Big Rigs 3 February 2023

SINCE the federal government announced its $140 million heavy vehicle rest area initiative, the search was one for the faces that would form the steering committee, which was to be made up of four “industry experts” and five long-distance truckies.

The spend was revealed as part of the federal budget in October 2022, where the government committed an additional $80 million to support new and upgraded heavy vehicle rest areas.

That announcement brought the total commitment to the $140 million figure over 10 years, with the funding to be delivered under the Heavy Vehicle Rest Area initiative (HVRA) through the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP).

With the steering committee tasked with deciding how the cash will be spent over the next decade, the industry waited with bated breath to see who would make the final cut. Now, as the steering committee members are revealed, things are looking quite promising.

The steering committee will be chaired by WA Labor Senator and former truckie Glenn Sterle, who has continuously campaigned for better facilities and conditions for truck drivers.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Albanese Government which is delivering for the transport industry and our essential truckies,” said Sterle.

Sterle will be joined by the following four representatives of various industry organisations, who have each earned their seat at the steering committee table:

• Michelle Harwood: The executive director of the Tasmanian Transport Association, representing the Australian Trucking Association, she brings extensive experience in formulating and delivering the Tasmanian Heavy Vehicle Driver Rest Area Strategy.

• Rod Hannifey: President of the National Road

Freighters Association (NRFA), he’s a long-term truck driver, who has earned a reputation as a road safety advocate, representing truck drivers’ interests.

• John Beer: The former president of the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association is also a veteran long-distance truck driver, who has spent more than 40 years in the industry.

• Paul Ryan: A board mem-

ber at mental health foundation Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds.

Hannifey said he’s thrilled to have a seat at the table, alongside fellow NRFA board member Craig Forsyth, pictured above right.

“I’m glad it’ll give myself and others a chance to contribute and see some real value for helping blokes be safe on the road,” Hannifey told Big Rigs.

While the committee and its ensuing goals will be a hot

anyway, other than the fact that I’ve made suggestions thus far.”

They include improved parking options for truckies in cities, such as in industrial areas, and better utilisation of stockpile sites, and other locations that are sitting unused that might only need green reflectors, or a little bit of work to tidy them up.

The organisational representatives will be joined by the following truck drivers, all of whom were selected through an expression of interest process.

“The announcement of the membership of the steering committee means that we can now get to work to deliver meaningful outcomes for truck drivers,” said Sterle.

“Key to that success is utilising the experience, insight and knowledge of the truck drivers and road safety advocates on the committee and I can’t wait to get to work. I’d like to thank every driver who took time out of their busy schedule to complete an expression of interest to be a part of this process and offer my congratulations to those who have been selected.”

Truck drivers were given until mid-December to get their nominations in and state their case. The successful applicants represent a broad geographical cross-section of the country, with each committee member being from a different state:

topic of conversation at the NRFA conference in Wagga Wagga on February 11, Hannifey said he’s keen to see all truckies have an input.

“I certainly don’t want this to be seen as about me, or the NRFA,” he said.

“We’ve really got to let the committee have that first meeting and then go to every driver in Australia [for their ideas], rather than for us to try and pre-empt it.

“I certainly don’t want to be seen to be doing that in

• Kellie Boland: From Victoria, Boland and her family have been owner-drivers for three generations. She has held a heavy vehicle license for over 30 years.

• Bruce Skelton: From Queensland, Skelton has driven long haul trucks for 40 years. He has been involved in advocating for the correct use of heavy vehicle rest areas.

• Frank Black (Arcidiaco):

From South Australia, he has driven long haul trucks for 35 years; and has also been the owner driver representative on the Australian Trucking Association’s general council for the

Michelle Harwood.

Paul Ryan.

Frank Black (Arcidiaco).

Rod Hannifey.

Kellie Boland.

Heather Jones.

John Beer.

Bruce Skelton.

Craig Forsyth.

past 20 years.

• Heather Jones: Based in Western Australia, Jones has driven long haul trucks for more than 30 years. As well as sitting on the WA Road Freight Industry Council, she is also the co-founder of Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls, which continues to help

women get their start in the industry.

• Craig Forsyth: From New South Wales, Forsyth has driven heavy vehicles for 26 years. He is currently an owner-driver, travelling around 4500 kilometres a week. Forsyth is also a board member of the National Road Freighters

Association.

On announcing the make-up of the steering committee, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Senator Carol Brown said, “Drivers like Rod Hannifey, who has driven more than 6 million kilometres, or the circumference of Australia more than 40,000 times, will offer

NSW asks for truckies’ help to improve rest areas

TRANSPORT for NSW

(TfNSW) is calling for truckies’ help to increase the number and improve the quality of heavy vehicle rest stops across the state road network.

In a statement released to industry, TfNSW said the Heavy Vehicle Rest Stop Improvement Program aims to plan and prepare for new heavy vehicle rest stop opportunities and potential improvements to existing rest stops.

The program includes a comprehensive audit of the state road network and the existing and potential provision of heavy vehicle rest stops against the Austroads Guidelines.

“We are now seeking heavy vehicle drivers’ feedback to inform network priorities,” said TfNSW.

invaluable insights.

“Along with chair and former truck driver, Senator Glenn Sterle, I look forward to working with the steering committee to deliver new and improved heavy vehicle rest areas across the country.”

The steering committee is due to meet for the first time in February.

“Heavy vehicle drivers and operators are invited to share their perspective to ensure the work meets the current and future needs of heavy vehicle drivers and the growing freight task by identifying any gaps in the network.

“In seeking feedback, we would like industry to prioritise feedback on the Barton Highway, Princes Highway and Great Western Highway in the first instance and then

consider the broader state road network.”

Truckies can have their say via a survey or interactive map, which can be found by visiting nsw.gov.au/haveyour-say and searching ‘rest stop’.

Feedback is open until February 23 and will be used to identify priority areas, inform future improvements to the quality and quantity of heavy vehicle rest areas.

“Transport recognises that roads are heavy vehicle drivers’ workplace, and rest areas are important facilities that support driver wellbeing and compliance with mandatory rest breaks,” added Scott Greenow, acting executive director freight, regional and outer metropolitan for TfNSW.

Greenow said TfNSW is seeking feedback on:

• Industry identified priority gaps for rest stops on key freight corridors and stateroad network where new or upgraded rest stops should be considered.

• Capacity at rest stops to inform where targeted interventions may be necessary

• How drivers would want to use these potential heavy vehicle rest stops (i.e for sleep or short breaks).

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WA Labor Senator and former truckie Glenn Sterle will chair the steering committee.

Push for an all-weather route around Australia

work in capital cities.”

Mahon stressed that the industry isn’t looking for flood-proofing fixes on every road.

“We’re asking for a posture to be taken to look at the investments necessary to have a reliable and resilient all-weather corridor around Australia.”

In June last year, Infrastructure Australia (IA) kicked of the first stages of a regional road and rail freight corridor resilience probe that initially gave the impression Canberra might be finally on the same page.

the problem worse over time.”

IA also called for agencies to develop a coordinated approach to diagnosing and addressing the problem.

“This work should be informed by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) who is leading a review into road and rail supply chain resilience to identify critical supply chains.”

BY JAMES GRAHAM

A CONTINUATION of crippling weather events around Australia has added further weight to long-running calls from trucking bosses for a national all-weather freight route.

Queensland Trucking Association CEO Gary Mahon – one of the most vocal on this issue of late in mainstream media – is frustrated that more isn’t being done to avoid the costly delays and many supply-chain issues from summer flooding.

In his state alone, dozens of trucks were left stranded between Mackay and Bowen last month with the busy Bruce Highway again closed in several places due to surface water. Further west, the situation was just as dire with WA copping a drenching so bad, at the time of writing truckies are still forced to take a 6000km detour in and out of the Kimberley.

“There is plenty of enthusiasm to spend big amounts of money on tunnels underneath capital cities, what we’re asking

for is to increase some budgets on the regional network, so that we at least have one reliable, resilient corridor around Australia,” said Mahon.

“In 2023, we should be able to say we can haul big freight anywhere in Australia regardless of the weather.

“Saying things are not possible is a question of ambition and purpose. It’s a matter of adding some budget so a bridge is a metre higher, or there’s a bigger investment in particular floodways, just the same as they do for significant and expensive

“Recent bushfires, storms, floods, cyclones and coastal erosion events have shown the importance of building infrastructure resilience to safeguard communities, ecosystems and the economy,” it declared on its website.

“Road and rail freight corridor closures is a nationally significant problem that has economic, social and equity impacts that predominantly affect regional and remote communities. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and duration that NLTN corridors are closed and make the cumulative effects of

According to its website, BITRE says the review will identify the supply chains that are most critical to Australian communities and businesses, the risks they face, and a stocktake of any work underway to mitigate risks.

“This work will help to inform action by government on how to effectively and efficiently mitigate risks in supply chains for the benefit of all Australians.”

The review - first commissioned by the then Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce in March 2022 - was supposed to be finished by December.

But BITRE told Big Rigs that although completed, the final draft is still undergoing review and “there isn’t a public

release date at this time”.

A spokeswoman for Infrastructure and Minister Catherine King said building more resilient roads is a feature of the response from the federal government to the impacts of the floods.

She also pointed out that the last budget announced “significant” funding, including the $1.5 billion Nationwide Freight Highway Upgrade Program.

Cam Dumesny, Perth-based CEO at the Western Roads Federation (WRF), believes that the glacial progress on an all-weather solution to on-going supply chain issues comes down to a lack of vision at the top, and political factors, including the fact that there isn’t a single marginal electoral seat

QTA CEO Gary Mahon.

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey was happy with the way the state’s roads held up in the deluge.

Photo: Robert Murolo

in regional Australia.

“Infrastructure investment follows marginal seats, not freight need, and we have effectively neglected our regions for decades,” said Dumesny.

“Number two, business cases on the Infrastructure Australia model essentially suit large metropolitan cities; they’re basically inherently biased against regional freight.

“One, because they don’t have the resources to prepare the business cases, and they don’t consider things like supressed economic activity.”

But Dumesny points out that when former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower created his country’s interstate road network in the 1950s, it added 6 per cent to the US GDP.

Dumesny believes Australia also needs reliable freight routes for strategic needs.

“One of our biggest strategic air force bases is in Derby and we can’t supply it. We’ve got two sealed roads across a continent the size of Europe. It’s farcical.”

Aside from the on-going advocacy for all-weather freight routes – a campaign that Dumesny and his NT counterpart Louise Bilato have championed for a number of years – the WRF is also calling for total sealing of the Outback Way, which connects WA with Queensland through Alice Springs, and the Tanami Highway.

“You can seal those collec-

tively for around about $3 billion, which will open up a nation, versus the $150 billion to build a railway line around the outer ring of Melbourne.

“We need a national leader with vision to open up the nation.”

Mahon also believes that when big amounts of money are being invested in key freight routes, all steps are being taken to ensure they are resilient to all weather.

“It is not acceptable in this day and age to say ‘Oh well, every other year you might be cut off for a few days’.

“We spend the money now to raise it to the level that’s necessary.”

In a recent statement, Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey said he believed

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that the flood resilient upgrades along the Bruce Highway had stood up to January’s deluge.

“Flood resilience is one of the three major scopes of the current $13 billion Bruce Highway Upgrade Program, and the flood resilient projects we have delivered have stood up to the test of months’ worth of rain hitting Central and North Queensland in just a few days,” said Bailey.

“At 1679km long the Bruce Highway is a massive stretch of road, and there’s no denying we still have work to do, but it’s clear we are delivering and have a credible plan for the future,” he said.

“Our future plan for the Bruce includes flood resilience improvements on projects like the 26km long Gympie By-

pass project, the 15km long Rockhampton Ring Road, the 9km long Tiaro Bypass, and the almost 30km of flood resilient stretch being delivered as part of the Townsville Ring Road and Townsville Northern Access projects, just to name a few.

“But we know the North Queensland coastline usually cops it worst in summer during the wet and cyclone season, and that’s why we’re building a second Bruce Highway from Charters Towners to Mungindi which was bagged by the LNP when we announced it in 2020.

“The Inland Freight Route [or ‘Second Bruce’] will provide a genuine alternative to keep supplies coming into Central and Northern Queensland communities during the wet

season or a cyclone.”

Mahon said it’s great to see plenty of money being spent on the Bruce, but he’d like to more investment in the Inland Freight Route.

“And we need to see it spent sooner rather than later, but we also need to be thinking the same way on the Pacific and the Hume going through NSW. We need to change the perspective and the posture of planning to achieve the target of developing as promptly as we can at least one strategic corridor around the country that is all-weather.

“When you look at the scale of investment, you’re going to have to spend a lot more money to make all-weather for rail. The cheaper option is for road freight.”

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The WRF and the NT Road Transport Association push their case for sealing the Great Central and Tanami Roads. Graphic: WRF/NTRTA

In WA, trucks are now forced to detour halfway across the country due to washed-out roads and bridges.

Western Roads Federation CEO Cam Dumesny.

Barge system at Fitzroy Crossing

THE WA Government has revealed how it plans to reconnect the Great Northern Highway through Fitzroy Crossing, following significant flood damage.

Sections of the highway around Fitzroy Crossing were completely washed away in the recent one-in-100-year flood event, while the Fitzroy Crossing Bridge sustained significant damage and will need to be fully replaced.

The plan will involve the implementation of a barge system across the river, which will initially be operated by tugs, with a cable system to be operationalised shortly after.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti thanked the community for their patience, while plans were being developed. “We will work as fast as we can to implement these solutions but being in the middle of the wet season, there remains the possibility of significant rain

operators, to make sure there is a good understanding of how the temporary barge option will operate.

“This will be the first time a barge system like this has been operated in this part of our state, so the final configuration and operation will depend

The barge system will be used while Main Roads constructs a low-level floodway crossing, which will provide a more permanent option while the full replacement of the Fitzroy Crossing Bridge is undertaken.

“Assessments of the existing

Katherine mayor calls for a second high-level bridge

Traditional Owner groups on key cultural heritage issues, and to ensure that out of this emergency, we are creating employment and training opportunities for the local Indigenous communities.”

Main Roads is considering appropriate locations for the low-level floodway crossing, with construction expected to take around four months to complete.

Barge infrastructure could be reinstated if the river levels exceed the height of the low-level floodway crossing at any point.

Planning for a new bridge across Fitzroy River are underway. The new bridge will need to be higher and longer, and will be dual-lane, rather than the current single-lane bridge.

Meanwhile, heavy machinery and a 40-person strong road reconstruction crew continue to carry out repair works on the severely damaged section of the Great Northern Highway

WITH flood damage to the road network in northern WA, a voice from the other side of the border is calling for action to help floodproof her region.

A second high-level bridge has been proposed as part of the NT Government’s plan for a heavy vehicle alternate route in Katherine, but it isn’t marked for development for 10-15 years.

In the wake of the WA flood emergency, Katherine mayor Lis Clark wants to see those plans brought forward.

“Unprecedented is heard too often these days and 15 years is too far away. We need to start planning for this now,” she said.

“We’re looking for solutions that reflect climate change as we know it today. If access to our current bridge is lost, all of the Territory’s resources south of Katherine come to a standstill.”

Clark says the damage to the Fitzroy River Bridge on the Great Northern highlights the vulnerability in

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The barge system will be used to reconnect towns, after the Fitzroy Crossing Bridge collapsed. Photo: Facebook/Rita Saffioti MLA

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Rest stop progress?

JAMES GRAHAM

GREAT to see much-needed movement on improving truckies’ lot when it comes to the standard and numbers of rest areas along our major freight routes [see stories on pages 2-3].

Labor makes good on its pre-election pledge to give drivers a seat at the table when it comes to deciding how to spend $140 million, and NSW is also asking for truckies’ input on where they want to see more facilities in that state.

I hope I’m proven wrong, but note to NSW: I’m not sure if the installation of exercise equipment at Clybucca is the smartest choice. While improving drivers’ health is an important issue, no question, in reality they have far too many other pressures to deal with at present before concerning themselves with how many chinups they can muster in a 15-minute rest break.

Why not invest that money on tidying up dissued stockpile sites, or investing in Rod Hannifey’s green reflector initiative. Small outlays for a big difference.

HOT WEB TOPICS Truckie charged for compo fraud An innovative ‘hook’ for Qld role

A FAR North Queensland transport operator has shared his struggles in attracting truck drivers. He’s now using the lifestyle hook to try and lure in professional drivers to complete the seasonal work, which is mainly in the rugged and remote Aussie outback.

On Facebook, Chris Cartwright said, “There should be young blokes jumping all over this. What an experience, even for a couple of years.”

While Robert J Wise shared a different view: “As it says, can’t pay miners wages and it’s seasonal… It’s not like

the young fellas can go up for a few years and save up to buy their first home, reality is a hard pill to swallow.”

Malcolm Campbell added: “It’s not only the mines

fault drivers are hard to find, the NHVR have a lot to answer for as well. Truck drivers are over being labelled as criminals as soon as they climb into their truck.

A 29-year-old truck driver was ordered to pay $50,509 after he was caught working while receiving compensation payments for an injury. In March 2019, he had he lodged a successful compensation claim for injuries to his neck, back and shoulder caused by pushing hay bales off a truck.

Between September 2020 and November 2021, he submitted certificates of capacity declaring that he was not working. However, a WorkSafe investigation found that he had worked for a earthmoving contractor since October 2020.

“Fair enough too – the insurance costs business big and we in Australia are lucky to have workplace protection. It is my belief it’s what sets our country apart from any oth-

er,” wrote Mark Freer when the story was shared on our Facebook page.

“Glad he got caught… way too many rort the system,” said Gail Hewson.

EDITOR

WorkSafe alleges he failed to disclose his employment to his GP or insurer.

Operations manager at Rob Roy Earthmoving in western Cape York Peninsula, Gavan Roy.

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Anxious wait for house relocation specialists

BY ALF WILSON

AS rain had hammered parts of Queensland in the days before the big move, Brett Nixon and Dean Anderson faced a nervous wait as they prepared to relocate a house from Townsville to Forrest Beach, some 130 kilometres away.

The move was slated to take place on Wednesday, January 18.

Nixon runs ProJax, which was tasked with the relocation and owner-operator Anderson, 60, who runs DRA Transport, was using his flashy yellow Kenworth to do the job.

Pro-Jax House Raising and Lifting has been operat-

ing in the North Queensland region for over 40 years.

In 1974, Don Nixon pioneered a new way of raising a house during a period when house raising and restumping was largely sought after due to record floods. His technique and the equipment he designed are now used widely across North Queensland.

Brett is Don’s son and is today continuing his father’s legacy.

The house involved in the move was a family home built around 1975, located in sleepy Caroline Street in the Townsville suburb of Aitkenvale. My investigations revealed the land where the house was sitting will soon have a retirement village built

on top of it.

I first stopped by to speak with the duo at around 11am that morning. “We are just waiting to see how wet it is so we can move the house and if it is okay we plan to start at 10pm tonight,” Anderson said.

At that point, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. While a 120km stretch of the Bruce Highway between Townsville and Ingham was still open, down south around Proserpine and Mackay, the road had been cut due to floods.

Thankfully the weather held up and the move was able to get on its way by around 9pm.

It took over six hours for two Kenworth trucks to

THE LEAD UP TO THE TRIP INVOLVED OVER A MONTH OF PREPARATION, WHICH INCLUDED CUTTING THE HOUSE IN TWO, LOADING IT ONTO THE TRAILERS AND GAINING THE NECESSARY WIDE LOAD PERMITS.”

transport the house, alongside three police cars and three pilot drivers.

The lead up to the trip involved over a month of preparation, which included cutting the house in two, loading it onto the trailers

It took two trucks, three police cars and three pilot vehicles to get the house to its new destination.

The move took around six hours to complete.

Brett Nixon and Dean Anderson with the house loaded up in the background.

and gaining the necessary wide load permits.

The house travelled behind Anderson’s 1984 and 1986 model Kenworths.

Anderson, a truck driving veteran who has been driving trucks since he was 19, drove the yellow Kenworth; with Danny Donovan behind the wheel of the older model.

Due to the recent heavy rain, the decision to undertake the journey that evening wasn’t made until late in the afternoon.

Even though the big showers had ceased, it was still drizzling when the convoy left.

Big Rigs snapped some pics as it headed up Alfred Street which is behind the

giant Stockland Shopping Plaza and McDonalds Aitkenvale.

Lots of spectators had braved the light rain to wait and take some pics.

“It was slow going in the local streets where we could only poke along at less than 20km/h but once we got on the Bruce Highway that increased to around 60km/h,” explained Anderson.

He added that both sections of the house were 8.7m wide and it took a couple of hours to negotiate the Townsville streets.

“Ergon Energy workers had to get us under powerlines a few times and NBN also had to disconnect some lines whilst we passed. It was

Piloting into top ‘Gear’

WITH three decades of experience as a pilot driver, Angie Gear has helped move more than her fair share of oversize loads.

She was driving the lead pilot escort vehicle, ahead of the two Kenworths, during the house relocation.

I saw the convoy meandering along Alfred Street in Aitkenvale when they were held up at a roundabout to let traffic through.

As I walked near the convoy which had come to a stop, I recognised Gear as I had done a story on her back in 2006, in the now defunct magazine Truckin’ Life.

slow going in the city streets as there were a few skinny spots,” Anderson revealed.

He added that there wasn’t a lot of traffic on the 110km section of the Bruce Highway between Townsville and Ingham.

“There was a few narrow spots at level crossings which we had to negotiate with care. Any trucks we came across got off the highway as we passed,” he said.

The 20km section between Ingham and the great fishing venue of Forrest Beach went without any major problems and they arrived just before 4am.

“We had to leave the trailers there because of the wet ground,” Anderson said.

In that article were four other female pilots named Heather Godfrey, Lynette Nalder, Del Thom and Di Linridge.

It was at Townsville’s Reclaimed Land Area near the mouth of Ross River and the wharves. They were piloting ultra-wide mining equipment loads to Mount Isa, 900km away.

Gear, now aged 57, is one of the most respected and well known pilot drivers around North Queensland and beyond.

She possesses a bubbly personality and a wonderful and witty sense of humour. “Refer to me as a pilot and not an escort,” was one of the first things she said to me.

In the industry for 35 years, Gear runs A Gear Pilot Service. For many years she had manned the office of her family

business A & A Gear Tilt Operators.

When her beloved husband Merv passed away in 2002 she became a full-time pilot driver.

I asked how many places around Australia she had visited so far.

“I have been to WA, the Northern Territory, parts of SA, all over the north and almost every state except Tasmania. Many people wait until they retire and get in a caravan and travel around Australia but being a pilot has enabled me to see places I would never have. I even got stuck once at Hall’s

Creek in WA and also got a ride in a Royal Flying Doctor plane after being injured. I live life to the fullest and enjoy it,” she said.

Angie said her latest trip to Forrest Beach was good. She arrived back at her Townsville home just after 5am but didn’t get any sleep because she had to catch a plane just hours later to see her youngest daughter in Sydney.

“I always get on well with the truck drivers and these days I generally do jobs which allow me to be home at night,” she said in conclusion.

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Angie Gear’s role as a pilot driver has taken her all over the country.

The decision to go ahead with the move was made just hours before it set off.

Hauling the mail after dark

The team at Glen Kearney Transport in Barooga, NSW, celebrates a milestone moment with a very special delivery.

BY DAVID VILE

IN these current times, to run and grow a family transport business successfully for 25 years is a considerable achievement, and there is no better way to mark the occasion than with the arrival of a flagship truck.

For the team at Glen Kearney Transport, which is based out of Barooga in New South Wales, the quarter-century milestone was celebrated with the arrival of a tricked-up Kenworth T909 in December 2022, with family member Jack Kearney being handed the keys just prior to Christmas.

Coincidentally, this year Jack is also turning 25, having worked in the transport industry since leaving school. He had the T909 on display just up the road from Barooga as part of the Berrigan Show and Shine in mid-January and spoke of the long term plans the family had to mark the 25-year anniversary.

“We thought we would do something special, seeing we

have been 25 years in operation, and the old man (Glen) has always wanted a T909. When I started driving for him in 2018 we made a bit of a plan that one day it would happen. From the time we ordered it, it was 18 months until we picked it up in December last year.”

The Kenworth was supplied through Graham Thompson Motors in Shepparton, and upon leaving Kenworth’s Bayswater factory spent another four and a half months getting kitted out with a variety of accessories to make the truck stand out from the rest.

“Everything I wanted on it is on it. It went to Custom Air and got the bunk cooler, tv and microwave. It was fitted out with tipper hydraulics and Dean Laws in Cobram did the signwriting and paint – everyone along the way has been really good to deal with,” he said.

The Glen Kearney Transport fleet today numbers six trucks, working across tautliners, tippers and flat-top operation and has its origins back in the late 1990s with a couple of bonneted Fords hitting the roads in the Riverina.

“He started with a LTS and

an LNT doing containers out of Tocumwal across to Corowa, and they have kept pretty busy – from the Fords then to a Western Star and a number of Kenworth models,” Jack said.

“Both my uncles are now working with us. We were able to find a bit more work and we have gone from there. Around here there’s always something to do. If you want to work, you will soon find it.”

Jacks’ career in transport started upon finishing school, just over the Murray River in Cobram, working for Brian Hicks Transport.

“I did two years there and got a few certificates in transport logistics and warehousing,” Jack explained.

“I was working out of the office a couple of days a week on the operations side of things and also doing the local deliveries and picking up market freight.”

Heading back over the river to work in the family business Jack first drove a Kenworth T401 with a single tipper before moving on to a K200 cab-over, then an older T604 before getting into the saddle of the T909. Continued on page 14

A proud Jack Kearney with the new truck.

The pride of the Glen Kearney Transport fleet is this Kenworth T909. Photos: David Vile

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The T909 is a head-turner as well as a fitting tribute

“Sleepless nights, that goes along with the job! We bought that mail run off Graeme Pollard from Benalla in 2019, and it has gone ahead in leaps and bounds. With Covid everyone is shopping online so we are always fully loaded. We run from Sunday night to Friday night.”

While the T909 is on a set run towing a single tautliner, the rest of the Glen Kearney fleet works throughout the Riverina and further afield, and needless to say the wheels are kept rolling during the summer harvest season.

“We run grain and also do a bit of hay and machinery. I also cart a bit of grain. If I can get the old man

The T909 has been tricked up from bumper to bumper.

to do the mail a couple of nights a week I will hook the tippers on and do that for a change,” he said.

The distinctive paint scheme with its blue highlights and gold scrolls on the T909 is from the paintbrush of Dean Laws and has now been adopted as the Kearney company colours which will adorn another T909 and a Legend SAR which are on order and will arrive later in 2023.

The milestone Kearney Kenworth comes to life when the sun goes down.

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“The paint scheme is

how we will go from here. Dean does a great job – they are all hand-painted scrolls and lines. You could have three white trucks parked there and they all look the same but what he does with the paintbrush can really set them apartou want to be able to make them your own,” he said.

Most would agree that the Kearney T909 is both a head-turner and is a fitting tribute to mark a quarter-century of operation.

No doubt both the truck and its young driver will be key components of the success of the Kearney operation as they together embark on the next 25 years.

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THE PAINT SCHEME IS HOW WE WILL GO FROM HERE. DEAN DOES A GREAT JOB - THEY ARE ALL HAND-PAINTED SCROLLS AND LINES. YOU COULD HAVE THREE WHITE TRUCKS PARKED THERE AND THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME BUT WHAT HE DOES WITH THE PAINTBRUSH CAN REALLY SET THEM APARTYOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THEM YOUR OWN.”

JACK KEARNEY

CMV acquires Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs

CMV Truck & Bus has entered an agreement to acquire Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs in Warrnambool, Victoria.

It is expected that the transfer of ownership will take effect on February 6, with founders Anthony and Catherine Convey and Phil Noonan agreeing to remain with the business to assist the team with the transition.

Founded in 2010 by Anthony and Catherine Convey, and Phil and Tanya Noonan, Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs is the largest heavy-vehicle truck repair centre between Geelong and Mount Gambier.

Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs has been representing CMV Truck & Bus in the region for both parts supply and servicing and repairs of Mack Trucks, UD Trucks and Volvo Trucks and Buses over the last 12 years.

A family-owned business that upholds values similar to that of the CMV Group, Warrnambool Truck

& Trailer Repairs currently employs seven staff who support a significant customer base in the Warrnambool region. All of whom are being offered employment with CMV Truck & Bus.

CMV Truck & Bus are a division of the CMV Group, who employ more

than 1700 people across Australia. They are the Victorian franchisee for Volvo Group Australia brands; Mack Trucks, UD Trucks and Volvo Trucks and Buses. CMV Truck & Bus operate dealerships in Clayton, Dandenong, Derrimut, Epping, Shepparton,

Traralgon and Wodonga, along with a Training Institute at Derrimut.

Reflecting on the recent acquisition, David Simmons, CMV Group chairman said the company was looking forward to bringing the Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs business and

their staff into the CMV Group fold.

“We’re committed to maintaining the strong customer service and focus the Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs customers in the region have experienced over the years,” said Simmons. Phil Noonan of Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs added, “After 13 years in partnership, 12 of which we have worked alongside CMV Truck & Bus, we are pleased to announce the transition of ownership to the CMV Group. We believe the standards and integrity of Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs will continue with the CMV Group as the company upholds values and principles similar to ours.

“Anthony and I, along with Catherine and Tanya and all our current employees, will continue to apply our years of experience, knowledge and business relationships with assisting in the continual growth of Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs.”

Miles Crawford, general manager of CMV Truck & Bus said of this new acquisition: “Anthony and Catherine Convey, and Phil and Tanya Noonan have been outstanding business partners over the last 12 years, and have continued to grow their operation through a focus on customer service, strong communication and business relationships.

“We look forward to working with Anthony, Catherine, Phil and Tanya through the transition period, and supporting all staff and customers moving forward”.

From a staff of five in 1934, the CMV Group now runs substantial operations in automotive dealerships and agriculture predominately in Victoria and South Australia, employing more than 1700 staff. CMV also administers the CMV Group Foundation, a charitable trust which channels the Group’s distributable profit back into the community through donations to worthy causes.

Fuso notches second successive record year of sales

FUSO is confident it can maintain sales momentum in 2023 following a record year in 2022 thanks to improving supply.

The Japanese manufacturer notched an all-time annual truck and bus sales tally of 5319 units last year – and that was despite the wide-ranging supply issues impacting the trucking industry.

That result represents a second consecutive yearly sales record for Fuso Australia, and accounted for 11.3 per cent of the total truck sales market in Australia, according to the end-ofyear numbers provided by the Truck Industry Council (TIC).

There were only two other brands that finished ahead of Fuso in 2022. They were perennial leader Isuzu (13,360); and Hino (5867), which found itself embroiled in a class action suit after an emissions scandal surfaced in Japan.

The Fuso team says it’s confident that it can continue delivering for its customers thanks to improved production of key models, with strong supply of the brand’s Canter truck and Rosa bus models.

Fuso Truck and Bus Australia director, Alex Müller, explains that Fuso is looking forward to a strong year in 2023 as the company works to fulfill the high level of or-

ders that have already been placed.

“Fuso is delighted to be able to support our customers with better supply of key models from Japan, especially our iconic Canter truck and Fuso light bus,” Müller said.

“We respect the hard work our customers do every day and are proud to offer them the best products, solutions and aftersales support through our strong Fuso dealership network.”

Fuso is especially focused on delivering trucks to customers who are keen to take advantage of end-of-financial-year tax benefits that require delivery to take place before June 30.

The heavy-duty Fuso Shogun is currently more popular than ever.

The Shogun almost doubled its volume in 2022 and recorded its best-ever monthly sales result of 72. This is despite the supply issues that continue to affect some Shogun and Fighter models.

Boosting interest in the Shogun range was the well-received Shogun 510 13-litre heavy-duty model; which is the most powerful Japanese truck available in Australia.

Fuso says that many Shogun customers are new to the brand and have been attracted by the quality of the truck as a well as the

Only two other brands finished ahead of Fuso in 2022.

aftersales support, which includes a generous warranty (five years or 500,000km, whichever comes first) and long service intervals.

Fuso is also the only truck

brand to offer a manufacturer warranty program across its entire range that covers the truck for five years (or various mileage limits, whichever comes first).

Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs founders will stay on board to assist with the transition. [l-r] Ross Greig, Miles Crawford, Anthony Convey, Catherine Convey, Phil Noonan and Tanya Noonan.

Hubfleet EWD approved for use under AFM rulesets

we’ve received from the guys at Hubfleet has been really good too. They always respond really quickly.”

With the Hubfleet EWD system now formally approved by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) to run AFM, company founder James Doherty says the future is looking bright.

“AFM is now part of our certificate of approval,” he said. “For new customers, that means we now have a system in place that allows us to implement their custom rules fairly quickly. We can then carry out testing of the rules to make sure we pick up all of the relevant fatigue breaches and give drivers adequate warnings, etc. The dashboard screen in our app is also customised for the specific ruleset too.”

LATE last year, Hubfleet became among the first electronic work diary (EWD) providers to have its product approved for use under the Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) rulesets.

Hubfleet was able to integrate AFM capabilities into its system for civil construction, earthworks, roadworks and plant hire services company Western Downs Civil (WDC), which is based in Chinchilla, Queensland.

The company operates a fleet of 23 trucks, of which up to eight will be moving across to AFM in coming weeks. Following impressive results through a trial program of Hubfleet’s EWD with integrated AFM rulesets, WDC is looking forward to moving across to the technology.

“The drivers who trialled the Hubfleet EWD liked it, as it was easy to use – there have also been some updates since the initial trial took place too,” explained WDC supervisor Jason Zeller.

WDC first engaged Hub-

Fleet in early March 2022, choosing the business over the other five approved EWD suppliers because it was the only company that was ‘device agnostic’ meaning the system can run on IOS or android devices, without the need for a specific tablet device to be mounted in the vehicles, which is a much more cost effective and easy solution for the company.

Given the sort of work WDC’s drivers undertake they are often working in remote areas with little to no service and as Zeller explains, this was initially a key area of concern for the business when looking to switch from a paper-based work diary to an EWD. However these concerns were quickly allayed.

“The Hubfleet EWD was taken out to areas where there is no service and the drivers were still able to use the app there without any issues. They use the app as normal and once they are back in an area with service,

all of the data uploads as normal,” he said.

“The system actually reports on what is being put into the work diary and provides alerts for non-conformance as well, so it cuts down on paperwork. To be compliant with our AFM accreditation you have to self audit and it’s very time consuming to go through paper dockets. It takes about an hour for each driver, every month, so by using the Hubfleet EWD, it eliminates that need. The reports are all generated automatically. There is also a timer on there for when drivers take their breaks, so it eliminates any guesswork.”

An additional feature of Hubfleet’s EWD are short and easy-to-use training videos. “They are well titled and easy to search for. It’s also very easy for our drivers to download the system and set themselves up on it too,” Zeller added.

“From what I’ve seen of the system so far, it’s pretty impressive. The support

WDC says the Hubfleet system is easy to use and cuts down on paperwork.

Up to eight trucks will be moving across to AFM in coming weeks.

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Albury husband-and-wife team share secrets to success

CUSTOMER satisfaction is the ultimate feat that every business strives for, but how do you achieve that satisfaction in the transport industry where there is so much competition?

If you ask NSW UD Trucks customer, Mick Bodman, it all comes down to having the right people, a dependable service support network and overnight express delivery, and of course, reliable trucks.

Mick believes in getting the equipment, people and service right from the start and that’s what he and his wife Kelly did in 2001 when they established Bodman Transport in Albury, NSW.

“Express is our standard,” Mick said. “Our customers depend on us with overnight service, so goods can be delivered on time.”

Mick also said that the hard work and dedication of his team, his reliable UD Trucks and the support from the dealership network, has enabled his business to deliver high quality service and strengthen customer loyalty over time.

“We don’t have spare trucks lying around so we rely on reliability. What we do with our UDs and how they’ve been treated – we give them hell and they just keep going. Reliability is the key thing.”

The owner-operator reiterated that daily, his customers rely on Bodman Transport to efficiently transport their car-

go. UD Trucks as a partner, has been instrumental in ensuring this efficiency through the deployment of UD’s robust and dependable trucks.

With Bodman Transport’s trucks collectively clocking close to 10,000km per day, vehicle reliability is a must, Mick confirmed. Equally, the need for accessible and

dependable service and support is essential for the Bodman’s fleet and their fleet is currently well supported by CMV Truck & Bus Albury/ Wodonga.

“We’ve got a really good relationship with the dealer network,” said Mick. “They understand that we’re a small company and they do everything to appease us.”

Bodman Transport began their business carting pallet and parcel deliveries locally. Over the years, the business has grown its fleet to 15 trucks and today proudly operates six UD trucks with more on order, all delivered and serviced through the Volvo Group Australia dealer network. Bodman’s service north-east Victoria, southern NSW, ACT and provide national on-forwarding, all whilst striving for Bodman’s brand promise of delivering express is a standard, not an extra.

When asked about Bodman’s decision to buy a UD, Mick said that it started before he even started driving trucks.

“A neighbour of mine had a transport business and had UD Trucks and loved them. I used to help him wash them

and I suppose that’s where it started. I knew about their reliability, so as it came time, I don’t really think I thought about it, I just bought a UD,” said Mick.

Bodman’s biggest testament to the reliability of the UD product, is their truck ‘Knackers’ that is nearing 1,000,000km. Knackers is the second truck that Bodman’s purchased and was delivered brand new in 2007. Knackers used to clock close to 1000km a day, travelling from Albury to Wagga, then Canberra and back to Albury on the five-day-a-week express schedule.

“She’s had a hard life but still going strong,” said Mick.

When asked about UD’s epic Lap of the Map tour, Mick said: “The Lap of the Map sounds good, a Lap of Australia!

“I wouldn’t mind doing it myself. It’ll be good getting the truck out into the communities across Australia and 15,000km for that truck will be a piece of cake.”

The 15-year-old UD Condor MK 11 280 ‘Knackers’ is nearing 1 million kilometres.

Mick and Kelly Bodman with part of the Bodman Transport team.

Mick and Kelly Bodman are the husband-and-wife team at the helm of Bodman Transport.

Reader Rigs proudly supported by #PicOfThe Month

Share your truck pics to win with Shell Rimula

SHELL Rimula has partnered with Big Rigs in a big way – so now 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 editor@bigrigs. 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!

Jamie Neville pulls into St George to check on the loads before heading further west.

Daniel Whipps snapped this pic of the JS Weldings Hino he drives, delivering one of its first loads of steel to a job at Emerald.

Dan Hutchinson shared this shot of his maiden road train voyage, behind the wheel of a new XL 700hp Volvo.

Dan Bateo steers this Kenworth T909 loaded with iron ore, bound for Utah, Port Hedland.

Filip Schubert took this great shot of a Monday morning sunrise in Melbourne.

Doug Goldsworthy sent through this great historic shot he took in 1965 between Derby and Broome, carrying empty 44 gallon fuel drums south to refill.

Congratulations to Wayne Rogerson, who has won a $500 Shell Coles Express Gift Card for this great morning shot, snapped while west of Southern Cross, WA.

Tom Charlton loads peanuts in Tolga, Queensland.

Brad Cheney shared this shot of a “cracker sunset” in Hedland.

Simon Glen shared this snap he took of the Frasers truck line-up, when most of the prime movers had come home for Christmas.

Two triples deliver 92km of 75mm poly pipe to a station in the NT. Thanks for sharing Dan Roche.

Robbie Bell unloads stockfeed in central Queensland.

A beautiful shot captured by Heath Toon at Ballina BP Northbound.

Josh Rigney carts export pallets from Kapunda in SA to Townsville. Photo taken on the Barrier Hwy between Yunta and Mannahill.

When the going gets tough, truckies keep everyone going

Crate family service for Tamworth livestock mover

YOU would think livestock hauler Mckyla Hull could easily get a livestock body fitted to her Fuso Fighter in a jiffy.

We all know how long many people can wait for truck bodies and trailers, but Mckyla does have the advantage of owning a stock-crate and tray fabrication business with her husband John in the New South Wales town of Tamworth.

However, Mckyla did the right thing and waited for her spot in the JM Welding queue as her new Fuso truck sat idle.

After six months, which seemed like an eternity to Mckyla, she was ready to hit the road in the smart livestock hauler.

“No jumping the queue for me. I had to wait in line like everybody else,” she told Big Rigs during a break at the family farm.

“But it was worth the wait, and it was so nice when it was finished,” she added.

Mckyla loves truck driving, which probably should not come as a surprise.

Her father Darren drove a livestock truck and Mcky-

la and her brother spent a lot of time washing it, and went for the occasional ride-along. Now, her mostly-retired father comes along sometimes and shares driving duties with Mckyla to make sure she doesn’t run out of hours on her logbook.

“Dad loves that I ended up driving a livestock truck,” she said with a smile.

Given the livestock industry has been so traditionally male-dominated, it is no small achievement.

Mckyla and John Hull buy and sell cattle, which accounts for some of her cargo, but most of the work for the JM Pastoral transport arm is moving cows, sheep and goats for others all over New South Wales.

Her old Fuso Fighter served Mckyla well, but it had recently notched up 800,000km and was ready to leave the road and take on a

new role as a farm truck.

“It was a great truck that never let me down and it also went like a scolded cat, which was nice. We didn’t have to touch the engine or gearbox or even change a clutch, but given its mileage I didn’t want to take the chance that it would give up out in some really remote location,” she explained.

Mckyla didn’t hesitate to head into JT Fossey to buy a new Fuso Fighter. Partly because she knew how reliable the Fighter is, but also because her family has known salesman John Saint for decades.

“John is such a great guy and we have always had fantastic service from the guys at JT Fossey. They are always keen to help,” she said.

Mckyla chose a 1627 Fighter, which gets along using a 270hp/784Nm 7.5-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel linked up to a nine-speed manual.

No fancy self-shifting gearboxes here, Mckyla wants her gear as simple as possible so that if ever anything does go wrong, it can be fixed anywhere, at any time.

The Fighter also comes with a manufacturer warranty that covers the truck for five years or 350,000km, whichever comes first, which provides additional peace of mind.

The Fighter was fitted with a JM Welding 24-foot single deck anti-bruise stock crate that features in-floor drainage, drop ramp and a rear-slide gate.

It can carry around 80 to 100 sheep, 35 smaller cows (200kg) or 18 large cows and Mckyla covers a lot of ground moving stock to all corners of the state.

“One of the best things about my job is travelling to all these wonderful places. I just love it,” she said.

Most of the work for Mckyla Hull and JM Pastoral transport is moving cows, sheep and goats for others all over NSW.

Mckyla didn’t hesitate to head into JT Fossey to buy a new Fuso Fighter.

Transport fleet going

AFTER a longstanding successful business of 47 years, Anthony (Tony) Madden has decided to call it a day and retire.

He founded Madden’s Refrigerated Transport in 1974, as a general freight company operating out of Goulburn. Early into the business, he landed an account with Tancred’s Meat Company and began delivering meat into Canberra and the surrounding regions.

In 1980 Tancred Meats purchased the Harden Abattoirs in the South West Slopes region of NSW. They approached Madden to move his business to Harden and after some consideration the decision was made to move. Harden not only had its own abattoir but provided a central location to both the abattoir at Cootamundra and the abattoir at Young. It also provided close proximity to the fertile fruit growing areas of Young, Kingsvale and Wombat and was ideally situated for transportation to both Sydney and Melbourne. Proud of the reputation of the growing business, it was decided to change the company name to Maddens Refrigerated Transport.

Coles approached Madden in 1985 as they wanted a specialised refrigerated transport provider to cart chilled meat direct from the local abattoirs to the supermarkets. This was the first contract for the direct delivery of chilled and frozen meat for Coles to be signed outside of the major cities. By this time, Maddens Refrigerated Transport was picking up chilled and frozen meat from Cootamundra, Gundagai, Harden, Junee, and Young abattoirs, with deliveries directly into supermarkets as far south as Eden and as far north as Port Macquarie.

With the business further expanding into the cartage of frozen produce, Madden identified the need for a commercial cold storage facility in the area. In 1998 a 400-pallet export cold storage and blast

freezing facility was built at the Harden site. Chilled meat and fresh fruit from the local area would be blast frozen at Harden, preserving the quality of produce, reducing costs to customers of transporting product to Sydney for blast freezing.

The name of the company was also changed to Maddens Refrigerated Transport and Cold Storage.

Demand for the services of

the cold storage facility were growing, and in 2007 Madden purchased the now closed Harden abattoir site with the view of creating a larger export cold storage and blast freezing facility. The new 2000-pallet cold storage facility opened in 2008, packing between 500650 export containers per year.

Maddens Refrigerated Transport and Cold Storage has continued to grow and

evolve over time with the needs of its customers, providing temperature controlled transport, general freight transport, dry storage, blast freezing, frozen storage, chilled storage, container packing, local and interstate deliveries.

Now, as Madden prepares for retirement, he has decided to sell his remaining fleet – consisting of approximately 16 trucks and 23 trailers – via

Grays.com. Assets will range from Kenworth and DAF prime movers to FTE refrigerated trailers and more.

“Grays has been great to deal with since day one and the main reason I am selling with them is due to being able to sell my fleet from the comfort of my yard,” explained Madden.

“Steve has also been very attentive and gone over and beyond. Not having to relo-

cate my fleet to another site is a huge weight off my shoulders.” The online auction will commence on February 9 and close February 15.

To find out more about this major retirement sale, visit grays.com/maddens or contact Steve Martin on 0447 144 579/steve.ma rtin@grays.com.au for any further information regarding the sale.

After close to half a century in business, Tony Madden has decided the time is right for a new chapter.

CANADIAN hydrogen trucking pioneer, Hydra Energy, is making some serious headway in Canada, with additional focus on Australia and the US transportation markets.

Hydra just broke ground on the world’s largest hydrogen refuelling station for heavy-duty trucks in Western Canada forming a template it can replicate in other geographical regions, including Australia.

Hydra provides a zero-cost, hydrogen-diesel co-combus

specialist, PCL Construction, with project financing support coming from Hydra’s seed funders and non-dilutive government funding. New partner and project announcements are expected early in the New Year.

Big Rigs: You say this development will form a template that Hydra Energy can replicate in other geographical regions, including Australia. How so?

Verhagen: One of the classic challenges of clean energy-related breakthroughs is the chicken and egg problem and which comes first – the technology or the infrastructure? In Hydra’s innovative approach in Prince George, they are tackling this head on by providing both their proprietary hydrogen-diesel, co-combustion conversion kits for Class 8 trucks (at no cost to fleet owners and owner-operators) and building out the hydrogen refuelling station supporting 65 Hydra-converted trucks in the region. This allows Hydra to prove out their Hydrogen-as-a-ServiceTM (HaaSTM) business model and form a template for licensing partners to replicate in other regions they have clean hydrogen available, including Australia. Think of Hydra as first proving the model that can then quickly expand around the world in more of a channel-type setup. Then licensees have to maintain minimum sales to have exclusivity over a certain ge-

ography.

Big Rigs: Tell us a bit more about Hydra. How are you different from the increasing array of players entering this market?

Verhagen: What’s most unique about Hydra in this very popular and competitive hydrogen transportation space is that they have uniquely focused on leveraging existing clean hydrogen sources and delivering a viable emissions-lowering solution to commercial fleet owners and owner-operators to help make a dent in transportation emissions right now.

There’s so much talk about zero-emission vehicles and achieving Net Zero but Hydra is about providing an economical, transition solution right now that reduces emissions, provides fleets with a clean, local fuel source at diesel-equivalent prices, and offers immediate offtakers for organisations with clean hydrogen they want to monetise in the most profitable way possible. Bottom line is Hydra offers a commercially available hydrogen trucking solution right now that costs nothing for fleet owners and owner-operators. This means they can reduce emissions today – without negatively impacting truck performance regardless of payload or weather – and don’t have to wait for the expensive zero-emission trucks and infrastructure promised down the road.

A clean hydrogen-based solution like Hydra offers is also ideal over alternative emis-

sions-lowering technologies for heavy-duty trucking since it provides meaningful GHG emissions today, provides the high torque and power needed for traction and heavy payloads, doesn’t add the weight of heavy batteries that reduce payload and revenue, works in cold temperatures, avoids range anxiety, and refuels as quickly as diesel. Hydra has found a viable way to accelerate the use of clean hydrogen to decarbonise one of the most hard-to-abate sectors in the world and they’re doing it right now with trucks on the road running real routes.

Big Rigs: You say that Hydra provides a zero-cost, hydrogen-diesel co-combustion conversion kit (not fuel cells) to switch existing Class 8 trucks to run seamlessly on both hydrogen and diesel reducing emissions 40 per cent per truck in the process. How much does this cost the operator up front? Can you give us some success stories about Canadian fleets that have converted. What difference is it having on the bottom line?

Verhagen: In the Prince George model, Hydra pays for every hydrogen-diesel truck conversion in exchange

for a long-term, low-carbon hydrogen fuel contract at a fixed, diesel-equivalent price. Conversions take just a couple of days to complete and are fully reversible.

To date, Hydra is the first company to deliver a hydrogen-converted, heavy-duty vehicle to a paying fleet customer (in Prince George), to deliver the world’s first hydrogen-converted armoured vehicle (in Edmonton), and to sign an MOU to deliver the world’s first airside hydrogen-diesel fleet at an international airport (in Edmonton). Hydra already has two paying fleet customers

and more signed MOUs with additional fleets to be announced in the New Year. In each case, fleet owners benefit from immediate emissions reduction and a stable, local clean fuel supply at diesel parity (important during such fuel market volatility) while attracting a much-needed younger generation of truck drivers attracted to a more environmentally friendly trucking industry – all at no cost to fleet owners and with no negative impact on truck performance. It’s a win-win all around.

Continued on page 30

An artist’s impression of what the refuelling station will look like.

kingpins, coupling products and landing gear to the commercial vehicles industry.

On the fastest path to hydrogen-based trucking

gen since the easy truck conversions ensure immediate off-takers for that fuel. Additional licensee announcements are expected in early 2023 as well as this licensing model ensures the fastest path to hydrogen-based trucking in North America and beyond.

From page 29

Big Rigs: Hydra also provides hydrogen fuelling infrastructure at no cost? What’s the catch?

Verhagen: As noted, Hydra’s conversion kits are free for fleet owners in exchange for a long-term, low-carbon hydrogen fuel contract. Hydra is targeting licensees who will produce or distribute clean hydrogen. By be-

ing one of the few hydrogen off-take technologies ready to be deployed en masse with attractive economics to fleets, Hydra enables these HaaS licensees to bring large hydrogen volumes to market profitably. For fleets in their supply locations, it will be up to them whether they want to charge any fees for truck conversions. However, if they want immediate offtakers for their hydrogen supply, it’s in their best in-

terest to get trucks converted in their station regions as quickly as possible.

Big Rigs: In the case of Australia, you say Hydra is offering a licensing model for organisations looking to quickly monetise available hydrogen they might have, whether for their own fleets or fleets around them. How will this work exactly? Why would a fleet sign up for this?

Verhagen: Hydra is about to announce a demo truck trial period and follow-on agreement with its first HaaS licensee which is a leading fossil fuel distributor in Canada looking to expand its low-carbon alternative fuel offerings to its customers across Canada. Hydra will first convert two of their tube trailers and then upon completion of this trial period, Hydra will provide

this organization with their hydrogen conversion kits, ongoing software updates, data portal access, technical support, and sales materials in exchange for a monthly license fee per converted truck they do in any of the regions they’re offering their clean hydrogen to fleets. So, the licensing option is more about providing an immediate, profitable way for organisations to monetise their available clean hydro-

As for why do fleets sign up for this, Hydra has found that fleets like working Hydra’s offering because its technology has been proven in real-world conditions since 2016, there’s no range anxiety as it seamlessly switches back to diesel if the hydrogen runs out, there’s no impact on payload, the Hydra conversion kit is free, and the price of hydrogen Hydra charges is on par with diesel. Fleets are motivated to work with Hydra because Hydra can save them money by:

1. Keeping them at a fixed hydrogen price when diesel goes higher (fleets get that upside)

2. Improving fuel economy (the dual-fuel mix goes further than diesel alone)

Hydra is targetting licensees who will produce or distribute clean hydrogen.

Hydra’s tech is proven in real world conditions since 2016.

3. Reducing maintenance cots (a cleaner burn means less DPF use extending its life)

4. Attracting new drivers (less downtime)

As you can see, Hydra’s unique approach is a viable option even for the smallest operator.

Big Rigs: You do know that there is no infrastructure in place here and from the smaller operator’s point of view, which accounts for 95 per cent of the trucks on the roads here, a great deal of scepticism about the viability of this technology, particularly given the vast distances that they drive between cities. You really have your

work cut out getting uptake on this.

Verhagen: You got it. Once again, Hydra has developed a way to make clean trucking a reality for even the smallest operator as part of the transition to Net Zero. It’s about leveraging existing trucks (like the 5 million registered in North America), providing a green option that makes sense for heavy-duty trucking at no cost, and finding the best and fastest way to make clean hydrogen available to converted fleets everywhere.

Hydra’s HaaS model is the secret to success since it doesn’t wait for technology and infrastructure down the

road. It leverages what exists today to make an immediate dent in emissions.

Big Rigs: Given all the obstacles, why the interest here? What have you seen that our readers are not?

Verhagen: Hydra’s HaaS model can apply to any region with clean hydrogen to leverage and Class 8 trucks looking to reduce their impact on the environment without sacrificing performance or paying more for new technology. Hydra is continuously approached by Australian fleet owners and fuel suppliers every time the company announces another milestone so more than

anything, Australia has come to Hydra. The Australian government has also shown some commitment to hydrogen hubs and to decarbonising commercial fleets specifically. And Hydra is also seeing the progress Hyzon has had in the New South Wales region, a great market where 7000 trucks are traveling between there and Sydney each day.

Big Rigs: What do you think of the current hydrogen sector in Australia at present and how does it compare with Canada’s? The federal and state governments here are making a lot of noise about investing, yes, but are light years behind North America.

Verhagen: Adoption of Hydra’s innovation really comes

down to availability, desire, and government support to utilise clean hydrogen. Australia continues to show interest in hydrogen (as well as electric solutions) but like any government – including Canada – it’s about having viable, affordable solutions that leverage it. Otherwise, hydrogen-based transportation will continue to be talked about rather than implemented. Hydra has shown how real hydrogen is possible right now and that when it comes to heavy-duty trucking, hydrogen makes the most sense. This has government bodies around the world taking notice, including Australia. The secret is realising that clean trucking takes baby steps like what Hydra is uniquely providing today.

Hydra says it’s continuously approached by Australian fleet owners every time it announces another milestone.

Hydra pays for every hydrogen-diesel conversion in exchange for a long-term fuel contract.

Truckin’ In The Outback

Logan Ryle

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

FOR Logan Ryle, 26, his love of trucks started when he was just a young boy. “Growing up in the north of Bowen, in Queensland, I’ve always been around trucks and earthmoving gear,” he said.

Currently, Ryle works for Mactrans Heavy Haulage and has been there for just over a year. Based in southern Queensland, Mactrans specialises in over-mass and over-dimensional loads. The business was started in 2000 and operates a diverse fleet that

includes floats, flat decks, drop decks and dollies – designed to carry anything from 20 to 250 tonne.

The job takes Ryle to all corners of the country. You’ll find him behind the wheel of a schmick 2007 Mack Titan, called ‘The Royal Mut’.

Pulling anything from singles through to triples, Ryle says he mainly carts oversize machinery and attachments to suit drilling/piling equipment.

When asked what he loves most about the job, he replied, “I enjoy getting out and about. No day is ever the same – it’s

always different jobs, different locations and different trailer configurations.”

Travelling through Australia’s vast and varied landscape, Ryle rates two particular stretches of road as being among the toughest to navigate through. “I’d probably say two of the toughest roads I’ve been on are the Tanami Track out at the Newmont Gold Mine; and the Great Central Road, south of Alice springs heading over to Western Australia,” he explained.

On his toughest run out on the Tanami, he says, “It took

27 hours to get across while empty and 36 hours while loaded! The Great Central to West Musgrave Mine was very similar in length and in the time it took.”

As much as he loves the travel and the freedom of the open road that comes with the job, Ryle added that it can also pose one of the biggest challenges for truckies too. “The hardest part of the job would have to be being away from friends and family a lot. And all the rules and regulations of the industry can be a challenge too,” he said.

Logan Ryle and his partner Ginny Nielsen.

He carts mainly oversize machinery and attachments to suit drilling/piling equipment. The role with Mactrans Heavy Haulage takes him all over the country.

Truckin’ In The Outback

Lachlan and Leon Dagg

BY ALF WILSON

AGED just 18, Lachlan Dagg is one of the youngest truckies I have spoken to and it was by extreme coincidence that I discovered that he and his father Leon Dagg are descendants of famous Australian bushranger

Ned Kelly.

I was sitting in a Warwick Roadhouse in January enjoying breakfast when Lachlan, his girlfriend Jasmine Taylor and Leon walked in to order some takeaways.

Lachlan was driving a Foton light rigid truck in which Jas-

mine was a passenger and it was parked outside.

In another vehicle beside them was his father Leon, 50. When they entered I mentioned to my wife that he struck a resemblance to Ned Kelly because of his dark beard. My wife urged me to yarn to them when they left and they were happy to oblige.

Myself and the trouble and strife (wife Jenny) had both been to Victoria to visit Glenrowan where Ned Kelly was captured by police in June 1880 and three members of his gang were killed after a siege at the Glenrowan Inn.

At Glenrowan is a giant Ned Kelly statue and a museum which features a re-enactment of his stand against police.

And of course a picture of Ned Kelly showing his beard.

Lachlan said he had been driving for a while and that the Foton was going to Kalara to pick up cattle which had been at a farm on agistment to deliver to the Warwick saleyards.

“I do the driving and hopefully Jasmine will in the not too distant future too,” Lachlan said.

I asked Leon if he had ever been told he was a clone of Ned Kelly and his answer was quite unexpected.

“I am related to Ned Kelly somewhere along the line from back then,” Leon said.

Leon who sometimes drives the Foton said he had been to Glenrowan.

Lachlan added that the worst road he travels on is the Cunningham Highway. “The stretch between Warwick and

Cunningham Gap is rough in places.”

He likes stopping at the BP Aratula Roadhouse and enjoys his life.

“I just love picking up cattle,” he said.

Leon lives at Jimboomba and makes loading ramps for trucks and other vehicles.

“I have made one for the Foton which is a Chinese model but has a Cummins motor,” Leon said.

Also travelling in the Foton was Lachlan’s pet dog Archie who is delighted to go on trips. I really enjoyed yarning to the trio who are genuine friendly bush people.

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Leon Dagg was travelling in another vehicle beside his son Lachlan.

Jasmine Taylor, Lachlan Dagg and Leon Dagg.

Truckin’ In The Tropics

Andrew Barber

SMALL fleet owner Andrew Barber, 47, has five trucks and was behind the wheel of his trusty 1993 model International T-line 2760 when Big Rigs saw him.

He runs Andrew Barber Transport based at Moonbi in NSW.

I saw the very friendly and informative Barber parked outside a roadhouse near Tamworth.

“The International has a 400hp engine and a 15 speed Road Ranger gearbox. My other trucks are a Volvo, a Fuso, a Hino and an Isuzu,” he said.

That day Barber was carting stockfeed for delivery to Warwick in Queensland.

“I travel as far away north to Warwick which is a distance of about 500km and south to Newcastle,” he said.

The first truck Barber drove was a 1984 Mitsubishi. He has been an owner-operator since 2009 and started with one truck and no work, and has built it up to be a very successful and busy business completely from word of mouth, he has never advertised for work.

Barber added that the worst road he travels on is between Tenterfield in NSW and Warwick across the border, as well as the Armidale to Dorrigo stretch.

He carts everything agricultural related, including stockfeed, grains, hay, stock, bulldozers and whatever comes his way – he’s not fussy about what he does as it all helps to pay the bills.

His favourite roadhouses are at Warwick and in the Black Mountains of NSW.

I asked what he hopes will improve in the industry and with driver safety during 2023.

“They have to fix the problem of so many potholes on roads down here – most of the time they fill them with spray tar material which is a band-aid

solution,” he said.

Like many owner operators, who rely on their partners to help run the business, Barber said that his wife Kate Barber was an integral part of his.

“I couldn’t do without her and I don’t understand all of the computer technology associated with all the bookwork, which she does well. She doesn’t drive trucks but is vital,” he said.

Testimony to that was when I asked Barber for his email address to enable me to send him some pics – he had to ring Kate to get it!

Their two sons Charlie,

nearly 17, who has just started a Heavy Diesel Mechanical Apprenticeship with Brown & Hurley Trucks in Tamworth; and Lewis, aged 13, are also very much a part of their business.

They assist with small mechanical repairs, loading and unloading, and strapping up loads ready to head out.

“They share the same interest in trucks as their dad and well and truly know their way around a ratchet tie down strap,” Kate said.

I really enjoyed the yarn I had with Barber that day.

with Alf Wilson

He was behind the wheel of his 1993 International T-line 2760 when he stopped for a chat.

Andrew Barber runs Andrew Barber Transport, based in Moonbi, NSW.

with Alf Wilson

Skeeta Christofferson Trevor Tarrant

IT is unusual to come across a truckie washing their truck and if you do not many will agree to have their pic taken.

One exception is Ballarat based Skeeta Christofferson who works for Onions Transport. He was power hosing his rig at Warwick in Queensland.

“I have brought up fish from Melbourne to Brisbane and Townsville and have a

backload of melons to go back to Victoria,” he said.

A truckie for 20 years, Christofferson said the Newell Highway was amongst the worst roads he travels on.

“More rest areas are needed and the ones there are too far apart,” he said.

Superfit Christofferson was glowing in his praise of the Aratula Roadhouse.

“The showers are great, so is the food and the staff there,” he said.

Outside work, Christofferson likes watching V8 supercars and also has a motorbike.

“It is a 2004 Harley Davidson Night Train,” he said.

After I snapped his pic with hose in hand I let Christofferson get on with the job to ensure his truck was clean.

“I

to the Tamworth Abattoirs,” he said.

He does the driving and his wife Deirdre takes care of the bookwork and administration side of the business, which is called TC&DA Tarrant.

“I have been a driver for

47 years and the first truck I drove was an International Butterbox. My dad Herb owned it,” he said.

The rising cost of fuel is a major concern for the road transport industry and I asked Tarrant how it had affected him.

“The extra costs have been considerable but fortunately I have long time valued clients who accept an increased rate,” he said.

Tarrant added that the main highways he gets along, such as the New England, are in general good condition.

“Some of the ones into rural farms are a bit rough but that can be expected,” he said. His favourite roadhouses are the BP Black Mountain and Ampol Guyra near where he lives.

Tarrant has never had Covid-19, which surprises him. “Because I have come into contact with a lot of people,” he said When I first met him I offered Tarrant a contact card but he didn’t require one.

“I read Big Rigs all the time and have seen your pic in it,” he said.

Ballarat based Skeeta Christofferson drives for Onions Transport.

Tarrant had picked up 431 sheep from farms around Guyra for delivery to the Tamworth Abattoirs.

Toll costs are becoming prohibitive for operators

double park along the wide main street and still allow access for cars which have parked.

There is also a heavy vehicle inspection station on the outskirts of Campbell Town which was opened in 1832 when bushrangers roamed the area.

WA trucks

Tunnel vision on tolls

There is little doubt that the NorthConnex tunnel into and out of Sydney has eased traffic congestion and cut down travelling time for trucks in particular.

NorthConnex is a 9km twin tunnel that links the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga to the Hills M2 Motorway at West Pennant Hills in Sydney.

During my recent trip to NSW I spoke to scores of truckies who praised the tunnel because it has cut travelling time since it opened on October 31, 2020.

But with every good thing comes a cost and small fleet owners and owner-operators tell me the toll costs are prohibitive.

“The toll is $27.17 for trucks and added to rising fuel prices it is a big hit for us,” one told me.

However truckies who are employed by companies had a different opinion.

“I don’t care as the company pays the tolls. The tunnel is a huge positive for us as it can take 15 to 30 minutes off a trip,” a truckie said.

Toll prices are valid from January 1, 2023 and are adjusted quarterly in line with the concession agreement with the NSW Government, and will continue until 2048.

The government estimates that up to 5000 trucks are taken off Pennant Hills Road each day, saving nearly 15 minutes off travel time

during rush hours.

Truckies told me that can be up to 30 minutes.

Drivers can also avoid 40 sets of traffic lights on the Pacific Highway or 21 sets of traffic lights between the M1 and M2.

I was driving through the tunnel in January and had the radio on when a speaker from the control centre cut in and advised there had been a minor accident and there could be delays.

It is all very high tech.

Scalies and delays

It can be a nightmare travelling along the M1 Highway in and out of Sydney especially for truckies.

I had to feel sorry for hundreds of truckies who travelled along the M1 in late December when the speed of all traffic was reduced to a snail’s pace.

That was because of two crashes with one each side of the busy highway on which normally the speed can be brisk.

One was a three-car collision on the Hawkesbury River Bridge and the other a pile up just down the route.

I was also caught up in the delays and it took me 90 minutes to travel 25kms and there were trucks caught in long lines everywhere.

To make matters worse for truckies the scalies had set up checks at inspection stations on both sides of the M1.

Staff shortages

It seems that many roadhouses around this vast country are having trouble finding suitable staff.

Spy has heard this from some roadhouse operators in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, SA, WA and the NT.

Truckies who frequent these vital businesses have also passed on similar information they have gleaned from visits.

I know of one driver who is employed by a company which allows for long haul workers to stay at a motel, who could not get a room at one.

He was told that the boss there had to prepare the rooms for use herself because she could not get staff to do so.

So she could only prepare so many.

No such reports of roadhouse worker shortages have been received from Tasmania.

Tassie parking dilemma

There is controversy in the strategically placed Tasmanian town of Campbell Town about trucks double parking in the main street.

Campbell Town is located 66km from Launceston and 133km from the capital Hobart, along the Midlands or Heritage Highway. With its location between

Tassie’s two biggest towns, it is very busy with truck traffic.

It also is the only major rest area on the Midland Highway, with toilets, a park, a large car park and a range of food outlets.

Some locals it seems have complained about trucks double parking which has resulted in police intervening.

However whilst some drivers have been booked, my contacts there tell me police mostly issue warnings.

I am told that trucks can

An avid reader of Big Rigs was impressed with the driving of safety conscious truckies she saw whilst travelling along the highway near Albany in WA.

She managed to track down Spy and email some pics she took whilst on the road in January.

One who particularly impressed her was the driver of a South Haulage Mack.

She sent in some pics snapped from the passenger side of a vehicle she was in.

Southern Haulage is based at Mount Barker in WA.

Busy Cardwell Seaside Cardwell in North Queensland along the Bruce Highway is a busy place with many truckies stopping there.

Cardwell is 160km north of Townsville and 180km south of Cairns, and the Bruce Highway runs through the main street.

A truck on the road near Albany in WA. Trucks travelling in both directions along the main street of Cardwell on the Bruce Highway.

A truck cruises down the main street of Campbell Town, Tasmania.

It is right beside the azure Pacific Ocean and every day hundreds of trucks pass through.

Some of the drivers opt to stop at the roadhouse or if they can find a park pop over to one of the eateries.

At the roadhouse you can pick up a copy of Big Rigs and a couple of truckies I saw sitting at a table across the street were reading it.

The day I pulled over there recently I saw more than 50 trucks heading in both directions.

In recent years Cardwell had been hard hit by tropical cyclones, with one half of the main street eroded away.

Even though the waters off Cardwell are enticing for a swim on a hot day, the local pieman Bob Jesse warns against it.

“There are crocodiles there so don’t swim,” he said. Bad luck instead of good

A well known Queensland identity who appeared in Big Rigs recently phoned Spy in a rather agitated state and his first words were “do you want the good news first or the bad news?”

Always one to look on the brighter side of life old Spy opted to hear the good news.

“Well I go to a club regularly which has a mega members draw and last night my name was pulled out advising I had won $30,000 cash,” he said.

Spy pondered for a split second about what could possibly be the bad news after such a windfall.

“I was 20 minutes late getting there as I was doing the

mowing and as part of the rules the winner had to be at the club so I didn’t get the cash,” he said.

As this is a family paper I can’t repeat the expletives that followed from his mouth.

Friendly worker

Orbin Dry is a staff member at the Deepwater Roadhouse in NSW and is one of the friendliest workers you could ever meet.

I stopped off there with my wife on a story run and entered the roadhouse which is between Tamworth and Armidale.

The 33-year-old couldn’t have been more helpful and courteous to us.

“I have worked here for some time and we get lots of truckies stopping off. We always treat people well and many come back,” Dry said.

The roadhouse opens until 9pm nightly and Dry says the main dine-in meals truckies order are mixed grills and steak.

“Others in a hurry get a coffee or a cold drink and then leave depending on their schedule,” he said.

Dry added that the roadhouse is privately owned and that some truckies stopped for a shower and to use the toilets.

They even get to read their latest copy of Big Rigs Newspaper.

Born in Oregon in the USA, Dry has been down under since 2012.

l feel Dry is a real asset for the roadhouse.

Hidden secret

Several truckies told Spy that there is a place they like to stop at Kearsley in NSW because they can check out his-

tory, park their rigs across the road, use a clean toilet and get a snack, cold drink, a tea or a coffee.

It is a café and museum/art gallery called ‘The Crossing’ so Big Rigs stopped there in January and spoke to the owner Tony Moore.

Kearsley is a small hamlet near Cessnock; and Moore said quite a few truckies stop there along with normal motorists and van drivers.

“The truck fellows park across the road and have a look around. They get a bite to eat and use the toilet and then are on their way,” he said.

Moore, 60, used to own a landscaping business and also repaired trucks so he knows what the drivers want.

I enjoyed a cake and cuppa there and looked at the old Elvis Presley records, rail trans-

port memorabilia and numerous other historical items.

It may have been a hidden secret but now that it’s hit the pages of Big Rigs, it won’t be a secret anymore.

What would you do?

A report made its way to Spy about an incident which occurred at a pull off area near Glen Innes involving a driver and a motorist.

Apparently the motorist who was on holidays and has a connection with the road transport industry saw a truck parked and the driver’s feet were outside the cabin window.

The motorist thought the driver may have suffered a heart attack or some other ailment and tried to talk to him to see if he was okay.

He was also mindful that the driver who works for a large

company may have been asleep.

After a few minutes the driver snapped a pic of the truckie’s feet from the passenger side window of his car.

The flash went off and woke the truckie who was very annoyed and peppered the fellow with a bevy of expletives and a few threats.

“Don’t you post that,” the driver told him.

Now the pic taker understood that he was angry but tried to explain that he should be thankful that somebody cared about his welfare.

Spy understands that the company the truckie works for is one of several that look negatively on any of their employees appearing in the media.

So what would you do if you spotted a driver with his feet out the window. Drive off or try and help?

Traffic travels through the NorthConnex tunnel.

A road sign on the Tasmanian Midlands Highway heading towards Campbell Town.

A truck caught up in a traffic jam on the inbound M1 highway into Sydney after accidents.

Orbin Dry on the job at the Deepwater Roadhouse.

Tony Moore at Crossroads Museum and Café.

JAMES GRAHAM james.graham@bigrigs.com.au

TASSIE TRUCKIN’ JON WALLIS contributors@bigrigs.com.au

Truckies are continuing to fight hard for their rights

RICHARD OLSEN TWU NSW State Secretary

RICHARD OLSEN TWU NSW/QLD State Secretary

DRIVER shortages are an indication of the state of affairs in our industry. When companies are closing their doors because they can’t get enough drivers, and ‘overtime’ becomes ‘all-the-time’ just to get the job done, there’s a serious problem.

We know trucking is an ageing workforce. So, what happened to the industry once revered by youngsters? Where did the camaraderie go?

Over decades, trucking has been fractured and fragmented, squeezed from the top and unsupported from below by a lack of minimum standards. Then came the gig tsunami pulling the rug from under traditional transport operators who’d always made a good, honest living.

Every workforce seems to be facing staff shortages at the moment, with the pandemic

LEGAL EAGLE ROWAN KING Principal Lawyer RK Law

RICHARD OLSEN

receiving most of the blame.

When it comes to trucking, we need to look back further. We need to look up and down and side to side, because supply chains are under attack from all angles, and it’s always drivers copping it the worst.

Nobody is more affected by driver shortages than drivers themselves. The pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines and work longer, faster and harder is only made worse by a scarcity of drivers.

Usually when something is rare it is more valuable. Good time to be a truckie, you’d think.

It’s true some may have

managed to up their rates or switch to a company that offers better entitlements. But it is also true that many are facing worse pressure, or having to fight hard just to maintain what they have.

FedEx has taken the low road, opting for a gig-style model to compete with AmazonFlex, putting its existing workforce on notice that jobs and entitlements are under threat.

Caterpillar 257B Interlock Module

At Cleanaway, waste workers up and down the country are having to take protected industrial action to hold on to their hard-earned overtime rates and other conditions.

It is a brutal and unfair approach to rely on your workforce to stay out on the road for longer, work extra shifts and give up weekends to help get the job done –only to try and take away those overtime rates when

the enterprise agreement is up for negotiation.

Congratulations to all the waste workers who’ve been taking action to protect what they’re owed. It is a tough job out there keeping our streets clean and homes and businesses waste-free, and the workers deserve respect.

It shouldn’t take protected industrial action for workers to get their fair share. Safety should always be the first

priority, followed closely by fairness.

This year, we’ll be working together to ensure the government can act on its commitment to empower the Fair Work Commission to set fair, safe and sustainable standards in transport.

Only by lifting standards across the industry will we see it become an appealing job again, and the deadly pressures eased.

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TWU members at Cleanaway Hillsdale stand their ground for pay parity and better conditions.

IT IS A BRUTAL AND UNFAIR APPROACH TO RELY ON YOUR WORKFORCE TO STAY OUT ON THE ROAD FOR LONGER, WORK EXTRA SHIFTS AND GIVE UP WEEKENDS TO HELP GET THE JOB DONE.”

Closures are highlighting the value of infrastructure

annual maintenance programs combined to create significant disruption on Victoria’s transport network, with the return of interstate and international tourism traffic for major events like the Australian Open tennis also adding to the congestion.

Victoria’s $90 billion Big Build are completed and come together, and as more road and rail infrastructure starts to open, we should see the reverse occur, together with productivity gains for operators.

VICTORIANS – and particularly those living in and around Melbourne – have experienced some of the most prolific transport disruptions in recent memory over the summer period, with private and public infrastructure operators using what used to be the ‘quieter’ warmer months to undertake major maintenance works.

Among the more significant undertakings was the closure of four out of five lanes on the West Gate Freeway for bridge maintenance, and the shutdown of the rail network’s City Loop and numerous suburban rail lines for upgrades, with commuters shunted onto replacement buses for much of the summer.

On top of other major roadworks across the state to repair flood-damaged road and rail networks, these much-needed

A silver lining of these disruptions has been a greater focus on transport infrastructure, with many media outlets looking for stories in the otherwise quieter summer news period happy to drum up and report conflict and angst from disgruntled travellers stuck in traffic.

There is no doubt that road, rail and sea infrastructure that is big enough and seamless enough to accommodate our state’s growing freight task has a major impact on the productivity of transport operators, as we saw during the disruptions. When big roads are closed and rail commuters put onto buses, productivity plummets with more congested roads, fewer deliveries and slower travel times. The ensuing supply chain disruptions reduce stock at retail stores and even push up consumer prices. But as all the infrastructure programs underway through

Victoria currently has three major tunnelling projects underway with the Metro Tunnel, West Gate Tunnel, and North East Link project all at varying stages of completion. As these projects continue and approach their completion, the VTA will be advocating for positive policy and regulatory changes that can add to the productivity gains additional road and rail infrastructure inevitably brings.

Among this will be advocacy for longer and heavier high productivity freight vehicles to use the new infrastructure, along with investments in the state’s gazetted regional and metropolitan freight network for bridge strengthening works to accommodate heavier loads.

We’ll also be advocating for common sense solutions such as changes to traffic light sequencing and dedicated right hand turn lanes to improve safety for all road users and create efficiencies for operators.

With the West Gate Tunnel now well underway we’ll be focussing on maximising the return for operators in and around the Port of Melbourne, that will soon be forced on to a tolled road when the adjacent road network is fully curfewed and off limits to heavy vehicles.

The potential provision by West Gate Tunnel operator Transurban for things like higher toll discounts for fleets and reduced or waived tolls for night time use when there’s less traffic will make compulsory tolls more palatable for

freight operators, and improve congestion during the day.

The movement of freight is a 24/7 game in our economy, with the Port of Melbourne welcoming ships around the clock, so we need road and rail freight policies that complement and support this.

Victorians demonstrated during the pandemic that freight and commuter traffic can safely coexist, with the temporary removal of curfews so retail shops, cafes and restaurants could be replenished. We’ll continue to op-

pose curfews where warranted, as well as campaign for clearways on major arterial roads and freight routes to improve productivity and reduce congestion.

We can have the biggest and the best road, rail and sea freight transport infrastructure in the world, but if we don’t have associated policies and regulations that enable their seamless integration, the productivity and safety gains of bigger roads, stronger bridges, and efficient ports will all be for nought.

1.

2. 160x100 Bolt Pattern

3.

4. Rotating locking pin

5. Reinforced funnel

6. The ability to

The West Gate Tunnel Project is now well underway. Photo: Victoria’s Big Build

Several events planned for the first quarter

BY this time of year most of those New Year’s resolutions have gone by the wayside and we are starting to get back into the normal flow of life.

As I mentioned in my last article, Transport Women Australia Limited has several events for the first quarter of the year with International Women’s Day events in Sydney, Perth, Wollongong, Melbourne, Dubbo, Launceston and Shepparton, and joining the QTA in Brisbane at their amazing breakfast.

We will follow these on with vice chair Coralie Chapman hosting her third Brisbane Truck Show Breakfast which everyone is super excited about as always. It is the highlight of a truck show year for many, and Coralie is always delighted to host it.

Of course, before then on May 6, we will have our

AS OUR MEMBERSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS CONTINUE TO GROW, WE WILL HAVE MORE PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES FOR THE INDUSTRY; TO BRING MORE NEW TALENT, AND ADD NEW TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR THOSE ALREADY IN THE INDUSTRY, AND HELP OTHERS ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS. “

JACQUELENE BROTHERTON

Transport Women Unite Red Ball at Alice Springs at the National Road Transport Museum (Road Transport Hall of Fame).

We will launching the inaugural Dream Maker award and it will be presented on the night. This award has been established to recognise those who work behind the scenes to keep transport companies running, allowing the front man or woman to achieve their dream in the transportation industry and we’re looking forward to receiving a huge amount of nominees.

Nomination forms and tickets to the Transport Women Unite Red Ball are available through the Road

Transport Hall of Fame website, so get on the website, grab your tickets and nominate someone from your company for the award. Self-nominations will not be accepted.

Transport Women Unite Red Ball is being co-hosted by the National Road Transport Museum and Transport Women Australia Limited. We are looking for sponsorship to bring Ellen Voie, the founder of Women in Trucking USA out as the special guest.

Ellen is the most recognised woman in the trucking industry around the world and has won more awards and been endowed with more accolades that

I can fit into this article so some along and join us in Alice.

We are looking for sponsorship for the best dressed male female on the night, everyone must be wearing something RED! And if anyone wishes to sponsor the Dream Maker Award, they would be most welcome.

Transport Women Australia Limited are holding their annual planning weekend on the first weekend of February and we hope to announce

our plans for the following year soon after. We will also be announcing two new partnerships in the coming weeks and we’re looking forward to working closely together with these new partners to advance the cause of the association and our members.

As our memberships and partnerships continue to grow, we will have more programmes and initiatives for the industry; to bring more new talent, and add new training programmes for

those already in the industry, and help others achieve their dreams.

The ‘Living the Dream’ programme is being widely acclaimed and we are very proud of it, the song can be heard on Australian Truck Radio and the video will play at all of our events. The second version of the video will be out in coming weeks and we will be building on this video and the ‘Living the Dream’ programme throughout the year.

US luminary Ellen Voie. TWAL has another busy event calendar in the first half of the year.

WOMEN IN TRANSPORT

JACQUELENE BROTHERTON Chair of Transport Women Australia

Let’s finally fix truckies’ rest areas once and for all

By Australian Trucking Association

FIFTEEN years ago, an audit of rest areas could not find a single route which met national guidelines on spacing. This would be unsurprising to any truck driver, to say the least.

Thankfully, in 2008 this audit was not completely ignored. The then Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, established the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program. The HVSPP became the first Commonwealth program of its kind focused on improving road infrastructure safety for truck drivers.

The HVSPP sparked hundreds of projects, including rest areas, parking and decoupling bays, and better roads.

That decision taken in 2008 has directly contributed to a safer road network today.

However, while progress has been made, just about any truck driver will tell you that rest areas remain in short supply.

So why, in 2023, do we still have such large gaps in the quality and quantity of rest areas? Why wasn’t 15 years long enough to actually fix this problem?

While rest areas are the central reason for why the HVSPP exists, the focus on fixing rest areas has well and truly drifted over the years.

In more recent years, ATA analysis found that less than

10 per cent of hundreds of millions of dollars in HVSPP funding was going to rest areas or parking bays.

The bottom line is that the program that was designed to fix rest areas appears to have forgotten that rest areas exist.

Is there even a single national freight route in Australia which would now meet rest area guidelines?

Now Prime Minister Albanese has returned to fixing rest areas in his government’s first budget with an additional $80 million for rest areas over four years. With this new funding specifically targeted at rest areas, the ATA estimates that Federal funding support under the HVSPP for rest areas will triple over the next four years. Not a bad effort.

Absolutely critical will be targeting the funding to where it is needed most. To the new Government’s credit, they will seek input from truck drivers and industry.

Now that better funding is in place, and input from industry is respected, we ultimately need a plan to ensure the next 15 years is not like the last 15. We need to actually fix this issue and

deliver key national freight routes that meet national rest area guidelines.

Ultimately, we need mandatory rest area guidelines for governments and their transport departments.

The Australian Government should make delivering national roads which meet national rest area guidelines to be a requirement for funding.

If the states and territories want national cash for their road networks, they must ensure they meet the quantity and quality recommendations of the 2019 Austroads rest area guidelines on freight routes.

The Albanese government has taken a critical first step on rest areas, putting some much-needed cash back into the system.

Now we need to ensure the next 15 years lead to a better and safer future for trucking, and we actually fix our rest areas.

Making better rest areas a requirement of federal road spending would put this goal within reach.

No ifs, no buts, just do it.

Why, in 2023, do we still have such large gaps in the quality and quantity of rest areas across Australia?

Rapidly changing face of road transport

BY HEAVY VEHICLE INDUSTRY AUSTRALIA

IF you aren’t hiding under a rock, then you are probably well aware of the noise being made around EV heavy vehicles. No? Well maybe that’s because the sound of EVs is so quiet you didn’t even notice them sneak up beside you.

This isn’t going to be an overnight revolution, but nevertheless, it is a phenomenally big deal in changing the face of road freight transport. The changes affect every corner of the industry, and as a member organisation, it is HVIA’s role to work with members towards relieving the pressure points.

Several of our members had identified some of their early learnings back in 2021, and asked if we could help so they could get on with business – developing and refining this exciting new technology for the Australian market.

HVIA’s efforts are focussed in three main areas.

The first is skills and training; that is identifying the mix of skills and knowledge required to ensure safety for any

technician working on and around high voltage electric heavy vehicles.

This is not about a new workforce – which is where the system was heading; it is vital for existing workers to be able to upskill efficiently and safely.

That includes manufacture, service, maintenance, repair, paint, body-builders –anyone working on or around an electric vehicle.

Our second main focus point is charging and infrastructure.

A perfect analogy for the current situation: The news at Christmas featured images of queues of frustrated Tesla owners in regional areas, where there was only one place to charge and most having to wait 90 minutes or more to get their turn.

Our industry cannot function like that. Neither the fuel companies nor the energy companies cannot do it on their own, and there will not be confidence from fleet buyers until sufficient progress is made.

Where the fleet is running back to base, and there is suf-

ficient self-generated or grid capacity to support a fleet’s needs, that is another story – and there are some exciting collaborations underway amongst our membership to address just that.

Back to the infrastructure side of things: an interesting article by a motoring writer covered the experience of driving coast to coast across Australia in an EV.

He learned quickly that there is an ethical/courteous way of approaching charging; it is more about top-ups which align with rest breaks, and are much faster. Typically, it is quite quick to get up to 80 per cent then it gets very slow.

Nobody will tolerate you hogging a charger to go right to max capacity. I expect our industry will also need to work that out for itself, but it would be best that the protocols are introduced formally and not just laws of the jungle.

For transport operators considering the right time to shift into ZEVs, the equation is total cost of ownership (TCO).

I contend that there is another equally important equa-

tion, with a formula yet to be adequately identified: critical mass.

The chicken and egg problems are only going to become irrelevant when there is critical mass. That is – enough vehicles to make the investment in infrastructure profitable and enough infrastructure for the transport industry to be able to operate those vehicles efficiently.

At that point there will not be a question about continued investment and growth

in both areas.

Our third, and most obvious function is showcasing the heavy vehicle industry’s capability and capacity to deliver and support EVs ready for the Australian market.

The 2023 Brisbane Truck Show exhibition will be a massive display of how quickly this is moving.

That will be complemented by electric vehicles on display at the South Bank Truck Festival, where the broader community get a taste of our

industry’s amazing innovation.

The industry is also busy in the policy arena on important issues including vehicle width and front axle mass allowance. It will greatly inhibit our ability to move forward if we aren’t in line with international standards.

Further to that is protecting and enhancing manufacturing in Australia, which is part of a vital sovereign capacity and resilience piece. That is an article for another day.

HVIA’s efforts are focussed in three main areas, including charging and infrastructure.

Highly anticipated mentoring program

road transport sector begins the year staring down the barrel of an ageing driver workforce, a burgeoning freight task and critically depleted driver stocks.

THE business case for increased numbers of female heavy vehicle drivers is clear, with current schools of thought recognising increased profitability and productivity, safer roads and an easing of current driver shortages.

Given so many US trends permeate Australian consumer culture, recent figures released by US trucking tech

In this difficult climate, Women in Trucking Australia continue to field daily calls from employers desperate to keep their wheels turning – employers praying that somewhere we have a warehouse filled with off-the-shelf experienced female drivers.

The good news is that nationally, there are – in fact – countless numbers of licensed female truck drivers. The not so good news is that gender bias has precluded most from getting that elusive foot in the door – forcing them to put their heavy

we have inexperienced, licensed women out there wanting trucking careers.

Despite limited research on female interest in trucking careers, one particularly compelling data source is the WiTA Facebook page – one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the sector. In less than three years, the site has garnered 1 new follower every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With female workforce participation rates sitting at just 1.6 per cent, it’s interesting to note in January 2023 that the site’s 46,000 followers show a 44 per cent female/55 per cent male gender split – a clear indication that contrary to current

numbers of women into trucking careers.

Many are now committed to providing robust training programs to develop female driver capacity. In doing our bit, WiTA will continue to work with stakeholders to create female connections, opportunities and momentum – in addition to providing advice on the introduction of the internal cultural shifts necessary to ensure companies are well prepared for gender diverse workplaces.

In Q1 this year, WiTA will launch its highly anticipated ‘Foot in the Door’ pilot program funded through the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, supported by the Australian Govern

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THIS article is the ending of an era for the transport industry with the demise of this magazine under the restructure and rationalisation of News Corp

It is a sad day for all of us in the industry as Big Rigs magazine has been a part of our lives for almost 30 years.

For some, their entire careers so far.

It will leave huge gap as the editors and staff have supported the industry, provided fair and rational debate and given everyone a fair say in industry doings to all, as well as stories, pictures and news of our people, our trucks and our unsung heroes.

Our lives will be the poorer for its demise; being a columnist for Big Rigs for the past year and half has allowed me to fulfil yet another childhood dream, to write, and it has given me great pleasure and I hope it has at least been enjoyed by some.

While so many are focused on the negatives of the industry, I have tried to focus on the

positives aspects or those issues about which I am most passionate and have a chance of making a contribution to change.

I began writing column when I was returned as Transport Women Australia Limited chair in November 2017.

In the interim, TWAL has had many successes and achievements.

It has expanded the relationship with Girl Guides Australia and been involved with several successful projects with them, the Victorian Snoozefest in April 2018, the “Great Bag Migration” for the International Jamboree in Sydney in October 2018 and other interactions that are expanding the knowledge of the transport industry.

We launched the Women Driving Transport Careers initiative with our partners Wodonga TAFE and Volvo Group at the 2018 TWAL Creating

Across

1 Name a renowned Roman general, Julius (6)

8 What was the title of an earlier Austrian s overeign prince (8)

9 Name a month of the year containing 31 days (6)

10 What are sudden bursts of ill humour (8)

11 To be crazy, is to be what (6)

13 To picture mentally, is to do what (8)

16 What are apothecaries known as (8)

19 Name small linear measurements (6)

22 What do we call a beekeeper (8)

24 What might we call proposals of marriage (6)

25 To be more cordial, is to be what (8)

26 What are waistbands known as (6)

Down

2 What is a sky-blue colour (5)

3 Name a renowned Australian explorer, Charles (5)

4 What were old goods trains known as (8)

5 What might we call a person seen to be closest to an admired stereotype (4)

6 When one adds lustre, one does what (6)

7 To stand with hand on hip and elbow bent outwards, is to stand how (6)

12 Name a coastal resort on the Riviera (4)

14 What are callers known as (8)

15 What is a ticklish sensation (4)

17 Which short stroke is used to connect the parts

in Melbourne.

In November 2019 we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the organisation (TWAL) with a fabulous gala dinner at The Windsor Melbourne where we also presented our first four winners of the Driving the Difference scholarships with our amazing sponsor, Daimler Truck and Bus Asia Pacific.

We also presented the inaugural Trish Pickering Mem-

orial Award, sponsored by the wonderful Wes Pickering.

This was awarded for longterm outstanding contribution by a female to the road transport industry, the inaugural winner was Pam McMillan the longest serving director and chair of Transport Women Australia Limited.

This is an annual award and the recipient of the 2020 Trish Pickering Memorial Award

of a compound word (6)

18 Which term implies a deficiency in quantity (6)

20 What are low-priced restaurants (5)

Sad day for all in transport

21 To be weird, is to be what (5)

23 Who is regarded as the goddess of the rainbow (4)

will be announced later this year at an event still to be determined.

We have also launched our Learning Initiatives Breakfast Series with several partners so far, including NTI, MOVE BANK and rt health.

In early 2020 the Creating Connections Mentoring program was finally ready to commence with both mentors and mentees signing up to the pro-

gram. I would like to thank the fantastic team at Big Rigs newspaper for their incredible support and wish them ongoing success.

I hope that I get the opportunity to continue to work with some of them and so work towards making the trucking industry a better appreciated, and a safer place for our people.

Fighting to end the inequality: Big Rigs and TWU played their parts

policy that should be keeping safe one of the most dangerous industries in Australia.

To quote one truck driver turned Australian senator, Glenn Sterle, “a death at work or on the road should not be the price of doing business”.

losing their contracts and the ability to support their families.

It appears the government does not care.

THIS is the end of an era, the last TWU column in the trusted transport industry publication Big Rigs

Over the years the TWU and Big Rigs have played their parts in the role of keeping the top end of town accountable and doing our bit to look out for the rights of the little guy.

It’s still about the voice that speaks out for the truck driver,

long way to go – we have been through countless road, freight and transport ministers and nothing changes.

Truck drivers are still dying at work.

It’s a pretty safe bet to say this is due to the lack of strong government policy in place,

The TWU puts it to governments that we must stop the inequality that exists between truck drivers and clients.

Drivers must be paid proper rates, owner-drivers must be able to trust they will be paid properly for the work they do and on time. Families depend on this.

Many of the ongoing problems that occur are down to the big clients squeezing our

industry as dry as they can.

They want operators to meet their unrealistic deadlines and take on more freight for less or they face the risk of

There are unsafe vehicles, dodgy licences, poor payment times, wage and superannuation theft – just a few of the many things we have called for to be stopped.

A reminder to governments and the transport industry clients: the industry that has kept Australia moving during the pandemic is facing an uphill battle.

Employer groups should be standing alongside transport workers to unite for a safer and fairer industry.

A final reminder to all Big Rigs readers: now is the time to unite, now is the time to ensure equality in this industry. Together we can stand on common ground working to ensure the government continues to support transport workers and the industry they support.

The TWU will continue to voice the needs of transport workers to the employers, their industry bodies and the clients.

Better standards mean job security and ultimately a safer and fairer industry for all. We can lift the standards we need together – our lives depend on it.

Jacquelene

with (from left) Rachel Hesse, Paul Fleiszig and Coralie Chapman.

Event dates for your diary

information see the website, phone Darrell Killick on 0412 050 224 or email bruce@ prodrivecompliance.com.au.

Or join the Facebook group Haulin’ The Hume - Highway 31 Road Run.

Trucking Australia 2023

March 29-31

Novotel, Sunshine Coast, Queensland new.truck.net.au

ning meal to be made by February 25 with Peter Smith 0458 422 808 or Trevor Slater 0407 513 974.

LRTAQ Annual Conference

March 16-17

Townsville, Queensland lrtaq.com.au/conference

September 30-October 1 Gatton, Qld hlightsonthehill.com.au

The 2023 Lights on the Hill Memorial Convoy will be held on September 30, with the Memorial Service to follow on October 1 at the Lake Apex Memorial wall. The weekend pays tribute to truckies who have lost their lives, remembering their contribution to the industry.

FEBRUARY

NRFA 2023 Conference

February 11

Wagga Wagga RSL Club nrfa.com.au

The National Road Freighters’ Association will assemble a topline up of speakers for its upcoming conference, which will begin at 8.30am. The NRFA represents drivers, owner operators, fleet operators and industry participants.

Newcastle Truck Show & Convoy

February 26

McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, NSW newcastletruckshow.com.au

The Newcastle Truck Show & Convoy is a fun, family day where the community and transport industry come together to celebrate and appreciate the contribution of the transport industry to our nation. The convoy departs at Newcastle Markets and ends at McDonald Jones Stadium, where over 200 trucks will be on display.

MARCH

2023 RFNSW Conference & Awards

March 2

Dockside, Cockle Bay Wharf roadfreightnsw.com.au/ rfnsw-awards

An opportunity for NSW operators to connect and have their voice heard with government, regulators and industry stakeholders. The following awards will also be presented: Outstanding Contribution to the NSW Trucking Industry, Transport Woman of the Year, Professional Driver of the Year, Best Industry Newcomer, and Best Safety Culture.

Lockhart Heritage Truck Show

March 4

Lockhart Showground, Treasure Street facebook.com/LockhartTruckShow

This event will be the 14th held in the small country town of Lockhart in southern NSW. Celebrating country hospitality and the important contribution of the trucking industry to our community.

A large display of trucks of all ages. Several different prizes will be awarded for the feature vehicles, Kenworth and Mercedes and other categories. Local car clubs are invited to have a display of their vehicles. Entertainment for the whole family. A delightful outdoor rural setting with onsite catering. No entry fee for exhibitors. Bookings for campsite and Saturday eve-

East Gippsland Convoy for Kids

March 4

Great Lakes Airfield, Lakes Entrance, Victoria facebook.com/profile. php?id=100064776454174

The convoy will commence at Traralgon and Orbost, coming together at the Greater Lakes Airfield at Lakes Entrance, where there will be plenty of trucks on show, with previous years attracting more than 200 vehicles. Money raised will go towards the chosen charities: Angel Flight, Camp Quality and the Ronald McDonald House.

2023 LBRCA Annual Conference

March 9-11

Tamworth, NSW lbrca.org.au/lbrca-events/ conferences

Registrations are now open for the 2023 Livestock Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) Annual Conference, which will be held at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre. It is NSW’s leading event focused on the needs of rural and regional heavy vehicle transporters. This year it will feature the theme ‘Safeguarding the rural transport supply chain’.

The Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Queensland (LRTAQ) has released dates for its 2023 conference, with further details to be announced soon.

White Truck Muster

March 18-19

Kyabram Show Grounds, Victoria facebook.com/whitetruck

muster

The White Truck Muster is a celebration of the White truck brand, with displays of trucks, cars, tractors, crawlers and memorabilia. The event is open to any vehicle manufactured or marketed by White or White owned companies, however other makes of trucks are also welcome.

Haulin’ The Hume March 24 & 26 Clarendon to Yass, NSW wshtc.com.au

Haulin’ The Hume, the old Hume Highway road run will depart Hawkesbury Showground at Clarendon on the morning of March 25 to Razorback Mountain, Picton, Mittagong, lunch at Goulburn then on through the Cullerin Range into Gunning and on to Yass for dinner. Entry fee is $30 per vehicle. Organised by the Western Sydney Historical Truck Club. For an entry form and further

The event will discuss the industry’s biggest challenges and spark solutions to shape the future of our industry. Registration opened in early November.

MAY

Brisbane Truck Show

May 18-21

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre brisbanetruckshow.com.au

The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and South Bank Parklands will be wall to wall with the latest and best trucks, trailers, technology, components and equipment when the show returns in 2023.

AUGUST Casino Truck Show

August 5

Casino, NSW casinotruckshow.com.au

This popular community event sees the main streets of Casino filled with trucks. In 2022, the event attracted over 300 trucks competing in 40 categories.

SEPTEMBER

Lights on the Hill Memorial Convoy and Service

NOVEMBER

Brisbane Convoy for Kids

November 4

Brisbane, Queensland brisbaneconvoyforkids.com. au

Following a successful 2022 event, planning is already underway to make the 2023 Brisbane Convoy for Kids even bigger and better. Along with the main convoy, there will be a truck show, family fun and entertainment, and an evening fireworks display.

Illawarra Convoy

November 19 Illawarra, NSW illawarraconvoy.com.au

Touted as the largest truck and motorbike convoy in the Southern Hemisphere, the Illawarra Convoy raises funds for individuals and families affected by potentially life threatening medical conditions, together with charities that work with these people, and local hospitals.

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

The Newcastle Truck Show & Convoy is expected to feature more than 200 trucks on display. Photos: Facebook

The most recent Casino Truck Show attracted more than 300 trucks.

These wheels were a hit amongst the kids at the 2022 Brisbane Truck Show.

Go-getting young driver who’s in it for the long haul

BY ALF WILSON

FATE has played a major role in young road transport enthusiastic Cameron Hillard gaining a job as a truck driver.

When he was attending William Ross High School in Townsville, Hillard did a two-year course at Tec-NQ with the aim of becoming a diesel fitter.

“The coal mine where I could have worked was a big part of the Townsville economy and when that closed it drove the economy down and it made it very hard for young people like myself to get an apprenticeship,” he said.

But another opportunity came along which enabled Hillard to start work at a major road transport company and work his way up to being a driver.

Now aged 25, Hillard is among the younger drivers

Hillard used to go to Dimbulah on the Atherton Tablelands during school holidays to help out at his uncle Alvise Barzzale’s mango farm.

“Blenners used to pick up the mangoes and deliver them to Sydney and Melbourne markets and I got to know the drivers and asked one of them about getting some work with the company,” he said.

Hillard was given the contact for Blenners boss Les Blennerhassett who referred him to the manager of the Townsville depot.

“The manager of the Townsville depot at the time was Les’ son Ben Blennerhassett and a big thank you to Les and Ben for giving me a go. I got a job there two days a week at first doing various jobs such as cleaning and helping to load and unload and when I got my HR and MC licence, I started driving their trucks. I can’t thank the company enough as they kicked it off for me,” he said.

Hillard gained his MC licence about two years ago

I saw Hillard early one

morning, ready to drive a Kenworth K200 B-double to Tully and Cairns with a load of produce.

“I have to pick up bananas as a backload and deliver them to Townsville here and then go onto Brisbane markets with other drivers,” he said.

Hillard gets as far away north to Mareeba on the Atherton tablelands, south

I CAN’T THANK BLENNERS ENOUGH FOR GIVING ME A GO AND WOULD RECOMMEND THE JOB TO YOUNG PEOPLE WANTING A CAREER.”

CAMERON HILLARD

the print edition in the driver’s rooms,” he said.

Hobbies outside the job include fishing and restoring old cars. He is working on a 2006 Commodore at present.

“I don’t own a boat to go around here to fish the creeks and rivers or get out

to the Great Barrier Reef. But I like going fishing with family at Chillagoe where I have caught fresh water black bream and sleepy cod,” he said.

Hillard doesn’t follow a football team however as a boy in Cairns he did have a run at Australian Rules foot-

ball as a rover.

I told Hillard that statistics reveal the average age of Aussie truck drivers is over 50 and that young guns like him are the future of the road transport industry.

Many companies are still reluctant to hire younger drivers because of the addi-

Easter Group Pty Ltd Easter Group Pty Ltd

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Easter Group, located in Wacol, provides time sensitive road transporting solutions to many companies throughout Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

We are a family owned business, operating since 1976. We currently have the following positions available:

OPERATIONS ALLOCATORS

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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)

Come and work for us as we are committed to:

• Training and further education

• Your safety

• Maintaining an impressive Fleet

On offer are permanent 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

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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

tional insurance costs.

“I can’t thank Blenners enough for giving me a go and would recommend the job to young people wanting a career,” he said.

Naturally this contented young man reckons he will be in the industry for the long haul.

2023 apprentice program kicks off

THE 2023 Brown and Hurley apprentice program has kicked off, with a record number of new apprentices joining the ranks.

A total of 24 new recruits have started their four-year apprenticeship program, which combines specialised on-the-job training and

ee at the Brown and Hurley Group.

“We are always looking to the future by employing young people to assist them with a rewarding career in the transport industry,” Brown and Hurley said.

“Our industry leading training and facilities are

GTS Freight Group (GTS) is expanding our fleet in 2023, and as a result currently have some great opportunities for transport professionals (direct employed and Tow Operators) living in the Sunraysia district and Adelaide looking to begin a new career with an iconic Mildura based business operating since 1980.

Does this sound like you?

• I am looking for an employer who values and respects me

• Wanting to drive fresh, well maintained equipment (predominant Kenworth based fleet)

• I have a great attitude, and I am looking for a stable, secure future

• I want to drive new, modern equipment that is well maintained

• I would like to have work patterns that suit my lifestyle and personal circumstances

• I am a safe, professional driver that cares for my equipment and the freight I am carrying

• Great earnings potential

• MC Licenced with night highway driving experience and a good history as an operator

If this is you, then GTS can provide that opportunity!

GTS is a privately owned, market leader in linehaul transport and logistics solutions, servicing a range of blue-chip companies nationally. GTS is about customer service, safety, and compliance, and we are looking for new Team members who can continue to build that reputation.

GTS currently has career opportunities for roles around the country, but specific to our Mildura and Adelaide office:

• MC Interstate Drivers

• Tow Operators who are looking for consistent, secure work with a weekly pay cycle and

Brown and Hurley’s 2023 apprentice intake.

Since getting his MC licence about two years ago, he hasn’t looked back.