Trailer Magazine December 2023

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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

DECEMBER 2023

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ISSN 1838-2312

DECEMBER 2023 $10.00

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TRAILER BUILDER TIPPERS EVENTS NEWS WORLD MAP ECONOMY

SHOWCASING THE VERY BEST AUSTRALASIAN TRAILER AND BODY TECHNOLOGY

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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

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Peter White peter.white@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALISTS

William Craske william.craske@primecreative.com.au Louise Surette louise.surette@primecreative.com.au

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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.

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

Trailer Magazine Editor Luke Applebee

Investigate signals The 3G shutdown isn’t due to occur until mid 2024, however 10 million Optus customers – including transport and logistics businesses and manufacturers – were impacted by a significant outage last month which affected millions of Australians. It disrupted phone and internet services as well as Melbourne’s train network from 4am up until the afternoon of Wednesday 8 November. Workers relying on mobile devices were left unable to make calls or access the internet. Call centres dropped off the grid, including most of the big four banks. An electric vehicle charging network also suffered outages at some of its sites leaving drivers stranded without power.

Former Optus CEO, Kelly Rosmarin, attributed the national outage to a technical network fault but did not outline any specific details about the cause. She told media she had no idea how long it would take to complete a thorough root cause analysis of the outage and claimed it was not unusual in the grand scheme of things when operating critical infrastructure.

Engineers Australia urges businesses to assess their systems for weak points following the Optus outage.

Chief Engineer, Jane MacMaster, said it is crucial to recognise the cascading risk associated with such technology failures and implement risk management plans and build redundancies to increase resilience.

This development has also triggered a telecommunications review with the aim of supporting major telecommunications providers with improving their post-outage processes.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has reportedly initiated an assessment to investigate Optus’ compliance with the rules on emergency calls.

It follows a day after the Reserve Bank of Australia increased interest rates yet again. National Association Director, Rob Godwin, said this is costing businesses thousands of dollars in sales that they are now in dire need of in light of the recent rate hike.

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Locations in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin and Adelaide

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December 2023 8

Industry news The latest news and industry developments.

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Economy A new survey has found rising costs are affecting business growth.

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Tippers Load Master has taken delivery of 10 new Borcat trailers.

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Trailer builder Australia’s trailer manufacturing industry is as strong as ever.

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Service & maintenance JOST’s premium training services cater directly to fleets like Blenners Transport.

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Trailer building materials/components A showcase of the products and services that keep trailers on the move.

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Infrastructure Spotlight What you need to know about Australia’s biggest road projects this month.

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World map Transport Logistic in review.

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Fleet of the month Mining company, Mineral Resources, details the suspension it uses for its world-first fully autonomous road train combinations.

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What’s on Upcoming shows and field days.

Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

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Singapore Post to acquire Border Express Singapore Post subsidiary, Freight Management Holdings, has entered a conditional sale and purchase agreement with Border Express for a maximum purchase consideration of $210 million.

Upon completion, Border Express will join the transport companies within FMH Group, consisting of GKR Transport, Niche Logistics, BagTrans, Formby Logistics and Spectrum Transport.

Over the past three years, Singapore Post has expanded its operations in Australia with FMH Group and CouriersPlease.

This transaction aligns with Singapore Post’s strategic ambition to expand its logistics network and foster synergy within its Australian operations to deliver enhanced value to its customers and partners.

In addition to this transaction, Singapore Post has reached agreement with the remaining minority shareholders of FMH Group to take its ownership to 100 per cent.

“This acquisition is immediately accretive to earnings, solidifies FMH as a leading logistics provider, and continues the

growth and development of our Australian operations,” said Singapore Post Group CEO, Vincent Phang.

“We look forward to welcoming Border Express to the FMH Group and SingPost Group family.”

As Australia’s sixth largest pallet and parcel distribution operator, Border Express makes for a major addition to the portfolio of companies controlled by FMH Group.

Border Express, which maintains operations across every state and territory in Australia, manages a fleet of over 700 vehicles across a network of 16 facilities.

With the acquisition of Border Express,

the revenues of FMH Group are expected to exceed well over $1 billion.

Border Express Executive Director Transformation, Mark Luff, said the company was excited to embark on a new chapter as it entered into a conditional agreement with FMH Group.

“Joining forces with FMH Group will provide us with access to an extensive network, cutting-edge technology and resources that will enable us to serve our customers even better and expand our reach even further,” he said.

The acquisition is subject to relevant statutory approvals and other closing conditions.

DHL and Canon Australia celebrate logistics partnership Canon Australia is celebrating 10 years of operations with its logistics partner, DHL Supply Chain, at its New South Wales site in Horsley Park.

DHL has played an instrumental role at Canon Australia, consistently ensuring the safe storage and swift processing of orders to its customers.

The collective efforts over the past decade have seen over 12,000 containers received and 3.5 million orders shipped, which Canon Australia claims have all been without a single lost-time injury.

“This partnership stands as one of our most critical connections, bridging the gap between us and our customers,” a Canon Australia spokesperson said.

To commemorate the 10-year milestone, Canon Australia’s leaders and the logistics and EcoCentre teams joined the DHL Supply Chain Australia team and CEO, Steve Thompsett, for a celebratory lunch and cake.

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“It was wonderful to be able to share this milestone with the local Canon and DHL teams,” said Canon Australia Director Technology and Operations, Doug Grgas.

“Our partnership with DHL has been extremely successful due to its flexible nature which has enabled Canon to adapt in changing market conditions.

“Not only has HP2 helped us to deliver successful commercial outcomes but the site has a safety record that is amongst the best in the network which is of utmost importance to us.”

Reflecting on the partnership, DHL General Manager, Technology Sector, Tony Allan, said Canon and DHL have worked tirelessly together to deliver print and camera products to the Australian population.

“In DHL we often describe ourselves as an essential part of everyday life,” he said.

“Nothing could be truer than this during

the record sales of home printers through the COVID-19 years and we all adopted different ways of working.”

Looking back on the decade of shared achievements, Canon Australia will remain committed to nurturing and strengthening the DHL partnership, ensuring that it continues to drive the company’s collective success into the future.

DHL Supply Chain Australia CEO, Steve Thompsett, and Canon Australia Director Technology and Operations, Doug Grgas.

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SRT Logistics and ABC Transport awarded Carriers of the Year SRT Logistics and ABC Transport have been awarded Carriers of the Year at Primary Connect’s 10th annual Transport Safety Day. Primary Connect’s two longstanding transport partners were formally recognised for their outstanding performance in safety, compliance and service.

The awards were held at Woolworths Group’s head office on 23 October, with more than 150 carrier partner representatives, industry professionals and leaders from Primary Connect attending.

At the event, SRT Logistics was named Large Carrier of the Year and ABC Transport Small Carrier of the Year.

“Our Primary Connect Carrier of the Year Awards are a fantastic opportunity for us to recognise carriers that demonstrate the highest level of service and outstanding professionalism while reflecting our own values and commitment to safety,” said Director of Primary Connect+ and Transport for Woolworths Group, Chris Brooks.

“We are thrilled to present the award

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to ABC Transport for the first time, and to SRT for the fourth time since the inception of these awards, and the second year in a row.

“We’re grateful to have such highquality partners supporting our supply chain.”

SRT Logistics has been working with Primary Connect for more than 15 years.

Its 370 employees currently transport approximately 375,000 pallets of goods for Woolworths Group and Primary Connect+ commercial customers each year.

SRT Logistics CEO, Robert Miller, was pleased to accept the award.

“It’s humbling to win the award multiple times,” he said.

“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication from the team for both our leaders and the broader team at SRT. “It’s their hard work and dedication every day that makes a difference to our business and the business of Woolworths.”

Small Carrier of the Year, ABC Transport, began its operations in 1998 out of Alice Springs before it found

favour as a Primary Connect partner in 2017.

The partnership began from a desire from Woolworths to get fresher produce into the northern zone of Australia with shorter lead times.

ABC Transport has 260 employees working to deliver approximately 200,000 pallets for Woolworths per year, and has been an early adopter of many transport safety technologies that are part of Primary Connect’s fleet specifications, including real-time driver fatigue monitoring and detection accompanied by multi-directional cameras.

“We’re full of pride for the fact that we’ve done a good job and we’ve dealt with a very important and prestigious company to make the produce in Darwin fresher and better for the customers up there,” said ABC Transport CEO, Jamie Eccleston.

“We’re proud to offer Primary Connect and Woolworths the security and comfort of our highly maintained and safe fleet. We look forward to our continued partnership.”

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BevChain opens new WA distribution centre BevChain has opened a new 35,000-square-metre beverages distribution centre (DC) in Maddington, Western Australia.

The facility houses many well-known beverage brands across beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic drink categories.

Officially opened by BevChain President, Misha Shliapnikoff, it continues Linfox’s and BevChain’s important work building a sustainable national logistics network in key locations, supported by a modern fleet.

“Our new DC provides much needed additional ambient and temperaturecontrolled capacity, and positions BevChain for future growth in the west, conveniently near our customers, transportation hubs and routes,” said Shliapnikoff.

The new location arrives as construction of Linfox BevChain’s largest ‘supersite’ progresses in Laverton, Victoria.

This facility will have the capacity to hold

accommodate growing consumer demand by providing extra capacity for BevChain’s customers.

around 72,000 ambient and temperaturecontrolled pallets when complete.

According to Shliapnikoff, it will seek to

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Former Kalari Managing Director recognised with industry award

Peter O’Shannessy and Victorian Transport Association (VTA) President, Mike Lean.

Stage one of $150M Carpentaria Highway upgrade complete The Northern Territory Government is investing $150 million into the Carpentaria Highway to upgrade the road across a program of works.

The upgrades from single lane to dual lane bitumen will provide more reliable transport and freight links, supporting existing road users, industry and communities.

Stage one has now been completed, marking an important milestone for the project with 48 kilometres of the highway upgraded and sealed.

These works, which include 24 culverts and two truck stops, aim to improve road safety, reduce travel times, reduce vehicle operating costs and bolster flood immunity.

NT company, Exact Contracting, are undertaking the program of works with construction for stage two now underway.

Stage two will deliver further upgrades and sealed bitumen on roads to Borroloola.

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Minister for Territory Development, Eva Lawler, said the NT is entering an era of thriving development and innovation as it powers towards a $40 billion economy by 2030.

“The upgrades to the Carpentaria Highway will complement multiple strategic projects currently underway that aim to bring the Territory’s vision of becoming a world-class energy production, manufacturing and services hub to reality,” she said.

“Upgrading the Carpentaria Highway involves a range of works including reconstructing, widening, elevating and sealing the road, meaning this important route will have year round access, improving economic opportunities and access to essential services.”

The Carpentaria Highway is a key access road for people travelling to Borroloola and for a number of industries in the NT.

Former Kalari Managing Director, Peter O’Shannessy, has received the W.F.D Chalmers Award in recognition of his many years of outstanding service.

O’Shannessy, also a long-time VTA Executive Council member, was presented with the award on 2 November at the 2023 VTA President’s Dinner.

The W.F.D Chalmers Award was instituted by the VTA in memory of Daryl Chalmers, who was a member of the Executive Council for over 40 years.

It is presented annually to recognise individuals that have supported and worked with the association over many years, with dedication, loyalty, and commitment to its existence and longevity.

O’Shannessy has served on the VTA Executive Committee since 2015 and has provided what VTA CEO, Peter Anderson, applauds much-valued counsel on a range of issues.

Away from the VTA, he has led the Kalari Group as well as having other roles within Swire’s Group, following its recent divestment to Qube.

At the President’s Dinner, Anderson expressed his gratitude to O’Shannessy for his decades of service to the VTA and broader industry.

“As a member of the Finance Committee for many years, Peter’s advice during some turbulent economic times has been greatly appreciated,” he said.

“We extend our thanks and appreciation to Peter for his years of service and congratulate him on this much-deserved accolade.”

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MaxiTRANS develops custom classroom trailer for Melbourne Polytechnic A specially developed Maxi-CUBE Classic Dry Freight van has joined Melbourne Polytechnic as a mobile classroom.

Developed in partnership with MaxiTRANS, the self-sufficient, off-grid trailer serves as a classroom and model for practical, hands-on training.

The classroom can travel throughout Victoria, offering flexibility and accessibility for Melbourne Polytechnic’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses.

Coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown in Victoria, Melbourne Polytechnic identified a regional gap – the absence of a beekeeping course in Victoria, with the nearest option located in New South Wales.

To fill this need, James Farmer, a member of Melbourne Polytechnic’s facilities and assets team, led the design and construction of a mobile classroom designed for teaching the craft of beekeeping.

The trailer had to be large enough to serve as a classroom while also adhering

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

to road safety and transportation guidelines, so Farmer reached out to MaxiTRANS who then directed the concept to Maxi-CUBE. Maxi-CUBE engineers then designed a dry freight model tailored to the classroom’s specifications.

The company provided 3D models through the development process to ensure the trailer met all of Melbourne Polytechnic’s needs, and to make the trailer more functional and user-friendly, several features were added including a fibreglass slip-free zircon floor, a sideaccess door and underbody storage suitable for ladders and steps.

When the trailer came off the MaxiTRANS production line in Ballarat, the next phase involved customising it for its specific educational purpose which was done in collaboration with a local fit-out company.

Nine solar panels were installed on the roof, lying flat to comply with height and wind resistance restrictions.

These panels power batteries built into

the trailer, generating enough electricity to run the equivalent of two households.

Beneath the batteries is a water storage unit, providing hot water essential for honey extraction and other tasks.

The interior layout includes workbenches for hands-on training and sinks for preparation, making the space highly functional.

“There’s two extractors in there, a warming cabinet, equipment to do repairs to boxes or create new boxes,” Farmer said.

“They learn to rob hives, take the wax off them and run them through the extractors.

“There can be up to 20 students and they don’t all need to be in the trailer at the same time. They learn the whole process as they go through.”

Since its completion in April 2023, the mobile beekeeping classroom has hit the road for Melbourne Polytechnic’s beekeeping course in August, offering students a one-of-a-kind, practical learning experience.

Further freight monitoring cameras to be installed across NSW The New South Wales Government is continuing to install machine learning traffic cameras which analyse heavy vehicles across the state, to better understand freight movements.

A Transport for NSW trial will use new counting and classifying cameras to help reduce congestion, improve road safety outcomes and encourage more efficient deliveries.

The artificial intelligence-enabled and solar-powered technology was designed and built in Australia, with the first iteration of the software developed by staff at Transport for NSW. High-definition pictures of heavy vehicles will be taken by the cameras which are then classified into the type of vehicle in transit and the type of cargo being transported.

This information, Transport for NSW claims, will enable it to assist long-term planning for the movement of goods in NSW and shape the future of freight.

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“As the demand for goods grows with our increasing population, Transport [for NSW] is making it easier for businesses to move freight in and out of our ports and airports, around our regions, and across our state,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

Following the trial across northern NSW this past June, the ‘world-first’ camera technology will now be installed throughout several locations in the west.

These include: • Harley Ave, Mount Victoria • Darling Causeway, Mount Victoria

• Great Western Highway, Little Hartley • Castlereagh Level Crossing, Dunedoo To the NSW Government, the cameras are seen as another tool that can be used to help manage increasing freight volumes which are expected to increase across NSW by 28 per cent by 2036, over a 2018 baseline.

Although they have the ability to capture high-definition images, the Government is claiming that they will not be used for “enforcement or monitoring people or private vehicles”.

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Toll Group holds ceremony for $200M facility Toll Group recently held a ‘groundbreaking’ ceremony for its new $200 million facility in Kemps Creek, New South Wales.

Toll President of Retail and Consumer, Nick Vrckovski, joined Mayor of Penrith, Todd Carney, and representatives from ESR and Crooke Construction for the ceremony at the site’s location.

The new facility was announced earlier this year, where it was revealed the 67,626-square-metre facility would feature $75 million of advanced automation technology.

When completed, the $200 million purpose-built, state-of-the-art fulfilment hub will be Toll’s largest Australian omnichannel facility.

It will have storage capacity of close to one million cartons, and through the use of automated picking stations and connected zone-routing stations, it will be capable of dispatching 37 million items each year.

In a statement online, Vrckovski said he was proud to represent Toll at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“I’m excited about this flagship facility and what it will mean for our customers – fast, flexible distribution that integrates multichannel order management for immediate and accurate deliveries across all of Australia,” he said.

“It’s in Sydney’s growth corridor, close

to the new Western Sydney Airport, and accessible to our customers’ fastgrowing operations, making it the perfect location.

“A special thank you to Councillor Todd Carney, Mayor of Penrith for attending the event and to ESR and Crooke Construction for helping bring our vision to life.”

A Toll Group spokesperson said the ceremony marks a significant milestone in future-proofing eCommerce channels

for Toll’s retail and consumer goods partners across Australia.

“We’re building the facility to drive innovation for our retail customers and meet huge demand for fast, flexible warehouse solutions that meet the needs of Australia’s increasingly savvy online and retail shoppers,” the spokesperson said.

The investment is part of Toll’s broader strategy to grow the business with $400 million of new investments planned over the next four years.

New Australia Post Board appointments announced The Australian Government has made two new appointments to the Australia Post Board.

John Stephen Mann has been named a non-executive Director and Deputy Chairperson, and Debra Anne Hazelton a non-executive Director, both for three-year terms.

Mann is currently a non-executive Director and the Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee at Qube Holdings.

He has held senior leadership roles in the freight, finance and infrastructure industries with a strong focus on logistics skills.

Hazelton currently serves as the Chair of the Board at both AMP Limited and its subsidiary, AMP Bank Limited, and as a

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

non-executive Director at both Treasury Corporation of Victoria and PERSOL Holdings.

The two new appointments, the Government claims, will uplift the current Board’s skillset to support the ongoing focus on modernisation.

“Appointing Mr Mann and Ms Hazelton to the Board with their skills and experience in transformation and fiscal sustainability ensures one of Australia’s most important national institutions remains in capable hands for the future,” said Minister for Finance, Senator Katy Gallagher.

“Hundreds of thousands of Australians rely on Australia Post services every day and we are committed to making sure it

keeps delivering for consumers.”

Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, congratulated Mann and Hazelton on their appointments to the Australia Post Board.

“Mr Mann and Ms Hazelton will bring a wealth of experience in business, financial management and strategic operations to the organisation, particularly as Australia Post continues on its modernisation journey,” she said.

“Our Government is committed to ensuring that Australia Post remains as a beloved and publicly-owned institution that is capable of delivering the services Australians need.”

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Austroads unveils new vehicle classification scheme Austroads has developed an extended vehicle classification scheme to improve understanding and monitoring of changing vehicles.

Founded on the 1994 Austroads vehicle classification scheme, Austroads-94, the new, updated Austroads-23 system presents guidance on how to record active travellers, allows for more granularity of vehicle types, and explains potential additional pathways to classification using new technologies as they become feasible and available.

Building on Austroads-94, Austroads-23 includes sub-categories for greater granularity to help stakeholders better manage transport demand within and between modes and plan more responsively.

Coupled with advances in sensor technology, Austroads claims this could enable greater optimisation of regulatory restrictions and support the implementation of further automation in transport management.

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Austroads-23 also includes new categories for active transport, vulnerable road users and non-road users.

“There are many business applications for Austroads-23, including pavement design, transport infrastructure, planning for climate change reduction, road reserves, footpaths, workplaces, education facilities, shopping districts and transport interchanges,” said Austroads Transport Network Operations Program Manager, Amy Naulls.

“The new classification system will allow us to develop a more accurate and inclusive picture of who is using our roads, and facilitate more informed decisions around transport planning and infrastructure development to better support all road users.”

The project came about because the Austroads Network Task Force were concerned that the previous Austroads-94 vehicle classification

scheme, which is now nearly 30 years old, was no longer a fit for the vehicles operating on Australian and New Zealand road networks.

“The vehicles we see on our road networks have evolved significantly since 1994,” Naulls said.

“The new Austroads-23 scheme covers a wider range of road users and provides greater detail for existing categories.

“Importantly, Austroads-23 is also backwards compatible, which means road managers can compare presentday counts with historic data.”

Through stakeholder consultation, the project team reviewed Austroads-94, completed a strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis and examined other classification systems in Australia and internationally.

In addition to the need to expand and future-proof the classification system, the team also identified the need for backwards compatibility with Austroads-94.

Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

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Monadelphous lands $170M in new contracts Perth-based engineering group, Monadelphous, has secured a total of $170 million in new construction and maintenance contracts and contract extensions.

Monadelphous has been awarded a construction contract with Lynas Rare Earths for stage one of the Mt Weld Expansion Project, located near Laverton in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.

The scope includes structural, mechanical and piping works associated with the new concentration facility.

A new multidisciplinary construction contract will also see Monadelphous undertake a series of upgrades at Fortescue’s Anderson Point iron ore stockyard in Port Hedland, WA. In addition, BHP has extended Monadelphous’ master services agreement

for the provision of general maintenance services to its iron ore operations in Pilbara, WA through to 30 June 2025.

The award also contains an additional one-year extension option.

“The company has also secured a one-year extension to its mechanical and electrical maintenance, shutdown and project services contract across BHP’s Nickel West operations in Western Australia,” a Monadelphous spokesperson said.

As part of the $170 million in new contacts, Monadelphous has secured

a one-year extension to its sustaining capital works master services agreement with Rio Tinto, to continue providing multidisciplinary project services across its Pilbara iron ore operations in Western Australia.

Lastly, the company has also been awarded a three-year services contract, with three one-year extension options, to continue providing sustaining capital projects and maintenance support at Santos’ production and support facilities in the Southern Highlands region of Papua New Guinea.

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BPW Transpec Engineering Manager receives industry award BPW Transpec Engineering Manager, Ian Thomson, received the Castrol Vecton Industry Achievement Award at this year’s National Trucking Industry Awards.

The Castrol Vecton Industry Achievement Award recognises technical innovation and achievement within the Australian transport industry.

A recipient of the award is a group or individual that has developed and implemented new technologies, designs or procedures to improve the industry’s safety, efficiency or productivity.

Presented by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), Thomson was recognised for his outstanding contribution and achievements over the last 30 years.

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Thomson told Trailer he was honoured to receive the award.

“I was quite happy to receive that,” he said.

“It’s good to get the recognition for the efforts that are put in with the industry groups – in particular with the ATA, Industry Technical Council (ITC) and the others involved, where do we quite a bit with the regulators to keep everyone informed on what the products that we offer are capable of.

“Just to have that recognition is terrific.”

Thomson commenced his career in dry bulk tanker manufacturing at Kockums Industries in 1992, where he was heavily involved with the introduction of B-doubles which were going from

23-metre tri tandems to tri-tri B-doubles and increasing to 25 metres at the time.

He then joined Convair Engineering in 1999 which saw him help introduce FFB’s alloy tanker product to Australia.

After completing some initial work for the design of longer combinations, such as AB triples, he moved across to Krueger Transport Equipment in 2006 for a short period.

In 2007, Thomson joined BPW Transpec where he was involved in the early introduction of Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) for trailers.

There, he helped the systems gain traction while continually being involved with braking working groups to effect changes to the Australian Design Rules (ADR).

“I had quite a lot of involvement there through the ATA and ITC as far as helping awareness of the brake system for users, operators and industry groups,” said Thomson.

“We gave technical information to Canberra and the authorities about some of the rules and changes that were being made in that period.”

Today, Thomson continues his career at BPW Transpec, 16 years since he first joined the company, where he is responsible for looking after braking systems as far as the control systems go.

This revolves around the foundation brake systems, such as BPW Transpec’s disc brakes and drum brakes, as well as new brake models that have come along and suspension systems that BPW Transpec can offer for different applications.

“We’re looking at axle weights, weight distribution, heavier weights for vehicles, ratings for couplings and being involved with the couplings side of things with work going on at the moment for vehicles in the PerformanceBased Standards (PBS) space as well as longer combinations,” said Thomson.

“It’s across quite a few product ranges, and I think that’s why I was fortunate to get the award – because I’m across those key areas in the industry.”

DB SCHENKER brings global services to major electronics giant A major electronics giant has entrusted global logistics provider, DB SCHENKER, to manage the third-party logistics (3PL) for its newly customised spare parts warehouse in New South Wales.

DB SCHENKER has worked with the electronics company for the past 20 years, with a scope that has included customs clearance, port to warehouse delivery, product and spare parts warehousing, domestic outbound distribution and reverse logistics management.

The customer’s new 12,800-square-metre warehouse in NSW features four recessed docks and three on-grade decks, and has the capacity to handle 30,000 SKUs. The site was built with on-site security, inventory management, value added services and sustainability measures in place.

DB SCHENKER Australia and New Zealand Director of Contract Logistics,

Derrick Martins, said this is a particularly exciting project because it is the customer’s first custom fit-out site in the region, and it can draw upon DB SCHENKER’s 3PL efficiencies and response times proven globally.

“Spare parts management creates a number of complexities for warehousing and logistics, and it is often our job to optimise processes within existing fit-outs or setups,” he said.

“Having a facility where DB SCHENKER was responsible for the fit-out means we could design the entire warehouse in the most efficient way right from the outset.”

DB SCHENKER has 150 years of global logistics experience and 60 years in Australia.

This includes extensive experience in contract logistics and 3PL warehouses, with more than 20 major sites across Australia and New Zealand and over 260,000 square

metres of storage capacity.

“Our site Operations Manager has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, and places a strong focus on standard operation procedure, safety, and sustainability, so these were built into the new warehouse,” Martins said.

“The warehouse was designed to be a safe, harmonious, and ergonomic workplace for everyone on site.”

DB SCHENKER worked with the customer to build this warehouse with additional security measures in place, including walkthrough metal detection, 24/7 back to base alarm monitoring and 24/7 CCTV cameras in operation.

DB SCHENKER and the major electronics company also both placed a high importance on sustainability, so the new warehouse was built with energy-efficient lighting, a focus on recycling, and a custom box builder to minimise waste.

60 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE Designing and building hard-working, heavy duty vehicles.

BORCAT TRAILERS

STANDING THE TEST OF TIME sales@borcat.com.au, Jamie Carter Office number: 02 9631 9594

XXX News

Centurion finalises ABC Transport acquisition Centurion has announced its successful acquisition of South Australian refrigerated and general linehaul freight transport business ABC Transport.

The purchase was announced last month, where it was revealed the ABC Transport business would be transitioned to become part of Centurion’s operations to further expand its national footprint.

At the time, Centurion CEO, Justin Cardaci, said it would add an important central corridor into Centurion’s national presence.

“Our vision is for a seamless national footprint and this acquisition, with its Adelaide to Darwin focus, is a key part of that,” he said.

The completion of the purchase marks a significant milestone in Centurion’s commitment to better serve its customers by expanding its capabilities.

“ABC Transport brings a wealth of

expertise in general and express freight services and [it] has been dedicated to servicing remote communities in the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia,” a Centurion spokesperson said.

“We extend a warm welcome to the exceptional team from ABC Transport, as their expertise and experience will undoubtedly enhance our operations nationwide.”

Centurion will now deploy more than 900 prime movers and over 3,000 trailers on key Australian transport routes, with 35 sites in action.

For more than 22 years, ABC Transport has served customers up and down central Australia from Adelaide, Darwin, Katherine and Kununurra, establishing strong relationships with customers.

The team have built a solid business transporting frozen goods, dairy, fresh

meats and other perishable goods through Central and Northern Australia on an established network supplying supermarket chains and leading producers.

In October, ABC Transport CEO, Andrew Cogan, said he was proud that the business, he founded in 1998, would become part of Centurion.

“Our 260-plus employees will have a great future at Centurion, which has an industry-leading approach to safety and deploying advanced technology both on the road and in the warehouse,” he said.

“The Cardaci family is committed longterm to the transport and logistics industry — the people who work in it and the regional communities that it serves.”

Cogan and his leadership team will remain with the business post settlement, where it will continue to offer general freight services to local businesses up and down the Stuart Highway.

Centurion CEO, Justin Cardaci, and ABC Transport CEO, Andrew Cogan.

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

ARTSA-i develops ‘industry-first’ Brake Calculator In what it calls an ‘industry-first’, ARTSA-i has developed an advanced Brake Calculator for heavy vehicles.

Funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) and supported by the Australian Government, the Brake Calculator will look to assist heavy vehicle technicians, engineers and regulators to assess and potentially improve the braking performance of multi-heavy vehicle combinations.

ARTSA-i Chair, Martin Toomey, said ARTSA-i is pleased to be able to assist industry in improving the performance of heavy vehicle braking systems.

“The Brake Calculator follows the Guide to Braking and Stability Performance for Heavy Vehicle Combinations which ARTSA published several years ago,” he said.

The calculator predicts wheel lock-up during braking using a novel tyreroad friction model that can be set for

different road surfaces.

The mass transfer between vehicles, axle groups and within each axle group is included in the model.

It also allows pneumatic controls to be modelled so that brake wear can be considered.

The beta version of the calculator will be free to use for accredited users, and according to its developer, Dr Peter Hart, it has many benefits in comparison to existing calculators.

“The brake calculator was developed to provide a sophisticated yet easy-toconfigure web application that vehicle technicians, engineers and regulators can use to design and check heavy vehicle service, emergency and parkingbrake systems,” Hart said.

The beta version of the calculator can be used to design and check heavy vehicle service-, emergency- and parking-brake systems.

In addition, a feedback button will

allow users to make suggestions on how to improve the calculator.

The calculator can be applied to design-rule, Vehicle Standards Bulletin (VSB) 6 modification code, Performance-Based Standards (PBS) or in-service brake performance checks.

“The calculator has been designed to be user friendly, but because of the complexity of brake design, it has been decided to only allow access to users that have been through a webbased training session,” Hart said.

“The training will provide detailed information about heavy vehicle braking systems from basic braking systems to advanced technologies, and about brake rules.

“The training will be of great benefit to industry personnel involved in maintaining, developing and regulating heavy vehicle braking systems.”

Australia’s Most Fuel Efficient Reefer Trailers CONTACT US TODAY TO FIND OUT MORE:

03 8794 6000 www.cargobull.com LUKE HARDEMAN 0467 001 515 SIMON HAKVOORT 0478 848 292

XXX Economy

Report finds rising costs are affecting business growth

A new survey reveals two thirds of small and medium-sized enterprises require additional or updated assets to grow their business this year.

Almost a quarter (22 per cent) of those surveyed attribute the high price of vehicles and equipment as the reason preventing them from acquiring them.

An additional one in five (19 per cent) are concerned they are unable to afford new assets.

In a recent independent survey of 200 business owners conducted by Metro, respondents were asked whether a lack of capital assets was holding their business from expanding.

Forty-two per cent of respondents said they need more capital assets to grow their business, and 26 per cent said their assets are too old and outdated.

Forty-one per cent said they can’t afford more vehicles or equipment, or the prices have increased too much.

Out of the respondents that said their business was being held back from acquiring new capital assets, the most prevalent reason was high prices and lack of affordability (for 41 per cent of respondents).

One fifth (22 per cent) said the cost of equipment and vehicles had increased too much, while 19 per cent said they can’t afford capital assets.

A further 15 per cent don’t want to invest at present.

Only 10 per cent of respondents indicated they were reluctant to get a loan to cover the costs of new assets, and just three per cent said they could not get loan approval.

Reviewing the results, Metro CEO, Phillip Crossman, said further financial support will need to be provided for SMEs. “The fact that only a small number of businesses have been unable to get a loan corroborates recent experiences reported by our brokers: most prime asset borrowers are being approved for the loans they are seeking,” he said.

“However, it’s clear that Australian SMEs are conscious of spending in this environment and are wary of rising costs.

“If we want the business sector to

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

continue to expand, they need the financial support to do so.”

A closer look at the survey results reveal different requirements reported by business size.

Small sized businesses (16-50 employees) and medium sized businesses (51-200 employees) are more likely to need updated capital assets to expand their business, with 85 per cent reporting so.

This compares with 65 per cent of large businesses (over 200 employees) and 52 per cent of micro businesses (1-15 employees).

The results, according to Metro, did not necessarily reflect business was not able to afford price increases, as only nine per cent of medium and large businesses and 13 per cent of small businesses said this is what is holding them back.

However, for 29 per cent of micro businesses, Crossman said it is a major concern.

“Micro businesses, when compared to the other business sizes, are more likely to have a tighter cashflow that struggles to accommodate the rising costs of vehicles

and equipment,” he said.

“Whereas larger-sized businesses have a greater ability to control their cash flow and absorb these higher costs.”

When comparing responses across states, Metro found that business owners in South Australia are the most concerned by the higher prices of equipment and vehicles (33 per cent of respondents), compared with 25 per cent of business owners in Western Australia, 23 per cent in New South Wales, 19 per cent in Queensland and 18 per cent in Victoria.

Almost a third (31 per cent) of business owners in Western Australia, according to Metro, are unable to afford new capital assets, compared with 22 per cent in Queensland, 18 per cent in Victoria, 15 per cent in NSW and 13 per cent in South Australia.

“Understandably, businesses have different challenges, depending on their market, but having access to the right equipment for the business to run smoothly shouldn’t be one of them, when there are appropriate finance options available,” Crossman said.

Australian Consumer Confidence 15

10 6 5 1

0

1

-1

-3

-1

1

-3

-4

1

1

0

-1 -5

-10 Oct 2022

Jan 2023

Apr 2023

Jul 2023

0.4%

3.6%

4.1%

GDP growth rate June 2023

Unemployment rate September 2023

Interest rate October 2023

XXX Tippers

Load Master builds on new Borcat deliveries Bulk transport company, Load Master, has taken delivery of 10 new Borcat trailer combinations over the past 12 months and it’s gearing up for another six following the completion of its latest order.

Load Master originally set up in New South Wales in 2017. Concentrating primarily on tunnels in Sydney, it has completed some of the biggest projects in the city over the last couple of years – and there’s no end in sight.

Load Master has had a relationship with Borcat since day one, and its product has been essential to the fleet’s operations.

“The very first truck we purchased had a Borcat bin on it,” says Load Master Transport Manager, Shane O’Callaghan.

“Dealing with Paul and the team there, we just kept coming back for more. We just

love the relationship we have with those guys – they’re contactable when you need them, so we continue to use their product.”

In the past 12 months, Load Master has taken delivery of 10 quad dogs from Borcat which were built specifically to last in their demanding operations.

“We’ve built them a little bit harder,” Shane says. “We’ve put Hardox floors in them and we set them up at 19 metres so they’re perfect for going around the city. They can also withstand the hardship of working on a tunnel project every day. That’s one of the key features of the new ones we have.”

The next batch on order, to be towed by a new set of Mercedes-Benz trucks, will include six 20-metre quin dog combinations.

“This is the first batch of quin dogs that we’re going to be taking from Borcat, and we’re excited to get them,” Shane says.

“With 20-metre quin dogs, we can expect good production out of them and flexibility on where we can go.”

Dealing with Borcat for all of these trailer combinations has been flawless for Shane.

“They’re available when you need them, their price point and the quality of their work is good,” he says. “We’ve never had an issue with their work. It’s always been of a high standard, so we just continued to come back for more.

“Borcat has been able to build us trailers when nobody else could. There’s quite a strain, especially in the tipper market, for getting trailer slots and body slots. It’s been difficult, but Paul has always made time for us, and when he’s said he’s going to deliver on a certain day, he’s pretty well done it.”

Contact

Borcat Ph: 02 9631 9594 Web: www.borcat.com.au

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

Trailer XXX builder

Farragher Logistics expands alongside Schmitz Cargobull Farragher Logistics has taken delivery of a new Schmitz Cargobull 34-pallet B-double trailer, which has helped to bolster the thermal efficiency of the fleet’s temperature-sensitive freight tasks.

Farragher Logistics, which started as a removal company, has over the last 25 years developed into linehaul services based around shop fittings and specialised

Photos courtesy of HT Photography.

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

freight. In October of 2014, General Manager, Rory Farragher, took over and steered the business into the direction of refrigeration. This slight change in freight tasks would later align Farragher Logistics with Schmitz Cargobull.

This time last year, Rory made the move to purchase his first Schmitz Cargobull trailer with the help of Brown and Hurley, and 12 months down the track he did it again with a new B-double. The unit, fitted with two Thermo King Advancers and BPW ECO Drums – which have been specified on all of the fleet’s Schmitz Cargobull trailers – is now in action at Farragher Logistics.

“We think they’re a really good unit in terms of both efficiency and the ability to make our temp spec that we need,” Rory says. “The trailers themselves are certainly a really well designed unit suited to the Australian conditions.

“We think that we’re going to get some big savings in fuel, certainly in the summer months, so that was a big reason we chose to go with Schmitz. It was an easy long-term choice for us and we believe these trailers will definitely go the distance.”

Rory says the choice of Schmitz Cargobull

has been worth it for Farragher Logistics.

“There’s no doubt that they’ve come into our fleet and are doing well,” he says. “The maintenance is still quite early days with not a lot of servicing at the moment, so it’s really going to be the next two years that show the benefit of their efficiency and also the BPW ECO running.

“Brown and Hurley offers a significant power in servicing, repair and maintenance, and then there’s the availability of ordering B-doubles, which they can commit to in a reasonable timeframe.”

Because of this, Farragher Logistics is looking at a future with Schmitz Cargobull.

“We’re discussing an order with Schmitz Cargobull at the moment for next year,” Rory says. “We probably won’t spread it out, we’re going to aim for mid-year to get a number of sets into the fleet.”

Contact

Schmitz Cargobull Australia Unit 2, 221 Browns Road Noble Park North 3174 VIC Ph: 03 8794 6600 Web: www.cargobull.com.au

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Trailer XXX builder

Bentley Quarry buys into the Hamelex White experience Bentley Quarry has taken delivery of a new Hamelex White truck body and dog tipper combination from MaxiTRANS, which, due to its Performance-Based Standards specifications, has delivered a significant boost to the fleet’s operating capabilities.

Bentley Quarry is a local New South Wales family-operated business specialising in basalt products. Run by Rob and Sarah McKenzie, it offers a range of gravel supplies, including weathered basalt, which meets all level one compaction requirements.

In addition to quarry products, the business also provides a series of vehicle hiring options, which include a reliable and modern fleet of truck and dogs for wet and dry hire, 24-tonne excavators and loaders with trade-approved scales available for wet and dry conditions.

To keep up with industry demand within the region, Bentley Quarry turned to MaxiTRANS and its Hamelex White range.

For maximum payload, low tare weight and a total commitment to customer satisfaction, MaxiTRANS claims the industry can depend on Hamelex White

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

tippers to deliver. The Hamelex White range includes specific models tailored for the haulage of construction and quarry materials, ranging from rigid truck bodies, three to six-axle dog trailers, A-doubles and road train applications.

To suit the needs of its freight task, Bentley Quarry opted for a Hamelex White truck body with a four-axle dog trailer.

The unit has already been deployed in the fleet and is now supplying the Northern Rivers region in NSW with quarry products between Tweed Heads, Tamworth and Warwick.

While this is the fleet’s first experience with a Hamelex White dog trailer, Rob knew from past experiences with the OEM that it would be a good choice.

“We went out to purchase two new Mack Tridents and needed bins, and MaxiTRANS could get the job done in

the timeframe that we needed,” he says.

“We’ve been using their Hamelex White rigid bodies for over two years, and they’ve always supplied a good product.”

In addition to the list of standard inclusions featured in the Hamelex White range, Bentley Quarry took the extra step by venturing into the field of PerformanceBased Standards (PBS). The truck and dog trailer has been set up as a 19-metre combination under PBS guidelines and also comes with a series of extra features.

These include rock sheeting on the sides and tailgate, a retractable tarp and Hendrickson airbag suspension on the dog trailer.

“It’s a good, neat, tidy unit,” Rob says.

“It’s performed great in its operations so far.”

MaxiTRANS’ in-house PBS specialists worked very closely with Bentley Quarry

to design the combination with the aim of maximising the total payload and delivering greater efficiency for the whole combination, all while ensuring access requirements were met. As specialists in PBS and having proven success in this area, Hamelex White delivered – unlocking greater productivity benefits and efficiency for Bentley Quarry in its northern NSW operations.

To take delivery of the new truck and dog combination, Bentley Quarry engaged with MaxiTRANS’ local dealer, Trailer Sales, which Rob says was a great help.

“Trailer Sales were great with this purchase, which is our second rigid body through them,” he says. “It was a teamedup effort between them and Southside Truck Centre in Lismore, and it just made the whole process much easier.”

Trailer Sales Bulk Equipment Sales Specialist, Roger Miller, has been Rob’s main point of contact throughout the process. He says Rob was great to deal with, and in getting to know his company’s needs, Roger learned quickly that PBS was going to deliver the best returns for Bentley Quarry’s freight task.

“Our business prides itself on truly understanding our customer’s needs first before recommending a solution that’s going to deliver the best returns suited to their specific freight task,” he

says. “With local parts and servicing support, we believe in building long term partnerships with customers. As a partner to the transport industry, we want to help ensure our customers are getting the best returns from their equipment and that we are here to deliver ongoing support whenever it’s needed.”

The Hamelex White truck body and dog tipper combination is mainly purpose-built for quarry and construction

applications, and by bringing PBS into the mix, Rob says everything has worked out perfectly for Bentley Quarry.

“We’ve had a great experience with the Hamelex White product,” he says. “I’m sure we will look at purchasing another one in the future.”

Contact

MaxiTRANS Ph: 03 5339 0300 Web: www.maxitrans.com

www.trailermag.com.au

31

Trailer XXX builder

The Drake Group Directors Sam Drake and Maggie Nilson with CEO Reid Ossington.

A re-established Drake emerges The Drake Group has entered a completely new era, with a restructured leadership team which will guide the family company into its third generation while preserving the foundational values set 65 years ago.

This past May, The Drake Group made the revolutionary announcement that the son and daughter of John Drake would become the family business’ new Directors. Then, in August, Reid Ossington was appointed as CEO of the Group.

Reid’s background includes executive positions in the transport and machinery sectors with proven capabilities across strategic planning, business improvement and optimisation. It’s these moves, Reid says, which will allow the company to continue to thrive in the decades to follow.

“Part of my appointment, and also with Sam and Maggie coming on as Directors, is to set the organisation up to take advantage of the opportunities that are coming,” he says. “So, for example, ensuring our people have the

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

right systems to do their job effectively, introducing lean processes, removing waste, and essentially getting the business to a point where we’re supporting our customers with the solutions they need at a quicker rate – building trailers faster.”

With the leadership team now set in place, Reid says the Drake quality and heritage, which goes back to 1958, remains. Now, The Drake Group will cement its legacy.

“They were looking for something different, and I think with my background I’m bringing that,” he says. “It’s not just about the manufacturing, but it’s also about people and culture. I think that’s what I’m bringing to the organisation.

“With Maggie and Sam, I’ve found them to be natural leaders. I think they’re both very aware that there’s a high percentage of third

generation family businesses that don’t survive, and they really want to see the success of their grandfather, Colin Drake, and father, John, carry on for years to come.

So, with that, they bring natural curiosity – they’re both very smart individuals but they’re both very humble as well.”

Together with Maggie and Sam, Reid says a very collaborative executive leadership team is being established.

“We’re trying to break down barriers and really work as one Drake Group – and that can only bring benefits to our customers,” he says. “It means we’re more engaged across the business, we’re supporting each other internally as customers which obviously has the effect of giving a better external customer experience.”

Reid joins The Drake Group during

a period of complete innovation and success. Outside of its regular trailer deliveries to some of Australia’s biggest fleets this year, its impressive performance at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show and even the trial of ‘London’, the new O’Phee Double Stack Container Super B-Double Skel trailer combination, is evidence of this.

“It’s been a very successful year for The Drake Group, and the trajectory is certainly more success, which is pleasing,” Reid says. “The theme for us moving forward is around opportunity. It’s obviously providing haulage solutions to our customers, but then looking at opportunities beyond that – what’s coming down the pipeline in regard to technology that can affect or add value to a trailer that is being pulled by a prime mover, what different solutions we can use to reduce weight, and what we can do with Industry 4.0 from our manufacturing processes to be more effective. There’s lots of opportunity.”

For 65 years now, Drake has been solving transport solutions for its customers. To Reid, this in itself says what the company has done to date has been successful.

“Charting the path forward is not about forgetting that,” he says. “It’s actually about remembering that as part of who we are – it’s part of our DNA. It’s how we can build upon that heritage. For example, the role of my leadership group is to make sure we set the conditions for our people to succeed which then has a downward effect of success for our customers.”

Reid says the focus going forward will be growth for all business units, including Drake and O’Phee trailers, its Parts and Service Division, its engineering

arm (Dalzell & Bagley) and its diecast collectibles business.

“The Drake Group is a group, and all the different business units are there to support the customer’s lifestyle from end to end,” he says. “And of course, we want to have a bit of fun along the way.”

Contact

The Drake Group 19 Formation Street, Wacol QLD 4076 Ph: 07 3271 5888 Web: www.thedrakegroup.com.au

www.trailermag.com.au

33

Trailer XXX builder

Operation Forrestfield With the opening of its brand-new state-of-the-art facility in Forrestfield, Western Australia, Bruce Rock Engineering has significantly expanded its manufacturing capabilities.

On 27 October, Bruce Rock Engineering (BRE) held the official opening of its 18,000-square-metre Forrestfield facility.

The location, set up on a 40,000-squaremetre site, will prepare the trailer builder for the growth and demand to come in the next decade.

The new facility is set up with two separate buildings. One is for steel processing, which houses BRE’s sister company, Transbeam Industries, and features CNC higher-plasma laser piping, press breaks, and all the typical metal processing elements that is required for BRE’s in-house transport manufacturing.

The other part of the building is dedicated to chassis fabrication, which includes chassis rail beam machines, chassis and dolly fabrication, robotic welding of medium-sized componentry for draw bars and dollies, and a blast and paint facility as well.

The second building on the site is split in two for BRE’s repair, maintenance and refurbishing services. It features 45-metre drive through bays that will accommodate AB-triple and 42-metre triple combinations,

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

three full-length pits with hydraulic platforms for BRE’s service and repair functions and a final assembly of dollies, general freight and refrigerated vans with a wash bay on the end of it.

BRE Managing Director, Damion Verhoogt, says the Forrestfield facility

significantly increases BRE’s manufacturing ability as well as giving it a massive increase in repair, maintenance, backup support, dedicated spare parts and a much-improved customer service experience.

“It underpins our ability to keep up

with our market growth and continue to service our current and new customers,” he says. “It gets us back under one site in the metro area, a hugely expanded repair and maintenance refurbishing and service capability with those drive through bays.

We never had a blast and paint facility in Perth, so we were relying on third party contractors to do any of that stuff in Perth for us which was problematic from a cost, timing logistics and management front. So, bringing that in-house is a big bonus.”

It will also give BRE space to invest in new CNC machinery, pipe and tube lasers, new press brakes and new robots.

“It just allowed us to clean slate material and product flow that will bring us some reasonably significant efficiency improvements over time,” Damion says.

The decision to invest in and create the new facility, Damion says, was essential as it was evident that BRE outgrew its Perth facility that was built in 2016 within a couple of years.

“We actually had another leased facility in Perth for three or four years as well – we were operating off two sites in Perth which was just a bit of a nightmare,” he says. “It’s hard enough operating off remote sites, let alone extra sites in the same city. So, we

wanted to design and build something that was going to get us back onto one site in Perth and future-proof our capacity and growth requirements for at least 10 years to handle what we’re going to do out of the WA market.

“Traditionally we’d only done what we thought was plenty at the time, but we should have made it bigger. So, we made a conscious effort of not doing that this time and making sure that we had enough space for the foreseeable future. That being said – this facility was designed for us to grow into, rather than being what we needed for the next few years.”

Damion has been a part of BRE since he was very young, where, from an early age, he would help out at the family business on weekends and school holidays. Having grown up in the company and surpassed 20 years as an official member of the team he says it’s a relief to see the new facility finally operational.

“It’s been a battle, especially in the current construction environment during Covid which is what we were dealing with,” he says. “It’s been a massive challenge, and it’s great to actually see it completed and operational. The focus now turns to getting the efficiency through the improvements it was designed to give.”

Contact

Bruce Rock Engineering 15 Swan Street, WA 6418 Ph: 08 9061 1253 Web: www.brucerockengineering.com.au

www.trailermag.com.au

35

Trailer XXX builder

Flying the Krueger flag

Backed by Krueger’s national service division, Mark Tuckerman is a volunteer driver for Need for Feed Australia who delivers truckloads of hay bales to farmers and communities in need with a 1997 Krueger trailer combination.

Need for Feed Australia is a charity organisation which sees volunteers participate in hay runs to flood, fire and drought-affected areas throughout Australia. Since establishing in 2006, Need for Feed has delivered over $45 million in total aid and is widely recognised as a leading volunteer providing support for farmers and rural communities in the country.

Its deliveries over the last two years of floods across the eastern states have topped 750 truckloads, or nearly $7 million worth of donated fodder and transport.

Now, 16 years into its journey, Need for Feed continues to be 100-percent-powered by its volunteers. Mark Tuckerman, an electrician by day, is one of the many contributors that give up their spare time for the worthy cause.

“I do the Need for Feed charity work on weekends and my days off,” he says. “It’s really fulfilling to know that I’m helping people in need. It’s bad seeing the devastation and seeing the farms in some of the states that they’ve been in, so knowing that we’ve done something to help them out is satisfying.”

For over four years, Mark has travelled

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

around most states to help these farmers and families out. This has seen him in South Australia, Northern and central Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland up as far as Winton.

“For the last four weekends straight, I’ve been working, coming home to the new grandchild and then on the weekends from Friday afternoon to Sunday night I’m out picking up hay and delivering it to the farmers,” he says. “So, it’s taking up all of my time.”

In these trips, Mark carts truckloads of hay on his own truck and trailer combination, a 1994 Mack CLR and a 1997 Krueger drop deck Kurtainer made into a drop deck flat top.

“It’s been a good trailer,” he says.

“I’ve looked after it and kept it nice and clean. It’s sort of what we need to get the maximum amount of hay on to get out to the farmers, because if it’s a flat top, we don’t get as much on.”

Through its national service division, Krueger is sponsoring Mark and his trailer as he represents the company throughout Australian communities. This includes offering maintenance and service work on the trailer whenever it is required, as seen

in an instance when there was some work needed on the front axle.

“I started having trouble with an axle floating around, so I went in and saw the

guys at Krueger and they fixed it up,” he says. “They’re not that far from where I work, so it was handy to just drop in there and go directly to Krueger.”

Renew by Krueger Supervisor, Tom Robinson, was at the forefront of this project.

“When Mark brought it to us, he needed his front axle replaced,” he says. “While it was here, we thought it would be good to give back with a full paint job, new lights and stickers. We did a lot to it.

“We had the three apprentices on the job, and I thought it would be good for them to get involved with the job as well. So, I was supervising them throughout the whole process.”

Offering this type of support and more to Mark is the least Krueger can do, says Creative Lead – Marketing, James Tamanika.

“We always love stories about these old Kruegers still getting around,” he says.

“Hearing Mark’s story and how his ’97 Krueger is used in such a way, we jumped at the opportunity to help him. It also gives us a great platform for us to launch our rebranded fabrication shop, now called Renew by Krueger, as well as our getting all our workshop apprentices involved to learn more and be involved with something so great.

“With the work done to Mark’s trailer, we are proud to see it as part of the fleet of volunteers helping our farming communities

get back on their feet. We commend Mark and all the volunteers who are a part of the Need for Feed organisation.”

For Mark, knowing he can rely on Krueger anywhere in Australia is a relief.

“It’s great knowing that I’ve got their support and their help now to keep the trailer well maintained,” he says. “I

appreciate what they’ve done, and I’d like to thank them all for it. It’s nice to know that people care.”

Contact

Krueger Transport Equipment Ph: 03 9366 2133 Web: www.krueger.com.au

www.trailermag.com.au

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Service XXX & maintenance

JOST training is revolutionary for Blenners Transport Fleets like Blenners Transport are getting the most out of JOST’s premium service, which includes onsite training sessions on the servicing and maintenance of its fifth wheels.

In 2015, it was announced that JOST’s safety training sessions, aimed at mechanics, dealers and fleet managers, would become an integral part of its offering. And since then, these onsite workshops have continued to roll out across some of Australia’s biggest fleets and transport companies.

Queensland-based transport company, Blenners Transport, has become very familiar with JOST’s onsite training.

Although its relationship with JOST, stemming back to its origins in 1988, was based on the OEM’s quality product, it has flourished to become much more.

“Our relationship with JOST has become a long-term partnership as a result of their ability to provide high quality and reliable products, attributing to keeping our vehicles on the road in good working condition,” says Blenners Transport Workshop Manager, Peter Morris. “From the start we were using

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

JOST turntables and kingpins on all of our prime movers, and then we slowly went into the landing legs.”

In the last few years Blenners Transport has started using the JOST sensor fifth wheels. These fifth wheels have built-in sensors that are wired up to a display panel in the cab of the prime mover and either tell the driver that the fifth wheel is correctly coupled, or in the case of a false coupling, alerts the driver with a red flashing symbol and an audible alarm.

Now, almost all of Blenners Transport’s fleet is fitted with JOST equipment.

Excepting its A trailers, its trailer combinations are all equipped with JOST landing legs as standard, and all of its prime movers and dollies are fitted with JOST turntables. Having an oversight on the entire fleet, Peter says the JOST product performs phenomenally in these heavy vehicles.

“They’re really good,” he says. “The

quality of the product and parts that is provided is crucial for the safety of our company drivers and the goods being transported.”

With the turntables, Peter says the fleet usually gets six years out of them.

“There’s no issues, they’re a very durable and reliable product,” he says.

“We know the maintenance that is required on our turntables, and they don’t let us down.”

Over the years, JOST has worked closely with Blenners Transport in its workshops by providing product-specific training to technicians in a bid to ensure they are fully confident to carry out the correct adjustments and service procedures of each and every coupling point in the fleet.

JOST National Training Manager, Bob Martin, says it is essential.

“Going out and providing this training on how to do the adjustments and how to maintain the products gives technicians

the confidence they need to work on the product,” he says. “It gives the product a longer life if it’s adjusted and maintained correctly, which brings about cost savings for the company as well.”

JOST regards the training as a critical part of its support to the transport industry and the fleets that are using its product.

“It’s one thing to buy the JOST product upfront on a new vehicle, but if it’s not serviced and maintained correctly, the life of that product will be diminished,” Bob says. “So, we regard it as vital that we get that training out there so that the fleets’ technicians and workshops are correctly servicing and maintaining the equipment, giving it a longer life and saving the operators money.”

Correct fifth wheel adjustments not only extend the life of the fifth wheel components, but also add to the life of the trailer king pins as well. Bob says as soon as a driver feels any ‘slop’ in the fifth wheel, it is imperative to report it to the workshop and have an adjustment carried out.

“A trailer king pin left banging back and forth in a set of fifth wheel lock jaws will dramatically reduce the life of the jaws and the trailer king pin,” he says.

Lack of grease, he points out, is also a ‘killer’ of couplings and king pins.

“Having said that, it is important to regularly clean out any old grease and replace it with fresh clean grease, especially when a unit is being operated in dusty, offroad conditions,” he says. “Bulldust mixed

in with old dried out grease becomes a grinding paste and can reduce the life of coupling components dramatically.”

With the ever-expanding size and configurations of today’s transport fleets, and an increased need to service and maintain equipment as a result, Bob says the secret to getting the maximum life out

of the JOST product – which Blenners Transport can attest to – is regular servicing and maintenance.

Contact

JOST Australia Ph: 1800 811 487 Web: www.jostaustralia.com.au

www.trailermag.com.au

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XXX Trailer building materials/components

Moits goes all out on trailers with BPW Transpec Moits has taken delivery of five new four-axle dog trailers which it comfortably fitted out with BPW Transpec suspension and components due to their proven dominance in the fleet.

New South Wales-based earthmoving company, Moits, has taken delivery of a total of 39 truck and dog combinations from Borcat now, and they’ve all been decked out with BPW Transpec components.

The latest five dog trailers in four-axle configurations continued this tradition.

The units arrived specified with BPW Transpec TS2 disc brakes, AL2 Suspension, Edbro hoists, Ringfeder couplings and for the first time in the fleet, aluminium hubs. Although Moits has never used this product before, Workshop Manager, George Saliba, says based on the fact alone that BPW Transpec is fitted on 80 per cent of his fleet (specified as standard on new trailer combinations) and have proven their abilities, he thought he would give it a try.

“We have never had an issue with BPW

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

so we don’t need to worry about it,” he says. “We’ve acquired second-hand trucks with other axles on them, and I think that BPW has probably been the better out of them. We get a good life out of them and they’re easy to service and maintain.”

For 20 years, Moits has dealt with Borcat for its trailer combinations, and due to its standard BPW Transpec fitment, the components found their way on Moits’ builds.

“We generally use them through Borcat,” George says. “Originally Borcat used BPW years and years ago – they used to build their trailers with BPW axles. That’s where we started with it, and from then on, it’s pretty much carried on.”

Moits doesn’t run anything other than BPW Transpec disc brakes, and for

trucks and trailers, George loves them.

“Disc brakes are the way we like to go,” he says. “I’ve been using them for years – I started with the ECOs and then went on from there. We never stopped using the disc brakes. They’ve been really good and I really can’t complain about them.”

When new models come out, George says BPW Transpec is even sending people out to conduct training on them.

This eliminates potential issues down the track by allowing workers to become familiar with the product, and it’s why he and Moits have stuck with them over the years.

The alloy hubs in these new Borcat builds cater directly to increased payloads which George says is a huge focus in tipper work.

“It’s more about the weight, that was the reason we put them on,” he says. “With

the aluminium hubs, I thought why not try it. We haven’t had any issue with any of BPW’s other products so I can’t see this one being any different.”

The same goes for the Edbro hoists, as they have proven to be a worthy choice in their past applications at Moits. And, after trying a series of different coupling setups, he’s found himself always going back to Ringfeder too which also made it on the new dogs.

“It’s a good product and we can service them,” he says. “We do most of our own servicing. Parts are available if need be, but generally we don’t have many issues with them.”

The advantage of selecting BPW Transpec George has found, over the

years, is minimal to no breakdowns.

“From our point of view, the less we have to have breakdowns, the better it is for us,” he says. “But it also comes down to us servicing them as well, it’s got to be in there. If you don’t check it, anything’s going to break. If a brake or something locks on, it stops everything. But if it’s a minor breakdown, it’s just that. You might have a bit of an adjustment issue and you may just need to get a kit for it. But with BPW, we haven’t had that because they’re reliable.”

Since their arrival in the fleet, the five new Borcat trailers – and their BPW Transpec components – have performed effortlessly. George says in the area of Electronic Braking Systems (EBS)

and Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS), problems can arise. But not with BPW. “There’s a lot of things that can go wrong, such as electrical issues or mechanical problems and needing parts”, he says, “but we haven’t had any issues.

With the amount of BPW gear that we have on, it’s easy for us to keep these trailers on the road. Nothing goes wrong because the trucks have been on the road every day, and that’s what you need.

They’re not making any money if they’re sitting here.”

Contact

BPW Transpec Ph: 03 9267 2444 Web: www.bpwtranspec.com.au

www.trailermag.com.au

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XXX Trailer building materials/components

R Narva unveils new Ultima Connect+ Controller Narva’s new Ultima Connect+ Controller has arrived, which the company promises will offer fleets complete control of auxiliary lighting.

Owners of the recently launched Ultima LED Light Bar range will now be able to further maximise the performance of their light bars by using the Ultima Connect+ Controller to adjust the beam shape and intensity to suit the environment and driving conditions.

An optional extra across the new Ultima LED Light Bar line-up, the controller offers

further lighting adjustment with three pre-set, customisable driving modes. For highway driving, the beam can be set for maximum distance with less spread to avoid road sign flare. On 4WD tracks, distance can be reduced with a focus on maximum spread, while for more open dirt roads, all the light can be set to its maximum output.

The Ultima Connect+ Controller also allows drivers to alter brightness (via main and AUX controls), provides a boost mode that delivers 15 per cent more power for 30 seconds, and with its LIN Bus technology, acts as a single point of control for all Ultima Connect+ enabled products.

The controller’s generously sized buttons also make it easy to use on bumpy tracks, while multiple mounting options and single wire installation provide easy fitment across a wide range of vehicles.

The Ultima Connect+ Controller is the perfect companion to the Ultima LED Light Bar range, which includes eight- and 24-inch models that can be combined to also provide 40- and 48-inch bar configurations.

With Ultima, owners can also select from both hybrid and flood beam light bar options depending on their preference.

Together, Narva offers buyers customisation options like never before.

Narva’s new Ultima Connect+ Controller, Ultima LED Light Bars and associated accessories are available nationwide from leading automotive, four-wheel drive and transportation outlets.

Contact

Brown & Watson International Ph: 03 9730 6000 Web: www.brownwatson.com.au

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED ROAD FRIENDLY SUSPENSION

VICTORIA

NSW

QLD

DERRIMUT (03) 8331 6128

WETHERILL PARK (02) 9757 4944

SALISBURY (07) 3275 1011

krueger.com.au

XXX Trailer building materials/components

Strong as steel

Impressive growth over the last three years has kept Victoria’s YLZ Truck Bodies busy, providing trucks and trailers for industries that are known for experiencing tough daily conditions. Helping ensure its vehicles can withstand anything that gets thrown at them is Hardox 500 Tuf, the latest grade in the Hardox range by SSAB. Welding and folding are two important aspects when it comes to manufacturing trailers and trucks, and for YLZ Truck Bodies Director, Nathan Whiles, having the best steel is what makes the difference.

Operating in Pakenham, Victoria, since 2016, YLZ Truck Bodies manufacturers its truck bodies using Hardox wear plate and aluminium plates.

All products are built, fabricated, painted and assembled in-house, with a finished product delivered to the customer.

The company has grown from three employees to nearly 30 and has even had to move to a bigger premises. Since then, YLZ has also begun building tipper bodies and trying out different types of steel.

“We were using all sorts of steel and tried Hardox and it was just a better product, so we approached SSAB about getting on board,” Nathan says.

That was four years ago, and it hasn’t looked back since. YLZ joined the SSAB Hardox In My Body Membership which

Fast fact YLZ Truck Bodies is a certified Hardox In My Body member. This sign represents equipment that is manufactured to the highest standards by a qualified Hardox In My Body member. All members have been thoroughly assessed and have earned the right to display this logo as a sign of their commitment.

allows manufacturers to publicly verify their product is made with Hardox wear plate.

Today the program supports more than 500 members in 60 countries, and the numbers are growing rapidly. Members serve a wide range of industries, such as mining, construction, quarrying, road building, recycling, demolition and agriculture.

Swedish steel manufacturer, SSAB, considers 1974 as a major turning point in steel history because that was the year that it created the Hardox product, as it looked to find something both tough and bendable.

Originally intended as wear plate, it is strong enough to double as a load-carrying part in many applications. This allows for innovative ways of designing steel structures that combine strength, lighter weight and high wear resistance.

Hardox 500 Tuf combines the best properties from Hardox 450 and Hardox 500. You can weld the steel using any conventional technique, and no pre-heating is needed up to 25.4mm. This applies the same for cutting and machining, making the upgrade to Hardox 500 Tuf a smooth process for YLZ. “It’s just so easy to work with and the ease of use for welding and folding is great,” Nathan says. “The operators can be pretty hard on their equipment and this material just really holds up to it.”

YLZ has also started using SSAB’s Strenx product for its trailers.

“We are using it for the same reason as the Hardox,” Nathan says. “It’s because of its strength and durability.

The Strenx performance steel, SSAB says, offers its customers increased payload and improved fuel efficiency for every loaded ton, unit or passenger and it meets the productivity and sustainability challenges faced by the transport industry.

Contact

SSAB Email: australia@ssab.com Web: www.ssab.com

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

T

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OMFB Pacific Pty Ltd 29 Trevi Crescent, Tullamarine VIC 3043 Ph. 1300 040 600 | www.omfbpacific.com.au

XXX Trailer building materials/components

Lucidity’s plug and play feat

In collaboration with Byrne Trailers, Lucidity Australia developed a plugand-play wiring system for its lighting systems and hydraulic operations which is now being applied to all of its livestock combinations.

Byrne Trailers is a family business which started manufacturing in the late 1970s in Peak Hill, New South Wales. In 1988, the business purchased land in Wagga Wagga and built a manufacturing facility, continuing the production of its livestock trailers which it still specialises in along with its aluminium tippers and moving floor trailers.

In May 2021, following the Brisbane Truck Show, Byrne Trailers began discussions with Lucidity in hopes of finding a solution in the form of a complete plug-and-play electrical system for its trailer builds.

Factory Manager, Warren McCoullough, says Lucidity was on the front foot right from the start.

“Lucidity were enthusiastic to incorporate all of our electrical systems including external lighting along with internal and external work lights, hydraulic power pack looms, charging systems and hydraulic

controls,” he says. “It worked with our challenges pretty well. We wanted to make a system that is compatible with our new trailers here.”

Lucidity were also prepared to take a unique project onboard to deliver a new interior lighting solution, which would address well-known and documented voltage and mechanical issues.

Byrne Trailers developed a very close working relationship with Lucidity during the research and development stage of the product’s development, and eight months later, the wiring system’s first stage was fitted to Byrne Trailers’ combinations. The systems include all looms, lights, switches, junction boxes, plugs, chargers, connectors and circuit breakers, supplied in kit form which Byrne Trailers has broken down into various kits to meet the individual production requirements for its customers.

“We began with our livestock trailers and now have systems for our tipper models and moving floor trailers,” Warren says.

The ability to offer customers complete schematics and part identification, Warren says, has been well received.

“We now have the ability to identify electrical issues that may arise and supply any parts within the system, ready terminated for ease of fitment,” he says. “Lucidity has worked with us to develop new products to meet the harsh environment and demands of livestock transport.”

Following the success of stage one, Byrne Trailers will continue to collaborate with Lucidity for the industry’s needs.

“We are working closely with Lucidity in further development and refinement of our current systems”, Warren says, “as well as a number of new projects including incorporating an operator warning if thru-load flaps are not properly stowed to eliminate costly repair.”

Contact

Lucidity Australia 37 Paraweena Drive, Truganina VIC 3029 Web: www.lucidityaustralia.com.au Ph: 03 9219 4074

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

220. 10 076. 23

220. 10 076. 23

Cleaner, Greener.

Lower-carbon aluminium for your projects.

Choosing lower-carbon aluminium in your next project can reduce the embodied energy of your aluminium products by up to 75%*. LocAl® Green (8kg CO2e/1kg AL) and LocAl® SuperGreen (4kg CO2e/1kg AL) are the responsible choice for a locally extruded, lower-carbon option in your next project.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT

lowcarbonaluminium.com.au

* When compared with global average CO2e for primary aluminium production, Scope 1 and Scope 2 ex smelter.

POWERED BY

XXX Trailer building materials/components

Airtec Executive Assistant, Jacinta Lane, and Business Development Manager NSW, Peter Agius.

Meet Airtec’s new Business Development Manager

From aviation compliance to heavy vehicles, Peter Agius has landed at Airtec in his new role as Business Development Manager NSW and is looking to take the OEM’s services to a new level.

Peter Agius, Airtec’s latest appointment, brings a wealth of experience and technical expertise to the fore. He used to dig trenches and operate machinery in Sydney before his stint in the aviation industry via an aircraft apprenticeship at Bankstown Airport, and now he is leading Airtec through its expansion into New South Wales.

In 2001, Peter was selected out of 80 applicants for the pre-trade course at Bankstown Airport and he then delved deeper into aviation with a job at a small company in 2002. There, he began fixing aeroplanes and helicopters which allowed him to move onto helicopter dealer, Heliflite. His journey was slowly starting to take shape.

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

“At one time we were importing 60 helicopters a year, so it was a busy little workshop,” he says. “I did that for a few years and then I jumped out to another company that operated large helicopters and I got some experience with turbines, firefighting and things like that.”

In around 2009, Peter moved up into the technical records area where he was responsible for completing work planning for helicopters. A highlight of Peter’s career during this period, which he is very fond of, he was required in northern and southern Australia to help out with the dust storms that were happening throughout Melbourne and the east coast at the time. The company he worked for had a fleet of helicopters on oil and gas

duties, and his role was to maintain the fleet with a team of engineers.

After taking a small break from aviation in 2013, and returning to the industry in 2017, it seemed Peter’s path was steering towards the heavy vehicle industry.

“I was working for a couple of my mates where we did all the tech records and some mechanical work out in the workshop,” he says. “I was there until June this year, and then I swapped over to Airtec.”

Peter had already met Airtec Director, David Hewett, a few years prior through a friend, which made the transition easier.

“They had an opportunity there, and it was pretty easy for me to change job roles to being a BDM for Airtec on the

truck side,” he says. “It’s a good choice and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it so far.”

Peter’s love for anything with a motor in it, he says, was essentially what led him to the industry.

“There’s obviously a lot of new manufacturing happening and things like that, whereas in the aviation business it’s rare to get a new bit of gear or something new and exciting to work on,” he says.

“You work on old and exciting things, but there’s not too many new things just because of the cost of each bit of gear in aviation and the helicopters. But now, I get to work on a variety of things like farm machinery and 3D printing. Whatever it is, I’ve got an interest in it. It’s fun.”

For Peter, the transition from aviation compliance to heavy vehicles was a smooth process as he says there are a lot of similarities between the industries.

“I don’t think it’s very different, but in the whole compliance it’s not as regimented in how it’s audited and things like that,” he says. “It’s been great to see there’s a few parallels now in the way a lot of these companies which keep records of maintenance which is relatively lighter in the heavy vehicle industry, but I think it’s still moving that way. It’s good for everybody.”

By appointing Peter as the new BDM of NSW, Airtec is reinforcing support for

clients in the region.

“I’ve been going out and meeting new people and new clients, and letting them know about Airtec’s new product, the

AXS, which can help them save a bit of time and be more compliant,” Peter says. “Once we sell some equipment to them, it’s about making sure that they’re onboarded properly as well. If their telematics partner or installer gets contacted once we’ve fitted the Airtec gear, we make sure that gets connected properly, as well as calibrations and training.”

In his role, Peter has been dedicated to ensuring Airtec is serving its customers and making sure that they are happy.

And now, in addition to just delivering a smart On-Board Mass (OBM) system, he says the company will have a strong focus on taking the extra step.

“We’re not just delivering a smart OBM system now,” he says. “If a customer has a need for any other part that our gauge may be able to help them with, we can possibly customise or in the future look to implement extra features that they can benefit from. That’s all we can hope for.”

Contact

Airtec Corporation Ph: 1800 818 884 Web: www.airteccorporation.com

www.trailermag.com.au

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Powerful possibilities

Power Take-Off units are its bread and butter, but that doesn’t mean OMFB isn’t always striving to offer as much product variety as possible and its latest example will certainly be a much-lauded addition among heavy vehicle operators.

A new OMFB product release has been a long time coming, with engineers working steadily over the last year to finally launch a range of 15 new Power Take-Off (PTO) models.

“We have been working on this for some time now,” says OMFB Pacific Product Manager, Gary Butler. “It’s quite an important release for us.”

It is all good news for operators of refuse vehicles, concrete agitators, vacuum trucks and any other heavy duty application.

As one of the largest PTO manufacturers in the world, OMFB already has an extensive range of PTOs, including a range specifically for transmissions

made by Allison – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fully automatic transmissions for commercial vehicles.

This newest PTO range made for Allison transmissions, however, is a much heavier duty product.

“Allison transmissions are one of the most common transmissions out there,” Gary says. “Because of this, there is always interest in increasing options.”

OMFB, which is short for Officina Meccanica Fratelli Bianchi (Bianchi Brothers Mechanical Workshop), began in Italy and got its break by manufacturing spare parts for Italian, American, English and German trucks which were being used for post-war

reconstruction efforts. Today the global company’s core business revolves around PTOs, pumps, oil tanks and valves.

As Gary explains, PTOs come in different ratios to give different output speeds to suit different applications which is why OMFB is bringing out the model in five different ratios. There are two different types of drives as well – constant mesh (also known as live drive) for constant engagement and a hot shift version which allows for engagement and disengagement of the drive.

This new range of PTOs has a torque rating of up to 900 newton metres, the highest rating available on the market and includes helical internal gears, something that was introduced in OMFB standard Allison units a few years ago and significantly reduces operating noise. The PTOs also come with a four-bolt output so a pump can be directly mounted to them.

“As with all of our PTOS, we’ve got a great range of drive flanges and adapters,” Gary says. “Should anyone want to shaft drive their equipment or adapt to an SAE style of mount, for example, we’ve got the right products available to be able to do that.”

The new PTO range is currently being rolled out, Gary says, adding that the entire series will be fully available in 2024.

Contact

OMFB Ph: 1300 040 600 Web: www.omfb.com.au

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE.

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Our digital truck scales suit all airbag suspension type combinations at both single and dual height, built to endure the harshest of Australian conditions.

With a range of Mass Management products Airtec are sure to have a solution to suit your needs. Whether it be a standard reader, wireless & bluetooth connection, OBM App capabilities or Goverment regulatory requirements (TCA) our suite of products offers something for every operator or Fleet Manager.

airteccorporation.com 1800 818 884

XXX Trailer building materials/components

A fine liner

Vacuum equipment manufacturer, FIRMUS Group, was approached by E-Plas with a proposal and a ‘magical product’ – the QuickSilver tipper liner.

While its vacuum truck range and extensive workshop capabilities keeps everyone busy at FIRMUS GROUP, when E-Plas presented the company with the QuickSilver tipper liner, it decided to immediately include it in its product and service offering to the waste and transport industries.

E-Plas is a national supplier of highperformance and engineering plastics.

It offers a wide range of sheet, rod, tape, specialised linings and also provides custom CNC manufacturing.

E-Plas is also the national distributor of QuickSilver Truck Lining Systems, which uses material manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemicals Advanced Materials.

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

QuickSilver is a Proprietary Modified Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW-PE) which is known for being strong and versatile. In this case it has been specially modified as a non-stick truck and trailer liner, and for FIRMUS Group Sales Representative, Jon Vines, the product is nothing short of ‘magical’.

“This product is so tough and durable,” he says. “If I had a trailer, I would definitely use this stuff. It’s just such a great longterm investment.”

FIRMUS Group is one of a number of installers around the country providing QuickSilver installation for newly manufactured trailers or even old trailers looking for an upgrade.

“We jumped at the opportunity because we could see the potential of the product aligned to our customer base,” Jon says.

“The relationship and the communication between FIRMUS and E-Plas has been brilliant.”

QuickSilver, Jon explains, comes in a roll that is 31 metres long and three metres wide with a thickness of 12.7mm.

The tipper is measured out and the liner is cut and installed, which usually takes less than a day. The nature of the material means that not only is it durable, but it is so slick that loads including grain, stones, gravel and sand simply slide away.

“There’s no hold whatsoever,” Jon says – adding that the driver doesn’t even

Fast fact need to sweep out any remnants, which saves time and is safer. “It’s just superb stuff.”

FIRMUS Group has made a national name for itself engineering practical, efficient and user-friendly vacuum truck equipment, which simply put, makes digging holes a lot easier.

“In the old days an excavator would be used to dig the hole and expose the services to be worked on,” Jon says.

“More likely than not, however, they would hit the underground pipes or electrical work which makes the job a lot more costly with delays and interruptions.”

This is where the hydro excavation equipment comes in. Using high-pressure water, it digs the hole and the vacuum on the truck removes the dirt and mud slurry.

“It’s great technology and makes the job a lot easier, safer and quicker,” Jon says.

With facilities based in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, FIRMUS Group builds and repairs all models of vacuum

QuickSilver weighs less than steel and aluminium and outwears both.

Its abrasion, impact and corrosion resistance protect the integrity of the original equipment, extending the life of a truck body. It can be fitted in less than one day and requires no ongoing maintenance. equipment including a range of hydro excavation, drain cleaning and industrial vacuum units.

Manufactured in Adelaide, each Blade unit can be customised to its customers’ specification and requirements. FIRMUS Group also supplies the Australian market with UK-built Whale vacuum truck products, such as the Combi Whale units (with NDD), Industrial Vac Whale, Hydro excavation and Liquid Whale 3 units.

Understanding that many of its customers have varying plant and machinery in their fleet, FIRMUS Group also offers installation, service and repairs

for material handling equipment including vehicle loading cranes, truck-mounted forklifts and hook lifts.

Contact

E-Plas Ph: 1800 806 475 Web: www.eplas.com.au

www.trailermag.com.au

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Stateline Freight puts SAFHolland INTRADISCs to the test

Embarking on their first journey in a return trip from Melbourne to Darwin, four new 36-pallet B-double trailers fitted with SAF-Holland INTRADISCs have given Stateline Freight some truly impressive results.

It was at the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show where Tasmania-based and family-owned transport company, Stateline Freight, was first introduced to SAF-Holland. Director, Paul Ryan, who established the company in 1993 with his brother, Gerard, entered the event empty handed and left with everything.

“We were there on day one, and some of the stalls were still getting set up,” Paul says. “We got to SAF-Holland first and spoke to a technician who was absolutely awesome. He basically went through and explained everything.”

Following this interaction it was clear to Paul that SAF-Holland was the way to go.

Its German design – which he believes is on top – was a standout feature.

“In my opinion, it doesn’t get any better

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

than German made,” he says. “It’s just got superb strength, quality, precision and engineering.”

After that Brisbane Truck Show, Paul went ahead and ordered five trailers through Vawdrey and he asked them to fit SAFHolland INTRADRUMs specifically.

“We’ve had no problems at all with them since,” he says. “We’ve done nearly 500,000 kilometres on one of the trailers and there’s never been a problem.

“That being said, we’re very strict on servicing. It’s always done by Vawdrey or Campbellfield Trailer Services as they are agents for SAF-Holland.”

For Paul, although SAF-Holland may not be the cheapest option on the market, he says you get what you pay for.

“That’s the reason why we’ll always stick

with SAF-Holland,” he says. “We spoke to them again at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show, and they were the ones that convinced us to go to SAF-Holland INTRADISCs, so we went ahead and ordered the four sets of drop decks with INTRADISCs on them.”

The four new 36-pallet B-double Titeliners from Vawdrey, fitted with SAFHolland’s 19.5” INTRADISCs, have since arrived.

“They’re absolutely perfect, spot-on,” Paul says. “They’re no less than what I expected, they tow absolutely beautifully. They were put to the test from Melbourne to Darwin and back, and they were on their maximum weight, so it was a good shake down.

“There were no problems at all. The drivers were absolutely wrapped with

how quickly the whole rig slowed down as a B-double, and just with the overall suspension and how it towed.”

These units have been dedicated to Stateline Freight’s interstate operations where two travel between Melbourne and Sydney carrying full trailer loads while the other two travel between Melbourne and Brisbane.

To Paul, the extended brake pad and the product lifetime has proven to be most valuable.

“Down to the suspension and the braking, part of the reason why we went for SAF-Holland INTRADISCs was for two reasons – the stopping power, which is about a third shorter stopping distance, and the brake fade,” he says.

In his experience with the new units, Paul says the braking distance is far less than the drum, and it’s simple, easy and a lot cheaper to replace.

“We’re running SAF-Holland INTRADISCs all round, and they certainly give better braking,” he says. “With all of the technology in the trucks like Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and that sort of thing, it’s going to be dynamite. This is our first lot, so it’s going to be interesting, but we’re really looking forward to testing them out.”

By choosing SAF-Holland suspension

systems specifically since 2017, Paul has also completely avoided downtimes.

“It’s been six years and we haven’t had one bit of downtime,” he says. “We haven’t had to wait on parts or anything like that.

There’s no oil or grease leaks and there’s no slopping of the shock absorbers.

“Everything is just as steel tight as a drum.

We’ve done nearly half a million kilometres, and apart from regular servicing, there are just no issues.”

Stateline Freight has since ordered another two A-double skels, and while they aren’t expected to arrive until early next year, Paul has already made sure that

they will come fitted with SAF-Holland’s INTRADISCs. “We’ve again asked Vawdrey for SAFHolland INTRADISCs,” he says. “The product is never a problem, and from servicing, there hasn’t been a need to replace anything. So, we’re definitely staying with SAF-Holland INTRADISCs from now on.”

Contact

SAF-Holland Australia 115 High St, Melton VIC 3337 Ph: 03 9971 7900 Web: safholland.com/au/en

www.trailermag.com.au

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Infrastructure XXX Spotlight

Road upgrades & new developments

What you need to know about Australia’s biggest road projects this month First look at designs for Victoria’s new Eastern sFreeway overhaul

The Victorian Government has released new designs for the Eastern Freeway upgrade ahead of major works which will kick off next year.

In its first major upgrade since the 1990s, the Eastern Freeway will see more than 45 kilometres of new lanes, a dedicated busway and state-of-the-art technology expected to help deliver 11-minute travel time savings.

The designs released cover the first stage of upgrades from Burke to Tram roads, including new and upgraded noise walls, improved walking and cycling connections and more than 1.8 million plants including 10,000 new trees.

Tough new noise standards will also be introduced along the length of the Eastern Freeway, with new and upgraded noise walls to give homes even better protection.

When complete, the Eastern Freeway upgrades will connect seamlessly with the new 6.5-kilometre North East Link Tunnels – linking Melbourne’s east with the M80 Ring Road, slashing travel times by 35 minutes and taking 15,000 trucks off local roads a day.

“We’re getting ready to deliver the first major upgrades to the Eastern Freeway since the 1990s, building Melbourne’s first dedicated busway, slashing travel times and connecting people to the new North East Link tunnels,” said Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Danny Pearson.

“In a Victorian first, we’re introducing new tougher night-time noise standards – giving residents better protection from traffic noise at night.”

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

Repair works completed on Ararat-Mortlake Road

A key western Victorian route has undergone much-needed repairs after being damaged by last year’s floods.

The $2.5 million package to repair Ararat-Mortlake Road is now complete, restoring the key link for local freight operators and local farmers.

Resurfacing works have been carried out on two sections of the road – a twokilometre stretch between Lake Bolac and Woorndoo and a smaller section south of Lake Bolac.

As part of the Victorian Government’s $165 emergency repair blitz, the state’s most badly flood-damaged roads, along with key freight and travel routes, are being targeted.

The Government is also investing an additional $2.8 billion over 10 years into road maintenance and renewal works, including flood recovery.

This will see a total of at least $6.6 billion invested in maintaining Victoria’s road assets over the next decade, with $770 million to be spent in the 2023-24 financial year.

Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney, said the Government is focusing on maintaining its essential transport routes.

“We’re ensuring that local drivers, freight operators and tourists have smoother, more reliable journeys across western Victoria,” she said.

The crucial works to upgrade MortlakeArarat Road, according to Minister for Roads and Road Safety and Ports and Freight, Melissa Horne, will ensure the vital link is constantly operating smoothly.

“Last year’s devastating floods did enormous damage to our roads but we’re continuing to deliver long-term repairs so drivers can keep moving safely around our state,” she said.

Ballarat-Maryborough Road interchange upgrade complete

A new roundabout at the intersection of the Western Freeway and BallaratMaryborough Road in Victoria is now complete.

The Victorian Government has invested $5.6 million into the new roundabout, and with heavy traffic volumes, high speed and low visibility being key safety concerns, it will boost safety at the Miners Rest intersection.

The interchange connects the Western Freeway’s on and off ramps to BallaratMaryborough Road, which carries approximately 13,000 vehicles a day.

According to the Victorian Government, the new roundabout will make the road safer for all road users, including the high number of truck drivers that rely on it every day.

“We identified the Western Freeway/ Ballarat-Maryborough Road interchange as a crucial connection for many – so this upgrade will provide massive benefits for the local community, with shared user path facilities and a new roundabout built for safer journeys,” said Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Melissa Horne.

The new roundabout will also improve the quality of major freight routes to the Ballarat West Employment Zone (BWEZ), resulting in reduced running costs and greater efficiencies for the industry.

“We would like to thank the local community for their patience while we delivered this major upgrade which is all about catering to Ballarat’s continued growth, particularly in the city’s west,” said member for Ripon, Martha Haylett.

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World XXX map

Flaunting EV muscle PepsiCo has shared some rare insights into its new electric semi rigs and how its employees are responding to them.

Multi-national food and beverage company, PepsiCo, is running 21 Tesla Semis, some up to 700km a day on regional haul routes, out of its Sacramento, California, distribution centre.

It is one of 10 fleets selected for the NACFE’s Run on Less E-Depot year-long study, which is focused on fleets with large numbers of electric trucks and the infrastructure a depot needs to maintain them. The organisation hopes to learn and share best practices for scaling electric trucks at depots from one or two, to more than 15.

58

PepsiCo’s facility, as shown in the 12-minute video, features solar-powered collection technology that helps feed 700-kW chargers. These are used for the Tesla Semis already operating out of the facility but are also servicing electric yard trucks and a fleet of Ford eTransit service vans.

Currently, the facility is about halfway through its conversion to electric trucks.

Additional charging capabilities will be added as needed to satisfy the demands once the fleet is 100 per cent electric.

“Battery electric vehicles are essential

for us, and it’s really grounded in our duty cycle,” said PepsiCo Transformation and Strategy Director, Amanda Devoe.

“We feel that the battery electric vehicle is the most advantageous in our decarbonisation strategy.”

The Sacramento distribution centre, which is leading the company’s charge into electric vehicles, is the first of many PepsiCo is planning to build across North America. The company’s overall goal is to reach a 75 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and 100 per cent by 2040.

Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

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Fleet of the month

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Mining company, Mineral Resources, details the suspension it uses for its world-first fully autonomous road train combinations.

Headlining Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) plans to break the glass ceiling from here on out are the world’s first fully autonomous road trains, which from mid2024 will be put into action for the fleet’s flagship Onslow Iron project in Western Australia. The project, which is ultimately the cornerstone of MinRes’ strategy to deliver low-cost, long-life iron ore operations, will ship about 35 million tonnes of iron ore per year.

In their operations, each 110-tonnecapacity triple trailer combination will carry 330 tonnes of iron ore for around 150 kilometres on a dedicated private haul road from the Ken’s Bore mine site to the Port of Ashburton. The ore will be transported to a 220,000-tonne enclosed, negative pressure storage facility at the port, and from there, 20,000-tonne capacity transhippers will move the ore to cape-size carriers 40 kilometres off the coast. The entire fleet will be controlled remotely by a team of

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

operators from a central operating centre in Onslow, but MinRes is also developing and artificial intelligence-powered monitoring system.

SAF-Holland will be crucial to the performance of the autonomous road trains. SAF-Holland’s AD390 suspension system, part of the OEM’s proven Neway AD Series, has been chosen exclusively to support the entire fleet.

“SAF-Holland are our preferred supplier for our trailer that we’re building,” says MinRes Continuous Improvement Manager, Danielle Machin.

To ensure the right suspension system would be fit-for-purpose on these autonomous road trains, MinRes analysed SAF-Holland’s performance in the fleet with past applications. The results didn’t disappoint.

“So far in our unique operations, it’s stood up pretty well,” Danielle says. “We have the highest tonne single engine payload in the country, if not the world,

and we’ve not seen any premature failures of their product to date. This has reduced downtime specifically. We’ve been able to run the assets at maximum capacity with no downtime incurred due to failure in suspension or axles.”

With 120 driverless road trains, driver fatigue risks will be completely eliminated at MinRes, along with lowered operating costs and reduced fuel use and emissions across the board.

“We’re hoping to be able to set the way and the parameters that these trucks drive, so that we’ll be able to monitor and drive fuel efficiency,” Danielle says.

“We’ll do this with the frequency in which the truck changes gears and by being able to control the revs and other factors like that. Whereas with drivers, you’ve got many different driver styles.

We’ll be able to pick what we deem is best and pretty much copy and paste that across the fleet, which will see that uniformity.”

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What’s on

Truck Shows & Field Days Pencil in some information on dates and venues of various truck shows, field days and road transport industry conferences both locally and internationally.

Got an upcoming event? Then let us know about it – email editor@trailermag.com.au February Western Australia

April New South Wales

EvokeAG 20-21 February Perth, WA Visit: www.evokeag.com

National Diesel Dirt and Turf Expo 12-14 April Sydney, NSW Visit: www.dieseldirtandturf.com.au

New South Wales

Canberra

LBRCA Annual Conference 23-24 February Wagga Wagga, NSW Visit: www.lbrca.org.au/lbrca-events/conferences

Trucking Australia 17-19 April Canberra, ACT Visit: www.new.truck.net.au/ta

March Victoria Wimmera Machinery Field Days 5-7 March Horsham, VIC Visit: www.wimmerafielddays.com.au

South Australia South East Field Days 15-16 March Lucindale, SA Visit: www.sefd.com.au

Queensland 2024 LRTAQ/ALRTA Combined Conference 21-22 March Toowoomba, QLD Visit: www.lrtaq.com.au/annual-conference

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Trailer Magazine DECEMBER 23

May New South Wales Tocal Field Days 3-5 May Tocal, NSW Visit: www.tocalfielddays.com

Victoria TruckShowX 13-15 May Cape Schanck, VIC Visit: www.hvia.asn.au/events ALC Supply Chain Summit 22 May Melbourne, VIC Visit: www.austlogistics.com.au/events

TWAL Living the Dream Conference 30 May-1 June Essendon Fields, VIC Visit: www.transportwomen.com.au/events

September Victoria MEGATRANS 18-19 September Melbourne, VIC Visit: www.megatrans.com.au

Germany IAA Transportation Hanover, Germany 17-22 September Visit: www.iaa-transportation.com/en

October Victoria Elmore Field days 1-3 October Elmore, VIC Visit: www.elmorefielddays.com.au

18-19 SEPTEMBER 2024 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

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