Big Rigs 12 April 2024

Image: Brown & Hurley

A PEAK body is advising operators and truckies to stamp all work diary yellow copies dated April 7 with a ‘Daylight Saving Ends’ note.

e call from the South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA) comes after an Adelaide truckie copped a surprise court summons and legal bill after an SA Safe-T-Cam system failed to allow for clocks turning back on April 2, 2023.

SARTA executive director Steve Shearer told his members he “strongly recommends” annotating the paperwork to safeguard against nding yourself on the receiving end of something similar.

As reported by Big Rigs last month, Adelaide-based Kym Ottey was wrongly charged with recording false or misleading entry after allegedly travelling between Safe-T-Cam sites in less than the allowable time.

All charges were later dropped when the regulator realised its daylight savings error, but not until an anxious Ottey was forced to hire a lawyer after the summons arrived, just three weeks before the scheduled court date.

Ottey was also left out of pocket with the NHVR only being ordered to pay a portion of his costs.

“So, the driver and operator were left with legal fees as well as the admin costs of the time burnt in defending themselves

against the NHVR’s errors,” Shearer told SARTA members.

“ is is another general HV enforcement policy point that needs to be xed. If agencies, be it police or the NHVR, make obvious errors and lay false charges and impose not only stress but also cost, often very signi cant cost, on the drivers and operators, then those agencies should be required to pay all of those costs because it was their error(s) that generated the costs.

“ at might also serve as a good incentive for agencies to be absolutely thorough and get it right.

“Picking up the phone and discussing the apparent breach would also be a prudent thing to do before laying charges.”

what the suspected issue is.

“Had that been done, this case would have been nipped in the bud and so too might many other cases, so the NHVR is revisiting the notices.”

Shearer said SARTA is also pursuing several aspects of precisely how the Safe-T-Cam system operates and the format and content of the reports it issues.

“ e point about all this is that humans in government and industry do make errors, generally not intentionally, and systems, which are designed by humans, can also fail in certain circumstances.

Shearer said the case appeared to highlight what he felt were “systemic errors” within the NHVR systems and procedures.

He said it was the fourth raised over the last 5-6 years in which the regulator failed regarding applying the driver’s homebase time zone and daylight-saving settings to the entire journey in the work diary.

“It was also obvious that hundreds or even thousands of truck drivers would have been travelling between two Safe-TCam cameras somewhere in the network at the time that daylight savings ended and we wanted to know how many other drivers had been erroneously charged or ned.

“ is was not about blame

or nger-pointing. It was utterly focussed on addressing what appeared to be systemic failures within the system and resolving them for everyone’s bene t, including the NHVR’s.”

Shearer said he subsequently had several meetings with the NHVR which resulted in several positive outcomes.

ose included the regulator instituting some “useful procedural changes”, which include reviewing the very limited information in Notices to Produce.

“We pointed out that of course the operator in this case said nothing about daylight saving’s impact when they responded to the Notice to Produce because the NHVR doesn’t advise the operator

“Our problem is that we in industry get ned or prosecuted for our errors, but o cials don’t.”

Raymond Hassall, NHVR executive director statutory compliance, told Big Rigs that the NHVR had not received any complaints from other drivers regarding Safe-T-Cam nes from last year.

“We undertook an extensive search of our complaints system, Safe-T-Cam records and o ence management data and found no evidence to support the claim of systemic failure,” Hassall said.

“We have also revised our internal procedures and outgoing communication to ensure this doesn’t occur when daylight savings concludes.”

With daylight saving time now ended in most NHVR jurisdictions, SARTA’s Steve Shearer, inset, says its vital to take note in the work diary.

Western Sydney truck stop shortage

Biggest truck stop proposal

BY JAMES GRAHAM

SYDNEY-based operator

Scott Hannah calls it his legacy to the industry.

The 59-year-old boss of Hannah’s Haulage – a re-

nowned linehaul operation delivering from Townsville, down the eastern seaboard, and all the way to Perth – now just needs the NSW state government to get on board to help make his vision a reality.

Hannah is the mastermind behind a proposal to build what would become a “little truck city”, a 20-hectare truckie-friendly metropolis with arguably the best entry and exit points to all the major

freight routes you’ll find anywhere in Sydney.

When Big Rigs meets Hannah at his proposed Eastern Creek site, a stone’s throw to the M7 on the western edge, the M4 to the south and Great Western Highway to the north, it’s easy to see why he’s so eager to turn the first sod.

to number plate recognition, precluding caravanners and other motorists from ever hogging their spots.

break and they can’t make it home, they can call their mates and have it here with them.

Exact costing is still be worked out, said Hannah, but $95 per square metre is his early estimate for leasing parking space.

“When you really start to think about it, it’s got to be the best thing for Sydney and the best facility of its kind in the world,” Hannah said.

“It’s an ideal location, and we’re not going to annoy anyone [with the noise]. It’s like a massive big parkland for trucks, drivers and their families.

He also envisages a myriad of spin-off benefits for industry, from improving the mental health of drivers to providing a centrepiece that will help entice new faces, and fast-tracking compliance requirements.

“Instead of the police or NHVR pulling up the trucks up an hour or two down the road to do logbook checks, I’m bringing the trucks to them.

“It’s just like being normal again. And they can leave their trucks here and get an Uber, hire car, whatever, and go into the city for the weekend, or get out of their truck and go and stay in the [on-site] hotel.”

Hannah said the site also has advantages for the nearby OEMs who he said are all short on workshop parking space.

“They said they’d get their drivers to drop their trucks here and they’d book a floor in the hotel.

The proposed mega stop would take 2-3 years to build and include on-site hotel, bar, steakhouse, grocery store, medical and fitness facilities, barbers, service centres, diesel suppliers, battery chargers, tyre shops, mechanics, transport agencies, such as the NHVR, and leased – or owned – parking spots for up to 600 trucks.

If an operator wanted 20 spaces for B-doubles or road trains, they’d get an allocated number with access all tagged

“They can just walk around the car park. There’s 600 trucks here. You can check them before they leave. We’ll have a weighbridge that’d be linked to the others. They wouldn’t even have to stop.

“This is a start-of-the-art facility that would have everything in it that you’d need. It’s basically a little truck city for drivers.

“It’s great for their mental health too because if they’re going to have a 24- or 48-hour

“They’d pick the truck up from there – everyone’s within about a 3km radius – and take it away, service it, and bring it back.”

The fuel companies he’s spoken to are also on board, said Hannah. But instead of the usual retail outlets truckies are used to, he envisages the site having automated self-service above ground diesel tanks.

“Once you’ve finished with diesel, just whip them out, done. We’d build it with hydrogen and electric in mind.”

Continued on page 4

WHEN YOUR TRUCK OWNS THE ROAD

Scott Hannah at the proposed Eastern Creek site, just a stone’s throw to all the major highways. Image: James Graham

Western Sydney truck stop shortage

‘Someone’s got to step up’

From page 3

HANNAH said another plus with the site is that operators running between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane can disconnect their trailers on-site in safety without worrying about permit red tape.

“ e idea of it is, if you go from this facility to the same facility in another state, you don’t need permits because you split the trailers up and then go and unload them.

“ e route’s already approved by the NHVR. You just

whip them straight in here, unhook them and go and do your thing. At the minute, we’ve got to go and do that on the side of the road.

“Someone in jail has got more facilities than a truck driver at the moment. e only

place they have around here is the BP at Eastern Creek which is full, and it’s got two showers for 200 drivers. ey’ve got to book a time in to have a shower.”

Hannah said the Pikes Lane site would be primarily for B-triple and road train trucks.

“Here we’re separate from the industrial area because of the creek, and we’re surrounded by federal highways for the north, south and west. ere’s not one set of tra c lights between here and Melbourne.”

a commitment to say we’re allowed to use the land.

“We’ve got backers to do it [a private consortium], and being a user pays system, it’s a no-brainer.

“It’s an assembly area, more or less. You don’t want the big trucks running around town trying to load.

“You don’t want to go into Wetherill Park with two or three trailers on trying to get around parked cars. You come here, unhook them all rst.

“At the moment, you can’t even get a park in industrial areas because everyone is just dumping their trucks there.

ere’s nowhere to go.

“No developer is going to leave one acre, 10 acres, whatever, for people to park trucks on. e land’s too expensive in Sydney.”

Which is why the Parkes Lane site is so perfect, said Hannah.

“ is is swampy land. It’s dust, vibration and noise a ected, which doesn’t worry truck drivers, and they don’t want us next to a residential area.

Hannah’s mega-stop idea stems from pre-Covid days when he said the Liberal federal government loved it so much it was ready to bankroll the concept in each state.

“ en Covid hit, and they gave all the money away and we’ve got to start all over again.”

Undeterred, Hannah pitched the concept publicly to attendees at the 2023 Road Freight NSW conference in Sydney, and has since held meetings with the NHVR and NSW roads minister John Graham, who has also come out in recent months endorsing the need to build a new rest area for truckies.

“

ey all love the idea, but the scent has gone cold,” Hannah said.

“ ey wanted some plans, but I said I can’t commit to plans until I know what land I’m going to get.

“To do a set of plans up is probably $40,000 so I needed

“ ere’s going to be all sorts of people wanting to get in on it. is would be the best hub for transport in the world, no doubt about it.”

Road Freight NSW has also come out in support of Hannah’s plans, with one caveat –that any rest area would need to be managed to ensure that it was for truckies to rest and gain easy access to essential services.

Hannah is con dent, however, that he has all those bases covered, and he’s so sure this is the right spot, that he’d move his main Sydney trucking operation to the site, if he got the green light to use the land.

“It took them what, 30 years to get the airport done at Badgerys Creek. We can’t wait 30 years for this to go ahead.

“ is land’s here now and I can’t see why someone can’t come in and say, ‘Right, this is a great idea’, and make a decision.

“Someone’s got to step up and try and get it done.”

Scott Hannah, pictured above on site, said Pikes Lane ticks all the right boxes for truckies.

Western Sydney truck stop shortage

Truckies share wish lists

AROUND 800 truckies have let the state government know what type of purpose-built rest area facility they’re after to plug the glaring gap in the Greater Sydney network.

e drivers were responding to an online callout last year for ideas after NSW Roads Minister John Graham agged an urgent need to build a new location in Western Sydney.

Currently there are limited rest areas that are t for purpose for truck drivers between Pheasants Nest to the south of Sydney and Wyong to the north – a distance of 180km and nearly two hours driving –with the ‘Dust Bowl’ also now out of commission due to road works in the area.

According to a new engagement report, safety and security topped the needs of the online respondents, including the safety of female drivers and provision of separate toilet and shower facilities for them.

Drivers also raised the need for adequate lighting and security, including CCTV cameras, and a preference for separate parking bays for sleeping and long rest breaks, particularly at night.

Industry feedback, however, suggests drivers and operators were not supportive of a user-pays model, although a small fee might be acceptable for the use of facilities such as a hot shower and overall higher quality, dedicated heavy vehicle driver site.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson said options for a proposed rest area are now being considered across six local government areas including Blacktown City, Penrith City, Fair eld City, Liverpool City, Camden and Campbelltown City.

No xed timelines have been released for when construction might begin, but Big Rigs understands that Scott Hannah’s proposed Eastern Creek site, which is owned by the state government, could be one of a number of locations being considered.

“We encourage members of the industry to work with Transport for NSW as suitable sites are identi ed as part of our investigations,” the spokesperson added.

Hannah’s proposed site was put up for tender by the Western Sydney Parklands Trust

(WSPT) in 2020 as a poten-

tial tourism hub, touted as a “unique o ering” located in an established tourism precinct within 5km of Sydney Zoo, Raging Waters Sydney, Blacktown International Sportspark, Sydney Motorsports Park and Sydney Dragway.

Big Rigs understands that the trust was hoping the land would give the grey nomads another caravan site in Sydney, with Brisbane-based Sustainable Park Solutions, “a boutique caravan park management company”, engaged to market the Pikes Lane tourism hub.

Sustainable Park Solutions did not respond to a request for comment. WSPT also didn’t answer a direct question about whether the site would be considered as a truck stop, instead directing us to the Western Sydney Parklands Plan of Management, which doesn’t have truck rest areas on its immediate agenda.

“At the time Greater Sydney Parklands wishes to explore income generating leases within the parklands,” the spokesperson said.

“It will be done through an open tender competitive process, in line with accepted government procurement processes.”

Blacktown City Council, which owns Pikes Lane itself, told Big Rigs there are a number of sites across Blacktown City that could be considered for land use as a truck stop.

“ ese sites, like Pikes Lane. are close in proximity to major transport routes and in locations that are not near to residential areas,” a spokesperson said.

“Blacktown City Council is

ready to take part in any discussions.”

Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale added that Blacktown City is the perfect place for a Sydney-based rest area for heavy vehicle drivers.

“Council would welcome a properly funded and maintained site. is will ensure transport operators have what they need to rest and get home at the end of their work day, safe and well.

“We have over 14,000 residents in our city who work in transport, logistics and warehousing. ere is a genuine need: heavy vehicle drivers are on the road every day. e road is their workplace.

“Council is already working to manage the signi cant need of frustrated truck drivers. We allow the parking of heavy vehicles on some roads in industrial areas.

“A heavy vehicle rest area, t for purpose, properly maintained, centrally located with enough spaces and the right facilities to meet the needs of drivers will go a long way towards supporting drivers as they work every day to keep our city’s economy moving.”

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Roads minister John Graham has called for a new rest area in Western Sydney. Image: RFNSW

IN BRIEF

Families band together

The widow and stepson of the two truck drivers killed on the Bruce Highway near Maryborough in Queensland on March 22 have vowed to support each other through the tragedy.

Daniel Stuart was driving a truck carrying lithium batteries and Tim Hickey was carting watermelons when the truckies were involved in a collision with a car and died at the scene, along with the car driver, Sidney Marstella.

Daniel Stuart’s widow Betty Stuart and Jakkaphong Mullar, Tim Hickey’s stepson, embraced at the crash site and said that the accident has tied their families together forever. Both bereaved parties also called for more safety measures to be installed at the dangerous intersection.

GoFundMe pages have been set up for Daniel Stuart and Tim Hickey’s families, which you can find by searching their names on gofundme. com.

More cameras for NSW

Three more cameras are being installed to track freight movements around NSW. Truckies can spot them on the Barrier Hwy at Broken Hill, on the Silver City Hwy at Wentworth, and on the Cobb Hwy/ Sturt Hwy at Hay.

Transport for NSW said the new locations form part of a trial using “state-of-theart counting and classifying cameras to better understand freight movements to help reduce congestion, improve road safety outcomes, and encourage more efficient deliveries”.

They claim the cameras will not be used for law enforcement.

$35m saves 4 minutes

A $35 million upgrade to a 1.8-kilometre stretch of road is expected to save drivers up to four minutes of travel time – if they use the road during peak times.

But construction won’t start until 2025 and it’s expected to take about 18 months to complete.

The Hillsborough Road upgrade will see works completed from the Newcastle Inner City Bypass roundabout to the existing duplication west of Crockett Street.

“This is the first step towards making life better for Hunter motorists,” said Minister for Hunter Yasmin Catley.

“These are major Hunter communities that deserve the best infrastructure.”

Roadhouse reopens

The popular Pardoo Roadhouse in WA has reopened its doors, 11 months and five days after Cyclone Ilsa devastated the property.

The category five weather system ripped through the roadhouse, tearing off the roof, wiping out staff rooms and buildings and blowing away solar panels that had only recently been installed. Now, the business is finally back in action – and co-owner Will Batth told Big Rigs that he is delighted.

“We’re so happy to be back, and we’re ready to serve you with a smile!” he said.

More inspections after takeover, warns NHVR

BY KAYLA WALSH

THE countdown is on for the NHVR’s takeover in Queensland – and truckies have been warned to expect more inspections and potentially more cameras on the state’s roads.

Heavy vehicle regulatory services, including compliance and enforcement duties, will transition from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) to the NHVR on April 20.

Queensland is the last of the jurisdictions covered by Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) to make the switch, and a spokesperson for the NHVR told Big Rigs that truck drivers should be prepared for a “renewed on-road presence” across the state, including in remote areas.

The NHVR said it has hired additional staff as part of the takeover, as well as employing transferring staff from TMR.

“We have successfully recruited extra on-road officers, as well as two operations managers and a director for our new northern region,” a spokesperson said.

“Additionally, there are other positions that we have added to our northern region structure that haven’t transferred from TMR, including investigators and prosecutors.”

The regulator said the heavy vehicle industry can expect to see the NHVR’s Safety and Compliance Officers (SCOs) working roadside and at vehicle inspection sites across Queensland, including in the far north and western areas of the state.

“These officers will have authority to stop heavy vehicles and check the vehicle, operator, and driver are complying with the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and

other state-based laws.

“This includes checking compliance with heavy vehicle driver licensing, registration, and road rules.”

The NHVR will also be authorised to issue infringements and prosecute serious offences in Queensland, in addition to issuing defect notices where heavy vehicles do not comply with safety standards.

The regulators will provide Programmed Vehicle Inspections (PVI) on behalf of TMR, including at regional and remote PVI locations.

“Industry can continue booking a PVI through existing TMR channels, but fleet bookings must be organised through the NHVR Contact Centre,” the spokesperson added.

The ownership, maintenance and upgrade of fixed camera sites will remain the responsibility of the state, with the NHVR receiving the data.

However, the NHVR revealed that over the coming year, they will investigate expanding their mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera program into Queensland. “We will communicate with industry if and when this occurs,” they said.

The regulators described their takeover as a “pivotal moment in Australia’s transport

landscape”, centralising regulatory functions under one authority and providing the road transport industry with a single point of interaction for “consistent, reliable information” about the HVNL.

“Industry will benefit from a consistent approach to compliance and enforcement,” they said.

“The transition will streamline the delivery of heavy vehicle regulation for industry and will improve regulatory outcomes and safety.”

The NHVR, led by CEO Sal Petroccitto, has established a northern region with 14 regional homebase locations spread across Queensland and two satellite offices, with their operations head office located in Townsville.

TMR spokesperson Joanna Robinson said that they have been working closely with the NHVR to ensure a seamless transition for staff as well as truck drivers.

“We are currently advising our team that heavy vehicle regulatory services and those staff who have chosen to transfer, will officially transition to the NHVR on April 20,” she said. “TMR will continue to be directly responsible for delivering regulatory and compliance programs for several important services, including road manager functions.”

The NHVR was established in 2013 as a statutory body to administer the HVNL, which applies across all of Australia’s states and territories except Western Austra-

lia and the Northern Territory. WA and the NT have snubbed the NHVR since its foundation, and earlier this year they told Big Rigs that they have no plans to embrace it any time soon.

A Main Roads WA spokesperson said: “Significant changes to the HVNL would need to occur that would provide the same level of productivity and flexibility in WA legislation that is currently experienced by the WA road transport industry.”

Louise Bilato, executive officer of the NT Road Transport Association, agreed: “What we’ve got works, so what’s the incentive for the NT to join the HVNL? What is the benefit for us? There is none.”

NHVR strikes right balance, says prosecutor

TRUCKIES are lucky to have a regulator that has struck the right balance between education and enforcement, says the NHVR’s former top prosecutor.

Belinda Hughes left the plum role in January after three years to head the legal team at the Independent Commission Against Corruption in Papua New Guinea.

The NHVR has yet to find a full-time replacement.

Hughes looks back fondly at her time in transport and is confident she’s left the NHVR in good shape.

“A primary goal of the NHVR is to educate,” Hughes told Big Rigs. “That doesn’t take away its role however in enforcement. There are occasions and times where enforcement or prosecution is the only option.

“The NHVR I believe is a leader amongst the regulators, in that they have found a way to combine both. If you are fined, the roadside officers are generally also giving you some education about how to pre-

vent that in the future.

“If you are prosecuted, the prosecutors will generally ask for an order requiring you to receive education or training, in some cases instead of a fine.”

Hughes concedes that finding the right balance as a regulator between safety and productivity is a challenge, but she believes the NHVR has done it.

“While there are still many loud criticisers, I think most people understand and respect the work the NHVR is doing.

“The police have a job to do. It is different to the NHVR. The NHVR is a much smaller agency with more flexibility in its approach and narrow in scope in comparison.

“For the police, this is a portion of their role. They see the impacts of poor road safety every day through being the first to respond to serious collisions

and dealing with road trauma. “They are the ones informing people that they have lost their loved ones. They have a really hard job to do, and I think that is lost sometimes.”

Among the many highlights for Hughes at the NHVR, she counts the work done with Taskforce Paragon, a collaboration between the regulator and Victoria Police to investigate the tragedy on the Eastern Freeway in which four police officers were killed during a 2020 intercept, as a career standout.

“It was a lot of work for everyone involved and incredibly challenging at times. I’m also really happy to hear on the grapevine that there has been an overwhelming increase in companies wanting to understand their responsibilities under the HVNL since that case.”

Raymond

chain of responsibility and “drove continuous safety outcomes” is a big loss to the regulator. Hassall said Hughes has made a significant contribution to heavy vehicle compliance on Australia’s roads.

“The NHVR is currently in the process of recruiting for a new director - prosecutions, who will continue leading the team with the same level of excellence and expertise in driving safety outcomes across the supply chain,” Hassall said.

“While the recruitment process takes place, we are pleased to have Ms Elim Chan as the acting director of prosecutions for the NHVR. Elim has been with our organisation since 2021 and is an instrumental member of the team.”

Hassall, NHVR executive director statutory compliance, said Hughes, who championed

NHVR Safety and Compliance Officers will be working roadside and at vehicle inspection sites across Queensland. Images: NHVR

Former top NHVR prosecutor Belinda Hughes is looking forward to the new challenge in Papua New Guinea. Image: Belinda Hughes

Sal Petroccitto, CEO of the NHVR.

Are they listening?

HERE we go again. Rally a committee to show you appear to care about truckies’ welfare and the pressures they are under, table a report and file it away with the mountain of other paperwork this industry is suffocating under.

Despite all the noises the new NSW Labor government is making about positive changes and building more rest areas for drivers, it’s hard not to feel like we’ve heard all this rhetoric before and will go nowhere.

It’s no wonder operators like Scott Hannah are frustrated by the lack of progress we’re still seeing on this front - see our story on pages 3-5, if you haven’t stopped by that section already. I interviewed Hannah at his proposed site for a Western Sydney fix gobsmacked that this large chunk of prime truck stop land was seemingly being passed over. The state government agency in charge told us it would be better suited to a caravan park, even though no one has put their hand up to build one in several years.

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Kind truckie saves the day

BY KAYLA WALSH

AN interstate driver has shared his appreciation for a fellow truckie who stopped to help him after two of his tyres exploded on the Sturt Highway.

Jake Sansovini, who delivers wine from Adelaide to Sydney twice a week for Nuriootpa Traders, was about half an hour east of Mildura when he got into a bit of trouble.

“I had two violent tyre failures which destroyed two guards and a bracket, damaged the third guard and split the middle air bag,” he said.

“I was about to get stuck in to rip the guards o when a bloke pulled up behind me in a black Peterbilt, put his hazards on and said ‘How can I help?’”

Sansovini said the truckie, who he knows only as Shaun, jumped straight under the middle axles and got to work.

“He started jacking while I did other jobs and we had a few laughs,” he said.

“Within 45 minutes we were done, and I was mobile again and able to get to Euston to get the bag changed out.”

Sansovini said Shaun was a “godsend” as it was getting late and he had no service where he was.

“It was getting dark and it was a pretty warm day, so getting it done before the bugs set it was great,” he said.

“Sometimes by the time you realise someone’s in distress you’ve already gone past at 100km/h or it’s not a safe place to pull over, so I was lucky.

“Shaun said he’d been

called up on the UHF because there was a heap of debris on the road from my tyres exploding, and he came straight over to help.”

Sansovini never got Shaun’s surname or a phone number, but he wanted to say thank you and spread the word that there are still plenty of decent truckies out there.

“He is a good bloke and I just wanted to show my appreciation for what he did.”

Trucking in US ‘more relaxed’

BY KAYLA WALSH

AN Australian truckie has opened up about his experience working as a driver in the US, and how it’s “much more relaxed” compared to home.

Jiri Bukak moved to Florida in 2009, starting out as an owner-driver with a 2006 Peterbilt 379.

“I did long-distance, or ‘over the road’ as they call it here, for four years,” he told Big Rigs.

“I visited every one of the lower 48 US states, and four Canadian provinces.”

After that, Bukak worked as a race car hauler driver for Richard Petty in the NASCAR industry for three years, before returning to work as an owner-driver, hauling refrigerated supermarket freight out of Daytona Beach.

Bukak, who was a truckie in Australia for 20 years before he emigrated, thinks trucking in the US is a lot more laid-back.

“We almost always only pull one trailer along smooth, multi-lane freeways, and we are left very much alone by the law enforcement,” he said.

“Another nice thing about trucking here is that there is no overall length limit on truck-trailer combinations.

“That results in nice big sleepers and no stupid wankers from road authorities that have nothing better to do than keep hassling drivers about a few inches over length!”

He said that if you have a truck that was made before the

year 2000, you are still allowed to use paper logbooks.

“I did about eight years with paper logbooks, and it was awesome,” he said.

“You could do pretty much anything, because the log is just a loose piece of paper with no numbers, so I will leave it up to your imagination what you can do with that.

“I now run an electronic logbook, which is bit of a pain and stupidity, but it is what everyone now has to run unless the truck is made more than 24 years ago.”

Bukak says the one thing he misses most about trucking Down Under is the wide open spaces. “The southeast area of the US is very densely populated, which results in heavy traffic on the interstates a lot of the

time,” he said.

“That’s where I mostly operate, so that’s a downside for me.

I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

Bukak would like to move back to Australia in the next few years. But he said he won’t be living anywhere except WA or the NT, which are not signatories to the Heavy Vehicle National Law so are not under the jurisdiction of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

“I am too old for that nonsense,” he added. The loose leaf log book Bukak previously used in the US.

Jiri Bukak was a truck driver in Australia for 20 years before he moved to the US. Images: Jiri Bukak

Two of Jake Sansovini’s tyres blew out on the Sturt Highway. Image: Jake Sansovini

Free barbeque for stranded truckies

WITH wild weather causing havoc up north, a popular outback roadhouse in the Northern Territory recently hosted a free barbeque for truckies stranded as a result of the wet weather and ooding.

Each day, depending on the time of year, it sees anywhere from 40 to 80 trucks stopping by – predominantly road trains. With plenty of parking, great home-cooked food and accommodation options, it’s

become quite the popular place to stop.

reeways has 30 rooms available, along with 60 camping spots, and according to Nigel, the most popular meals he serves are the burgers, steaks and steak sandwiches.

But with recent heavy rain and subsequent ooding, major freight routes like the Stuart and Barkly Highways have been impacted by various road closures, leaving many truckies stranded.

And so, Nigel and Anne decided to host a free barbeque a few weeks ago, on Monday March 25 for those truckies who were caught in the midst of it all.

It’s not the rst time they’ve done this either, the couple did something similar at around the same time last year – for the same reason.

“ is is the second time we’ve done it. It’s not their fault they’re stuck here – it’s completely out of their hands – so this is a way for us to give back to the truckies who support us,” said Nigel. ough he added that conditions are slightly worse this

time around than they were in 2023. In the six days leading up to the barbeque, Nigel says the area received around 300mm of rain. “It’s really unusual in only six days,” he said. “All up, since it started raining just after Christmas, we’ve had something like 900mm of rain. is is the worst we’ve seen it.”

e barbeque was attended by around 25 truckies who enjoyed a complimentary feast that included everything from steaks, snags and prawns to a variety of salads and sides.

ankfully the Barkly Highway was reopened in short three-hour windows the next morning, allowing the stranded

truckies to set o on their way. ough that didn’t come without its own set of challenges. “As soon as it opened up, two trucks got bogged. We’ve heard that where the road is ooded, there are potholes up to 300mm deep.”

Despite the issues caused by heavy rains, Nigel just takes it in his stride, “Without water there is no business. Up until Christmas 2023, we were having water carted in from town for four years because we just had no water. Now all our dams are full.

“You get used to it when you live up here, if it’s not res, it’s oods!”

Victoria roadhouse’s touching tribute to fallen truckies

THE popular Mortlake Roadhouse in Victoria has decided to pay tribute to truckies who have passed away by mounting memorial plaques on the front of their building.

Owner Dion Symons said he came up with the idea over a year ago but wasn’t sure how to go about it.

“I know there are memorial spots around the country, which I bloody love,” he told Big Rigs. “But I wanted to have a spot

where anyone who had a mate or family member who was a truck driver who had passed away in any circumstances could have a message/memorial that will be publicly visible.

“So, they can show how much that person meant to them, and how much they will miss them.”

Symons said he will leave it up to the loved ones of the truckie who has died to have the plaque made, and then send it to him in the post or

drop it in.

“Whatever you want to say is completely your choice,” he said.

“It can just be a personal message from you to a mate you miss.

“For instance, there could be seven different plaques from seven different people directed at the one person’s memory, each with their own message.

“You don’t need to run the message by us, as long as you make sure it’s OK with family

members if you’re a friend doing it.”

The plaques should be around 210mm by 300mm or smaller.

“A little bigger is fine, or they can be smaller if you like, down to very small,” Symons added.

“It can be gold, silver or whatever you want in colour.”

The plaques should be posted or hand-delivered to 9 Dunlop Street, Mortlake, Victoria, 3272.

Big Rigs helps daughter, 46, reunite with truckie dad

BY ALF WILSON

A BRISBANE woman, who has been attempting to contact her long-lost truckie father for the past 36 years, has finally tracked him down thanks to a story in Big Rigs.

“I have been searching for my father since I was aged 10 and had no luck finding him,” an emotional Tenille Drum, now 46, told me as she choked back tears of delight.

Drum, who had drifted apart from her dad after his relationship with her mother ended, had seemingly exhausted all avenues to find the now 66-year-old Gerry Netter.

Drum and partner Damien Alexander had even contacted a private investigator who provided a quote of $2000 and Townsville’s Lavarack Barracks where he had been a soldier for some years.

Then Drum’s partner Damien Alexander ‘Googled’ Netter’s name and his Big Rigs

story appeared from 2021 with the truckie standing beside his Kia truck.

I had only seen Netter the day before at the Bellevue Hotel, which is a popular haunt for off-duty truckies where he said he was looking for a job.

Netter had been doing it tough of late. He rents a room about 2km away and told how his trusty pushbike, which he uses to get around on, had been stolen that day. His truck had also broken down, and was beyond repair, and he’d also had his licence suspended for several months after being nabbed by police while driving with a low-range blood alcohol level.

Myself and my daughter Joanne passed on several numbers where he may find work after we had a cold beer together. I had done numerous stories on Netter, including from his younger years when he was a quality boxer who fought in several toughman

contests in Townsville.

After Alexander called Big Rigs, I went back to the hotel a day later and passed on his number so Netter could call Alexander and his daughter, which he did the next day, much to his daughter’s delight.

“This is just so amazing and I am over the moon about this and so thankful,” Drum said.

“I last saw Dad all those years ago and despite trying to find him for a long time this has come out of the blue. I have finally found about him and we are determined to help him find a job.”

Drum’s partner is a Brisbane tradie who has some relatives in the area with work opportunities that Netter is looking forward to taking up when he gets his licence back in May and also reapplies for his HR.

“It was a 90-minute conversation and was very touching,” said Netter of the emo-

tional call to his daughter. “Finding her was like winning Lotto and it was a big surprise. We talked about all the lost years and I am really happy they are hopeful of get-

ting me some work.”

Drum, who has three children, Zac, 17, Hannah, 14, and baby Darius, 19 months, said she is looking forward to seeing Netter and would love

to travel to Townsville to meet with him.

“They would really want to meet up with their grandfather and he has other relatives as well,” she said.

Located at the junction of the Stuart and Barkly Highways in Warumungu – around 24 kilometres from Tennant Creek –reeways Roadhouse has been run by Nigel and Anne Stevens for the past 15 years.

Gerry Netter was thrilled to reunite with his long-lost daughter Tenille Drum, pictured inset.

Main image: Alf Wilson

The Mortlake Roadhouse in Victoria is a popular spot for truckies. Image: Mortlake Roadhouse

A pool table becomes a makeshift buffet for around 25 stranded truckies. Images: Threeways Roadhouse

Truckies were treated to a feast.

Razorback legend fights to keep truck licence

Despite over 60 years on the road, this trucking legend has been forced to re-sit his driving test – due to NSW’s tougher rules for older truck drivers.

SPENCER Watling’s whole life has revolved around trucks. He was one of the ve drivers who instigated the Razorback Blockade in 1979, taking a stand to have road taxes abolished, lift freight rates for owner-drivers and gain uniformity of state regulations.

All ve drivers were recognised last year, with Watling and his comrades own to Alice Springs in August to be presented with the History Makers Award.

Reader reaction

John Bellam: “Resit his driving test? What a complete and utter joke, that bloke would know more about the industry than the NHVR itself!”

Phil Johnson: “Razorback was trucking industry equivalent to Eureka Stockade in Ballarat. A shame today’s protesters don’t have the integrity of Ted and co. I think it is time for another Razorback. As a stock agent with stock in transit on the Hume at the time I appreciated my truck was let through. Good luck with red tape and health Spencer.”

Jodie Wtn: “Meanwhile there’s the grey nomads roaming about without requiring any training or regular testing.”

John Organ: “It’s an insult to make a driver with that much experience resit a test. He’s probably reversed further than the tester has driven!”

Denis Pavlinovich: “Someone with 60 years experience has to listen someone’s 5 years’ experience who wouldn’t have any mechanical knowledge of trucks.”

Along with his role at Razorback he was also inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2007.

David Jeffries: “Why can’t they have health check every year and if good then let them drive. They have 60+ years of doing the job. Well done too all you old school drivers. A class above most of the new ones of today. And I have never driven a truck but I have had mates that did.”

Jo Fowler: “It stinks. My husband and I are 75, he’s just passed his medical and mine’s due in July… After a lifetime of accident free truck driving for both of us this is the thanks we get.”

Dave Attkins: “Absolute disgrace, any wonder the industry is the way it is with over educated ass holes coming up with these rules and pushing the real professional operators out. Best of luck to you ol mate.”

Peter Galvin: “I turn 70 next month, had to hand my license in for a HC otherwise I have to be tested yearly. I thought we had national licensing yet if I lived in any other state I’d still have my MC license and I’m sure I could still do a better job than what I’m being replaced with these days, rant over.”

But Watling turned 80 on March 28 – and he lives in NSW.

Licensing laws for older drivers di er greatly between states. Currently in NSW, once an MC licensed driver turns 70, they are required to take annual medical assessments, at their own expense. All classes of heavy vehicle drivers are required to do the same from the age of 75.

MC drivers are required to take annual driving tests from the age of 70 and other heavy vehicle licence classes are required to take annual tests from the age of 80.

In South Australia and Western Australia, driving tests aren’t required until the age of 85. And in Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory, Tasmania and ACT, there are no age-related tests required.

According to Watling, therein lies the issue.

“In NSW, it’s been them against us our whole lives,” said Watling. “If it was any other industry, this wouldn’t happen.

“If I wasn’t in good health and wasn’t capable of driving a

truck, I wouldn’t be doing it.”

He argues there are also no ministers willing to listen, with his emails and phone calls to the premier’s and road minister’s o ce calling for change and uniformity across states, going unanswered.

“ at’s why we initiated Razorback years ago, where we blocked the road. We tried to get change for years before we did that. We went to Canberra and did all that beforehand and couldn’t get anyone to listen. We wanted uniform laws across the country – and right up to now, we still haven’t got it!”

Watling began driving trucks professionally in the early 1960s, when he was 18, carting hay, produce and general freight for his step-father. He then went into interstate work soon after, and by 1968 had purchased his rst truck and spent the rest of his working life as an owner operator.

ough he o cially retired around ve years ago, he explained, “I want to keep my truck licence for social things like truck shows and things like that. I’ve got friends with old trucks and sometimes we shift them about.

“Even a lot of the blokes who do the hay runs are older and retired. You see the way they drive and they’re driving better than the new truck drivers.”

His wife Gloria Watling weighed in too, “Spencer has passed all medical requirements and has had cataract surgery. He has a great report and letter from his specialist, stating his eyesight is excellent for truck driving. But nobody will listen or act for older capable truck drivers.

“As he turned 80 at the end of March, he will have to front Transport for NSW or downgrade the truck licence he has held for all his working life. He is medically t, has great eyesight and his treatment is so unfair!

“Turning 80 means he has to do a driving test forced on older truck drivers in NSW by a tester, who most likely has never been employed as a truck driver.”

As Watling no longer owns a truck, in order to undergo his licence test, he says he will have to hire one.

“You wouldn’t mind doing the driving test if it was reasonable, but we have to go hire a truck and have it loaded. Some people spend up to $1500 to hire a truck. en you get people who come in from overseas and they can drive a truck on a car licence,” he said.

“Everything the authorities do is to make it harder. e things that testers have been knocking back is unbelievable,” he added, pointing to a friend who he claims didn’t pass his driving test because his seatbelt wasn’t adjusted tightly enough.

“You’ve got testers sitting there looking at you with complete contempt and of course you’re a bit nervous. And if you go and hire a truck you’re not used to, it might have the blinker on the other side and things like that. You knock it by mistake, then you’ve got to book in and sit the test all over again, at your own expense.”

Watling plans to sit the driving test to keep his licence but says he just wants to see older truck drivers in NSW given a fair go. “When you’ve had your licence for that long and you’ve fought for it, this means a lot to me so I’ll take the test,” he said.

“But we’re just after a fair go, same as with Razorback, all we wanted was a fair go like the rest of the country and to not be treated like criminals.”

Spencer was booked in to resit his driving test as this issue of Big Rigs went to print. In his younger days as a truckie.

“In Sydney, we get trucks getting stuck in the tunnels all the time and that’s alright, but then they’re chasing the experienced drivers out of the industry.

Spencer Watling with Ted ‘Greendog’ Stevens, who are two of the five truckies behind the 1979 Razorback Blockade.

Spencer Watling with the last truck he owned, up until his retirement about five years ago. Images: Gloria Watling Spencer and his wife Gloria at the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame event in Alice Springs last August, where he was presented with the History Makers Award.

How to conduct yourself to avoid hefty fines and more

THIS is the way to conduct yourself when pulled up by the Department of Transport employees or police o cers to avoid hefty nes and infringement notices issued to yourself, or the company you are driving for.

1. When you are pulled over, always BE POLITE to the o cers and say hello.

2. en ask: “Is your bodycam working?” is is a crucial question. If they reply with a yes, this is a good thing for you. If they reply with a no, or why, go to step 3.

3. Explain that you are asking this for the o cer’s safety and your own personal safety. Advise that you wish to have their bodycam on recording for everyone’s safety. Tell them that it will also assist you when you personally subpoena the o cer/s to court for costs and restitution. Explain that: “ e reason for this is, I believe today’s interaction could be considered as an unjust

and unfair interception relating to non-safety or noncompliance issues.”

• e.g. You did your prestart check before you left for your trip, everything was working at the time. erefore, you cannot be held responsible for any issues that may have occurred during your trip on the unroadworthy roads that our government has supplied us with.

4. If the o cers would like to continue, turn your vehicle o straightway and make sure the parking brakes are applied, exit the cab, and move towards a safe spot to speak with the o cer(s). Do not speak to them through your window.

5. If the o cer asks you to remain in the cab, let them politely know: “I am not going to incriminate myself for anything that may not be working at this point of time, because I know it was all in working order when I did my prestart check.”

• Once on the ground, politely o er the keys to your vehicle to the o cer(s) and welcome them to conduct their own safety check personally of your vehicle and you can stand back, relax, and watch them do their job. Understanding the law, these o cers must hold

ONCE ON THE GROUND, POLITELY OFFER E E S O OUR E E O E O ER S AND WELCOME THEM TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN SAFETY CHECK PERSONALLY OF YOUR VEHICLE AND YOU CAN STAND BACK, RELAX, AND WATCH THEM DO THEIR JOB.”

valid licences for your vehicle to engage the ignition. Otherwise, they are breaking the law themselves by operating a vehicle without the correct licence. (As you are aware, you can be done for drink driving while you are sitting in your bunk after your shift is over if the keys are still in the ignition) is is why it is so important to say you will subpoena them to court. Because the next highway robber in the system is their prosecutor in court who most likely doesn’t know the di erence between a Western Star and a Kenworth.

6. If you are still issued with an infringement notice and/or ne after this conversation, gracefully accept the paperwork from the o cer(s) and let them know politely you will see them again in court.

7. Do not be afraid to take time away from work to go to court as it will be in your best nancial interests to deal with this matter, instead of just paying the ne. Fill in the back of the infringement notice, elect to take the matter to court and send it o . You can represent yourself without the additional costs of a solicitor, lawyer, or barrister, aka another dairy farmer milking your wallet. As for the ofcer(s), No one is exempt from being subpoenaed within Australia.

8. You will receive con rmation that your appeal has been received by the courts and you will have a court date set. Make sure you appear and are prepared for your day in court.

9. Court appearance day: Be prepared with a copy of your driver’s logbook for the day only of the infringement, and a copy of your prestart check for that day and your driver’s licence. Do not over dress. Do not wear sunglasses on your shirt or on your head. Remove your hat when you enter the courtroom. Proceedings will go something like this: e judge will read the charges. He (or she) will ask you if you need representation. You answer: “No thank you, your honour”. He will then read the charges and say you may be seated. You reply with: “Respect to you and your court your honour, I wish to remain standing.” Keep your hands together behind your back. is shows respect to the judge.

e judge will then ask the police prosecutor for comments, or more information about the ne. Just listen without speaking. e judge will then ask you for your comments about the infringement/ nes before him. You reply with: “I did my safety check prior to leaving the base and everything was in good working order at that time. However, our roads out there your honour are atrocious and hard on the equipment.”

If it is an infringement was issued on your logbook for minor time discrepancies, you will need to approach this with information about tra c conditions on that day

E.g.: “I left the base, during my journey, there was a breakdown on the freeway causing delays. After this, I came upon an accident which caused more tra c delays. Build up on the on/ o ramps around the cities also causes delays. As you can see your honour, my logbook times were not out by very much before I was able to get to a nominated rest area. ere are

very limited rest areas in and around the city and is still limited heading out towards the open roads.”

10. e judge should then ask the prosecutor to respond again and if the prosecutor’s reply is not adequate i.e. if the police prosecutor cannot produce his/ her witnesses (the DOT o cers or police) to support these claims he is making from that day, with their bodycam evidence to be played before the court, you can politely ask the judge to dismiss this matter and award you with your costs and restitution for yourself and/or your company.

Wagga Wagga operator ned $42k for multiple o ences

A 30-year-old heavy vehicle operator from Wagga Wagga has been ordered to pay $42,000 for multiple heavy vehicle offences in Walgett, NSW. The driver was convicted of all the below offences in the Walgett Local Court on March 26:

1. Driver work more than maximum standard time

– Critical Breach (2x).

2. Driver work more than maximum standard time

– Minor Breach (1x).

3. Driver as record keeper not keep record available (2x).

4. Driver not record prescribed information in written work diary (1x).

5. Driver not record information after starting work (4x).

6. Driver not record information as prescribed by National Regulations (18x).

He was further issued a penalty notice for Class C Heavy Vehicle Exceed Speed Limit (>10 km/h), carrying a $546 fine and three demerit points.

According to NSW Police, the charges stemmed

from the Walgett Highway Patrol conducting speed enforcement in Walgett on February 2.

At about 11.30am that day, police detected a heavy vehicle travelling at 64km/h within the 50km/h zone.

Officers spoke to the driver who produced a work diary which was “immediately observed to be non-compliant in just the recent records being made in the diary”. Police noted that he recently was spoken to by other “authorised officers” in relation to these breaches where

he was issued a warning and directed to rectify his work diary.

After multiple weeks, the driver still failed to do so, said police. He told police that he was busy and that he was going to do it later. Police said the driver later told them that he was just being lazy and planned to do it on the weekend.

Police then seized the diary for analysis and the driver was later issued with a court attendance notice for the alleged offences.

Wes Walker says he knows from experience that there is a right, and wrong way, to conduct yourself during an intercept. Image: NSW Police

NHVR will take over compliance checks in Queensland from April 20. Image: NHVR

Police detected a heavy vehicle travelling at 64km/h within the 50km/h zone. Image: NSW Police

TRUCKIES’ ADVOCATE WES WALKER

WES WALKER

‘Biggest change in 40 years’

AFTER much political debate, the Closing Loopholes Bill is now the new industry framework for helping industry to meet minimum standards.

How the new workplace relations legislation will play out is yet to be fully unravelled.

What we do know is that two industrial relations bodies, the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) and the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO) will make up the newly formed Road Transport Advisory Group (RTAG) that will report to the Fair Work Commission.

Chances are you know already about the work the TWU does, but the ARTIO, which has been around since 1984, isn’t so well known.

We caught up its national secretary Peter Anderson, who also pulls double-duty as the CEO of the Victorian Transport Association, to nd out more, what role ARTIO played in getting the bill over the line, and what could lie ahead in the new closing loopholes-era.

What exactly is the ARTIO and what does it do?

Peter Anderson: e Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation is a registered body within the Fair Work Commission, under the old Registered Organisations Commission, that represents employers in the transport industry [with three or more trucks], and we’re the only registered organisation for employers in the Fair Work Commission road freight industry.

What that means is we go up against the TWU in industrial relations cases. We represent the employers, the TWU representing the employees. Historically, we’re the opposition to the TWU.

Why did the ARTIO and TWU put aside their di erences on this occasion and take a bipartisan approach?

Anderson: e di cult part through this process is that

there’s been a strong political push outside of the road freight industry, one upon which employers think they have a natural enemy in the union, and they must continually put up opposition and ght them.

ARTIO has taken a different position in this particular case and issue and said, ‘Hang on, we would rather be in the tent, helping change and guide and formulate the future, rather than throwing stones from outside, once it’s all over.’

So, for the past ve years, ARTIO and TWU have been talking about how this framework will actually come about a ecting the road freight industry.

We’ve said we can do better than this. Why do we have to be like kids in a sandpit? Why do we continually have to antagonise each other and dismiss anything that might be positive for the industry on the basis that we simply can’t agree with you because you’re the other side.

at’s why we made a decision some time ago to get in involved with this process, looking for an outcome similar to the one that we’ve got, upon which we know that we can make a di erence, a positive di erence to the future of many people that work in our industry in generations to come.

I was quite happy to see the back end of the RSRT, but from there I can remember sitting down with Michael Kaine [TWU national secretary] and saying the framework was okay but the execution was appalling. At rst, we were antagonistic toward each other, but we started to realise that our real goal isn’t to feather our own personal nests, or to make our own organisations bigger, it was really to try and improve the industry, so we found common ground.

Safe rates had been the union push for nearly 10 years and I said you can’t do that. e employers won’t pay safe rates. Paying people more money to be safer isn’t going to work. What we have to look at is minimum standards and from that point forward, that became the terminology.

So, what we want to see is a minimum standard that people have to abide by to ensure that their people are safe, that the industry is sustainable, is e cient, and we’re able to make a buck.

Of course, they said, ‘Yeah, we get it, okay’.

eir push was not to put leg irons around transport companies but to actually try and bring the customers and third parties into account and bring them into the chain.

at’s one of the issues we’ve had, the chain of responsibility hasn’t been e ective enough. e original principal was good, but we can’t get past the truck owner in the application of the CoR.

e real issue for me is that CoR isn’t enforced or enacted in a way to change behaviour within a multi-stakeholder supply chain process.

How does the new bill improve the CoR process?

Anderson: We believe that with the process of having the RTAG, reporting through an expert panel, handing down an order for 12 months that can be rescinded, then waiting for 12 months before it becomes a decision, means that our industry has an opportunity to identify the real problems and gaps within the supply chain process.

at includes the third parties and additional stakeholders, including customers. It brings them all into account through the process and ensures they are all operating with the same momentum and outcome and understanding.

We want free enterprise, and we won’t businesses to be able to thrive through competition and we want to also ensure we can also be safe and drive productivity, but we have lots of di erent gaps in all the di erent sectors. ere are over 40 di erent sectors in the road freight industry and they all operate separately with their own set of issues and problems.

[Anderson here cites the example of a ctional sleep-deprived Sydney linehaul subbie who’s kept waiting for hours after a warehouse bumps his slot, only to meet a tragic de-

mise further up the road]. Who’s really at fault? Who made sure he couldn’t get his rest? e warehouse manager. Why, because the manager had a set of rules and expectations from his boss to meet and he didn’t give a rats about the bloke sitting outside.

What we want is a process to address those contractual chain issues that will then say, ‘Hang on Mr warehouse man, you have to make sure this fellow’s out of here within the hour. Otherwise, you’re in breach of the order and you could be up for thousands.’

We hope we only have to do one warehouse before they get the message, otherwise, we’ll go through them one by one. After the rst one, it will be a lot easier, we won’t have to do such intense investigation or reporting because there will be a process upon which evidence is created.

But we’re hoping that there will be behavioural change based on the fact that people will be held accountable in their workplace for speci c workplace breaches.

Do you have to be an ARTIO member to reap the bene ts?

Anderson: No, it’s not a push for new members. But we will be looking to attract sub-contractors, that broad-based cohort, into discussions because they’re the ones that are disadvantaged the most on a more

regular basis. You can write to the RTAG and ask for a speci c case to be examined and a an expert committee will be put together to examine, or gain evidence that needs to be presented.

Will it just be the ARTIO and TWU deciding the industry’s fate?

Anderson: No. Or we’re doing is facilitating the issues that are brought to investigation. We’ll be making no decisions about outcomes. We’ll be looking for people to bring issues to the table, saying this is what the problem is. is is what we think. We’ll say, ‘Great, let’s investigate it and get the team together. Let’s get some experts, nd someone who knows a bit more about this than anyone else and try and work out which way we should go.’ e ARTIO won’t be deciding what happens. We want the sub-committees [in each sector] to be doing that and making the recommendations to the expert panel made up of Fair Work commissioners.

We will be looking for the recommendations based on the issue that’s originally raised to see whether there is an ability for them to be able to put an order in place that will bene t that workplace. And whereby that will be there for months in draft form. If it doesn’t work, it can be rescinded. We’re not trying to say, I’ve

got a big stick and you have to do what you’re told. e RTAG doesn’t have this jurisdiction control. It’s a conduit, that’s mostly all it is. e real control still sits with the Fair Work Commission and the commissioners. ey’re accountable to a system that has to work, otherwise it gets rescinded.

You mentioned earlier that a 30-day payment order might be an early change. What are some of the others ARTIO would like to see?

Anderson: Meeting time slot times. You can go to any industry sector you like after that, it depends on which one get picks gets picked on, so to speak. e customers who don’t make their time slot time have got to be accountable. Otherwise, don’t give me a time slot, just let me turn up.

Where does this reform rank for you?

Anderson: is is one of the biggest that I have seen in 30 or 40 years.

is is absolutely huge in terms of the ability to be able to improve this industry, bring the industry together, and to ensure that there is a conformity and uniformity.

What we’re creating is an ability to take action on the issues that we know are already there. Yes, we’ve had these committees, we’ve had these discussions, but we’ve had no structure upon which to address them in any format.

We’ve had CoR responsibility come in; it doesn’t go past the truck owner. I’ve been to the NHVR. I’ve asked them about our people with the time slots in the warehouses.

ey said we’ll have to go into the warehouse and get evidence. We haven’t got the ability to do that. So CoR stops outside with the truck?

Well, that’s not good enough. It’s got to be the contractual chain throughout the supply chain process that’s accountable all the way through.

We haven’t had this ability before. at’s the thing.

is won’t be looked upon as the same old, same old. Now we’re getting the ability to actually do something.

ARTIO national secretary Peter Anderson, behind mic, joined forces with the TWU, and other industry representatives in Canberra, to lobby for changes. Image: TWU

Rose Makin

Impeccable fleet is a rolling tribute

Identical twins Peter and Robert Mills have dedicated their stunning truck fleet to their truckie grandfather, who served in World War II – and to the ANZACs who served before him and made the ultimate sacrifice.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

FOR many, April 25 – or ANZAC Day – serves as a reminder of the Australian and New Zealanders who served and lost their lives at the hands of war.

At MFT Haulage, its trucks are a constant reminder of what they gave, with the words ‘Lest we forget’ and other quotes emblazoned on each and every one of the prime movers in the 16-strong eet of Kenworths and Western Stars.

enden, an outback town in Queensland’s north. MFT Haulage followed in 2007, to service that business, by transporting cattle.

MFT Haulage was originally started by identical twins Peter and Robert Mills, now 49, in 2007, alongside their parents Robert and Heather Mills, who are still involved in the business to this day.

As Peter revealed, they established their transport company out of necessity. e two brothers started their cattle agency business Newforce Livestock in 2005 in Hugh-

Half of the eet also features incredible airbrushed artwork on the back of the cabins, ranging from a tribute to their grandfather to themes of the wild west such as Doc Holliday and e Man from Snowy River.

From one truck, they quickly grew by expanding and diversifying their services.

“You’ve got to be diverse,” said Peter. “Our business has grown because we are diverse, we haven’t just stuck with one thing. We’ve done livestock and at tops from the start, then we ventured into tippers during the drought, because the cattle were all sold so the crates weren’t moving – so we started doing tippers around

2012-2013. Hughenden has just come out of 10 years of drought.”

e twins’ foray into running a transport business wasn’t completely left of eld, both brothers had already held their truck licences for decades by that stage.

“We got our licences as soon as we could, and growing up in NSW, we were able to get our road train licences very young. Truck driving has always been in the blood. When I was doing cattle agency work, I’d do a lot of weekend stu like harvest work and take holidays and go driving. I

also drove for West-Trans for a while too,” explained Peter.

“So, we had always been interested in trucking, and at that stage when we launched MFT Haulage, it was because there was a lack of trucks in the area to transport our livestock.”

Peter revealed that they still have one of their rst trucks, a 2006 Western Star 6900, with more than 3 million kilometres on the clock. “It still does the job every single day. We’ve spent a lot of money on that truck to keep it maintained because it’s one of our original ones. It’s painted in our

straight maroon now.”

While running two successful businesses is enough to keep anyone on their toes, both Peter and Robert are still behind the wheel full time, travelling anywhere and everywhere.

Both are in Kenworth C509s.

Robert’s C509 is a very special truck. e 2021 75th anniversary Brown and Hurley Diamond Edition shows the Mills’ family’s proud history, with a mural of their maternal grandfather Robert John Arnold on the back, who passed away in 1984 at the age of 65.

Expanding on the ANZAC theme, the Legend SAR features artwork of the last charge of the Australian light horse. Image: Ray Lawrence Photography

There are ANZAC tributes on all of the trucks in the fleet. Images: MFT Haulage

From left to right: Robert Mills, Robert Mills Senior and Peter Mills.

The photo of their grandfather with the Leyland Hippo that inspired the C509’s artwork.

A family affair [l-r]: Peter, with sister Tina, father Robert Senior, mother Heather and brother Robert.

“He passed away when I was about eight. He had only just come out of the trucks. He sold at around the right time to get out of it, as there was a lot of parliamentary pressure around logging at the time,” said Peter.

“My grandfather had people who worked with him for decades. He gave them a start and then they stayed with him right up until he retired, which would have been 30 or so years. at was the way it was back in the day, you were loyal to the employer who gave you a start.”

Interestingly, their grandfather bought the very rst truck from Brown and Hurley – a 1957 Leyland Hippo, after trading in his White. It was the rst truck ever sold by Jack Hurley, who became a close friend of the family, even giving a speech at the wedding of Robert Senior and Heather 54 years ago. And so it was tting that when Brown and Hurley

released their limited edition range to celebrate their milestone anniversary, that MFT Haulage would turn it into such a showstopper.

“ at was truck number 23. e airbrushing on the back is of my grandfather with that Leyland Hippo. My grandfather had a eet of about six logging trucks. at big log in the picture is the one he brought to the Murwillumbah information centre and it’s still there,” Peter explained.

As with all the trucks’ airbrushing, this work was completed by Je Barrie at Cyclone Airbrushing and Graphics.

Jack Hurley’s son, Jim ‘JJ’ Hurley has now replicated that Hippo and it’s on display at the Brown and Hurley museum at Kyogle.

“When we had the 75th anniversary truck built, we took our whole sta to Kyogle, together with husbands and wives to visit the museum and see Jim’s collection of

trucks. ere were about 30 of us on that trip,” Peter added. e C509 Peter drives is called the ‘Justice Ranger’, with ‘COW TAXI’ as its number plate. e 2023 model features a 60-inch bunk, with artwork based on the movie Tombstone, a 1993 western starring Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday, a dentist turned gun ghter involved in an infamous shoot-out in Arizona in the late 1800s.

And another C509, called the ‘Lone Ranger’ is equally impressive. It took out Truck of the Show at the 2022 Casino Truck Show, an event which the brothers attend each year.

Expanding on the ANZAC theme that’s on the side of all the trucks, a Kenworth Legend SAR features artwork of the last charge of the Australian light horse. When Peter spoke with Big Rigs, Robert was actually behind the wheel of this SAR beauty as his C509 was

getting serviced and the driver of this rig has recently retired.

Adding to the impressive line-up of prime movers is the newest addition to the eet, a 135 tonne triple road train rated T909 delivered just before Christmas. It’s called ‘Deputy Ranger’ – based on the same Tombstone movie – and it’s being used as an AB-triple, pulling livestock crates and grain tippers. It’s driven by Barry Mills, who is 73. Despite the same surname however, there is no relation. “He grew up with my father though, they knocked around together as youngsters and he’s been with us for four years,” Peter added.

Another T909 is also on its way too. “We have another one sitting at Toowoomba now, which just turned up from the factory,” Peter said, adding that Robert is in the process of nalising ideas for its artwork, which will undoubtedly see it become yet another showstopper for their eye-catching eet.

A line-up of MFT Haulage trucks at the Casino Truck Show in 2022, which the team now visits every year. Image: Ray Lawrence Photography Robert Mills with his kids Jett, Jordan and Julz, on delivery day for the Legend SAR, with Man From Snowy River artwork on the back.

This T909, called Deputy Ranger, joined the fleet ahead of Christmas. Image: Brown and Hurley

The twins’ grandfather ran a fleet of log trucks, including this Leyland Hippo which was the first truck ever sold by Brown and Hurley.

The C509 Peter drives is called the ‘Justice Ranger’, with artwork based on the movie Tombstone.

Truckie with MND gets his voice heard

A show of grit and determination, there was no stopping Warren Acott as he made a gruelling trip to Canberra on a ride-on lawn mower, as he strives to make a difference.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

THIS is the story of an 11day, 772 kilometre trip from Victoria to Canberra that has captured the hearts of thousands of Australians.

Warren ‘Woz’ Acott, 66, is no stranger to the highways. Before being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in July last year, he was a truck driver for over 40 years.

But his heartbreaking diagnosis forced him to give it all away. Unable to drive a truck anymore, he set o on his trusty old lawn mower for his Mow Down MND campaign. Acott had it geared up to 24km/h for the trip.

He left his hometown of Toolleen, Victoria, on March 11 and arrived in Canberra on March 21, where he met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

His aim? To make MND a noti able disease, which would go a long way in furthering research and assisting those who have the disease to access the support they need.

e trip wasn’t all smooth sailing however, he battled with scorching temperatures and su ered a frightening fall that landed him in hospital, but he didn’t let any of that stop him.

e campaign came together very quickly – and it had to. Within just a few weeks of alerting Big Rigs to his plans, Acott was already on his way. “I was running out of time,” he said. “ is disease takes you down bit by bit. I was trying to answer the phone just before but I couldn’t use my hands to swipe.”

His daughter Belinda Acott

was instrumental in getting the show on the road and was by her dad’s side for the entire journey. In putting Mow Down MND together, Acott revealed, “ at credit goes to Belinda. She was the backbone of it all. She did such an amazing job – and I wanted to thank Big Rigs too, which was one of the rst ones to cover it.

“ e support from people like yourself, A Current A air which also covered it, and a lot of other people, that’s what got the message out there. ere were so many trucks that were pulling up too – it was all very heart-warming.”

Ever so humble in what he’s achieved, Acott said that although he’s pleased he made it to Canberra, “It’s not about me, it’s about this stupid disease, and about getting attention to the government. I think that’s why it came out and snowballed like it did. I think someone brought it to the prime minister’s attention, and he thought he’d better get out there. I think A Current A air had a lot to do with that meeting. So now we know we’ve got his attention.”

Acott, together with fellow MND su erers Maxine Gee and Fred Molluso, and the CEOs of MND Victoria and MND Australia, had a private meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss why MND should be made a noti able disease.

Robbed of her ability to speak and eat, Gee told of the time she was refused a drink at a pub because they thought she was drunk. While Melluso spoke of how far behind Australia is compared to many other countries when it comes to MND research and access

I TOLD THE PRIME MINISTER, MATE, THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE. THAT’S AS RAW AS IT GETS.”

WARREN ACOTT

to medical trials for MND su erers.

“I told the prime minister, mate, this is what it’s like. at’s as raw as it gets,” said Acott. “I asked him, how would you like to wake up in the morning and you can’t even scratch your own nuts, because that’s what happens. MND takes you down bit by bit, day by day. I do believe he did listen and take it on board – but it would be nice if what we’ve done just tips it over the edge.

“All these doctors have been trying for years to make MND a noti able disease.”

ough the ride was “bloody tough”, Acott was always going to see it through to the end.

“I was just determined. I’m born in May and I’m a Taurus and they reckon we’re stubborn but I don’t think so,” he laughed, while also admitting, “It did take its toll on me though. I’m having a lot more trouble talking and that – you can hear it in my voice, but that’s also part of the disease. So you don’t know which is which.

“What I’ve done probably hasn’t helped me, but this is not for me, it’s for the next generation. We need to stop this for the next generation. MND is such a shit thing. We live in a beautiful country, but it’s no good if we’re killing ourselves.”

Several regional areas of

NSW, such as the Riverina, Gri th, Wagga Wagga and Leeton have become hotspots for MND and many researchers are continuing to explore possible links with environmental factors.

e route Acott took to Parliament House may not have been the most direct route but this was deliberate – with stops at several towns which have clusters of MND.

While 5-10 per cent of instances of MND are genetic, the causes in the remaining 90-95 per cent are unknown.

“Over the last 30 years, the number of motor neurone disease deaths has increased by 250 per cent and that can only be environmental,” Professor Dominic Rowe, of the Macquarie University Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre and the MQ Health MND Clinic, recently told Big Rigs.

Speaking of the trip, Acott

revealed, “ e last six kilometres into Jerilderie nearly killed me, that was the hardest bit. I think it got to around 3839°C. en when I got there, I just wanted to park in the shade.

“ en from Leeton to Wagga, where I did 100 kilometres into Wagga, that was the longest day. I was pretty buggered after that.”

ough the scariest moment for Acott himself, and his loved ones who joined him on the trip, was the moment he fell back onto the concrete while getting into his wheelchair. “When I fell, I was stunned. I’ve never been like that before in my life. It was scary. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move my arms and legs and I could hear my daughter and ex-wife screaming,” he said.

“

ere was a young reporter there to do a story and when I fell, he didn’t want to take photos. But I told him, this is the truth of it all. is is as raw as it gets. One minute you’re standing up and the next minute you’re on the oor. I’m glad they reported it, because that’s what happens to MND su erers every day.

“Besides head-butting the concrete, I couldn’t have asked for the trip to go any better.

e generosity of people is just mind boggling.

“It’s amazing to see just how many people this disease a ects. I thought I had a rough idea, but I was way o . It was a really big eye opener. e support we received just restores your faith in humanity. I cannot thank everybody enough.”

e support was indeed beautiful to see. Acott spoke of the little boy he met at a pub who was so upset because Acott reminded him of his own grandfather who had passed away. And of the little girl he met from a school at Yass who said, “ ank you for changing the future.”

Acott is now back at his newfound home, living at an aged care facility called Heathcote Health. “I can’t go home anymore – I can’t stand or feed myself and stu like that. It’s all part of the fun they reckon. ey gave me another room with a balcony on it. Nobody wanted this room because the toilet isn’t attached. And I said I don’t give a bugger, I’ll have it. ey reckon I helped them out, but I feel a bit lucky to get this room,” he said.

e epic ride may be over, but there’s still more work to be done. As he and his team work to collect as many signatures for their petition as they can, Acott said, “Hopefully we can get enough and it can all go from there. Fingers crossed!”

Mow Down MND collected over 10,000 hand-written signatures for its petition to make MND a noti able disease, which were presented to the prime minister. e team has also now launched an online petition, which will be open until April 17, 2024, at 10:59pm (AEST). Within days of going live, the e-petition had already collected thousands of signatures.

To sign the petition to make MND a noti able disease, please visit the website at mowdownmnd.com.au.

Woz with his team [clockwise from left]: Sue, Colin, Tracey, Belinda, and grandchildren Akiko and Moby.

A heart-warming stop at a local school in the small town of Nangus, where students gave Woz some lovely drawings.

Warren Acott and his daughter Belinda Acott with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Images: Mow Down MND

‘I

Honouring our trucking legends

owe it all to road transport’

He had no family connection with the industry, but from a young age this Wall of Fame inductee saw trucking as his pathway to a brighter future.

BY AINSLEIGH BILATO

“I WAS actually a better version of myself by the time I nished”, Peter Royter says of his time in the road transport industry.

“I started o in 1969 as a young guy with shoulder length hair and ratty old clothes and, by 2017, I nished up as a very spit-polished businessman.”

In 1962, Peter had no connection to the transport industry beyond brief conversations with the operators who parked their trucks near his school in Sydney.

When the 14-year-old, hitchhiking to escape a violent home, found himself at a Shell near Taree, it was a truck driver who o ered to take Peter to Brisbane.

Sitting in that 1958 AEC, Peter decided that he too was

going to be a truckie one day. Not yet old enough to hold a licence of his own, Peter accompanied that driver, by then a friend and mentor to the teen, on many trips over the next three years, learning the ropes of the industry.

Ready to get behind the wheel himself, an impatient Peter was not willing to wait until he turned 21 to get a heavy vehicle licence in NSW.

Having heard that Victorians were having their car licence endorsed to drive heavy vehicles at 17, he hitchhiked to Melbourne and promptly started work with a transport company there.

Peter, unbeknownst to the company, diverted their new Mack to the Shepparton police station so he could get his licence. “Just around the block, young fella,” the police sergeant

told him, “I don’t want to see any fancy gear changes.”

With a heavy vehicle licence and four years’ worth of depot experience, a 21-yearold Peter returned to Sydney and, soon after, got a start driving interstate.

Peter, warning his soon-tobe wife, Sandy, that transport was an addiction he couldn’t give away, spent the next 47 years on the highway.

Driving for the likes of W.J. George and Jones Brothers, Peter spent a decade as an express driver.

“By 1979, I was very tired. I was starting to feel the weight and I knew if I wanted to stay in the industry, I would have the change tact.”

Peter’s purchase of an old AEC was the start of his career as an owner/driver. e truck and a at-top trailer cost

$10,000 to get on the road insured, which Peter recalls allowed him some latitude to make mistakes. “And mistakes I made! I couldn’t run a chook ra e back then!”.

It was smooth sailing for the rst six months as Peter carted Johnson and Johnson products from Sydney to Brisbane, and backloaded empty plastic bottles.

However, Peter’s rst challenge as an owner/driver arose when he was asked to drop his rates to cart the plastic bottles. Peter refused, questioning why the business no longer felt he was worth what they had previously o ered.

When they couldn’t give him an answer, Peter ended the contract. “ e minute you go down, that means your next guy can’t go up,” Peter cautions.

“I’d like to say I helped someone after me get decent rates on their work.”

Peter, now on the lookout for a new opportunity, began buying plants in Queensland to sell. rown a lifeline by the nursery industry, Peter spent more than three decades in plant transport.

Peter credits the growth of his business to the kindness shown by the legendary Peter Gunn at the helm of Cubico.

If any of his employees fell on hard times, Gunn was the rst to bail them out, whether that be time o or money to x their engines.

Peter says it was this camaraderie, at all levels of the industry, “that kept us all going back then”.

is is no clearer than in 1986, when Peter, having stepped out of his truck at a rest stop to make a phone call, was struck by a car with no lights on.

He su ered 14 broken bones, including his legs, spine and collarbone, and spent a long, but not lonely, four months in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Peter remembers the overwhelming support he received from the transport industry, with countless drivers donating money, food, beer and their time nightly to assist Peter’s recovery.

One night, there were 34 fellow drivers in Peter’s room after-hours. When confronted by the sister on duty, they informed her that they were there on an important operation – clearing out Peter’s fridge of drinks as it was far too full!

Peter, declared invalid at age 37, was told he would never work another day in his life. Not satis ed with this reality, Peter spent the next six years dedicated to his recovery so he could get back behind the wheel.

“I had kids and a mortgage. ere wasn’t the option of failure.”

e year 1992 marked not only Peter’s return to the industry but also his purchase of the truck with which he would share 4.3 million kilometres.

e 1989 Scania 113M belonged to an old friend of Peter’s who had su ered a heart attack and was no longer able to drive it. In an e ort to help out a mate, Peter invested $5000 to keep the Scania roadworthy until it could be traded in.

When the Scania dealership in Sydney refused to take the truck as a trade-in, advising it best belonged in a wrecking yard, Peter started to understand the monstrous job that lay ahead of him.

With 1.2 million kilometres already on the clock, Peter was doing a leg a night in the Scania to fund its restoration.

“You’re actually destroying it with one hand and trying to rebuild it with the other.”

With 20 years’ worth of blood, sweat and tears invested

into this Scania, Peter says he could never have sold it.

In 2015, Peter donated the Scania to the National Road Transport Museum in Alice Springs, where it remains proudly on display.

With the Scania enjoying a well-deserved rest, Peter gured it was time he did the same. Despite many tempting o ers to return to the road, Peter and Sandy maintained “we owe ourselves a road transport-free marriage!”

Although his time in transport was “not all beer and skittles”, he looks back on it with fondness.

“I loved my time out there with the boys. Some of them were very rough fellas but we were all rowing the same boat out there.”

However, this is not to say that Peter has slowed down at all. Today, he and Sandy continue to run their plant wholesale business, still working six days a week to supply customers and markets.

A trait inherited from his time in transport, Peter jokes: “I wouldn’t know how to stop if I tried!”

“We’re both in good health. Our family is wonderful. We’re not loaded but we have enough.

“ anks to transport, it’s worked out pretty well.”

Peter with his 1982 Scania.

The 1989 Scania 113M belonged to an old friend of Peter’s.

Peter subbying for East Coast Transport in a yellow B Model.

Peter Royter was proud to be inducted into the Wall of Fame in 2011.

Pulling power put to the test

Our test driver braves the elements to put the all-new ‘enhanced’ UD Quon workhorse through its paces in the most trying of conditions.

BY GRAHAM HARSANT

WHEN I mentioned on social media that I’d been behind the wheel of a UD Quon, the responses were overwhelmingly in the positive.

‘Reliable, comfortable, awesome, great around town’ were a few of the comments pro ered.

‘Not very good pulling power’ was another. What model this writer was referring to was not stated but I’m guessing it wasn’t the CW 26 460 in tipper guise, that I

recently drove. To be fair, they also said the Quon was a ‘great truck’, quali ed by the ‘around town’ bit.

I’m in Brisbane, and wake up on the morning of the drive to a torrent of rain. No wonder Queensland Tourism dropped the ‘Beautiful one day...’ promo line.

Volvo Group’s Matt Wood picks me up and we set o for Toowoomba where the drive is to take place. Hopefully the weather will pick up as we head inland….nope! e idea is to drive the

Quon from that town, down the Toowoomba range and back up again, which will certainly test the ‘pulling power’ comment.

Arriving at Western Truck Group, the UD (and Volvo and Mack) dealer and the weather has not improved. On the ‘bright’ side, it will be an opportunity to test a truck under the most trying of conditions.

e new Enhanced Quon – as the company refers to the latest iteration is sitting in the forecourt, resplendent in

green livery and lots of raindrops. Mmm, photography will be a challenge on this trip.

‘Enhanced’ in UD speak, refers to the numerous safety upgrades the company has incorporated into the Quon range. Without spending the next 1000 words detailing them all (you can do that online), it is worth highlighting a few of them.

Driver Monitor uses an A pillar mounted camera to determine the driver’s alertness. Active above 15km/h it warns me if take my eyes o the road or close them for too long. Smart Blind Spot Information System (BSIS) and Smart Lane Change System (LCS) gives drivers greater road visibility which enables safer turns and lane changes – more on those shortly.

ere’s also Traction Aid to improve road grip in slippery conditions (going to need that for sure). ere’s Autonomous Emergency Braking and Emergency Brake Signal - where the brake lights rapidly ash to warn those vehicles behind that is what I’m doing. Tra c Sign Detection is a good one as I always seem to miss those changes in speed limits. en there’s stability con-

trol, lane departure warning, active radar assist and more. Only 131 words and you get my drift.

A dash through the rain, climb into the cabin and I’m greeted by a very classy interior. is particular model is top of the tree and has swathes of it lathered across the dashboard and other areas.

Well, it’s not actually real timber – probably plastic in fact – but it looks fantastic! Reminds me of the days long ago when I had money and Jaguars. is is an option and I’d tick that box immediately because if I’m going to spend all day, every day in an ‘o ce’ such as this, I want it to look good and inviting. Big tick here Quon!

e instrument panel is clear and legible. ere’s plenty of information on there but, unlike some others, doesn’t crowd the senses.

If you need to check something it is easy to nd. Taking centre stage is an Australian designed multimedia screen sitting loud and proud.

Easy to reach, it also folds down to reveal a CD/DVD player so you can watch your fave movie in your downtime.

Switches are all within easy

reach but should you want to move them around, the wiring architecture allows you to do so. e switch will tell the truck’s brain that it has moved. Clever stu .

Rounding out the cabin is a very comfortable driver’s seat with a fold down, well-padded armrest, a middle seat which folds down to reveal a workspace, a small fridge/pie warmer compartment and an ADR sleeper, which is very small but well-padded and could be used for a nap if necessary.

Being the 460 model, this truck has the Escot-VI 12speed AMT gearbox with a toggle switch on the side of the stick to move up or down cogs when in manual mode. I’m soon to nd out that it is simple to use and changes gears smoothly and quickly, whether in auto or manual.

Underneath me is Quon’s 11-litre engine with 460hp and 2200Nm. e largest displacement engine in the range, it has bene ted from updates to the pistons and liners to decrease engine drag.

Result: better fuel e ciency and a slight increase to torque across a broader band.

Continued on page 26

Rounding out the cabin is a very comfortable driver’s seat.

The weather may have not been on our driver’s side, but it was an opportunity to test the Quon in the most trying of conditions. Images: Graham Harsant

A big tick for Quon on the “classy interior”.

What more could you ask for?

From page 24

LOADED with 12.5 tonnes of aggregate it’s time to set o and the rst thing I discover is the 3-stage intermittent wipers on what is a lthy day.

ey will be used a lot on this trip.

I feel closer to the windscreen than in some other cab overs. Now that may be just an optical illusion or my memory doesn’t serve me well but the bottom line is that the visibility forward and down in front of the truck is excellent.

Mirrors are well-placed and there is no craning of the neck to see around them.

A couple of minutes later a pleasant chime sounds. It appears I’m not looking at the road ahead. I am in fact on this occasion checking the mirror.

roughout the drive the Driver Monitor berates me regularly, so I’m glad that the chime is not intrusive in its sound.

Flick on the indicator and the Smart Lane Change System gives you a view down the relevant side of the truck on the multimedia screen.

It’s a good view too, the only drawback being that it’s quite a twist of the head from the side mirror to the live feed on the screen.

e answer of course is to use your indicators for longer than the two or three clicks that many road users do. en you get to check both mirror and monitor and others have time to get out of your way.

YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY, AND I’M GLAD I HAVE IT AS IT CAN ‘SEE’ THE TRAFFIC AHEAD THAT I CAN’T IN THIS PEA-SOUPER.”

GRAHAM HARSANT

e blind spot info system are triangles set in both A pillars. ey light up whenever they detect pedestrians, cyclists and other tra c in front, down the side and up to 30 metres behind the truck.

I’ve seen similar systems before, but not on both sides – particularly handy for environments tippers often nd themselves in.

On this February summer’s day the continuous rain is joined by thick fog – just what you need for a trip down the infamous Cunningham’s Gap on the old Toowoomba Range road. And here I learn that the Quon has adopted a bit of ‘old tech’ in the camera that works in conjunction with the (hitech) radar unit located in the bumper.

ese work in unison to stop you crashing into something in front of you. e camera is low-res so that its information can be transmitted to the truck’s ‘brain’ more quickly.

You learn something new every day, and I’m glad I have

it as it can ‘see’ the tra c ahead that I can’t in this peasouper.

We hit the Gap where it’s time to go manual and employ the four-stage retarder stalk placed on the left of the steering column. You push it forward to increase the retardation, and there were plenty of times where it was on 4. For those who’ve not ‘enjoyed’ this stretch of road, it has an overall gradient of around 10 per cent with lots of hairpin corners.

However, the Quon did

its thing admirably and rarely did I need to dab the brakes on the way down.

At the bottom we turn around and, for a change of scenery (which was again mostly obscured by fog and rain), we headed up the Toowoomba bypass.

While not quite as steep, this road is longer and still contains a couple of challenging stretches.

Here is where I refer to the ‘not enough pulling power’ comment I’d received on social media.

is Quon has plenty in

reserve, hauling its ballast up the incline with ease. I can only presume the comment came from a driver of an older model, or one with a smaller power plant. Whatever, I’d have no problem living in this truck all day long.

Back to the top and wenally get a break in the clouds, giving just enough time to grab some happy snaps before the weather sets in again and we return the Quon to Western Truck Group.

Overriding impressions?

e Enhanced Quon is a good piece of kit with all the safety

features you want to keep you out of trouble.

e cab is inviting, nicely laid out, well insulated from the outside world, and my bum-o-meter tells me that the driver’s seat is great.

Sometimes a little shortbased tipper like this can have a tendency to wallow a bit when loaded but this truck feels very planted, no doubt helped by the Volvo Group 8 bag suspension.

e Quon CW 26 460 just boogies along and does its job with style and really, what more could you ask for?

Loaded with 12.5 tonnes of aggregate for the test drive. Images: Graham Harsant

The instrument panel is clear and legible.

The new Quon CW 26 460 just “boogies along”. There’s a range of nifty safety features, including cameras on each side for changing lanes.

Versatility that’s good for business

DAF is a versatile all-rounder with the perfect combination of superior comfort and luxury for the driver and maximum vehicle efficiency for the operator. So, you need a truck for a hook lift system with excellent manoeuvrability and a high payload? There’s a DAF for that!

Whether your needs are distribution, long-distance haulage or construction, the versatility of DAF keeps you moving, and that’s good for business.

DAF.COM.AU

SEE DAF VERSATILITY IN ACTION

Taking its trucks to the extreme

In just under 20 years, this remote transport operation has grown its fleet from one truck to over 50, all being put through their paces in some of the country’s toughest terrain.

BASED in Roma in central Queensland, Wild Desert was started by managing director David Whiley in 2005, servicing oil and gas well sites and providing all the facilities and supplies needed to keep them going.

As he explained, “We saw the opportunity, so we sold a few houses and bought a truck. Since then we’ve just been getting busier every year.

“Our trucks are mostly running as AB triple or triple road trains and depending on what they’re carrying and where they’re going, they might do anything from 500 to 3500 kilometres in a trip.”

Drivers have to get into some extremely remote places, so Wild Desert needs its trucks to be tough, robust and reliable enough to handle the extreme conditions that are thrown their way.

Wild Desert don’t just service the wells for the ve biggest oil and gas companies in the country, they supply entire camps delivered, set up, stocked and fully-sta ed. And on short notice can be asked to pull a camp down, move it a few hundred kilometres, and

then set it up again, often in the same day.

“We’re a single-source provider, and that’s what our customers like,” said Whiley.

“We bring in all our own fuel and parts from Brisbane, and we supply all our own food out of Roma. e only thing we don’t do is y in the sta –we know our limitations.

Whiley added, “We’re often way o the bitumen. Some of the roads, the corrugations are so wide apart you can’t get on top of them. In those places we have to crawl along at ve kilometres an hour. On one job a few years ago it took me four hours to go 70 kilometres!” e eet is kept busy transporting all manner of equipment and supplies to destinations as far apart as Moomba in South Australia, and the Carnarvon Ranges in Queensland.

With a huge area to cover, remote destinations and rugged country, Whiley knew he needed trucks that could handle the conditions. Back in 2006 he bought a 1998-model Mack Titan which t the bill.

at rst Titan is still going strong after 18 years, which is a testament to both the truck itself and the care Whiley takes with his trucks.

“We don’t trade them in, we just keep refurbishing them and they serve us well. e drivers love them too, especially the new ones with the mDRIVE automated manual: removing 600 gear shifts per days really does reduce driver fatigue,” he said.

Of the 50+ trucks in the eet today, more than half are Mack Titans.

Whiley added, “My dad drove Flintstones and R600s so I had a bit of history with Mack, but the Titan is ideal for what we do. ey don’t just look tough, they are tough, they hold up well and we’ve kept ours going for years through multiple rebuilds.”

Over the years Whiley has built a solid business relationship with Mack and the team

at Western Truck Group in Toowoomba.

“ e Mack team and the WTG boys really know our business. ey understand the environments we work in and the things that matter to us in a truck. I’m only lately learning to use their help more, and they’re always keen to get involved and make suggestions on how we can improve things. We’ve got a good foundation there and I like working with them.”

e team have suggested a few modi cations to the Titans that have helped improve their range and e ectiveness.

Whiley said, “We’ve got tougher mounts on some of them, bigger toolboxes, longrange fuel tanks and iceboxes. For drivers who are heading into places that are literally hundreds of miles from anywhere, the Titan is a great combination of toughness and comfort. Our drivers do

20 days on and ten o , and during that time they might spend 15 nights in the truck, so driver comfort is very important.”

Vice president of Mack Trucks Australia, Tom Chapman highlighted the Mack Titan’s meticulous design for both durability and driver comfort.

“Since we started building trucks in Australia, Mack Trucks has been synonymous with reliability and unmatched durability for the tough Australian conditions. ere’s a strong commitment to continual evolution and every truck engineered out of our Wacol plant is designed with two major trademarks in mind: comfort for the driver and optimal total cost of ownership for the business owner,” he said.

“It’s fantastic to hear real-life examples of this out in the eld with customers like Wild Desert. e driver’s safe-

ty and comfort is absolutely paramount when operating in remote areas, and we certainly value Wild Desert’s trust in our product whilst operating in some of the toughest areas in Australia.”

Wild Desert bought three Titans last year and has two more on order, with a third likely to be ordered later in the year. Whiley estimates they’ll replace three trucks per year over the next ve years.

“We’re busier than we’ve ever been,” he said, “so we’re taking the opportunity to expand, and also to replace some of the older manuals with autos. Not that we’ll be selling any trucks – they’ll just get put on lighter duties.

“ e conditions which we operate in call for a truck that can handle everything. Driver function and comfort, room, vision, fuel economy, reliability and most of all, a truck that’s bloody tough.”

Wild Desert bought three Titans last year and has two more on order.

The trucks run mostly as AB triple or triple road trains.

Wild Desert managing director David Whiley. Images: Mack Trucks Australia

CHARGED AND READY.

Introducing the all-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros and eEconic

Reader Rigs proudly supported by 30

Share your truck pics to win with Shell Rimula

SHELL Rimula has partnered with Big Rigs in a big way – so there’s even more reasons to send in your best truck shots.

Each month, the Big Rigs team will choose a #PicOfTheMonth, with the lucky winner receiving a $500 Shell Coles Express Gift Card.

Keep an eye out for our regular posts on the Big Rigs National Road Transport Newspaper Facebook page, calling

for your best truck photos and add yours in the comments, or email them to kayla.walsh@ primecreative.com.au.

Don’t forget to include a brief note about the truck and where the photo was taken. We’ll feature some of the best photos in each edition of Big Rigs Newspaper, with one winner announced each month.

Keep those amazing truck pics coming!

Bryant Day shared this snap, taken on the Barkly Highway.

Glen Taylor took this pic at the Great Australian Bight while carting cattle out of WA.

Sunny Gill sent us this awesome shot from the Great Australian Bight.

Brad Russell took this cool snap while carting wool from Hay to Melbourne. Jodie Bairstow Jenkin took this fantastic shot in the south west of WA.

Matt Lockhart took this pic while unloading at sunrise in Coolamon, NSW.

Congratulations to Peter Bullen, who has won himself a $500 Shell Coles Express voucher for this gorgeous snap taken in Frances, SA.

When the going gets tough, truckies keep everyone going

Tannicka Liebelt snapped this shot of her truck and dog just outside Shepparton, Victoria. Alastair Miers snapped this great shot at sunset in the Kimberley, on the Great Northern Highway.

Thanks to Alishia Garlick for this cool pic, taken at Galaquil, Victoria.

Brock Gladman sent us this great snap of the T608, shined up and ready to head to Brisbane.

Thanks to Chris Barlow for this great snap of a Rogerias Transport truck, taken between Coolabah and Brewarrina.

Clément Wantiez sent us this fantastic snap of his Kenworth T909 at the Sandfire Roadhouse, on the way from Perth to Broome.

Thanks to Debbie Parr for this shot, carting logs out of Tuan Forest, QLD.

Bulldogs bark again at Mack Muster

BY KAYLA WALSH

THIS year’s WA Mack Muster and Truck Show went down a storm, with about 330 trucks and 8500 people coming through the gates of Quarry Farm in Whitby on March 27.

ere was fun for all the family, with a mega sand pit, Lego truck building, food trucks, and awards handed out across over 30 categories.

Bandana Earthmoving took out Truck of the Show with its 2007 T904 Kenworth, nicknamed “ e Hulk”.

Meanwhile, Best Fleet

went to GLW Freight Management, while Mack of the Show was won by the Della Bona family for their fully restored Mack Titan.

Organiser Matt Lawrence told Big Rigs that the event was a “fantastic” success and has raised over $250,000 for the Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research. “ e WA Mack Muster and Truck Show is not like any other truck show in Australia,” he said.

“It would arguably be Australia’s best community truck show.

“So many people in the in-

dustry are building really nice trucks and getting them ready in time for the event – and we’re starting to get people coming from the east coast too.”

e show started out as a barbecue and truck meet for a small group of enthusiasts, but has grown massively over the years.

“We’ve kept it grassroots, it’s still organised by a committee of eight volunteers,” said Lawrence.

“But now it’s become Perth’s premier truck show, and everyone in the industry is welcome.”

MGM

Best Vintage Mack MGM Bulk Pty Ltd James Giacci1966 Mack R600

Best Mack 1970–1979 Robert Rutherford Robert Rutherford1970 Mack R600

Best Mack 1980–1989 Napoli Haulage Barry Napoli 1988 Mack Superliner

Best Mack 1990–1999 Rowlspec Peter Rowling1999 Mack Titan

Best Mack 2000-2009 SR Coyne ContractingDarren Day2004 Mack Titan

Best Mack 2010–2024 Flexitrans Ben Ward 2023 Mack Superliner

Mack of the Show WA Limestone David Della Bona1996 Mack Titan

Kenworth of the Show SR Coyne ContractingShayne Coyne 2007 Kenworth T904

Western Star of the Show Bandana EarthmovingJake Hopkins 2006 Western Star 4800

Volvo of the Show East To West Plant Services Richard McNamara 2024 Volvo FH16

Scania of the Show Allwest Plant Hire Harry Wilson2022 Scania R540

Mercedes of the Show Ramsay's Horse TransportPaul Ramsay 1975 Mercedes 1924

Truck of the Show Bandana EarthmovingRyan Demasi 2006 Kenworth T904

People’s Choice Auswide Transport Solutions Damian Tomms 2023 Kenworth T909

Best Fleet GLW Freight Management

Best Rigid Kevin Small 1972 Kenworth WRS2

Best Vintage Mel TaylorChevrolet

Best Japanese CJD / TRP Bibra Lake Brad Downing 2021 Isuzu NPR45-150

Best American 1970–1995 Colli Timber and HardwareCesare Colli 1981 White Road Boss

Best American 1996–2024 Karragullen Cool StorageMario Cassoti2024 Kenworth SAR

Best Farm Truck Ross Cunningham 1985 W Model Kenworth

Best Working Truck Transpatch Michael Frossos1975 Kenworth SAR

Best Tipper Bandana EarthmovingJake Hopkins

2006 Western Star 4800

Best Custom Truck Mactrans Chris Dwyer2013 Mack Titan

Best Cab-Over Stacks Haulage Wayne Clarke 1986 Mack Ultraliner 2

Best Bonneted Shoosha Holdings Terry Cutts 2023 Kenworth T909

Best Heavy Recovery Pilbara Heavy TowingMike Green

2006 Kenworth T604

SR Coyne Contracting brought home Kenworth of the Show. Image: Ashleigh Peake at Creative Fleire Photography Centurion Transport joined in the fun. Image: Greg Ross

Karragullen Cool Storage won Best American 1996–2024. Image: Greg Ross

Bandana Earthmoving won Best Tipper with this 2006 Western Star 4800. Image: Ashleigh Peake at Creative Fleire Photography

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HERE are a few major trucking events happening near you to mark in your diary.

APRIL

TechDrive 2024

April 17, 2024 - Sydney, NSW

August 7, 2024 - Melbourne, VIC whg-telematics.com

Following its successful launch event in Melbourne in 2023, WHG is taking TechDrive on the road again this year. e events will showcase the latest in technology and innovation, with announcements on new product releases, developments in telematics, IoT, location data and more. e Sydney event will take place at Rocks Brewing Company, while the Melbourne venue will be announced soon.

Trucking Australia 2024

April 17–19, 2024

Canberra, ACT new.truck.net.au/ta

North Coast Trucking Social Club Memorial Ceremony

April 27, 2024

South Kempsey, NSW Facebook: North Coast Trucking Social Club e North Coast Trucking Social Club Memorial Ceremony will take place at the South Kempsey Interchange at 10am on April 27. An informal convoy will leave South Street, South Kempsey at 9am, driving through Kempsey CBD and then on to Frederickton, nishing up at the South Kempsey Interchange. Light refreshments will be provided following the ceremony, and for those interested a remembrance dinner will be held at the Kempsey Heights Bowling Club at 6pm. ere is no requirement to buy tickets in advance as the bistro will be functioning for meals.

MAY

Sydney TruckFest

May 3–5, 2024 Clarendon, NSW sydneytruckfest.com.au

Held at Hawksebury Showground, Sydney TruckFest is a

Organised by the Australian Trucking Association and held at the National Convention Centre in Canberra, this event will feature presentations from leading industry practitioners, government agencies and regulatory bodies, to discuss and shape solutions to the trucking industry’s biggest challenges. Attendees can also look forward to the National Trucking Industry Awards, including National Professional Driver of the Year, plus a Kenworth Legends lunch, Daimler Truck Local Showcase dinner, and ATA Foundation Sponsors Gala awards dinner.

major celebration of the trucking industry, showcasing the latest developments in transport technology, equipment, accessories and much more. ere is a dedicated section for older vehicles, but the focus is on highlighting new vehicles and advancements. e organisers have also announced that they will be hosting a Show and Shine as part of the event, open to all trucks of every size, shape, year and model.

Heritage Truck Association Truck Show

May 18–19, 2024

Rocklea, QLD facebook.com/heritagetruckassociation

Held at Rocklea Showgrounds, this display of veteran, vintage and heritage trucks, vintage tractors, stationary working engines and vintage cars will interest any vehicle enthusiast. Attendees can also expect trade stalls, a ra e, parades and food and drink. Entry $10 adults, children under 14 free. For further information phone Mark on 0448 111 105, or John on 0477 499 530.

Transport Women Australia Ltd – Living the Dream Conference

May 30–June 1, 2024

Essendon Fields, VIC transportwomen.com.au/events

Save the date for these great events

North Coast Trucking Social Club

Transport Women Australia’s 2024 Living the Dream Conference will take place at Hyatt Place, 1 English Street, Essendon Fields from May 30 to June 1. Cindy Parker (director of operations at Americold LLC) has been announced as a keynote speaker, and an awards dinner will take place on June 1.

JUNE

Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show

June 9, 2024

Alexandra, VIC alexandratruckshow.com.au

JULY

Camp Quality

Adelaide Convoy for Kids

Jul 6, 2023

Victoria Park, Adelaide, SA

To celebrate National Female Truckies’ Day this year, WiTA and Camp Quality are teaming up to host a day “for the little kids AND the BIG kids”. Supporters will cheer on Camp Quality’s rst ever Adelaide convoy, as they travel a 40km route around Adelaide and Port Adelaide, starting and nishing at Victoria Park. e event venue will also host a free family fun day, packed with entertainment and experiences including food vans, kids’ rides, face painting, live music, and more. Attendees can check out the trucks and motorbikes on display at a Show ‘n’ Shine after the convoy.

Have you got an event you’d like included in the next Save the Date? Email all the details to kayla.walsh@ primecreative.com.au

e Alexandra Truck Show is back on the long weekend in June this year, with a Sunday Show ‘n Shine on the town’s main street, as well as live music, a Victorian woodchop tournament, exhibitions, trade displays, kids’ amusements and a rafe. Come down on Saturday for the local markets, a convoy and truck drivers’ memorial service at 2pm and sponsors’ dinner at 6pm. For more details email trucks@alexandratruckshow.com.au or phone Gordon Simpson on 0409 577 212.

The Heritage Truck Association is hosting a show in Rocklea, Qld in May. Image: Heritage Truck Association

A Show and Shine, open to all trucks of every size, shape, year and model, will take place at Sydney TruckFest this year. Image: Sydney TruckFest

The North Coast Trucking Social Club Memorial Ceremony for truckies who have passed away will take place on April 27. Image:

Ol’ Dynamite a blast from the past

BY DAVID VILE

OVER the di erent eras of transport in Australia, the ‘peaches and cream’ eet colours of TNT were a regular sight and readily identi able Australia-wide.

Today, under the ownership of FedEx the TNT branding is slowly disappearing o the road, however the TNT name and paint scheme will still be seen with trucks such as Mark Fitzgerald’s 1980 W-Model Kenworth maintaining the link to times past.

Based at Junee in southern New South Wales, Mark has been the custodian of ‘Ol’ Dynamite’ for the last ve years, with the truck having been largely overhauled by its previous owner.

Having hooked on a trailer on the rst weekend in March and travelled down to the Lockhart Truck Show, the growl of the Detroit engine signalled his arrival to the town’s showgrounds, with the truck having a steady stream of admirers.

“I’ve got a bit of a thing for W models, I just love them,” Mark enthused. “ ere’s’

something about them and I was always going to have one.

I had another one with a 400 Cummins in it, but my young bloke wanted one with a Detroit, so we sold that and got this.”

e appearance of the Kenworth today is somewhat di erent to its original guise, with Mark having a good knowledge-bank of the trucks’ earliest working days.

“Once you buy an ex-TNT truck you can generally nd out a bit of their history.

“TNT apparently brought six of these at the time; two with Detroit’s, two with Cats and two with Cummins to compare the engines.

“I believe they ran them express between Sydney and Melbourne as a slimline with no sleeper.

“Back then they were experimenting with fuel economy and apparently they had an aero engineer working with them- these trucks were some of the rst ones to run a roof spoiler which was adjustable, they just tted the three lights across the roof and had the air horn on the side of the cab.”

Post TNT the W-mod-

el had a stint working out of Dubbo where it was painted white before being sold to Victoria where it was again painted in the TNT colours, right down to the ‘Advance Australia’ stickers and original TNT unit number.

Along the way the W-Model’s original 9-speed Road Ranger has been swapped out for a 13 speeder and has gained the sleeper cab and the extra exhaust pipe.

Since Mark purchased it, the truck has had a number of jobs undertaken in a gradual overhaul and freshen-up.

“We just drove it around for a while once we got it - the rust had started getting into it a little, so we got a new rewall from Kenworth and tted that.

“We got the engine out but it didn’t need too much work. We have also replaced a fair few of the airlines and so forth

as it was losing air, so we have just been ironing out the bugs in it a bit and getting it right.”

e Kenworth has participated in Crawlin’ the Hume in years past and, having had its rst run for some time down to Lockhart, Mark had attached a trailer to give a bit better ride along with a bit of weight to make the 8v92 Detroit stretch its legs.

‘She’s pretty noisy but it’s a Detroit!” he said with a smile.

“It’s only putting out around 400 horsepower which isn’t much today but would have been a lot of power back in the day. But she’s all mechanical, none of the electronic stuwith the air start and so on it makes a bit of a racket but Detroit’s are no good just idling along, they need to be worked hard.”

Mark is looking at pointing the Kenworth north up the Hume once again this year to

Mark’s 1980 W-Model still packs a punch rolling into the Lockhart Showgrounds. Images: David Vile

the Kenworth Klassic

Clarendon and as such has a few more jobs lined up for the W-Model and is on the lookout for some extra componentry to make the truck period correct.

“I’ m good at pulling things apart but it takes forever to put them together. We couldn’t get it ready for the Klassic last year but for sure will get there this year with it, I want to get the di s out and paint them up.

“I would also like to nd an old ‘hospital bed’ bull-bar along with an original Pantech trailer to work on and hook on to as well. But in the meantime, we will keep at it and get it to where we want it to be.”

Mark reckons he is looking forward to retirement one day to tinker with his collection of variety of cars and motorbikes. On a larger scale he is of the opinion a B-Model Mack would be a good resto proj-

ect for the future, along with keeping the wheels of the old W-Model rolling, if somewhat slower than back in the heady days on ‘Sesame Street’.

“I can remember back when I was young, at night on the Hume you would get about six in a row pulling out and rounding you up – it would have got a fair old hiding back in the day, if it could talk it would have some stories to tell.”

Fan favourite truck ra ed

MOTORING enthusiasts now have the opportunity to get their hands on the wheel of a highly sought-after 1946 Ford Jailbar truck, with ‘Bonnie’ the latest vehicle to be raffled to raise funds for medical research.

NTI’s CEO Tony Clark said he is extremely proud to announce Bonnie as the seventh truck to be restored and raffled by Australia’s largest transport and logistics insurance experts, NTI.

Already truck fans have helped raise $2 million for Motor Neurone Disease research by participating in the raffles over the previous six years.

Motorists may recognise the black Dual Cab 4×4 as one of the first vintage trucks modified by NTI. Bonnie has been the organisation’s promo truck and has gained a large following after appearing at events across the country over the past 2.5 years.

NTI said Bonnie was one of the toughest and most technically challenging restoration projects to date.

The building process took 2500 hours, lengthening and widening the cab to include two rear doors, along with a custom-made bonnet, tub tray, side steps and rear guards. The interior is kitted out with a full leather trim, air conditioning and touch screen media.

With a 5.2-litre turbo diesel engine, the team were tasked with also enhancing its off-road capabilities, turning it in to a 4WD with a 6.5 tonne electric

winch, LED spotlights and rear air suspension.

Making it the perfect vehicle for both on, and off the road, featuring all the latest technology while honouring the vintage style of the 1946 Ford Jailbar.

NTI special projects lead Don Geer said the excitement around the truck made the hard work worth it.

“It’s like a swarm of bees around honey,” Geer said. “Every time I duck into Bunnings I come back and spend an hour in the carpark just talking to people.”

“Bonnie has that wow factor. Everyone is taken aback by the superb technology and engineering, and they always want to know how they can get their hands on it.

“They all hurt a little bit

when we let them go, but this one especially, just because it’s such a good vehicle, it’s bullet proof. It’s still very young, not even at 23,000km yet so it’s the right time for somebody else to get it and enjoy it as much as I do.”

The truck will be displayed at National Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo (Sydney, April 12-14), Australian Trucking Association Conference (Canberra, April 17-19), Sydney Truckfest (Sydney, May 3-5), and Cooly Rocks On (Gold Coast, June 5-9), with the final appearance and raffle being drawn at the NTI Supercars Round in Townsville (July 5-7).

To get your ticket online and show your support, visit raffletix.com.au/ntimndresearchraffle2024.

Bonnie was one of the toughest and most technically challenging restoration projects to date. Image: NTI

Mark Fitzgerald with the Kenworth at Lockhart.

at

Truckin’ In The Outback

From east to west and everything in between

It was about 20 years ago that Peter Naggar started his journey into trucking – and it was almost completely by chance.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

SINCE starting his career in trucking, Peter Naggar, 49, has seen much of the country from the windscreen and worked in roles as varied and diverse as the roads he’s travelled. “I’ve always loved driving. I wasn’t good enough to be a race car driver, so I got into trucks,” he said.

When Big Rigs rst got in touch with Naggar a few weeks ago, he was doing FIFO work in the west, driving triple side tippers for Campbell Transport, where he carted lithium in Esperance, WA – with loads of over 100 tonne behind him.

It was four weeks on and two weeks o . ough he enjoyed the work and the location, he decided to take a job much closer to home in Sydney, and spoke with Big Rigs just days into his new role.

Carting sandstone, he was driving truck and quad axle dogs, which operate under

Performance Based Standards (PBS), for the Western Harbour Tunnel and Hexham Bypass projects. He was behind the wheel of a Western Star 4800 with a DD15 engine and Roadranger. “When I go for a job and people ask if I can drive a Roadranger, I tell them yeah I can, but I can’t drive an auto,” he laughed. ough admitting, “It’s absolutely stunning over there in Esperance – the sunsets and sunrises are just spectacular. I’m still tempted to go back over to the west,” Naggar said. And now he’s done exactly that. When he spoke to Big Rigs again just weeks later, he revealed an exciting opportunity had come up that he couldn’t refuse – so he’s about to pack his bags and return to WA. Naggar has secured a role with O’Dell Resources in Geraldton. It’s FIFO work - four weeks on and two weeks o .

“ e Sydney tra c was do-

ing my head in,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of country work over the years, so to get back into the heart of it will be great. Driving in Sydney I drove ve di erent trucks in four days, so I’m looking forward to heading back.

“ is opportunity came up so I thought I’d just go for it.”

e work will involve carting iron ore from the mines to the port, doing around 700km each day.

For Naggar, his trucking journey started in the late 1990s. ough he had no prior links to trucking, he got his MR licence and eventually progressed to MC in 2007.

“I was working for Telstra at the time, putting opticbres into the ground – I got to do that for the 2000 Sydney Olympics too. ey needed someone to get an MR licence to drive one of their trucks, so that’s where it started.”

From there, it was local

bread runs for Buttercup before getting his HC licence in 2002 and moving up to the Gold Coast. It was there that Naggar got his rst taste for interstate work, which he says was interesting to say the least.

“I got that interstate job after seeing a two-line ad in the paper. I went anywhere from the Gold Coast to Cairns, to Melbourne. I did that many kilometres in that job,” Naggar revealed.

From there it was interstate refrigerated work for Scott’s Refrigerated at Yatala, truck and dog work in Sydney, and then back to interstate work for Direct Freight Express, where he travelled from Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane and did his rst two-up run to Perth.

“We set up as a B-triple once we got to South Australia but the two-up work wasn’t for me. I couldn’t sleep while someone else was driving,” he said, adding he only ever did

two-up two more times after that, when he started working for Ruttley Freightlines.

A few years after securing his MC, Naggar made the move out west in 2010, working for Mitchell West, around 400 kilometres west of Geraldton. “I did triples there carting iron ore and it was quite an experience,” he said.

“I’ve also done fuel tankers and had my own trucks, so I’ve tried pretty much everything but I haven’t done livestock or car carrying.

“I had my own trucks for ve years. I had a at top and did a lot of oversize work. I didn’t want to sell it but it became such a headache to chase work and I guess I just got fed up in the end. I’m just always trying to nd a perfect job.

“I’ve had a lot of jobs but it means I’ve had a lot of experience, which puts me in good stead for new challenges.

“I always strive to do the

best I can. I got told a long time ago, the day you stop learning is the day you die. I love being in the trucks, I really do.”

Naggar says he’s looking forward to getting out of the tra c. “Country life is my favourite – I love the freedom of getting out there. e truck is my own little o ce on wheels. My previous job in WA was awesome because it was in the middle of nowhere, so there was no tra c and no lights in town. I missed the longer distance stu .”

Naggar added that the comradery in the outback is di erent too. “I got taught the old way. If I see someone loading or doing curtains I’ll go and give them a hand, a lot of people don’t do that anymore.

“ ese days it’s a lot different but I think it depends where you are. In WA, when you’re in the middle of nowhere, everyone still helps each other out.”

The 1998 Hino FG 8t flat top he owned, which was used for flat top and oversize work.

While at Scott’s Refrigerated at Yatala, he did interstate refrigerated work. Naggar says he’s tried pretty much

Up until recently Peter Naggar worked for Campbell Transport in WA, doing FIFO work. Images: Peter Naggar

Truckin’ In The Tropics

ALAN, Raymond and Nicholas Johnstone are three generations of a family who all work for the big north Queensland transport company Morgan Transport.

Grandfather Alan is aged 79, his son Raymond is 50 and Nick, as he is known, is the grandson at the tender age of 24.

Alan has been with the company for ve years, Raymond for nine and Nick for seven, making it a real family a air.

In a strange twist to the story, Nick is the boss of Alan, who is 55 years older, but the youngest of the trio has no authority over his father Raymond.

Based at Bohle, just north of Townsville, the family-owned company employs 86 drivers both fulltime and casual, nine mechanics, 11 depot loaders and unloaders and 12 o ce sta . e company has 89 trucks and 126 trailers.

Morgan’s retail services division transports Bega dairy products all over North Queensland and south to Brisbane. e road train and general freight division services mining and construction projects to the Bowen Basin and as far west as the Tanami Mine.

I sat with the Morgan Transport trio in a demountable building at the depot and it was plain to see they enjoyed each other’s company.

Raymond said he became

a driver after following in the footsteps of his role model dad Alan.

Nick said he also started work in the industry because he considered Alan and Raymond genuine role models.

“I have been a driver since 1979 and these days drive a DAF and Volvo doing deliveries around town. But I still love it and working with my son and grandson is great,” Alan said.

Raymond is a long-haul driver for Morgan Transport and does three weekly return runs between Townsville and outback Mount Isa delivering groceries, bread and other food.

at is a gruelling 900km one-way trip and even though some sections of the Flinders Highway are rough, Raymond loves the freedom on the road.

He travels in a trusty T900 Kenworth and made sure it has been hosed down and cleaned at the depot before our photo shoot.

“I have been a truckie for 33 years and have been around trucks since I was aged just four. en Alan used to pick me up in a truck from the Railway Estate preschool in Townsville. I have been hooked on trucks ever since,” Raymond said.

With the average age of Australian drivers being about 58, Nick is a genuine young gun and works as a local supervisor for the company.

“In that capacity I am

with

grandfather’s boss, and he is a great worker who really shines. And he doesn’t mind me being his supervisor, but with dad doing runs out of town I am not in authority to him,” Nick said.

Nick has two sons Harrison, aged four, and Jackson, one, who both love Alan and Raymond.

“

ey are both going to be truckies for sure and when we all get time o we go to see granddad and the boys love

it. ey enjoy getting into a truck with him in the yard,” Nick said.

Morgan Transport describe the three Johnstones as loyal employees considering the shortage of truck drivers around Australia.

“We have trouble getting reliable drivers and these three are very valuable employees,” one manager told me.

ese three also possess a great sense of humour when I suggested could they be de-

scribed in Biblical terms as the “father, son, and the Holy Ghost”.

“I don’t know which one of us would be the Holy Ghost,” Nick said as they all laughed.

During his long and colourful career on the highways and byways Alan had worked for many other companies including a stint at Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

“I got to eat lots of prawns and sh whilst there,” he said.

While Raymond and Nick

Grandkids keep truckie busy

WHEN Tony Addley isn’t working six days a week he gets to spend his precious time off with his six grandchildren.

The 56-year-old Addley drives a Volvo for Rocktrans and is based at Cairns.

I saw him parked up at the BP Cluden on the outskirts of Townsville late in the day.

“I am carrying groceries between Cairns and Mackay,” he said.

It was when I asked him if he has any hobbies that Addley revealed he has six grandchildren.

“They are all aged under seven and I love spending time with them on my day off. So, I don’t have much spare time for hobbies,” he said.

However, Addley does follow the NRL competition and it wasn’t any great surprise which team he barrack’s for.

“I follow the local side the North Queensland Cowboys,” he said.

Addley likes stopping at the BP Cluden for several reasons.

“The food is good, there is lots of parking and the showers and toilets are spotlessly

clean,” he said.

A truck driver for just under 40 years, Addley said the worst road he negotiates is a section of the notorious Bruce Highway.

“The stretch between Cairns and Townsville is bad but south of here to the Burdekin is good. They have spent a lot of money on it,” he said.

When he does manage to get some spare time Addley likes to watch the V8 Supercars on the box.

“There is an event in Townsville and I wish one was also in Cairns.”

YOUNG truckie Cameron

Burns drives a Kenworth T909 for LTR Transport based at Mount Tyson and was hooking up trailers at the Port Access Road pad near Townsville when Big Rigs saw him.

Mount Tyson is on the Darling Downs region of Queensland and is located 37km west of Toowoomba.

It may have been 30-degree heat but this morning it was spitting rain which made the comfort level outside more bearable.

“I have been carrying cow pellets and have been a truckie for 10 years and with this company for three months,” said

the 27-year-old. Burns said he thought there was enough rest area for drivers and likes the one beside the Flinders Highway near Mingela.

I asked him what his favourite roadhouse was and he has a swift answer.

“Don’t really have one but I used to like the Little Topar near Broken Hill but it has closed which I was sorry to hear,” he said.

As I was snapping his pic

I heard movement inside the cabin and soon his pet dog Bella was spotted.

Dog lover Burns held Bella for another pic. She was a bit

look set to have long term employment with Morgan Transport, I asked Alan how long he intended working for them, especially considering older truckies in Queensland need to pass an annual medical test to maintain their truck licence.

“I am t for my age and passed my last test okay and would love to continue on for many years. My son and grandson make me feel young,” Alan said.

A real family a air at Morgan Transport Truckie’s best mate on road

camera shy at first but ended up posing.

“Bella is a good companion when I am away driving,” he said.

Burns rates the worst road he travels on as the Mooney Highway out from Goondiwindi.

Unlike most truckies, Burns doesn’t follow any football code but does like catching up with his mum and dad who live in Roma where he was born.

“Really other than that, my whole life is about trucking.”

This friendly driver then drove off ready for another day on the highways.

Tony Addley drivers a Volvo for Rocktrans. Image: Alf Wilson

Bella is great company for Cameron Burns while out on the road. Image: Alf Wilson

[L-R] Nick, 24, Alan, 79, and Raymond Johnstone, 50, at Morgan Transport. Image: Alf Wilson

Alf Wilson

with Alf Wilson Spy on the Road

Former truckie wins praise from milk bar fans

Blitz at Keith

Reports emanating from numerous South Australian drivers indicate that traffic police have been conducting a blitz on heavy vehicles in and around the town of Keith.

Keith is a town in SA’s southeast about 225km from Adelaide at the junction of the Dukes and Riddoch Highways.

The highways can be very busy as Keith is often referred to as the ‘lucerne capital of Australia’ due to the high number of growers in the region.

Spy was sent a picture of a truck travelling past the Ampol Roadhouse there with a patrol car directly behind it.

That truckie was abiding by all laws but any who aren’t generally get pounced on traffic cops.

Local drivers know about it but if you are a truckie travelling though there and don’t you have been warned.

Milk bar good for drivers

It isn’t an official roadhouse but truckies have been telling Spy that the Avoca Milk Bar in the rural Victorian town of Avoca is a great place for them to stop.

Avoca is in the Central Highlands of Victoria about 70km northwest of Ballarat and has a population of 1200.

It is located on the Sunraysia Highway two hours from Melbourne.

Ballarat driver Skeeta told me that he stopped there recently for the first time and the owner Simon Davidson welcomed him with open arms.

“He said lots of truckies stop there and offers use of the showers there for us. The coffee is great and the food good as well,” Skeeta said. Several other drivers also reported it was an ideal place to stop and there is generally enough parking space nearby for three trucks.

I phoned the establishment and spoke to 60-year-old owner Simon Davidson who while he was never a fulltime truckie, he did some part-time work driving heavy vehicles.

“We love to cater to trucks as we have a clean shower and toilet only available to drivers and a popular menu. The main being our famous steak sangas, schnitzel burgers and Souvlaki.

“I drove for a number of years and have a total understanding of the difficulties drivers face,

nothing is a problem and both my partner Kellie and myself along with the staff we are here to help.

“To 8.30pm, drivers can order and we will stay back and make sure they are either sit down or take away,” he said.

Davidson has been running the milk bar for six months.

“It was closed for a while just before that but has been here for 52 years. There are a lot of local grain and sheep trucks around,” he said.

Crocodile turns up at servo

People filling up with fuel at a popular Townsville service station got the shock of their lives when a crocodile turned up on the driveway near the bowsers.

The cops were called when the reptile slithered into the service station on Riverway Drive in Condon on March 19.

Luckily it was a freshwater species which are usually harmless to humans unless of course you happen to swim onto one.

The servo is located not far from the freshwater reaches of Ross River which is inhabited by hundreds of the crocs.

A senior wildlife officer came to the rescue and captured the

1.4m long croc and it was later relocated back into Ross River.

Locals reckon it wandered into the servo after recent heavy rain.

Whilst this was a freshwater croc, one off the dangerous saltwater types was removed from Ross River up near the mouth.

Another was captured by rangers from the Herbert River near Ingham which is a popular fishing spot for off duty drivers.

A wonderful view

For 45 years Wade Transport, which is based at scenic Nubeena in southern Tasmania, has been delivering goods around the Apple Isle.

The company was founded by husband-and-wife Roy and Wendy Wade who sadly have both passed away.

But Wade Transport continues to operate and has four trucks – a Western Star 4800, a Volvo Fh460 and two Isuzu flat tops.

The company is located on the side of a hill off aptly named White Beach Road at Nubeena which is a scenic town and fishing village on the Tasman Peninsula.

It is about 10km from Port

Arthur and 90km from Hobart.

I have been down to Tassie many times in the last 20 years and have snapped pics of the company trucks and have been in awe of the views from the company premises.

I spoke to company owner Robert Wade about the view last week.

“It is just beautiful and I am looking over the bay right now. Plenty of flounder are caught in the waters there,” he said.

Wade is a strong advocate for truck drivers and the road transport industry and the family is highly respected in Tasmania.

Many off duty truckies from Hobart and other towns camp with their families at one of the numerous beach locations at Nubeena.

Aggressive snakes active around rest areas

Reports have been coming to Spy about numerous incidences of aggressive and venomous snakes appearing at rest areas around the country.

It is reportedly the breeding season which makes such reptiles more dangerous.

Spy was told that several

truckies have seen what looked like brown snakes slither out of the nearby bush at NSW rest areas.

They have even been found in rest area toilets which certainly would be a problem.

Up in Queensland a man died recently after being bitten by a snake in the far north and two other people survived after a similar incident.

Rangers I have spoken to advise if you do see a snake give it a wide berth and don’t try to remove it.

Ring the police who will arrange for a qualified snake handler to come out and remove it.

Truckies have told me that if they do see a snake in an area where many people are they will pull out a tyre lever and kill it.

One thing to remember is that most snakes are a protected species, and you can face a heavy fine if you kill one.

Some years ago, I did a story on a truckie who killed a snake which appeared near the bowsers at a rural roadhouse.

I didn’t get his name but when the story was published wildlife authorities contacted me wanting his identity so he could be charged.

Truckies see the light

What is one of the most common items truck drivers carry with them in their cabins?

Surprise, surprise. I found that a trusty torch is in the possession of many.

These drivers are based around the country and scores I have seen in recent months have been armed with a trusty Dolphin torch.

Some of these torches are many years old and last for a long time with a replacement battery required after extensive use.

Such torches come in very handy for our champion drivers at night.

Wade Transport is based at scenic Nubeena.

A truck passing the roadhouse at Keith SA with a patrol car behind it. Images: Alf Wilson Simon Davidson and his partner Kellie Milne in front of the Avoca Milk Bar menu board. Inset: Trucks are a regular site out front.

Second-generation truckie loving life on open road

OVER the course of the past 14 months, I have been lucky enough to meet some great characters out there on the highway.

Brad from Gericke Bulk Haulage is one such character and his music taste is one I am very familiar with.

Brad started o with his HR Licence back in 2011 as an entry to the drilling industry with truck mounted rigs and water trucks.

Fast forward to 2021 and he upgraded his licence so he could start the position is currently in at Gericke.

On the road Brad drives a 2018 Mack Super-Liner with an MP10 pulling a Holmwood trailer.

e interest in the transport industry started when he was a young fella as his father and two brothers ran interstate back in the day which he now carries the tradition on and loves the open road.

Now when it comes to his

favourite roadhouse and meal it’s a sure- re answer that the Ampol at Tailem Bend is his number one.

e shower facilities are always spotless, and the sta are great especially after a long day/night on the road.

Rump steak, chips, gravy and a couple of eggs are his regular order and and he leaves the garden salad to the next driver he adds.

Given he’s had a good run of experience Brad says by listening to the people trying to help you be a better driver you work out who listen to and who not to.

Also, if you are struggling with reversing always either ask for a spotter to give you a hand or jump out and have a look and take your time instead of rushing and making costly mistakes.

I like to ask drivers what they get up to away from the trucks and what make them tick, for Brad, it’s reacquainting himself with his wife, cooking, shing, drag cars and fast cars.

I can vouch on the fast cars too as I’ve done a photo shoot of his phat Commodore ute.

Although he doesn’t have a desire to own a truck but when it comes to his favourite trucks to look at it’s the Kenworth W900s with a at roof.

ey just look damn cool.

Brad drives a 2018 Mack Super-Liner with an MP10 pulling a Holmwood trailer. Image: Darryl Edwards

Projecta expands innovative range with two new variants

LAST year Projecta broadened its market-leading INTELLI-START Jump Starter range with the launch of its IS1400 and IS2000 models – now the line-up is complete with the addition of two powerful new variants, the IS3000 and IS5000.

Power-packed, the IS3000 and IS5000 Jump Starters are ideal for use on large industrial and commercial equipment including heavy-duty trucks, tractors, and agricultural equipment. Until now, there hasn’t been an easy or e cient means of jump starting heavy equipment, with users often resorting to moving large batteries around on unwieldy trolleys to

jump start the machines. With their easy portability, light weight (10.6kg and 13.5kg respectively) and patented Rapid Recharge Technology (RRT), the IS3000 and IS5000 industrial jump starters alleviate these pain points, adding convenience and e ciency for users. e IS Jump Starter range also reduces the risk of being caught out without charge when going to jump start a vehicle, as recharging the trolley rigs can often be forgotten.

Rapid recharge technology

By leaving the INTELLI-START Jump Starters connected to a vehicle’s battery

once started, RRT can fully replenish the energy that was discharged during the starting process in just 40 seconds. is feature means that the INTELLI-START Jump Starters will then be ready to use in the next emergency without needing regular recharging – clever technology that is unique to the Projecta INTELLI-START Jump Starter range.

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

e larger IS5000 has even greater clamp power, an impressive 1500A in 12V electrical systems and 1000A for 24V systems, su cient to breathe life into petrol and diesel engines up to 16L capacity in equipment with 12V systems, and unlimited capacity in the case of vehicles with 24V electrics. e two jump starters also o er ‘no battery’ operation and can jump start vehicles without a starter battery.

Both the IS3000 and IS5000 Jump Starters feature a strong exterior casing that uses a steel chassis and rubber over-moulded construction with integrated handle and concealed cable storage.

Also ensuring reliability and safety are ‘no solder’, high current connections and solid 3mm clamp teeth, while an advanced all-in-one protection system prevents surges, short circuits and overheating in these units.

For greater convenience, both models also boast auto sensing clamp connection,

while operating this equipment is also simple via the intuitive LCD display with real time updates.

When it is nally time to recharge the IS3000 and IS5000, this is done using the included docking station, which provides hassle-free benchtop charging.

Owners can also rest easy knowing that the INTELLI-START range is equipped with premium LiFePO4 batteries, the safest lithium technology available. Additionally, the units feature an advanced, ‘all-in-one’ protection system that prevents surges, short circuits, and overheating.

e IS3000 and IS5000 also deliver excellent longevity for users because they’re designed to deliver up to 2000 battery cycles, around four times

more than competitor Lithium Cobalt based jump starters. Other Projecta INTELLI-START models in the lineup include the IS920, IS1220, IS1400, IS1500 and IS2000.

All INTELLI-START variants are Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)-compliant, and Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) certied. e latest additions to the INTELLI-START Jump Starter range are available from leading automotive and transportation outlets nationwide and are covered by a generous two-year product replacement or refund warranty.

Bendix makes it easy to x Premium coolant launches

IN Australia, heavy vehicles face huge challenges in their daily operation – extreme temperature variations, difficult road conditions and demanding, high kilometre applications can all take their toll.

The braking system is at the forefront of this battering and from time to time, certain system components can suffer and even become compromised. If any hardware issues are identified as part of regular truck brake inspections, Bendix makes it easy to rectify with its brake shoe hardware kits.

The kits which comprise of springs, pins, retainers and rollers, are an efficient and cost-effective way of replacing any suspect parts without needing to outlay for a full brake shoe kit, which may still be serviceable with ample friction material remaining on the brake shoe.

Bendix’s brake shoe hardware kits are available to suit a wide range of European, Japanese and North American commercial vehicles as well as trailing stock.

PACCAR Parts has launched its new premium, Australian made coolant: TRP ALLCOOL. Developed to help protect engines from both overheating and freezing, ALLCOOL works to keep your truck on the road every single day.

PACCAR Parts product manager Theresa Weymouth said TRP ALLCOOL was originally developed as a factory fill coolant and when properly maintained meets and exceeds many OEM (original equipment manufacturers) requirements.

“Some of the main benefits of TRP ALLCOOL include protecting diesel engines from liner pitting and scale deposits as well as preventing corrosion of metal components in the cooling system,” Weymouth said.

Available in both premixed and concentrate formulas and in a range of sizes, TRP ALLCOOL is a universal ethylene glycol anti‐freeze and anti‐boil

fully formulated inhibitor package to provide superior protection against liner pitting and scale deposits. The low silicate formula protects all cooling system metals, including aluminium, from corrosion.

TRP ALLCOOL meets and

exceeds ASTM specifications for both heavy duty and automotive applications. To find out more about the TRP range of quality products and services, or to find your closest stockist, please visit trpparts.com.au.

coolant which uses an advanced

The IS3000 and IS5000 industrial jump starters are lightweight and convenient to use.

Bendix’s brake shoe hardware kits suit a wide range of commercial vehicles and trailing stock. Images: Bendix ALLCOOL is a universal ethylene glycol anti‐freeze and

boil coolant. Images: PACCAR Parts

The IS3000 and IS5000 Jump Starters are ideal for use on heavy-duty trucks. Images: Projecta

The IS3000 and IS5000 come with patented Rapid Recharge Technology.

PACCAR announces its 2024 technicians of the year

PACCAR Australia has announced its 2024 Kenworth and DAF technicians of the year. Four Kenworth nalists and four DAF nalists battled it out for the prestigious titles at the nals, held at PACCAR Australia’s Bayswater manufacturing plant on Friday March 15.

ere were four practical tests that were a combination of electrical, mechanical and

system testing.

Brad May, chief engineer PACCAR Australia and Steven Tomaro, aftersales manager PACCAR Australia, presented the winners with their awards, congratulating them on their performance at the nals.

Taking out the 2024 PACCAR Australia Kenworth Technician of the Year was Grant Brown of Kenworth DAF Bayswater.

Oliver Maher from Ken-

worth DAF Darra secured second place, Joseph Reeves from Kenworth DAF Co s Harbour nished in third place and Shayne Henderson from Kenworth DAF Bayswater got fourth place.

For the 2024 PACCAR Australia DAF Technician of the Year, Matthew Henderson from Kenworth DAF Adelaide took out the win in rst place, Lachlan Schrader from Kenworth DAF Perth took sec-

ond place, James Brough from Kenworth DAF Melbourne in third place and Inndyah Chenoweth from Kenworth DAF Hallam in fourth place.

Hallam & Bayswater Truck Centres, which had three representatives in the nals – including Kenworth Technician of the Year Grant Brown –congratulated its sta on their achievements.

“We not only had Grant compete at the nals, we were also extremely proud to have Shane Henderson, Bayswater Truck Centre Technician and Inndyah Chenoweth, Hallam Truck Centre Technician compete! Well done to Shane who placed 4th for Kenworth Technician of the Year, and Inndyah Chenoweth also placed 4th for DAF Technician of the Year,” the company wrote on Facebook.

“Congratulations again to all the outstanding participants who took part in the 2024 competition from across the CMV Group. We are extremely proud to have such strong representation from Hallam and Bayswater Truck Centres, as well as our sister dealership CMV Truck Centre. e pro-

fessionalism that was displayed by all our technicians throughout the competition was truly admirable.”

Kenworth DAF Adelaide also commented, after Matthew Henderson took out the DAF technician title. “Matt has proven to be an extremely valuable and valued employee at CMV Truck Centre since he started with us in 2013 as an apprentice diesel technician. Not only did he complete his diesel mechanic trade in 2017, he has also recently completed a dual trade in auto electrical technology.

“Congratulations again to Matt and all our participants who took part in the 2024 competition. We are extremely proud to have such strong representation from CMV Truck Centre, as well as from our sister dealerships Hallam & Bayswater Truck Centres. e professionalism that was displayed by all our technicians throughout the competition is truly admirable.”

e winners received a pool of over $30,000 worth of prizes at a celebratory awards dinner, including a voucher for a selection of tools vital to the job.

Brad May, chief engineer PACCAR Australia, 2024 PACCAR Australia Kenworth Technician of the Year Grant Brown and Steven Tomaro, aftersales manager PACCAR Australia. Images: PACCAR Parts

Brad May, chief engineer PACCAR Australia, 2024 PACCAR Australia DAF Technician of the Year Matthew Henderson and Steven Tomaro, aftersales manager PACCAR Australia.

BASED in Mackay, Queensland, and locally owned and operated, NQ Dangerous Goods Training (NQDGT) provides training for the TLILIC0001 Licence to Transport Dangerous Goods by Road.

Its location means its ideally situated to accommodate the Mackay, Central and Northern Queensland regions – savings local companies time and money, as there’s no need for course participants to travel outside of the region.

NQDGT was started by Andrew Tri ett in February 2023, following a knee replacement the previous year that restricted him to the house.

Tri ett has extensive experience in the dangerous goods space. He has worked in the industry since 1998 in roles as diverse as a driver, trainer assessor, schedular and depot manager.

He’s worked with petroleum fuels, oils, LPG, and Anhydrous Ammonia.

He’s also worked with ammonium nitrate, emulsion and acids as a driver and while working on a mine site conducting the resupply of products required for the blasting crews and various types of explosives in the Army.

“Dangerous goods training is a role I’ve always wanted to do – and I’m passionate about the safety of our workers out there,” Tri ett said. “Whilst sitting around recovering at home I upgraded my Cert IV and approached an RTO – SWQ Training which is based in Toowoomba. ey have taken me onboard as a third party. e company and sta are excellent to work alongside with and provide me with a lot of support.”

e training provided by NQDGT is a nationally accredited course.

e ‘TLILIC0001 Licence to transport Dangerous Goods by Road’ training consists of a two-day course which covers all aspects of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG) 7.8 together with relevant legislation. It includes Dangerous Goods classi cations, placarding, stowage and load restraint, segregation and compatibility, emergency procedures, and licensing requirements.

Tri ett says he launched his business after identifying a gap for this training within his region – which also includes Nebo, Proserpine, Moranbah, Clermont, Emerald and Rockhampton.

“Being place based in Mackay alleviates the need for companies to y or have their employees travel outside of the area or wait for a trainer to y into town to conduct the training,” Tri ett added. “We’re all aware of the extra costs involved for ights, by vehicle, accommodation and not to mention the extra time away from their place of work which then places pressure on companies to cover that gap whilst their employee isn’t there for an extended

period of time.”

As the transportation of Dangerous Goods doesn’t just operate between 8am5pm Tri ett says his training schedule is exible to accommodate company needs.

“I have conducted training on night shift for employees as it works for the company, and I have and will continue to conduct one on one training if requested too.”

About the course

TLILIC0001 Licence to Transport Dangerous Goods by Road provides the knowledge of dangerous goods road transport legislation and the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG 7.8). Upon successful completion of the course the driver is able to approach their state or territory regulatory authority and apply for the issue of that state or territory’s driver authorisation/licence. e twoday course covers all aspects of the Australian Dangerous Goods (ADG) Code and the relevant legislation including classi cation, marking, documentation, stowage and load restraint, segregation and compatibility plus responsibilities of the individuals involved.

For more information or to book, please visit nqdan gerousgoodstraining.com.

Founder of NQDGT, Andrew Triffett, has over 25 years of experience in the dangerous goods industry. Image: NQDGT

Actros ticks all the right boxes for family operation

FARMING is very much a family business for the Wolthuis family, which recently welcomed a new Mercedes-Benz truck to its operation in Victoria’s Wimmera region.

During the harvest, the whole family pitches in. Joanne Wolthuis, 21, drives the combine harvester that harvest wheat, barley, faba beans, canola and lentils, while her 19-year-old brother Tonnis drives a tractor with chaser bin to collect it all and keep the harvester going.

eir father Ceus (pronounced ‘say-us’) drives the new Actros 2663 B-double tipper set, which is used to bring the harvested grain back to the silos at their main property and to other collection sites in the region.

His wife Petra does the critical book-keeping and scheduling as well, as cooking meals and providing other support functions for the 2200-hectare operation.

e family was making do with a single truck, a European model with 460hp, and Ceus decided to add another truck in time for the most recent harvest, which started in November.

IT’S LIKE I’M SITTING IN A CAR WITH ALL THESE COMFORT FEATURES, THE SCREENS AND THE AMT. IT MAKES IT ALL A LOT EASIER.”

He eventually settled on an Actros. Ceus wanted a truck with more horsepower and decided to go “over the top” and select a 2663, which has 16-litre engine that produces 630hp. Ceus, who comes from a farming family and operated a farm in e Netherlands before coming to Australia in 2001, has never been dedicated to any particular brand. He says he runs a ‘rainbow’ farm, which means hav-

ing equipment from many di erent brands in many di erent colours, including Case red to Fendt and John Deere green.

When it came to the new truck, he needed one that would be ready in time for the harvest, had a good amount of power and had advanced technology and safety.

e Actros ticked all the boxes and was also able to be provided by and supported by Wilson Bolton, a dealership less than half an hour away in Horsham.

Ceus didn’t just want a plain farm truck though, he had the fuel tanks painted black, optioned a black bullbar and even went for black wheels. e end result is a mean-looking machine with plenty of presence.

“I like my European trucks and I really like the look of the Mercedes-Benz truck,” Ceus says.

He has been impressed by the way the 630hp engine and 12-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) perform and likes the large information screens and easy to use driver controls.

“It’s like I’m sitting in a car with all these comfort features, the screens and the AMT. It makes it all a lot easier,” he says. e Actros has been set up for mass management

and will operate with a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 68.5 tonnes fully loaded. A strong proponent of improving farm safety, Ceus is thrilled the Actros comes standard with a high degree of active and passive safety items, as well as features aimed at reducing fatigue.

He is surprised that some trucks come with so few of the safety features that are standard on the Actros, including the Advanced Emergency Braking System, called Active Drive Assist, that uses radar and camera technology to automatically brake the truck if the driver has not seen an impending collision.

“ e idea of having a truck that could run into someone and injure and kill them when you can buy one with technology that can do stop that from happening, or reduce the impact, seem strange to me,” he says.

“ is Mercedes-Benz has got all the safety gear you can get and that is really assuring,” he says.

Challenging weather meant that this harvest took longer than usual and only wound up in early January, but the Actros didn’t miss a beat.

“It has been really good and we are very pleased with the decision to go with the Actros,” Ceus says.

It’s like sitting in a car with all the creature comforts, says Ceus Wolthuis.

Ceus Wolthuis has been impressed by the way the 630hp engine and 12-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) perform.

[L-R] Ceus, Joanne and Tonnis Wolthuis and their new Actros. Images: Daimler Truck Australia Pacific

The new Actros 2663 B-double tipper set, which is used to bring the harvested grain back to the silos.

CEUS WOLTHUIS

Family business grows fleet

FAMILY business Environmental Industries has come a long way since its early days in the ‘80s, growing from one ute to a eet of over 100 trucks.

e landscaping and construction company, which is based in WA, has built an impressive portfolio, from high-pro le state and local government projects such as playgrounds, parks and sporting elds, through to commercial land developments and streetscapes.

stay level with demand. Winterbourn shared details of a “master plan” in place with Major Motors Forrest eld and sales dealer Peter Dewar to move the entire transport operation over to Isuzu Trucks’ product.

“We have a long-term plan with Major Motors to keep operating Isuzu Trucks and continue building the eet to meet our needs,” he said.

“ e consistency in customer service and reliability is one of the reasons we go back time and again to Isuzu and Major Motors—we want to be dealing with the same person to build that lasting business relationship.”

pack, with GVM of 4500kg and GCM of 8000kg, a useful solution for carrying out their massive grounds maintenance roster.

Featuring a payload of over 2000kg and tray space large enough to load equipment and tools for the day, the NLR Traypack also o ers a generous towing capacity of 4000kg, making an e cient exercise out of towing heavily loaded trailers.

vironmental Industries have added customised hydraulic tail lift which work with the Traypack’s removable drop sides for loading equipment and green waste.

From the view of Major Motors, sales dealer Peter Dewar said the focus will remain on providing best-in-class transport solutions to support Environmental Industries and their clients in the years to come.

“Our two companies have worked together for a long period of time, and over that time have built up mutual trust and respect for one another,” he said.

“Our clients are speci cally looking for environments that people and the public will be excited to use, so the sites we build and maintain need to be inviting to encourage people into the space,” he explained.

“We’ve done many large projects over the years such as the grounds for Fiona Stanley Hospital, the Crown Towers in Perth, along with Central Park in the CBD, to name a few.

“ ings really began to take o for the business in the early

Environmental Industries’ general manager Brendon Winterbourn, son of the company’s founder Barry Winterbourn, said that business is better than ever in 2024.

2000s, back then we had four trucks and a few utes on the road.

“Now we have a combined eet of about 100 vehicles including 40 Isuzu trucks for our sta across multiple projects.”

e eet ranges from light-duty rigs such as a newly collected NLR 45-150 AMT Traypack with customised tail lift, through to heavier FVZ 240-300 Autos speci ed as a water truck and a garbage compactor.

Sustained business growth has meant the equipment lockers are expanding quickly to

A large part of their strategy is upgrading their remaining utes to light-duty trucks.

“

e business is transitioning away from utes towards light-duty Isuzu trucks for a number of reasons—they have better durability, we can t more on the back of them, and we nd they tow better than a ute.

“

e smaller trucks, such as our NLRs, are perfect for three team members on a job site to travel to location with mowers and landscaping equipment loaded in the tray.”

e business nds Isuzu’s short wheelbase Ready-toWork NLR 45-150 AMT Tray-

Six-speed AMT with both fully automatic and clutchless manual operation modes rounds-out a package that is driveable on a car licence, meaning a wide range of Brendon’s sta can get behind the wheel at any time.

For further ease of use, En-

“Personally, I am very proud to have worked closely with Environmental Industries for almost 35 years.”

Environmental Industries is transitioning away from utes towards light-duty Isuzu trucks.

Images: Isuzu Trucks

Helping keep your drivers safe with practical systems

THE National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) in Australia has established seven stringent fatigue management standards to ensure the safety of road transport operations.

Compliance with these standards is not only a legal requirement but also crucial for safeguarding the wellbeing of drivers and the general public.

Here at Hub eet, we’ve partnered with Glyn Castanelli, who is an NHVR approved auditor from Transport Health and Safety, to delve into the seven fatigue management standards established by the NHVR. Our goal is to provide insight into what these standards mean and how transport companies can implement practical systems to ful ll their obligations under the National Heavy Vehicle Law (NHVL).

We will also explore the role of auditors like Transport Health and Safety and digital systems, such as Hub eet, to assist transport companies meet NHVR standards and maintain a high level of safety in their operations.

Understanding

Standard 3: The core requirements

Standard 3 dictates that all personnel involved in your fatigue management system (FMS) must possess the knowledge and skills to effectively manage fatigue. is encompasses everyone including management, administration, supervisors, schedulers, and drivers.

e standard outlines key criteria your company must address:

• Documented training needs: You need a documented plan outlining the speci c training required for each personnel category based on their role and responsibilities within the FMS.

• Minimum training standards: Ensure training covers fatigue management principles and their appli-

cation in the heavy vehicle industry.

• Training must be undertaken through one of the NHVAS-approved Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).

• Manager, administrator, supervisor, and scheduler training: Equip them with the skills to identify and address fatigue in drivers, monitor compliance, and support recovery and treatment.

• All employees involved in the management, administration, supervision, and scheduling of drivers within the FMS must complete the training unit TLIF0006 Administer a fatigue risk management system.

• Driver training: Drivers need to understand fatigue risks, their personal fatigue warning signs, and e ective fatigue management strategies.

• All drivers working within the FMS must complete the training unit TLIF0005 Apply a fatigue risk-based system.

• Ongoing training and updates: Regularly refresh knowledge and address changes in regulations or industry best practices.

Putting it into practice: Steps to implement Standard 3

Glyn Castanelli has spent the best part of 30 years in the heavy vehicle transport industry in many roles, including as a driver, owner driver, compliance o cer, operations manager, and as a NHVR accredited auditor at Transport Health and Safety. Glyn is also president of the National Road Freighters Association. To put the Standard 3 into practice, he recommends the following steps.

1. Conduct a training needs

analysis: Identify the roles and responsibilities within your FMS and assess their current fatigue management knowledge and skills.

2. Develop a training plan: Based on the needs analysis, create a documented plan outlining who needs what training, when, and how. Consider factors like training frequency, delivery methods (online, face-toface), and record-keeping procedures.

3. Source and deliver training: Choose accredited training providers or develop your own programs ensuring they meet the minimum standards and address your speci c needs. Consider industry resources like National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) or WorkSafe WA for guidance.

4. Monitor and evaluate: Track training completion,

measure its e ectiveness, and identify areas for improvement.

5. Maintain records: Keep comprehensive records of all training undertaken, including content, trainers, and completion dates.

Things to remember

• Standard 3 applies to all peronnel, not just drivers.

• Training is not a one-time event; ongoing refresh and updates are crucial.

• E ective training goes beyond knowledge; it cultivates a culture of fatigue awareness and safety within your company.

• Maintain training records – If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen.

Consider a digital compliance system

Implementing a digital compliance system, such as Hubeet can signi cantly simplify

the setup and ongoing operations of your fatigue management processes. Hub eet helps with all aspect of the fatigue management standard, including Standard 3, by capturing training records and providing noti cation of when training has expired, or refresher courses are due.

It is also worth considering engaging an accredited auditor, like Transport Health and Safety to help get you up and running. And familiarise yourself with the NHVAS Fatigue Management Accreditation Guide.

By taking a proactive approach to training and education, you can build a robust fatigue management system, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of your drivers, your business, and the wider community. Remember, addressing fatigue isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s the right thing to do.

Drivers need to understand fatigue risks, their personal fatigue warning signs, and effective fatigue management strategies. Image: Jackson Photography

Join the celebrations in SA

WOMEN in

Awards celebrations are set down for Saturday July 6 in Adelaide’s beautiful Victoria Park.

The day will dawn early as WiTA joins Camp Quality to host the organisation’s first ever Adelaide Convoy raising funds to support children and families living with a cancer diagnosis.

In a history making moment, the largest ever group of female drivers in an Aussie convoy will join their male colleagues to the delight of thousands of south Aussie kids along the 36km route around Adelaide and Port Adelaide, starting and finishing at Victoria Park.

According to every single big-hearted truckie who’s ever joined a convoy - the looks on the kids’ faces as they watch polished truck after polished truck (air horns blasting) rumble by - is an experience

that softens even the toughest hearts.

Not forgetting the Camp Quality children, a mini-bus will also join the convoy for little ones not well enough to ride shotgun in the trucks.

A free family festival with food vans, kids’ rides, face painting, roving entertainment and live music will commence at 10am with female truckies available to chat to women interested in discussing trucking careers.

A spectacular show and shine will then be followed by Camp Quality’s fundraising

awards ceremony. At 12.30pm guests will join WiTA for the annual TOOTS Awards lunch in the warmth of the gorgeous heritage listed Victoria Park Social Club to celebrate and showcase the diversity and tenacity of the nation’s female heavy vehicle drivers.

Here - in a facilitated panel discussion - guests will have the opportunity to meet, hear and enjoy a selection of stories from four inspirational female drivers - each working in specialised fields including heavy haulage, dangerous

goods, livestock and remote area water drilling.

Danyelle, Natalie, Kattie and Chloe will share the ups and downs of life as female truckies, strategies for taking care of female health and wellbeing on the road, as well as sharing tips and advice for women considering trucking careers and employers interested in learning about the considerable benefits women bring to the workplace.

Toots Holzheimer’s daughter - author Donna Vawdrey - will pay homage to her legendary mum who drove her

truck across FNQ from Cape York to Cairns and Weipa on dirt tracks through mosquito infested, humid rainforests at a time when most freight came via plane or barge.

Over lunch, Donna (who penned ‘Toots – Woman in a Man’s World’) will share incredible stories from her mum’s trucking career that spanned four decades from the 1960s – stories from a time when power steering, air-con, tarred roads and forklifts were the stuff of dreams.

Three prestigious and highly anticipated TOOTS

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Award winners will then be announced before guests are invited to network over coffee or a few drinks.

Event sponsorship and product display opportunities are available with details soon to be announced via the Women in Trucking website, wita.com.au.

Convoy truck registrations can be organised through the Camp Quality Adelaide Convoy fundraiser website, convoy.org.au.

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WiTA is rallying the troops for a massive day of celebrations and fundraising in Adelaide on July 6. Image: WiTA

Remind yourself of these reasons before you get up

THIS is a continuation of my previous article on mental and physical wellbeing and the work of Dr Kelly Turner’s 10 Healing Factors for building cancer immunity.

Dr Kelly has researched over 1000 individuals who have survived cancer against the odds. e rst and the most signi cant of the 10 Healing Factors is ‘Having a Strong Reason for Living’. In all of the cancer remission cases Dr Kelly investigated, Having a Strong Reason for Living was part of every single individual’s story.

As individuals today, we have been conditioned to be continually looking for reason to be o ended. e amount of political correctness in our world today is testimony to this fact.

Does my bloody head in actually. We are all entitled to our opinions and provided these opinions are not intended to o end others, so be it.

As a Shits Creek Tour Guide, one of my favourite saying is: ‘What other people say or think about you is none of your bloody business’. Constructive criticism is important, however this will come for someone we respect and for a reason. It will obviously be for our individu-

al bene t for whatever reason.

Re ecting on the past almost 30 years when I was lucky enough to survive bowel and prostate cancer and then almost ending my life by suicide, is a very sobering realisation of how much I had to live for.

I was one of the lucky ones, sadly however there are far too many of our family, friends and work colleagues not so fortunate.

I can assure you, we all

have many good reasons for living. Take a few minutes right now and think about your Strong Reasons for Living. If you have a pen and paper, write them down and keep it handy as the more you think about it, there will be so many things you didn’t realise.

Reasons for living is very much an individual thing. Family might be top of list for some, while travel or 4x4-ing to the tip of Australia might be

FOCUSING ON YOUR REASONS FOR LIVING IS A DISTRACTION FOR THE MIND TO NOT FOCUS ON THE STRESSFUL SIDE OF WHAT YOU

for someone else.

Being focused on a good feeling you are more likely to be in a good positive space as opposed to the stress response. Having the right rest and relax chemical owing through your body can actually help your body to heal.

Focusing on your reasons for living is a distraction for the mind to not focus on the stressful side of what you are facing. It is not going to eliminate it but by reducing it to a minimum is good for your overall wellness.

Dr Kelly Turner’s Radical Remission teaching is based on scienti c research. One study has found that cancer patients with depression die sooner. Clear proof that depression impacts directly on

your physical health.

One of the recognised symptoms of depression is not having a will to live, not wanting to get out bed in the morning and no reason to live.

As individuals we need to nd our personal Strong Reasons for Living and remind ourselves of these reasons every morning before we step out of bed.

Doing this exercise every day will help with feelings of depression generally as well as help with your overall physical wellbeing.

Words of wisdom from a Shits Creek Tour Guide: “We are here for a good time so focus on the strong reasons you have to be here, every single day.”

Our minds respond to the words we say and the pictures we make, change the words, change the pictures, change your life.

• Former truckie Graham Cotter is a certi ed hypnotherapist, rapid transformational therapist, life coach, mindfulness facilitator and a radical remission teacher/coach and can be reached via rapidradicalwellness.com.

Family might be top of list for some, while travel or 4x4-ing to the tip of Australia might be for someone else. Image: DPRM

LIFE COACH GRAHAM COTTER Author of Don’t Suck the Pencils

GRAHAM

Our chance for innovation

CLIMATE change stands as an undeniable challenge of our time, echoing through the melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and the ominous shadow of greenhouse gas emissions.

Governments worldwide are grappling with this threat, aiming to reconcile economic imperatives with environmental stewardship.

In Australia, this imperative is no less urgent, with every industry tasked with transitioning towards sustainable practices. Among these, the freight industry emerges as a pivotal player, confronting a daunting journey towards decarbonisation.

At the heart of this transition lies a fundamental conundrum: how to balance

environmental responsibility with economic viability.

Diesel, long the lifeblood of freight transportation, now symbolises an outdated era, fraught with carbon emissions and environmental harm. Yet, the transition to alternative fuels presents profound challenges – and opportunity – for the freight industry.

Price looms large on the horizon, casting a shadow over any transition efforts. While the allure of green energy is undeniable, its adoption comes at a premium. Renewable fuels often come with a higher price tag, threatening the delicate balance sheets of freight operators already operating on razor-thin margins. Without affordable alternatives, the path towards decarbonisation appears steep and treacherous. Moreover, the infrastructure required to support alternative fuels remains a work in progress.

The logistics of refuelling stations and distribution networks pose formidable hurdles, further complicating

the transition process. For many in the freight industry, the prospect of investing in unproven infrastructure adds another layer of uncertainty to an already complex equation.

Equipment represents yet another barrier to decarbonisation. Retrofitting existing fleets or investing in new, eco-friendly vehicles requires significant capital outlay, stretching the financial constraints of many operators.

In the absence of robust incentives or support mechanisms, the transition to greener technologies remains a distant dream for most.

In this landscape of challenges, the role of incentives versus penalties becomes paramount. Governments must strike a delicate balance, offering carrots rather than sticks to encourage adoption.

Subsidies, tax incentives, and grants can provide

much-needed breathing room for freight operators, incentivising investment in sustainable practices.

Yet, time is of the essence. While the need for decarbonisation is urgent, the transition cannot happen overnight.

Freight operators require sufficient lead time to adapt, lest they risk economic ruin in the pursuit of environmental salvation. A phased approach, coupled with realistic timelines, offers a pragmatic way forward, allowing for gradual adaptation without undue strain.

Customers and consumers must also factor into the equation. Customers of freight are more often than not driving for change, prompted by ESG targets, yet they must also factor this into supply chain impacts and cost, with consumers ultimately paying higher prices for decarbonised freight transport.

Amidst these challenges, however, lie immense opportunities. The transition towards decarbonisation presents a chance for innovation

and growth within the freight industry.

Manufacturers are poised to capitalise on this shift, developing cutting-edge technologies and solutions to meet the evolving needs of the market.

Furthermore, the benefits of decarbonisation extend far beyond mere environmental stewardship.

A greener freight industry promises cleaner air, reduced pollution, and improved public health outcomes. By embracing this transition, Australia has the opportunity to lead by example, demonstrating its commitment to a sustainable future.

Decarbonising Australia’s freight industry is not merely a lofty aspiration but an imperative for our collective survival.

While the challenges may seem daunting, they are not insurmountable. With strategic planning, robust incentives, and a shared commitment to change, we can pave the way towards a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come.

Law review failing to deliver productivity boost

AFTER seven years of a laboured process that is badged as a review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, I wish I could say that the future law is reflecting a substantial change in outlook by government in productivity enhancing policies and reforms.

Disappointingly, it reflects,

if anything, an administrative update that continues to constrict and constrain productivity growth, not boost it. What we need from our political leaders is a strong and open priority for freight productivity growth, along with boosting industry competitiveness. Opening up access and cutting red tape is the starting point. The cut through narrative of 20 odd years ago that “a country cannot re-distribute what its economy does not produce” is rarely featured, and particularly not in any dialogue about reforming the future of the road freight industry over the next 20 years.

For a country whose population relies on road freight as a critical service, and will for years to come, this poses major concerns.

Our nation relies on road freight to sustain our lifestyles and support our sparsely populated regional communities.

Improving the national road freight network to provide at least one all-weather corridor will make safer, more efficient connections, and will accelerate the investment in higher productivity vehicle combinations. This will also be critical as the industry starts to benchmark for ESG reporting towards lowering emission targets.

With an ever-increasing road freight task, we need to move that freight in the safest and most efficient way, and Australia has a comparative advantage in the market that is currently significantly underutilised.

The federal government has announced it is ‘turbocharging’ renewables manufacturing and adoption.

While many might agree that this is well placed investment, along with the state government, they must also make the progressive decision to invest in this infrastructure and the high productivity vehicles that underpin the delivery of the projects if we are to climb

the Global Competitiveness Index.

Road freight contributes significantly to our GDP at 8.6 per cent and is a major employer. Australia’s freight task is well in excess of 750 billion tonne kilometres and will grow another 26 per cent in the next five years.

Here in Queensland, road freight carries in excess of 300kg for every man, woman and child every day.

These critical investments are an economic energiser, boost safety and efficiency and will bring much needed congestion relief for the state and the country.

The lack of progress on

pro-productivity policies of the last decade is constraining the industry and this has to change. It requires a step back from a defensive legislative posture. Policies need to reflect more contemporary legislation with forward looking productivity in mind. Policies need aspiring spirit and intent to set the tone for a stronger economic future. This is critical to achieve genuine reform. The time is now.

The QTA will continue to pursue reform that is reflective of legislation that will inspire and encourage investment, and lead the industry into a safe, sustainable and profitable future.

INDUSTRY COMMENT PETER ANDERSON CEO, Victorian Transport Association

INDUSTRY COMMENT GARY MAHON CEO, Queensland Trucking Association

The transition towards decarbonisation presents a chance for innovation and growth within the freight industry. Image: maxwellmonty/stock.adobe.com

Truck-mad teen can’t wait to get behind the wheel

BY KAYLA WALSH

PYPAH Andrews is just 15 years old, but already knows she wants to be a truckie like her dad.

e teenager, who is from Temora, NSW, is in her rst year of a school-based apprenticeship to become a diesel mechanic.

It’s keeping her busy until she turns 19, when she can get nally behind the wheel herself.

“I can’t get my truck licence until I’m older so I thought it would be a good idea to become a diesel mechanic,” she said.

“ at way I still get to be around trucks, and in the fu-

ture when I’m a driver I’ll be able to x my truck myself if it breaks down.”

Pypah has loved trucks ever since she was a small child.

“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in trucks,” she said.

“When I was about 10 years old, I started to get more involved.

“I love listening to the truckies, the japes, seeing all the di erent types of trucks and how excited other people are about them.

“Like when you see a kid on the side of the road gesturing to hear the horn and when they hear it, they are so happy.”

Her dad Nathan Andrews, who works for McCabe Transport, has taught her the basics of how trucks work - and she’s picking up plenty of tips and tricks from local business CNA Diesel as part of her apprenticeship.

In her spare time, Pypah likes to help get trucks shined up and ready for events.

“I’ve polished up a truck for StelterTransport, and they’ve taken it to truck shows,” she added.

“I wash my dad’s truck as well.

“He drives a T909.”

She’s also taken up truck photography in a bid to spend even more time with her favourite machines.

“I took my camera to the Goulburn Convoy,” she said.

“And I found some dude on Facebook, I had taken a photo of his truck so I sent it to him.”

e truckie was so impressed with Pypah’s snap that he suggested she start her own truck photography page.

“I thought I wasn’t good enough but he said the more I practiced, the better I would

get,” she said.

“Truck drivers like seeing their photos on Facebook so I said I would give it a go.

“My photos aren’t perfect, but I’m learning.”

Pypah’s mum, Wendy

Dyer, told Big Rigs that she’s very proud of her hard-working daughter.

“She’s a great girl, she’s doing very well in life,” she said.

“She loves trucks and she’s going for what she wants.”

Young Person in Transport winner reveals her big ideas

PRUE Clarke from Gracemere Livestock Transport and GB&AR Willoughby Livestock in Queensland has been named the winner of the LRTAQ Young Person in Transport Award 2024.

The announcement was made at the Bull Carter’s Ball at The Goods Shed in Toowoomba, as part of the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Queensland/Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters’ Association Combined National Conference which ran from March 21-23.

Clarke was one of five finalists for the award, which recognises young people in livestock

and rural transport who are contributing to the sustainability of the industry and display pride and professionalism in their career.

The other nominees included Jack Murray from Frasers Livestock Transport, Ryan Gallagher from Mort & Co Transport, Matt Kinsey from Martins Stock Haulage and Brett Hawkins from Hawkins Transport.

Clarke is the administration/HR manager for both Gracemere Livestock Transport and GB&AR Willoughby Livestock, handling all administrative duties from employee onboarding to NHVAS

Maintenance Management and BFM.

A spokesperson for LRTAQ said she stood out as a young person who understands how the livestock transport industry is likely to develop, and her actions and ideas for the future align closely with the objectives of the award.

“Prue is not only a great asset to her company right now but she has plans and ideas to expand the business and deliver a more sustainable business for the future,” they added.

LRTAQ members, industry members, suppliers, service providers and government representatives were all invited

to attend the LRTAQ/ALRTA conference, where they were given an opportunity to network, discuss the future of the transport industry and receive the latest updates.

During the conference, a new one-stop shop for livestock transport information was launched by Meat & Livestock Australia.

Developed in consultation with the livestock transport supply chain, the MLA Transport Hub helps to navigate rules, roles and responsibilities for livestock transport anywhere in Australia. It can be accessed online at mla.com.au.

Prue Clarke was presented with the award at the Bull Carter’s Ball in Toowoomba. Image: LRTAQ

Pypah Andrews with one of her favourite trucks, owned by McSweeney Transport, at the Oaklands Truck Show. Images: Pypah Andrews

Pypah’s hard at work, polishing up a truck owned by Stelter Transport. Pypah snapped this great pic of a rig belonging to Donohue Transport.

Martins sees ‘value of youth’

BY KAYLA WALSH

MARTINS Stock Haulage is encouraging young people to join them for work experience, so they can get a feel for the transport industry.

e livestock transport operator, which has three depots across Queensland and NSW, welcomes youths to come and work with them, either as school-based apprentices or on a more casual basis.

Graham Emery, group eet maintenance manager for Martins, said the company sees the “value of youth” and wants to safeguard the future of the transport industry.

“So many young people are turning away from trades and the transport industry,” he told Big Rigs.

“We believe that the future is with young people.

“Any school kids who want to do work experience with us, we will accommodate them whenever we possibly can.”

Emery said that many young people who come in on work experience or as trainees end up being o ered full-time employment with Martins.

“We’ve got an apprentice boilermaker here who started as a school-based apprentice,” he said.

“And we’ve got a young girl who started by washing trailers and trucks for us, and now she’s

working in admin.

“Our workshop team in Oakey is very young, with a number of apprentices that we have taken on and trained up.

“Some young people only come in for a week, but sometimes they want to come back again or sign up with us and if we’ve got a spot, that’s ne.”

Emery says that when young people come in to Martins, they go through an induc-

tion and make sure they learn everything they need to keep themselves safe while they are there.

Next, it’s time to get their hands dirty.

“ ey’ll work with the tradespeople and learn from them, though obviously they are not allowed to us anything they might hurt themselves with,” Emery explained.

“We work with the kids and

encourage them.”

Emery said Martins is also exible, so if a young person decides that one part of the business is not for them, they can try out another area.

“We had one young fellow, he wanted to be a boilermaker.

“We had a couple of days in the boilermaker’s shed and then he asked if he could go to the mechanical shed instead.

“We said ‘Go for your life!’

and he seemed to enjoy that more, which was great.”

Martins also welcomes older applicants who don’t have experience in the industry.

“We have two mature-aged apprentices in the workshop and one mature-aged boilermaker,” Emery adds.

However, Emery says that with an ageing road transport workforce and sta shortages, it makes sense to try to attract

young people to the industry.

“ e task is increasing, and the driver pool is decreasing,” he said.

“We have to attract young people into the transport industry, whether it be truck driving or in the boilermaker’s shed or wherever else.

“We want to show them that the industry is a very interesting and diverse source of employment.”

Looking For Staff?

3 steps to gain employees

Taliyah McBride from Oakey State High School is completing her Certificate III in Business at Martins Stock Haulage.

Riley Gillies, second year heavy diesel mechanic, and Brock Metzroth, on school work experience from Highfields State Secondary College. Images: Martins Stock Haulage

Government spending extra $1m to train more truckies

THE Victorian Government is pouring an extra $1m into training more truck drivers, in partnership with the Victorian Transport Association.

e funding is in support of the VTA’s heavy vehicle driver delivery program, which o ers accredited training for aspiring truckies and helps graduates nd jobs with reputable transport companies.

e program hopes to attract and retain younger drivers, in a bid to address driver shortages and keep critical transport and logistics supply chains moving.

“ is partnership will see more Victorians get skilled up and behind the wheel to keep our state’s multi-billion-dollar freight industry moving,” said Victorian minister for ports and freight, Melissa Horne.

e VTA has welcomed the additional funding, which will go towards recruiting and selecting candidates as well as delivering theoretical and practical instruction to successful applicants via its training partner, Armstrongs Driver Education.

“It’s a recognition that the program is helping to address

the chronic shortage of quali ed and trained drivers,” a spokesperson told Big Rigs. “ e VTA has worked hard to meet the targets we have been set and we’re thrilled with the calibre of drivers we are training and placing in professional employment.

“It’s especially gratifying to see so many women and minority groups participating as diversity in transport is critical to meeting future workforce challenges.”

e VTA’s driver delivery program has delivered and placed nearly 400 drivers on the roads since its inception in 2018.

“ ere have been so many success stories, it’s hard to know where to start,” the spokesperson continued.

“ e program evolved out of providing a solution for creating employment pathways for displaced auto industry workers in 2016 and grown into something much bigger,” they continued.

“We’re trying to recruit drivers into a lifelong and rewarding career in transport and the Driver Delivery Program has been vital for tran-

LEARN FIRST AID

sitioning Victorians into new careers and getting them into an industry which they may otherwise not have considered.”

e partnership between

As a professional driver, you are likely to come across a person in need of First Aid. Did you know there’s a lot that you can

the state government and the VTA follows the success of the 2023 Freight Industry Training for Jobseekers project, which facilitated jobs for more than 125 people in freight and

warehousing.

Government funding allows the VTA to run the driver delivery program without any cost to participants or employers.

It is an eight-day, 2:1 program which provides individually tailored training, mentoring and behind-the-wheel experience to new heavy vehicle drivers.

Participants will also receive training and education in the areas of occupational health and safety, cabin drills, load restraints, road craft, fatigue management, metropolitan and rural driving and more.

Applicants will obtain a HR or HC licence during the program, subject to satisfying VicRoads licencing critera.

Upon successful completion of the program, the VTA will facilitate interviews with transport and logistics companies, in order to help secure a driving job for the participant.

If you are interested in entering the program at HR level you must have held a current Australian Driver’s licence card for a minimum of 24 months, and at HC level you must have held either a current MR, HR or combination of a MR and HR licence for a minimum of 12 months.

Visit vta.com.au/driver-delivery for more information.

You will be required to work on a rotating roster including Days-Nights-Weekends

Previous Operations experience preferred. MC LOCAL, LINEHAUL & 2-UP DRIVERS WANTED (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Based)

• Training and further education

• Your safety

• Maintaining an impressive Fleet

Come and work for us as we are committed to:

On offer arepermanent full time and roster positions including paid leave entitlements and public holidays. Drivers will need to be available to be scheduled for work falling across the 7 days of the week.

The successful Applicant will:

• Hold a current MC licence (minimum two years)

• Have knowledge of the HVNL and Load Restraint

• Be professional

• Be reliable

To apply for the Operations/Driver positions please contact Operations Manager or by emailing your resume to WORKSHOP MECHANICS & TYRE FITTERS WANTED (Brisbane based only)

To apply for Mechanic positions please forward your resume to Workshop Manager via email to employment@kseaster.com.au

Armstrongs Driver Education is the VTA’s

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