanted to

It’s no exaggeration to say that this has

gain better efficiencies in terms of volume

32 cubic metres.

“Sometimes we carry heavy steel that

paved the way for some of the biggest

and payload,” says Dominic Santullo,

means we will be at our weight capacity

productivity gains the industry has ever seen.

General Manager – Recycling & Logistics at

with the bins half full. Other times we carry

No longer are combinations tied to rigid

Delta Group.

lighter materials where we can load the bins

regulations. Instead, rather lofty payload

“It was really about building a quality

right up,” he explains.

capacities can be realised, provided specific

combination that can carry virtually the

Interestingly, the bins are lifted on and off

criteria relating to on-road handling and

same payload as a B-double, while not

the trailer by the hooklift mounted on the

performance are met.

compromising on the robustness and

truck, which means the bin on the truck

The upshot is that smart and efficient

durability we require due to the nature of

must be removed before the bins are shifted

combinations that operators could only

our work,” Dominic says.

from either end of the trailer.

dream about a few years ago are now

“Our industry is demolition so we can’t use

Another innovative element of the trailer is

being built in steadily increasing numbers

light gauge steel for our bins because they

the dual hydraulic tarping system which is

by manufacturers such as Bulk Transport

just wouldn’t stand up to the punishment.”

mounted on the trailer between the bins,

Equipment (BTE).

The new unit will be used for transporting

with individual tarps that hoist up and roll

A great example is the recently completed

scrap steel for recycling as well as

five-axle dog trailer, commissioned by Port Melbourne-based demolition materials

construction and demolition waste.

Dominic explains that due to the

recycling company Delta Group, which will

varied nature of the materials carried,

Bulk Transport Equipment builds durable, efficient dog trailers for construction and demolition work.

36

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Image credit: Ned Meldrum Photography.

Fast Fact Cleverly designed dual hydraulic tarping system is mounted between the bins, meaning drivers have no need to climb onto the trailer when tarping or untarping.

out to cover both bins simultaneously.

“We designed the system ourselves and I think it’s the first of its kind for this type of application,” Dominic says.

“We needed to come up with a tarping system that negates the need for drivers to

Delta Group General Manager – Recycling & Logistics, Dominic Santullo.

climb up to tarp the bins, the tops of which are four metres above the ground.

says due to its comfort and features makes

“Tarping and untarping is a big safety

the job a lot easier for the drivers.

loaded or anywhere in between.”

Talking about the process of taking the

consideration for us; and we are very happy

“It has the hydraulic retarder which I really

combination from concept to reality, Dominic

to share this new idea with the industry,”

believe is one of the best features of all,”

says the people at BTE went all out to come

he says.

Dominic says.

Speaking about the truck itself, Dominic has

“If you use the retarder right you can

up with the best solutions for his needs.

“The bins had to be designed around the

high praise for the Scania R 620 which he

virtually come to a standstill without

trailer so the majority of the engineering

touching the brake pedal.”

work was focused in this area,” Dominic said.

Other safety features he likes include

“We put ideas forward and they said yay

advanced emergency braking, adaptive

or nay and it was refined until everything

cruise control, lane departure warning, hill

worked and the end result has exceeded

start assist and three cameras – one showing

our expectations.

the hook and two at the rear of the truck

“BTE builds quality products,” he adds.

– to help the driver when dropping off or

“Wehave bought around 15 units from

picking up the bins and also when hooking

them over the last five years, including truck

up the trailer.

“It also has full airbag suspension so the

and dogs, rigid bodies and hooklifts.

“Once you start working with a company

driver can raise the ride height of the truck

like BTE they quickly get to know what

for added ground clearance during slow-

your needs are in terms of application,

speed off-road manoeuvring on worksites,”

specifications and build requirements,

Dominic says, adding that this is also a

which reduces the need for lengthy in-

useful feature to ensure the rear of the truck is at the correct height when hooking up to

depth discussions.

“This new combination showcases BTE’s

the trailer.

ability to supply a high quality and fit

The trailer also has airbag suspension,

for purpose trailer that provides us with

accompanied by SAF Intradisc axles with

significantly enhanced productivity on our country runs.”

EBS which ensures balanced braking characteristics between the truck and trailer.

“I’ve been a fan of SAF for a while now – we have about 10 truck and dogs with SAF axles,” Dominic says.

“The disc brakes are really good and combined with the Scania’s retarder they pull up really well, whether empty, fully

Contact Bulk Transport Equipment 12-16 Fowler Road Dandenong South Victoria 3175 Ph: 03 9794 0330 Web: www.bte.net.au

www.trailermag.com.au

37

TRAILER BUILDER

Krueger stands for recovery and growth

Super A-doubles are the backbone of productive container carrying fleets.

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES CALL FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY, HARD-WEARING TRAILERS AND TIMELY SERVICE. KRUEGER TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT IS ADAPTING ITS OPERATIONS TO BEST SUIT THE NEEDS OF AUSTRALIA’S DIVERSE FREIGHT TASK. Now is the time to modernise fleets with

With one of the oldest fleets in the world,

extended instant asset write-off incentive.

innovative and dependable trailers from

the Australian industry is desperate for road

As an Australian owned and operated

Krueger Transport Equipment. The Federal

transport businesses and owner-operators to

supplier to the transport industry for more

Government confirmed last month that it

update their mobile assets to improve safety

than 40 years, Krueger provides a prolific

would extend the $150,000 instant asset

technology and reduce emissions.

one-stop shop for fleet operators.

write-off by six months to the end of this

As Krueger produces equipment for a range

“Use the extended tax incentives today to

calendar year.

of applications, for carting mining machinery

purchase new trailers,” John says. “We have

For company patriarch, John Krueger, and the industry at large, this development is a significant win where the new threshold for each asset purchased for under $150,000 can be accessed multiple times.

Increased from $30,000 in March as a measure to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 on the economy, the asset write-off scheme,

Ultimately, we have you covered. Krueger also provides onsite and emergency vehicle support along with a fully stocked spare parts branch so that transport businesses across the country remain productive and competitive.

which applies to both new and second-hand

to transporting ambient goods and general

capacity to accept additional orders to supply

assets, was originally slated to end on 30

freight, fleets can specify precisely what they

the highest quality equipment available in

June 2020.

need today and benefit from the perks of the

Australia.”

The Kurtainer is an innovative curtainsider design that can be customised for specific freight tasks.

38

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Platform trailers from Krueger are ideal for carting heavy machinery.

Krueger is at the forefront of modern trailer

but they have considered leasing options or

and rental solutions for its customers.

design, manufacturing its versatile ‘Kurtainer’

used trailers as a solution to meet a rise in

“Businesses can specify precisely what

curtainsiders, open decks, skeletal trailers,

demand during these challenging times.

they need in a trailer combination,” John

freezer vans, dry vans and other custom

“Unprecedented demand for road transport

says. “Whether it is the latest load restraint

builds. These models stand out in the market

services is a pressure that many businesses

technologies or lighter-weight axle and

for their engineering excellence, load restraint

face right now,” John says. “With that in

suspension systems for Performance-Based

options and enhancements that optimise

mind, Krueger can arrange for used trailers to

vehicle operator safety and promote higher

be ready in a matter of days, while ensuring

Standards (PBS) applications, ATR can make it happen.”

productivity.

that the equipment is best matched to a

The rental options available via ATR include

The asset write-off incentive is also available

fleet’s freight task requirements.”

skels, flat tops, dry and refrigerated vans

to operators seeking used semi-trailers

To complement its manufacturing and leasing

and curtainsiders in flat and drop deck

and similar second-hand gear. During

capabilities, Krueger also assists heavy vehicle

configurations.

the Covid-19 pandemic, John Krueger

operations with an extensive national support

“We at Krueger are urging fleet operators to

has observed a trend where some freight

network which includes fixed price servicing,

take advantage of the Federal Government’s

companies have not necessarily been in a

spare parts, refurbishments, smash and

extended asset write-off incentive. As the

position to invest in brand new equipment,

damage repairs as well as chassis and body

Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, and Minister

conversions for all trailer types.

for Employment, Michaelia Cash, said: the

Rapid turnaround times, according to John,

extension to the asset write-off incentive

ensure that fleets are on the job with minimal

is designed to support business sticking

disruption to their day-to-day operations.

with the investments they had planned

“Ultimately, we have you covered,” John

and encouraging them to bring investment

says. “Krueger also provides onsite and

forward to support economic growth.”

emergency vehicle support along with a fully stocked spare parts branch so that transport businesses across the country remain

Fast Fact

productive and competitive. Also, regular

Krueger’s Performance-Based

trailer servicing not only helps to minimise

Standards offering covers the

costly downtime due to breakdowns but also ensures equipment is performing at its

company’s entire trailer range from

best. Vehicle uptime is especially critical in

ensuring fleets invest in equipment

light of the country’s need to keep trucks on

that is productive and profitable.

container haulage to general freight,

the move.”

Demand for reliable and high-performance trailers is booming due to Covid-19. This is also evident by the ongoing success of Krueger’s Advantage Trailer Rental (ATR) which adds value by providing flexible options

Contact Krueger Transport Equipment 275 Fitzgerald Road Derrimut VIC 3030 Ph: 03 9366 2133 Web: www.krueger.com.au

www.trailermag.com.au

39

TRAILER BUILDER

Leading by example MARSHALL LETHLEAN INDUSTRIES – PART OF THE CIMC GROUP – IS COMMITTED TO PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY ROAD TANKERS MORE THAN EVER DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES. AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS DISRUPTED MARKETS AUSTRALIA-WIDE, MLI CONTINUES TO MANUFACTURE AND CELEBRATES A PRODUCTION MILESTONE OF 7,000 TANKERS. While Marshall Lethlean Industries (MLI) was

This strong business foundation in Australia,

providing additional disinfectant and access

founded in 1973, and developed a range of

supported by the CIMC Group’s global

to hand sanitiser throughout the office and

semi-trailers, it was not until 1985 that the

network, has bolstered MLI’s resilience

production site.”

business doubled down on specialisation

which is especially relevant right now due to

MLI also reduced the number of workers

and made road tankers its core product

the coronavirus outbreak.

per job and encouraged personnel to work

focus. Over the years, through innovation,

“We followed all the guidelines from the

from home to reduce foot traffic and risk of

a commitment to promoting positive brand

Government and put all safety measures

contamination in the office area.

awareness and providing effective aftersales

in place,” said MLI Operations Manager,

Operating during the Covid-19 pandemic

support, MLI has grown to become a

Michael Ly. “Some of these measures

is challenging, according to Michael, with

leading manufacturer and supplier of liquid

included distributing personal protective

unemployment rising to record highs and

and dry bulk tankers in Australia.

equipment, enforcing safe distancing, and

sales for some business plummeting to all-

40

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Some of these measures included distributing personal protective equipment, enforcing safe distancing, and providing additional disinfectant and access to hand sanitiser throughout the office and production site. times,” Michael says. “To achieve this we rely on our leading and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes in Victoria. This is a massive milestone for MLI especially during this strange time.”

MLI’s key focuses for 2020, according to Michael, are to maintain consistency with producing high quality products and be the benchmark for design and quality within the trailer market.

“We offer a national network of coverage for aftersales and support,” Michael says.

“MLI is at the ready to supply Australia’s transport companies with quality road tankers.”

Contact

time lows. The advantage that MLI has right now, however, is its long-term relationships with some of the biggest clients in Australia like transport and logistics company, Linfox,

Marshall Lethlean Industries 20 Whitfield Blvd Cranbourne West VIC 3977 Ph: 03 8788 5400 Web: www.mli.com.au

Marshall Lethlean supplies Linfox with equipment for national contracts.

that consistently place large road tanker orders. The most recent MLI tanker order will help Linfox fulfil a national Caltex tender for Sydney and Brisbane.

Meanwhile, New South Wales–based trucking company, John L Pierce Transport, has specified MLI 19m B-double road tanker combinations for decades, boasting more than 20 in the entire fleet.

J L Pierce has stated that MLI 19m B-double road tankers are the best in the country.”

To date, MLI has manufactured and successfully delivered 7,000 road tankers.

“MLI stands out in the market for its capability to produce road tankers in high volume while eliminating excessive wait

Linfox consistently specifies Marshall Lethlean road tanker combinations.

www.trailermag.com.au

41

TRAILER BUILDER

Allroads lead to Melbourne MELBOURNE BASED EXCAVATION COMPANY MAD BROTHERS HAS AMASSED A FLEET OF NINE ALLROADS ROCKWHEELER SIDE TIPPERS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. QUICKER TIPPING ALONG WITH SIMPLICITY AND SUPERIOR MANOEUVRABILITY COMPARED WITH TRUCK AND DOG COMBINATIONS ARE BIG DRAWCARDS. Western Australian trailer manufacturer Allroads Transport Engineers has been pushing its products in the eastern states over the past few years.

As such, its durable Hardox-bodied RockWheeler side tippers have found favour

We trialled three at the start to see if they’d work; the clients were happy and we were happy so we decided to continue with the concept and added more to our fleet.

with Mad Brothers, among others, in what

Adrian Maddalon, offers a number of

5.5-inch diameter main rams, while axles

the excavation company describes as a

advantages over the more usual truck and

and suspension are Fuwa K-Hitch nine-leaf

superior alternative to truck and dog tipper

dog combinations.

mechanical with 10-stud drum brake hubs.

combinations for its line of work.

“We chose to go with side tippers for a few

As a safeguard to eliminate chafing, all the

With an operation that spans the length and

reasons,” Adrian says.

brake lines are fully spiral wrapped from the

breadth of greater Melbourne, including

“In a nutshell, they’re a simple, neat and tidy

valve to the booster.

inner city projects with significant access

setup and they suit what we do.

To achieve the immaculate metallic paint

constraints, Mad Brothers uses a fleet of

“We find them a lot quicker to unload –

job for Mad Brothers, Allroads bead blasts

nine side tippers which according to Director,

about 15 to 17 seconds – and while they’re

the chassis and bodies, then applies 2-Pack

a very compact unit they still carry close to

primer that is fully sanded before two coats

the same volume and weight of materials

of Valspar 2-Pack colour followed by clear

as the truck and dog within a much shorter

are applied.

overall length.”

Safety is another feature of the RockWheeler

In the same vein, according to Adrian,

side tippers that Adrian rates highly,

they’re also a lot less complicated as there’s

specifically due to the side tipping action as

Fast Fact

no drawbar, coupling, hoists or tailgates,

opposed to end tippers.

Allroads RockWheeler side-tipper

which makes it a lot easier for the drivers,

“They’re very safe compared to conventional

bodies are constructed with hard-

which in turn makes it easier for the

tippers, which can get a bit sketchy when

wearing Hardox steel, making

unloading on uneven ground,” he says,

them ideal for hauling the rocky fill

company to employ drivers.

“We’ve found them to be much easier

frequently found around Melbourne.

for drivers who have no tipper experience

provides superior durability in this application

– after a day or two with an experienced

compared to aluminium bodies.

“There is a lot of rocky ground around

operator they are ready to go by themselves,” Adrian says.

Other advantages Adrian cites are ease of

Melbourne and carting rocky fill is mainly

maintenance and less wearing components

operations, with a useful payload capacity

that need to be periodically replaced.

“Again, the simplicity means there are less

of 27 tonnes.

“We’re very happy with the product and

moving parts that wear and we find the

look forward to a long and productive life

maintenance very simple, which reduces

from our Allroad RockWheeler side tippers,”

our costs.

“We trialled three at the start to see if they’d

Adrian says.

work; the clients were happy and we were happy so we decided to continue with the concept and added more to our fleet.”

Allroads Transport Engineers is seeing more of its equipment in action across Victoria.

42

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

adding that the Hardox steel construction

The rugged 22m3 capacity bowl features 5.0mm Hardox plate construction and

what we use them for in our day to day

Contact Allroads Transport Engineers 65 Copal Road Albany WA 6330 Ph: (08) 9844 3883 Web: www.allroads.com.au

GLOBAL LEADERS WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Your semi-trailer experts.

40’ DROP DECK SKELETAL TRAILER

45’ FLAT DECK TRAILER

• Aluminium walk floor • Dangerous goods rated • Container tilt airbag fitted

• E-Coating with Powder coated • Light-weight design • Road Train provision

45’ DROP DECK TRAILER

RETRACTABLE SKELETAL TRAILER

• Heavy duty design • Forklift rated floor • Suitable for off road condition

• Proven design • Many extra items as standard features • Ideal for 20’ Container Cartage

CONTACT US:

ENQUIRE NOW

1300 202 462

www.cimc.com.au | reception@cimc.com.au

Melbourne CIMC TRAILERS 03 9797 2100 20 Whitfield Blvd, Cranbourne Perth GTE 08 9352 4000 159 McDowell Street, Kewdale Sydney JRB GROUP 02 9355 3400 1 Saggart Field Road Minto / 19 Hale Street Botany

PAINT AND COATINGS

Finishing on a high note HEADQUARTERED IN THE ADELAIDE SUBURB OF WINGFIELD, ALDOM MOTOR BODY BUILDERS HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE 1975. THE COMPANY EXCLUSIVELY USES VALSPAR INDUSTRIAL MIX TO PROVIDE A HIGH-END FINISH ON EVERY TRAILER AND BODY IT PRODUCES. They say first impressions are everything, and

others, are all part of the AMBB repertoire.

while there’s a lot more to a body or trailer

“We are a bespoke body builder and can

Fast Fact

than initially meets the eye, what does meet

manufacture virtually any type of body or

Valspar Industrial Mix high

the eye at first glance is the quality of the

trailer our customers require,” says AMBB

performance wet-on-wet 2-pack

surface finish.

owner, Mark Haig.

polyurethane coating system enables

That’s precisely why Aldom Motor Body

“We do a lot of specialised bodies for

a dramatic reduction in painting times,

Builders (AMBB) uses high performance

BHP for their mining operations and we

greatly assisting the company with its

Valspar coatings that befit the meticulous

recently completed a huge contract worth

production schedules.

quality of the equipment it builds.

six million dollars, which included semi-

A highly versatile operation, the company

trailers – one incorporating living quarters

has built and continues to build just about

– for the Department of Transport,” Mark

Industrial Mix supplied by our local

every style and configuration of trailer

says, adding that the bespoke nature of the

distributor Paint Tech SA at Windsor

and body known to man. Tray bodies, flat

business has been key to its success over the

Gardens about eight years ago,” Mark

tops, tippers, drop decks, curtainsiders,

last 45 years.

says. “The service we get from Paint Tech is

refrigerated bodies and trailers, specialised

“We also build trailers for the Department

exceptional.”

bodies and waste transporters, among

of Defence, an organisation that is very

He explains that at this point AMBB switched

particular and demands the highest possible

from using enamel to 2-pack paint on every

standards,” he says.

trailer and body it manufactured – which

Fast Fact

An important element contributing to

was a dramatic improvement.

Aldom Motor Body Builders employs

success in this type of business is ensuring

“After five years in the elements you could

four highly experienced full-time

every finished product is presented in the

clearly see the difference between an item

painters to ensure the products it

most optimal fashion – which is where

painted in enamel and one coated with

manufactures are finished to the

Valspar coatings comes in.

2-pack, Mark says. “The enamel one was

highest possible standard.

“Obviously we need a good paint and

starting to fade while the 2-pack was still

for this reason we started using Valspar

looking fresh and bright.

“I would say the paint jobs we do here would be one of the best in the bodybuilding market.

“We use the industrial coatings produced

by Valspar and we are very happy with them. The price is good and the quality is consistently good,” he says, adding that the ability to apply multiple coats wet-on-wet makes the painting process much quicker.

“We’ve tried a number of paint companies over the years, but nothing can top Valspar Industrial Mix and our local SA distributor Paint Tech,” Mark says.

Contact Aldom Motor Body Builders specialises in building bespoke trailers and bodies for discerning customers. Each unit is coated with high quality Valspar Industrial Mix.

44

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Unit 11/8 Kerta Road Kincumber NSW 2251 Ph: 02 4368 4054 Web: valsparindustrialmix.com.au

Y A W E H T S ’ IT !

T L I U B E R ’ THEY

For a national operation that manages Australia’s largest fleet of plant and equipment, Delta Group invests in quality road transport equipment that is optimised for high performance and efficient route access to meet the expectations of our clients.

Delta Group General Manager Recycling & Logistics, Dominic Santullo

• PBS Approved Combinations

• Hardox Truck & Dogs

• Aluminium Truck & Dog Trailers

• Custom Design & Fabrication

• Heavy Duty Semi Tippers

• Advanced Trailer Steering

• Tipping Skels

• Hookloader and Skip lift Equipment

VIC: 12–16 Fowler Rd, Dandenong Vic 3175 | QLD: 38-42 Carrington Rd, Torrington QLD 4350 Ph: (03) 9794 0330 | www.bte.net.au | Contact Alan Griffiths 0431 087 618 | alan@bte.net.au

TRAILER BUILDING MATERIALS/COMPONENTS

BPW axles are a long-standing feature of ERH’s trailer fleet. Durability and reliability over the long hauls make them a standout success.

When you’re on a good thing FROM ITS DEPOT AT LAVERTON IN VICTORIA, ERH REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT RUNS A FLEET OF TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED TRAILERS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE EQUIPPED WITH BPW AXLES. Operating a time-sensitive transport

Based Standards (PBS) approved quad-axle

much more to run than a B-double.”

service on the eastern seaboard between

journey to increase payload capacity.

As for brands of trailers, ERH runs a mix of

Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, ERH

“For us PBS has been a moving target and

Lucar, Schmitz Cargobull and FTE, with the

Refrigerated Transport has a long association

we have continually evolved our equipment

latter being the predominant brand within

with BPW Transpec and since 2014 has been

from 2014 to the present time in the never-

the fleet.

specifying BPW axles including steer axles

ending quest for improved efficiency,”

Asked about the company’s history with

on quad-axle semi-trailers with a payload

Rupert says.

BPW axles, Rupert’s reply of “since Jesus

capacity of 28,500kg.

He proceeds to explain that the company

played halfback for Jerusalem” pretty much

These units feature self-tracking axles in the

recently ordered a new refrigerated van that

sums it up.

forward position of the axle group which

features split axle groups with a tri-axle at

according to ERH Refrigerated Transport

the rear and the self-tracking axle at the

Director, Rupert Smith, was the preferred

front with a gap between the two.

configuration six years ago when the

“This gives us an extra four tonnes of

company embarked on the Performance-

payload capacity,” Rupert explains, adding that the company divested its B-doubles three years ago in favour of 28 pallet semitrailers, the latter measuring 17.65 metres and giving an overall length of 20 metres including the prime mover.

“In the refrigerated transport sector the 26 and 28 pallet vans will be the new ‘small’ trailers while B-doubles will potentially

Fast Fact

become obsolete and A-doubles with tri-

BPW axles are fitted to the majority of

axle converter dollies will take over from

ERH Transport Services’ refrigerated

B-doubles,” Rupert predicts.

trailers. Durability and reliability over

“With the A-double you don’t need the

vast distances are major reasons for

roll-back body that is necessary on the lead

their popularity in the ERH fleet.

trailer of a B-double; plus you get an extra 10 pallet spaces and it doesn’t cost that

46

Trailer Magazine MAY 20

“BPW axles are tried and true and we have simply never had a drama with them,” he says.

“With all the technology that’s involved with axles these days such as electronic braking systems (EBS) it’s imperative that we have access to technical support.

“Having our depot just around the corner from BPW Transpec’s premises in Cherry Lane at Laverton is a huge benefit to us as we know that any technical assistance we need is readily available.”

Rupert goes on to mention that the most

Hauling between Sydney and Melbourne, ERH Refrigerated Transport uses 28-pallet vans with a payload capacity of 28,500kg.

BPW quad axle groups feature self-steerable axles at the front.

important aspect of the maintenance regime as far as the trailer axles are concerned is regular greasing of the steer axle linkages and pivot points to ensure long life and

the numbers they’ve sold over the past few

without the extra driver workload in specific

minimal wear.

years,” Rupert says. “I reckon it’s probably

applications,” he says.

When it comes to prime movers, ERH runs

the best truck Mercedes-Benz has had in the

Playing a major role in this significant

a mix of Mercedes-Benz and Kenworth 6x4

Australian market since the legendary 1418

improvement in vehicle safety and

units with the Australian-built Kenworths

model of the 1970s,” he jokes.

stability, particularly when it comes to PBS

predominating.

On the topic of extra driver workload

combinations, is BPW with its durable and

According to Rupert, the company runs

involved with B-doubles on fridge work

technically proficient axles incorporating EBS.

the two brands for a number of reasons

between Melbourne and Sydney, Rupert

For ERH with its fleet of refrigerated trailers,

including to cater for differing driver

estimates that operating semi-trailers rather

the quality of the BPW axles and the close

preferences – some like the European

than B-doubles saves each driver roughly

proximity to technical expertise from BPW

characteristics while others prefer the North

20 hours of worktime per week, due to not

Transpec when its needed ensure maximised

American style. Also, alluding to the mix of

having to uncouple and recouple B-doubles

uptime and productivity.

cab-over and conventional configurations in

for the purposes of loading and unloading.

the fleet, he says it comes down to putting

“The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Contact

the trucks in the most suitable vocation for

(NHVR) needs to be commended for

the specification.

opening up the road network to other

“The new Mercedes-Benz Actros is a

high productivity combinations that can

spectacular truck and this can be seen in

provide better efficiencies than B-doubles

BPW Transpec 1-11 Cherry Lane Laverton North Vic 3028 Ph: (03) 9267 2434 Web: www.bpwtranspec.com.au

Prime movers in the ERH fleet are a mix of Mercedes-Benz and Kenworth, with the latter predominating.

www.trailermag.com.au

47

TRAILER BUILDING MATERIALS/COMPONENTS

Don’t lose your volts WHERE INCREASED DEMANDS ARE PLACED ON RIGS WITH EVERY PASSING KILOMETRE, REDARC SHARES SOME TIPS ON HOW TO MAINTAIN A STABLE POWER SUPPLY WITH ITS REDARC DPS RANGE (DC POWER SUPPLY).

Computers, measurement devices, precise actuators and communications equipment can be sensitive when it comes to the power they receive from the source. Clean and stable power, according to REDARC, is critical to preventing electronic damage and poor performance.

There are a few major causes of electrical noise or instability in a typical heavy vehicle setup. A vehicle start battery charging requires a ‘middle of the road’ level of voltage to be applied, generally around 14V

and the voltage levels can be

(28V for 24V vehicles) to ensure long driving periods do not overcharge the battery

very low in the end.

The effect of decreases and increases

and short runs can effectively recover the

in voltage are generally performance

batteries from starting. These voltages are

related, for example lights being more

much higher than normal operating voltages

dull or bright, or radio strength changing,

when not under charge, of around 12.7V

or fridge efficiency and performance

(per 12V battery) at rest. Likewise, when

dropping with voltage, inaccurate

the battery is being discharged, its voltage

measurements being taken, or actuator

REDARC have recognised the need to create

will gradually drop from around 12.5V to as

speed and strength can suffer.

Voltage drop along lengthy cable runs

a product which can deal with this diverse

low as 9 – 10V, particularly when under a heavy load. There can also be loads on the

can have this effect, when the load is a

mobile environments – and so the REDARC

battery or related circuits that cause short

significant distance from the battery the

DPS range (DC Power Supply) responds to

drops in voltage when they start up, like a

load may run poorly or inefficiently even

these demands.

compressor fridge or water pump.

though the supply battery still has plenty of

Whether it is a 12V or 24V vehicle running

Other loads like radios can have the same

charge in it and the vehicle charging system

a 12V or a 24V appliance, requiring a clean

effect when they are transmitting as their

is working fine. Long cable runs also have

and stable specific power supply, the DPS

current draw increases at these times. Very

the potential to cause voltage spikes when

will provide this power in even the harshest

high current consumers such as the engine

of environments.

starter motor when cranking, or electric

high power devices are turned off.

On the worse end of the scale, devices

hydraulic pumps for lifting tailgates, decks,

may even be damaged by under or

from 9 – 32V input, you can make sure

ramps, or cranes, will have a large and rapid

over voltage, this is most likely when

your vehicles safety, communications, and

effect on the battery voltage – and just like

rapid voltage changes occur. Electrical

critical equipment always has the power to

any electrical motor they can create a high

noise can also cause excessive heat and

function effectively no matter how great

level of electrical noise in the system.

The charging system itself, such as the

interference in components resulting in

the distance.

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noise on the system which can affect

during operation particularly on radio and

sensitive devices. Couple these factors with long cable runs, potentially along multiple

measurement equipment.

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48

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

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INDUSTRY LEADERS

Industry Leader: Bec Coleman TRAILER MAGAZINE MET WITH BEC COLEMAN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF LIVESTOCK BULK AND RURAL CARRIERS ASSOCIATION NSW, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HER JOURNEY IN THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY. throughout New South Wales, Queensland

Livestock Bulk and Rural Carriers Association NSW COO, Bec Coleman.

and Victoria, managing multiple challenges at any one time is not uncommon.

Road access constraints, access to driver facilities and country truck wash infrastructure as well as questionable enforcement top the list of challenges LBRCA members request my support with daily. Additionally, a key role is to action the LBRCA annual member work program. In 2020, key actions relate to farmgate access, country truck washes, driver welfare and young drivers.

Q:What has been a highlight of your career so far?

A:My recent involvement in the review and recreation of the NSW Livestock Loading (NSWLLS) Scheme Driver Training stands out as a career highlight. The collaboration project between RMS and LBRCA aims to replenish the existing NSWLLS face-toface training with free flexible learning, available 24/7.

This project is due for roll-out in September 2020 and I am hopeful that it will mould the pathway for skill development models and learning platforms in our industry in the future.

Q:What is the best thing about the transport industry?

A:The people. Hardworking, dedicated and resilient. Let’s face it, truck drivers are often not given the respect they deserve despite

Q: What first drew you to the

and training industries, transport seemed

being the backbone of Australian commerce.

commercial road transport industry?

a logical pathway for me. Putting my foot

Through my role, I empathise that life as

A: A huge appeal to working in the

in the door of the transport sector some

a truck driver is not without its challenges

transport industry was the many career

6 years ago has been my best, and most

but many of them can be tackled with

options on offer. From driving, maintenance,

rewarding career move yet.

the help of the right industry association,

and logistics right through to executive

like LBRCA. This is what makes my job so rewarding. Helping people to unravel red

has to offer is vast.

Q:What does a standard day look like?

A:The beauty about my role as the COO

Armed with a rural background and with

of the Livestock Bulk and Rural Carriers

questionable enforcement, that has stifled

a desire for a new challenge, following 20

Association NSW (LBRCA) is that no day is

growth in their trucking business is not a job,

years working within the aviation compliance

the same. With over 200 members spread

it’s a pleasure.

positions, the diversity a career in transport

50

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

tape, from constraints such as road access or

Q:What do female-driven events in commercial road transport mean to you?

A:These events provide an avenue for women to promote their accomplishments and highlights that this industry is not gender specific. It’s refreshing to see many of the female-driven events so well supported by their male counterparts like the Transport Women Australia Limited (TWAL) Conferences. These events are important to reinforce the message that no job is specific to any gender.

Q:How can people and companies in the transport industry better promote it as a career choice for women?

Encourage more women to enter the workforce. SafeWork NSW 2020 Young Driver of the Year Sophie Reid, a truck driver from Goulburn, is doing just that. After

Bec Coleman with LBRCA representatives Reggie Sutton, Peter Dawson, Carly Peisley and Dianne Peisley in Wagga filming for a new NSWLLS driver course.

being announced as the winner of the award to enter the transport industry.

Companies who embrace a gender-diverse

including improving the company’s reputation

Tamworth back in March this year, Sophie has become a role model for other women

culture will appreciate the benefits that follow,

attracting women to the industry.

at the LBRCA Annual Conference held in

– something that is particularly important for

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INDUSTRY ICON

www.smedleys.net.au

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Risen through the ranks STARTING OUT AS AN APPRENTICE DIESEL MECHANIC, RENZO BARONE EMBARKED ON A ROAD TRANSPORT JOURNEY THAT LED TO HIS CURRENT POSITION AS TERRITORY MANAGER – TRUCK WITH TRUCK AXLE AND SUSPENSION SPECIALIST MERITOR – A COMPANY HE HAS BEEN WITH FOR 28 YEARS. Renzo Barone.

Operations Group based at Sunshine in Melbourne.

“This was a big deal for me because I was getting further and further away from the farm,” Renzo says.

His appointment with Rockwell in November 1992 was the start of a career that has spanned almost 28 years to date, with a couple of title changes along the way.

“My title when I first started was Sales Engineer which meant I was mainly engaged in customer service and support,” Renzo says.

“Then I was Manager of Field Sales & Service from 1999 to September 2019, at which point my title changed to Territory Manager – Truck.

“When I first started Mal Grumond took me under his wing and we did quite a bit of travelling to New Zealand to look after customers over there.”

Renzo describes his early years with

Renzo Barone grew up on his family’s citrus

to work for a local tractor and truck repair

Rockwell as similar to doing a trade –

and grape farm at Griffith. After completing

outfit that was also a sub-agent for Detroit

learning along the way.

fourth form at high school at age 16 in

Diesel and Cummins engines.

“I was focussed on the steer and drive axles

1979, Renzo was offered an apprenticeship

“Coincidentally it was called Renzo’s Motors

as well as transmissions and clutches, along

with quarry and concrete batching plant

and I worked there for a couple of years

with Rockwell six-rod suspension,” he says.

operator Farley & Lewers, which in the

which gave me extensive experience with

In 1997 Rockwell International changed the

1970s had the highly successful “think

truck engines,” Renzo says.

name of its truck component company to

pink” advertising slogan.

“My original intention was to complete

Meritor and in 2000 Meritor merged with

“I was part of a small mechanical workshop

a mechanical apprenticeship, get some

Arvin Industries to form Arvin Meritor.

in Griffith that looked after the concrete

experience and then return to the farm. But

“It’s been an amazing journey for me,”

agitator and aggregate trucks as well as the

Renzo says. “This year Meritor is celebrating

earthmoving and crushing plant involved in

fate had other ideas.”

He landed a job as a mechanic at

the quarry side of the business,” Renzo says.

Shepherd Ford at Belconnen in Canberra

milestone for the company.”

“The agitators were International ACCO

which was a Ford and Volvo truck as well

C1800 and Diamond T and REO trucks, while the aggregate trucks were Mercedes-

as Ford car dealership.

“I eventually became Foreman and

Industry Icon

Benz 1418.”

ultimately Service Manager of the truck

Made possible by Smedley’s Engineers.

The wide variety of equipment he

workshop there,” Renzo says.

Industry Icon is a series dedicated to

repaired gave Renzo a very well-rounded

It was during this time that Renzo met Mal

honouring the unsung heroes of the

apprenticeship and he stayed with the

Grumond from Rockwell who eventually

commercial road transport industry.

company a further six years before leaving

offered him a job in the company’s Field

52

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

50 years in Australia, which is a great

FIFTY YEARS OF AXLES. FOR AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS.

RUN WITH CONFIDENCE. Australian trucking conditions are some of the harshest in the world. High ambient temperatures, corrugated dirt roads and the world’s highest road-legal gross combination masses all place enormous stress on axles. Meritor’s tandem axles, built in Australia since 1970 and developed with local engineering and application knowledge, provide drivers with the confidence that the axles fitted to their trucks can perform even in the most unique of Australian terrains. meritor.com sales.sunshine@meritor.com ©2020 Meritor, Inc.

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FLEET OF THE MONTH

®

Cleaning up Canberra CANBERRA BASED FLEXIBLE AUSTRALIA UTILISES AN ULTRA-HIGH-TECH APPROACH TO THE MAINTENANCE OF WHAT CAN BE LYING BENEATH THE NATION CAPITAL’S STREETS. Flexible Australia was established in the ACT in 1999 by Kurt Kaks who has been in this niche service industry since 1982. Flexible specialises in infrastructure maintenance and particularly the maintenance and cleaning of sewers and stormwater drains. This service includes the regular and emergency cleaning of Gross Pollutant Traps (GPTs) which function to collect trash such as plastic bottles, cigarette butts and other debris and sediment to prevent the litter and pollutants from urban runoff entering the ACT’s lakes and rivers.

Most of the Scanias have been equipped with a third steerable axle.

To perform its operations the company employs some quite unique equipment

each unit can operate for a full day without

Safety is enhanced as well. This is due

fitted to a fleet of Scania cab/chassis which

having to offload the trash it has collected.

to the location of the extra axle in front

are rather specialised themselves. The Kaiser

According to General Manager Tim Rolfe,

of the drive wheels instead of the more

AquaStar water jet, vacuum and recycling

the increased capacity has changed the

conventional tag at the rear which provides

equipment comes from Lichtenstein and the

work schedule in a very positive manner

much more vehicle stability when tipping

most recent additions are fitted to Scania

and helps justify the investment of around

thanks to the larger footprint of the bogie

P480 day cab trucks which have been

$1million in each vehicle.

dual wheel arrangement.

equipped with a third steerable axle.

“We no longer need to take a trip in the

“Instead of a more typical 10x4 which has

The innovative axle configuration addresses

middle of the day to offload debris at the

a steerable tag axle with single tyres, we

several fundamental issues for the type

recycling stations,” says Tim. “Instead we

worked with Kaiser, the Scania factory and

of work carried out by Flexible including

work right through and it means we can get

the relevant Federal and State authorities

increasing the payload from seven tonnes to

bigger jobs done considerably more quickly,

to come up with an imaginative solution,”

ten tonnes when compared with the more

saving our customers time and money. Plus,

says Shane Griffin, Scania Australia National

conventional Scania 8x4s in the Flexible

we get more jobs done during the course

Manager, Specialist Vehicles. “We knew

fleet. This significantly contributes to the

of a week, which means we are gaining

Flexible wanted to tip the waste out of the

overall efficiency because on most days

improved asset utilisation.”

vehicle so tipping over the back axle on single, not dual, wheels would have been a less suitable solution, plus the rear overhang length would have been too long. So, in consultation with the factory engineers we came up with the idea of a supersingle centre axle that steered in a pusher arrangement.”

The trucks are 11 metres long and 3.9 metres tall and although Canberra is renowned for its wide streets and large diameter roundabouts the vehicles still need to be manoeuvrable. The steerable third axle permits a turning circle which has a

The Kaiser Aqua Star water jet is supplied by Lichtenstein.

54

Trailer Magazine JULY 20

diameter only one metre larger than a more conventional and shorter 8x4 Scania.

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THE WALLS AND WHEELS

DELIVERY THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO OPERATE A TRANSPORT BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA, BUT THE FRANCHISE MODEL IS STILL COMPARATIVELY RARE. MOOREBANK-BASED PACK & SEND HAS PERFECTED THE CONCEPT. Interview by Sebastian Grote

FAST FACT

According to Pack & Send CEO, Michael Paul, the company’s franchise model is key to ensuring a ‘premium service’ experience. “Our franchisees are our movers and shakers. They’re the faces of the overall business, and of their individual businesses too. As members of the communities they service, they play an integral role in the local marketing of Pack & Send,” he says. In contrast, the role of the franchisor is to provide franchisees with a solid foundation of business systems, or “small business with the tools of a big business,” as Michael puts it.

34

feb r ua r y 2 0 1 6

Q: Pack & Send has been around for a while now. Is the 2016 business still comparable to the one 22 years ago – for example, is parcel delivery still the core of the business?

A: The Pack & Send business has changed tremendously since 1993. We started it before the notion of e-commerce, or even the Internet, was in the vernacular, so there has been a significant shift in the way we function. But our mission has always been the same – providing convenient access to a wide range of solutions when sending anything, anywhere.

The types of services we can offer are now more varied, though – from traditional

domestic and international import and export work to more modern services, like supporting eBay and online retailers in delivering their products to customers.

Q: How did the parcel delivery industry change since the early days? With Toll IPEC, Star Track and emerging online services like Sendle on the scene, the competition must be fierce.

A: The parcel delivery industry has evolved with the times. For example, customers today expect that a fundamental requirement of parcel delivery services is an online ‘track and trace’ function that provides a real time delivery status.

When we started in 1993, no parcel carrier in Australia had that capability as the technology wasn’t yet in place. You had to phone the carrier to find out exactly where your parcel was – and you usually got a response the next day.

In the early days, deliveries were also primarily B2B and very few deliveries were made to households. The growth of e-commerce has changed that, with significantly more B2C deliveries.

In line with that, the competition has also changed – for example, where Pack & Send once relied either on customers walking in store or phoning us to send their goods, we are now developing new and

The truck brand of choice at QFS is Hino, mostly the wide body 500 Series with 260 horsepower engines and Allison automatic transmissions. is the extensive and ever increasing range of gourmet items that it has available including boutique nonalcoholic beverages. The beverage sector is a growing market and drinks now account for around 10 per cent of sales with almost 700 different beverage products available. The warehouse holds bay after bay of food service products that are not readily available in retail supermarkets and are required by catering, hospitality and cooked food outlets.

One of the advantages of expanding the beverage business is the opportunity to cross sell food service products to those on the beverage customers’ base.

“With beverages we don’t deal with the chef as we often do with food products,” says Brian Saharin, QFS General Manager. “Instead we deal with the front of house.” This opens the possibility to provide ancillary items such as napkins, coasters and straws and

customers who were predominantly beverage clients are now able to obtain food service products as well. This also translates into the opportunity for traditional food customers to amalgamate their beverage and food orders.

QFS Company Director Guy Politi says that there is a trend in demand towards some higher quality food and beverages. “It can be tomato paste from Italy or cooking oil from Malaysia. We import a lot of quality gourmet products such as flour, rice and confectionery,” Guy says.

The truck brand of choice at QFS is Hino, mostly the wide body 500 Series with 260 horsepower engines and Allison automatic transmissions. Trucks that have entered the QFS fleet as assets of various business acquisitions will be progressively replaced with more Hinos to join the 39 Hinos that are already in the fleet. The decision to adopt Hino as

hen company CEO Frank DePasquale established Quality Food Services (QFS) in 1988 the two main products were lasagne and hot dogs and were mostly sold to school canteens. Today QFS has a range of over 7,000 products, which it delivers to businesses such as restaurants, 26

december 2018

pubs, clubs, hotels, cafes, and aged care facilities. And QFS continues to supply a wide range of products to approximately 800 schools. Providing direct service to an area extending from Cooroy on the Sunshine Coast to Ballina in northern New South Wales, and west to Toowoomba, QFS is also involved in providing food services to remote

mining camps using sub-contractors.

During late 2018, in order to handle the volume and to cater for future growth, QFS moved into its purpose designed and built warehouse and administration facility located in Pinkenba in close vicinity to Brisbane Airport. By being directly under the flight path the location presented some unique challenges in

BEST

AUSTRAL ASIAN

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TO SUPPORT AUSTRALIA’S GROWING FREIGHT TASK, KRUEGER TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT HAS JUST PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON A NEW PBS B-DOUBLE REFRIGERATED DOUBLE DROP DECK COMBINATION.

FOR AUSTRALIA POST, SAFETY IS AT THE HEART OF ALL OF ITS OPERATIONS, AND THE SAFETY OF ITS PEOPLE COMES FIRST. WITH ITS LATEST DELIVERY OF B-DOUBLES FROM VAWDREY AUSTRALIA, THE COMPANY IS TAKING THIS MESSAGE TO THE STREETS, AIMING TO SPREAD THE WORD AND ENCOURAGE SAFE DRIVER HABITS AMONG ROAD USERS AROUND THE NATION.

Krueger Transport Equipment is a trailer manufacturer with a distinct sense for key

The next logical step, he adds, is the launch

zero. Its new ‘Stay alert – There’s a life riding

and Sydney and Melbourne.

on it’ campaign is urging the public to be

“There is a large number of posties on

“PBS is a trending topic in transport and

was all about pushing the innovation

every operator is either getting on board

bar higher, which meant reducing the

of letters and parcels to millions of people

with high productivity vehicle design or at

to provide them with the best support on that journey, we’ve dedicated ourselves to Drawing on ample experience in PBS vehicle

can be. In 2012 for example, Australia Post began implementing anti-lock brakes and stability control across the fleet. “We use Volvo prime movers which we consider to be the safest on the market. The prime movers have anti lock brakes and stability control, so it makes sense to pair that with a trailer that

The freight task of Australia Post is enormous. The company sends millions

growing our PBS offering.”

never waivered, with the business constantly taking advantage of developing safety technologies to ensure its fleet is as safe as

of a refrigerated double version of the best selling model. “This is a first for us,” says Grant. “Designing this combination

least strongly considering adding that type

support and work within those areas as well, and Vawdrey does just that,” adds Terry.

industry trends, and Performance-Based

of equipment to their fleet,” says National

N E W S

Australia Post’s commitment to safety has

Standards (PBS) is no exception.

Sales Manager, Grant Krueger. “To be able

E Q U I P M E N T

TEC HN OLO GY

Spreading the word

PBS is a trending topic in transport and every operator is either getting on board with high productivity vehicle design or at least strongly considering adding that type of equipment to their fleet.

we wanted to offer our customers even

allows for maximum cubic, full-height

maximise freight capacity and also minimise

more vigilant in a bid to curb the number of posties injured on their motorcycles at

motorcycles. And there are many injuries

work, encouraging drivers to slow down and

that are occurring on a regular basis.

remove distractions while they are behind

has the same capabilities,” says Terry.

Vawdrey has built more than half of the national Australia Post fleet.

the road every day, delivering our mail on

across Australia and around the world.

Australia Post, together with its StarTrack business, operates a fleet comprised of Krueger’s latest PBS build is a hybrid between a standard curtain-sider in the front and a refirgerated one in the back, both PBS-optimised for maximum payload.

Australia Post has decided to use these new

As well as ensuring its fleet is built to the highest safety standards, reliability is paramount too. “And that’s part of the

National Manager of Fleet for the Australia Post Group.

based around the safety features they can incorporate into our equipment, the large

reason we use the manufacturers we use.

We choose suppliers that we believe are the

over 16,500 pieces of equipment, including

the wheel.

trailers to spread our road safety message

Vawdrey has built more than half of the

volumes they are capable of producing and

best in their category,” Terry adds. “Australia

prime movers, rigids, vans, motorcycles and

Australia Post’s recent trailer order of 10

to the public, serving as a reminder to help

national Australia Post trailer fleet, and is the

their ability to satisfy all of our requirements.

Post has a great partnership with Vawdrey.

approximately 4,500 trailers.

new B-doubles from Vawdrey, delivered in

keep our motorcyclists safe. These are the

manufacturer of choice when it comes to

“Vawdrey is quite a progressive company

They are very accessible and understand our

A number of posties are injured in motor

September, are serving as mobile billboards,

first trailers to wear this new safety message,

tautliners. It’s a business partnership that has

from a safety and an innovation perspective.

requirements. If I need trailers produced in a

vehicle accidents each week – and Australia

spreading this message as they travel along

but people can expect to see a lot more of it

stood the test of time, extending for more

They are always pushing the boundaries

hurry, they always try and accommodate that

Post aims to bring that number down to

their routes between Brisbane and Sydney,

in coming months,” explains Terry Bickerton,

than 30 years.

in terms of what can be done. They are

wherever possible.

design – Krueger has built numerous PBS-

tare weight of the trailer and giving fleet

that operators can use to ramp up payloads.

more space and flexibility, making for a

loading, with the ability to achieve general

downtime, with daily loading and unloading

“Vawdrey understands our business

a very progressive business with regards

The longevity of the Vawdrey product is also

approved skels, curtain-siders and B-double drop decks, as well as Super B-doubles

operators more clearance space to work with inside and out.”

It has a cubic capacity of 190m³, with 75m³ in the A and 116m³ in the B-trailer.

solid productivity plus. We again use our 36-pallet, 4.6m design as a base, which

loads and mass loading without the usual

going much faster,” he explains.

and Australia Post understands theirs,

to producing higher productivity and PBS

testament to the build quality. We do very

in the past – one model that has been in particularly high demand recently is the company’s 36-pallet, high-cubic double

Krueger’s PBS refrigerated double drop deck B-double measures 4.6 metres high and 2.5m wide, allowing for excess cubic space

Grant explains, “Under the PBS framework,

drop deck B-double with mezzanine decks, Grant says.

10 per cent payload reduction.”

trailers. With more and more online orders, our freight task continues to grow, so we are

little work to the trailers apart from regular maintenance. And on the flip side, when

timeframe perspective,” adds Terry. “Safety

moving very large volumes of product.”

a trailer comes to the end of its life in our

idea of what freight will be on board, how

is our number one core value and we don’t

Thanks to PBS, Australia Post has been

fleet, a Vawdrey trailer maintains great resale

introducing a growing number of higher

value too.”

version, says Grant, with the A-trailer

compromise on it. That’s part of the reason

non-refrigerated and the B-trailer set-up

frequently the trailers are used and what

as a refrigerated curtain-sider. According

roads the drivers will use. Information like

we only purchase equipment from major

productivity vehicles into the fleet. “This sort

this is crucial when building any trailer that

manufacturers. We choose our suppliers

of innovation means we can move more freight with less vehicles, helping to get

upgrades to both the A and B-trailer for

runs on PBS.”

the hybrid unit. “Both trailers feature

Going forward, Krueger’s focus will be

more vehicles off the road. We work within

on adding to its portfolio across the

the limits of what the current legislation

the front deck and 100mm on the rear

board, while also solidifying its position

allows, but we need manufacturers that can

lower decks, ed.), allowing for extra loading

as a PBS powerhouse. “Krueger is all and high productivity transport solutions and that’s what the new PBS B-double refrigerated double drop deck

division sheets between the drops of the

combination represents,” Grant adds. “The

trailer to this build to provide additional air

unit is designed to deliver huge productivity gains that will help increase a company’s

side shifting pallets. They also provide load

profit margins. For maximum safety, we

restraint when braking.”

have also added our patent pending, OHS-

Regardless of the set-up, the PBS

friendly Self Lifting Gate system.”

refrigerated combination will generate high volume freight operators heading into 2016, Grant predicts. “The bottom line is this combination is designed to

Contact Vawdrey Australia 1-53 Quantum Close Dandenong South VIC 3175 Ph: 03 9797 3700 Web: www.vawdrey.com.au

about developing effective, efficient

for the customer, particularly for forklift drivers loading pallets,” he notes.

plenty of excitement amongst many

Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 15

a productivity perspective and from a

unit, we’ll have our engineers sit down with them, or visit their facilities, to get an

to Grant, Krueger has made significant

30

in terms of what we can achieve from

“With each customer that orders a PBS

One of the first customers to embrace the new design has ordered a hybrid

flow and circulation and assist operators in

p r i memover mag. c om. au

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TRA S IHL O ER AND BODY TE WC CHNOLO ASI GY NG THE VER Y B EST AUS TRA LAS IAN

“In addition, we have fitted perforated

Hino 500 series with a 260hp engine.

201

INNOV ATION

High cubic combination

QUALITY FOOD SERVICES IS BASED IN BRISBANE AND PROVIDES THE IMPORTANT LINK BETWEEN FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURERS AND THEIR WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS. HINO’S WIDE BODY 500 TRUCKS ARE THEIR VEHICLES OF CHOICE FOR THE EXPANDING DELIVERY FLEET.

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space that provides more loading capacity

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order to comply with more than the usual Commonwealth, State and local regulations and has resulted in an ultrahigh technology facility that is covered by 69 safety and security cameras and extensive on-site fire detection and fire fighting systems. The authorities are anxious to prevent any incidents that could affect the operation of the airport so there is a continuous sampling of air to detect any smoke and the entire fire and security system is tamper monitored. The warehouse has nine robotic doors, which will open in the event of a fire to vent any smoke.

The warehouse has a footprint of 11,000 square metres of which 50 per cent is refrigerated in four different temperature zones using a very efficient refrigeration plant that utilises ammonia rather than the more common Freon. The move from QFS’s previous premises in Stafford required 5,000 pallets to be moved in a 72 hour period and as the QFS fleet needed to continue to deliver goods to customers, contractors were engaged to handle the 120 trailer loads of products.

A distinct point of difference between QFS and other food service suppliers

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tarting off with a single office in Parramatta, NSW, Pack & Send has evolved into a national delivery heavyweight that can draw on more than 100 service centres Australiawide and was recognised as the Australian Franchisor of the Year in 2007 by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Franchise Council of Australia. Now also present in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Pack & Send is considered a leading force in the transport franchise game. Prime Mover met founder Michael Paul, who has been serving as CEO of the company since its incorporation in February 1993.

IND

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9 201 ber

Contact Krueger Transport Equipment 275 Fitzgerald Road Derrimut VIC 3030 Ph: 03 9366 2133 Web: www.krueger.com.au

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Terry Bickerton, Paul Vawdrey and James Dixon.

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WORLD MAP

An enterprise approach BUSINESSES BUILT ON THE ABILITY TO COLLECT, ANALYSE AND ACT ON DATA ARE PROLIFERATING DUE TO THE SUCCESS STORIES OF THOSE BRAVE ENOUGH TO DRIVE CHANGE IN EVERYTHING FROM CULTURE TO PROCESS TO BEHAVIOUR. MACHINE LEARNING IS PART OF THIS COMPLEX CODE. American academic, Thomas Davenport, said business processes are among the last remaining points of differentiation for firms that offer similar products and use comparable technologies. This concept holds especially true for the international trailer manufacturing scene. Each of the world’s top OEMs take pride in their engineering

on Analytics, that analytics competitors ‘wring every last drop of value’ from business processes to learn everything from how many items a client might buy in a lifetime to what triggers them to make a purchase or predict supply chain demand problems to improve inventory and order systems. These scenarios are countless.

capabilities to produce industry-leading,

competitors’ i.e. top management had announced that analytics was key to the basis in which they compete — it’s in their DNA. Even though such a transformation requires significant investment in technology, Davenport claims that it is also equally important for executives to be committed and willing to change the way their employees think, work and are treated.

robust, efficient and productive road

Crunching numbers, taking names

In one of numerous case studies, Davenport

transport equipment and constantly inform

Analytics competitors, according to

looked closer at US-based courier company,

the market about how they stand out from

Davenport, do all these things in a

United Parcel Service (UPS), and said it

their direct competitors. While they all boast

coordinated way “as part of an overarching

embodied the evolution from targeted

about their KTL painting — an anti-corrosion

strategy championed by top leadership

analytics user to comprehensive analytics

dip coating for heavy duty components

and pushed down to decision makers at

competitor.

— and aftermarket support networks to

every level” and that employees hired for

“The UPS Customer Intelligence Group,

maximise vehicle uptime, It is clear that on

their expertise with numbers or trained to

for example, is able to accurately predict

an executive level these manufacturers are

recognise their importance are “armed with

customer defections by examining usage

continuously fixated on selling their products

the best evidence and the best quantitative

patterns and complaints,” Davenport said.

by emphasising in-house innovation and their

tools”. He asserts that these individuals make

“When the data point to a potential defector,

own tailored approach to customer service.

the best decisions “big and small, every day,

a salesperson contacts that customer to

As the President’s Distinguished Professor of

over and over and over”.

review and resolve the problem, dramatically

Information Technology at Babson College,

Davenport wanted to identify the

reducing the loss of accounts.”

co-founder of the International Institute

characteristics that analytics competitors

Ultimately, for a company to embrace

for Analytics and a Fellow of the MIT

shared so he, along with two colleagues,

analytics that will drive change in everything

Initiative for the Digital Economy, Davenport

studied 32 organisations that have made

from culture to process to behaviour,

is an established authority on ‘analytics

a commitment to quantitative, fact-

Davenport is adamant that it requires a

competitors’.

based analysis. He found that 11 of those

principal advocate like a CEO, naming Jeff

He outlined in his 2017 book, Competing

organisations were ‘full-bore analytics

Bezos as an example.

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Trailer Magazine JULY 20

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Trailer Magazine JULY 20

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