Big Rigs 7 July 2023

Address: 379 Docklands Drive, Docklands VIC 3008

Phone: 03 9690 8766

Email: editor@bigrigs.com.au

Web: bigrigs.com.au

EDITOR James Graham: 0478 546 462 james.graham@primecreative.com.au

REPORTERS

Danielle Gullaci

A Sydney-based excavation contractor and its subsidiary company have been fined $112,000 in the Liverpool Local Court following 20 mass breaches and 94 defect notices received over a 15-month period.

Ghossayn Group, more commonly known as The Green Machine due to its viridescent fleet, will also likely pay a further $260,000 to comply with a Supervisory Intervention Order (SIO).

The order requires the company to do several safety initiatives including conducting training in compliance and implementing mass measurement devices on their fleet.

A Ghossayn subsidiary, GWG Plant Hire, was also fined $30,000 for two separate severe mass and dimension breaches.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) says it prosecuted the contractor and its subsidiary company for a primary duty offence and two severe risk breaches after ongoing contraventions of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

Charges were laid against the company for breaching its duty to ensure the safety of its transport activities, which included a failure to have proce-

dures and policies in place for vehicle maintenance and mass management.

According to court documents, prosecutors from the NHVR alleged the Ghossayn Group’s overloaded and defective trucks exposed the public to “the risk of incurring death, serious injury or illness arising from a collision”.

Court documents obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald showed that the company first came to the attention of authorities in April 2018 after inspectors from the Roads and Maritime Services found overweight trucks on five occasions.

Ghossayn was ordered to make changes, but the regulator discovered that two years

later the trucks were still running with faulty weight gauges, or without them entirely.

The company’s founder, George Ghossayn, or his operations manager, spoke to the drivers after each breach, the documents say. Ghossayn was not personally charged, or accused of any wrongdoing.

However, the Herald also re-

ported that NHVR documents say the Ghossayn Group did not ensure its own policies were followed even after breaches. The 94 defect notices handed down in 2020 and 2021 were for balding or leaking tyres, oil leaks and brake imbalances.

NHVR Acting Executive Director Belinda Hughes said that this outcome shows that repeat offenders will be held accountable.

“This reflects the NHVRs risk-based approach to our investigations. If your company has a pattern of non-compliance with the HVNL, it can result in significant penalties such as this,” Hughes said.

“This sentence is designed to deter the company from repeating offences while also benefiting the safety of industry and the broader community. It sends a strong message that the courts will take breaching your primary duty seriously to ensure the safety of transport activities.

“Although the fine is significant, we are more interested in improving the companies’ safety by requiring them to implement appropriate safety systems and processes.”

At deadline for this issue, Ghossayn Group had not returned a request for comment.

The Ghossayn Group is more commonly known as The Green Machine due to its viridescent fleet. Photo: Mike Cornwall/flikr

Queensland truckie, 68, fights off three attackers

PETER Dickinson, 68, wasn’t going to let them get his wallet, whatever it took.

With time up on his book, the veteran truckie of 48 years had pulled up for a break at the Shell truck stop in Boggabilla, in northern NSW, as he often does on his runs to Melbourne for the Gayndah-based Brown’s Citrus Transport.

But at 2.30am on Wednesday, June 14, as his alarm was just going off, he awoke to find a masked intruder breaking into his cab.

“He was trying to drag me out, then I pushed him away and he made the fatal mistake of letting go of the grab rail and grabbing hold of the door frame,” Dickinson told Big Rigs.

“When he grabbed the door frame, I shut the door on his fingers.

“I opened the door and he fell down on the ground. I asked him to give me the truck keys and he just come at me.”

As he fought to defend himself from the ensuing attacks, Dickinson says he managed to subdue two of

the assailants, who he believes were teenagers, but didn’t see a third who hit him across the back with a golf club.

Dickinson later found out there were three carloads of attackers at the Shell that night, who had allegedly broken into the nearby motel, terrorising guests and stealing property and cars.

“He got me unexpected. Hit me three times across the back but they got the shock of their lives because I never went down.

“I turned around and said, ‘Who are you?’, and they shit themselves and ran to the car.

“If they had got me on the ground it would have been a different story, I would have been in trouble.”

Dickinson said he took the rego details of each car before they fled the scene.

“They never had the plates covered so they had to have been stolen.”

He alleges that there were five other trucks at the site the youths had been trying to break into, plus a campervan driven by an older couple

who had tried to drive off.

Dickinson says the Shell attendant rang the police but that’s as far as it went.

“The coppers rang from Moree and they weren’t that interested. They just said if you see the cars again give us a ring.

“I found out later that they [the attackers] must have gone back to the Shell and bashed up another truck driver pretty badly. He’s not real good in hospital, from what I’ve been told. He’ll need facial reconstruction.”

Dickinson says he fears for

the safety of drivers and the youths, who “have no fear”, and is telling his story in the hope it will help others.

“They [the police] just seem too scared to touch them. They don’t seem to want to do anything about it.”

Big Rigs also contacted NSW Police for comment, but at the time of writing have received no response. Viva Energy, which owns and operates the Shell-branded service stations in Australia, has also been contacted for comment.

“I said to the coppers, you’ve got to do something soon or you’re going to get a truck driver who is going to drop a couple, and you can’t blame them for that,” Dickinson added.

“We’re just trying to do our job and have a break and yet we’re getting bashed.”

Another truckie, whose husband who regularly stops in Boggabilla on his interstate runs, says there have always been issues in the town but lately it’s gone up “200 per cent”.

“The police are saying don’t stop there, but that’s not the answer,” said the truckie, who did not want to be named for fear of repercussions.

“When these boys’ logbooks tell them they have to stop, they’ve got no choice, they have to stop.

The Shell truck stop in Boggabilla where the alleged attacks occured. Inset: Veteran truckie Peter Dickinson.

Victoria’s longest road tunnels on track for 2028

THE 6.5km road tunnels are expected to take approximately 14,700 cars and trucks off Bulleen Road every day.

“The North East Link is more than just Victoria’s biggest road project – it’s an investment in communities in Melbourne’s north east, getting trucks off local roads and slashing travel times,” said Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Jacinta Allan during a recent site visit.

A 450-tonne crane is currently being used to build structural walls known as ‘diaphragm walls’ to allow excavation of the ramps and a tunnel boring machine retrieval box.

Crews are also starting to

make some changes to move Bulleen Road further west, to make space to build the new Yarra Link green bridge over Bulleen Road – which will link Koonung Creek Trail to Bulleen Park for the first time. The existing Bulleen Road will stay open until the realigned section is complete in late 2023.

The design of the Manningham Road interchange includes a ramp layout that avoids the historic River Red Gum on Bridge Street and allows Bulleen Art and Garden to stay open.

Across the project, the tunnel boring machine launch area is under construction in Watsonia, two massive storage sheds

are taking shape on both sides of Greensborough Road, and workers in Yallambie are preparing to build the ramps and tunnels for the new Lower Plenty Road interchange.

Tunnelling of the 6.5km tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen will start next year, with the massive tunnel boring machines to arrive from overseas by the end of this year.

Then begins the task of assembling the 4000 tonne machines, which measure 15.6 metres wide.

As work ramps up, there are already more than 4600 workers across North East Link as part of 10,000 jobs

Work progresses on $186.6m Walkerston Bypass

SET to become the designated heavy vehicle route between the Bruce and Peak Downs Highways for multi-combination vehicles, construction of the 10km+ Walkerston Bypass has reached the halfway mark.

The Walkerston Bypass will deliver a new two-lane rural highway that connects the Peak Downs Highway west of Walkerston to the Mackay

Ring Road near Paget. The aim of the new road is to remove heavy vehicles from Walkerston and ease congestion, while also providing a direct route for heavy vehicles required by Bowen Basin coal producers.

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey visited the site this week and it will “take the big tankers and trucks out of

the main street of Walkerston and onto a purpose-built road”.

The build will include a new bridge with improved flood immunity over Bakers Creek, three new road overpasses above the local cane railway network.

The Walkerston Bypass is also designed to re-direct heavy vehicles away from local schools, retail and medical facilities that are situated in Walker-

ston – with the aim of limiting heavy vehicle and local traffic interactions through the town.

Additionally, the project aims to help extend the life of a 74-year-old bridge in Walkerston, that sits adjacent to a school yard.

A detailed design for the project was originally completed in October 2020. The tender for construction was then

awarded to Fulton Hogan; and construction of the bypass began in May 2022, with the project set for completion in mid-to-late 2024.

It’s being funded by the Australian and Queensland governments on an 80:20 basis, with the federal government committing $149.28 million for the project, and the Queensland government $37.32 million.

the project is creating. On the tunnels alone, more than 900 roles will be dedicated to people experiencing barriers to employment.

The $10 billion North East Link, which is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments, will be complete in 2028, slashing travel times by up to 35 minutes, and taking 15,000 trucks off local roads.

The massive investment in Melbourne’s north east also includes completing the M80 Ring Road and upgrading the Eastern Freeway, alongside the Hurstbridge Line Upgrade, Fitzsimons Lane Upgrade and removing 21 level crossings.

WORK on the North East Link tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen is progressing, with the

on and off ramps at the Manningham interchange now being built.

Transport minister Mark Bailey and Assistant Minister and Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert, visited the site.

Photo: Facebook/Mark Bailey MP

Artist’s impression: An aerial view looking north of the North East Link Tunnel portal and Bulleen Road.

$542.8m sealing of Tanami in WA finally underway

SEALING has now begun on the Western Australian section of Tanami Road, which links the Great Northern Highway near Halls Creek with the Northern Territory border.

Work on the first 41km section through the hills south of the Great Northern Highway is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Often labelled by truckies as one of the most challenging roads to drive, Tanami Road is 1016km long and mostly unsealed, extending through the Northern Territory to Alice Springs.

It’s rough and corrugated during the dry season; and experiences long road closures during the wet season, cutting off access to communities it services.

Sealing the road will deliver improved and safer access to remote Aboriginal communities and mine sites, as well as a more resilient road freight network by providing an alternative route into northern Western Australia from the eastern states.

“The Tanami is an important and significant connector road for people across the

Kimberley, and to see sealing works begin on the Western Australian section is a major milestone,” said WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.

“We saw first-hand during the Kimberley floods the impact when road access is cut, so investing in new sealed road connections, like the Tanami, will be critical for our future resilience to severe weather.”

The Australian and WA governments have committed $542.8 million to complete sealing of the 313km WA section of the road over the next 10 years, after design and development work started in 2020.

Federal Senator for Western Australia Glenn Sterle added, “Sealing this road will make Aboriginal communities it services less remote by providing safer and more flood resilient access.

“This work will provide a reliable alternative freight route into northern Western Australia from the eastern states. This improves an essential link in Australia’s outback and remote road highway network, benefiting locals and

travellers for years to come.”

The news will come as welcome relief to operators who regularly brave the punishing section to service those communities.

Mitchell’s Livestock Transport chief executive John Mitchell told ABC News last year that the Tanami has got so bad you couldn’t call it a road anymore.

“The potential for a ca-

tastrophe for an individual is just too high,” he said.

Mitchell’s company operates across WA, and uses the Tanami about twice a year to cart cattle from the East Kimberley to Broome for export.

On a run down the unsealed track in August, he said drivers were forced to travel as slowly as 18km/h for their own safety, and to avoid damaging their vehicles.

Despite this, Mitchell said vehicles were suffering significant damage.

“Wearing out things, things falling off, things that would happen over, [you know] a two-year period, happening in a week. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

“As an industry we all pay before we do our job.

“It’s wrong that we’ve got to pay while we’re doing it and

we have the mental and physical demands on our drivers and the livestock are compromised as well.

“You’ve got people that won’t go there.”

The project will be directly managed by Main Roads Western Australia on behalf of the Shire of Halls Creek, using local Kimberley businesses with a focus on long-term Aboriginal engagement and employment.

Four new local Aboriginal start-up businesses are currently engaged on the Tanami sealing project, with two more to begin soon.

More than 65 per cent of the current workforce are Aboriginal, and two-thirds of those workers are local from the Shire of Halls Creek, with further initiatives planned to provide more opportunities for local residents to work on the new road.

In the Northern Territory, 300km of the 703km section of road has already been sealed, with an additional 30km from Alice Springs due for completion mid-this year, with a further 90km due to be finished during 2025.

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Sealing has begun of the Western Australian section of Tanami Road. Photo: Rita Saffioti/Facebook

Former cop needs truckies’ help with fatigue study

FORMER NSW cop Greg Casey always had the best interests of truckies at heart when he was on the job, particularly when it came to helping them better manage their fatigue behind the wheel.

So, when he retired from the NSW Police about 18 months ago, after spending the previous 25 years with the NSW Highway Patrol, he decided to do something that would make a lasting difference, a PhD using truck driver fatigue as his research topic.

A PhD candidate within the School of Social Sciences, Policing, at Western Sydney University, Casey is hoping his published findings will better inform bureaucrats and politicians when it comes to improving fatigue management policies and laws.

Casey kicked off his callout for research subjects at the recent National Road Freighters Association annual conference in Wagga Wagga and is now looking for more volunteers.

“I’m looking at policy, but I’m looking at it from the perspective of the truck driver,” said Casey, a former sergeant and highway patrol supervisor.

“What works for truck drivers, what doesn’t work. If it works, why does it work. If it doesn’t work, why does it not work. And I’m also looking at interviewing law enforcement officers to get their perspective, as well as interviewing truck driver managers, so the people who are responsible for scheduling them and giving them their day-to-day tasks.

“So, I want to try and cover the whole gambit of everybody who is at the frontline making

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those final decisions that determine what the truck driver does throughout the day, in regards to the rest breaks, and how they manage their fatigue.

“What are the barriers and challenges to them in managing their fatigue and also managing their compliance around fatigue as well.”

The 30- to 60-minute interviews take place either via Zoom or by phone and involve answering a series of questions in two streams, one for those

with a good understanding of driver fatigue, and the other for a more limited knowledge.

“I’d like to think that most truck drivers would have a reasonably good knowledge of fatigue and what it is, but we’ve got to be prepared for both sides of the story.”

At the end of the interview phase, Casey plans to write a series of reports, or research papers, on each component he unearths in his study to be published in peer reviewed

academic journals.

“That way the research findings will be out a lot sooner than if I just did it the traditional way.”

All participants in Casey’s study will be kept completely anonymous, even to the extent he has a dedicated phone for the research process with a sim card that will be destroyed when he’s done.

“The reason for that confidentially is not just to protect the drivers who participate, it’s also about encouraging them to tell me the truth.

“If we’re going to get to the nub of the problem, there’s no point in people telling me what they think I want to hear, or what they want their boss to hear.”

Casey hopes that drivers will want to get involved because it’s a chance to have a say from their own perspective that could bring about positive changes.

“We’re not putting them into a controlled environment, we’re not interviewing them in the workplace. And we’re asking you a series of questions that that will give us frontline information,”

Casey explained.

“There’s a lot of research that’s been done, certainly, but a lot of it takes drivers out of their working environment and puts them into a simulated environment, or goes into the work environment and asks them questions in the workplace.

“All of that data is aggregated and looked at from the perspective of someone who doesn’t have the depth of knowledge from within the industry that a truck driver has.

“The academics, politicians and bureaucrats might have the best of intentions but they’re not looking at it from the truck drivers’ perspective as to actually how it’s going to work when it hits the ground.

“I’m very much focused on getting the opinions of the people who are affected most by driver fatigue and that is the truck drivers. They’re the ones bearing the brunt of the enforcement load.”

To have your say in Casey’s PhD project, or for more information, phone him on 0499 244 538, or email 22028151@student.western sydney.edu.au.

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Former NSW cop Greg Casey turned PhD candidate, inset, is hoping his research will get to the bottom of the fatigue management issues that are impacting truckies the most.

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No place for trolls

EDITOR

JAMES GRAHAM

AT a time when the industry is screaming out for heavy vehicle drivers and looking at ways to attract new talent, why is it that some feel it’s okay to take to social media and tear others down?

At Big Rigs, we share and celebrate the stories of countless truckies, regardless of whether they are male or female. While a truckie’s gender plays no role in determining whether or not their story gets published, there’s a big disparity in the sorts of comments we’re seeing online. Almost every time we share a feature about a female driver on our Facebook page, the sexist ‘commentators’ come out to play.

While women driving trucks “isn’t news” in the words of some vocal readers, their stories are just as deserving of space as their male counterparts. And yet we see the same sorts of comments over and over again: “Who cares?”, “Not news”, “Just get on with it”. Strangely, when it’s the story of a male truckie, the keyboard warriors go quiet.

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The start of something new

jobs before shifting to the driver’s seat after completing Visy’s female driver training program.

Since taking to the wheel, she says she hasn’t looked back.

When the story was published online, many truckies shared their words of encouragement via our Facebook page.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO READER CORNER? EMAIL US AT EDITOR@BIGRIGS.COM.AU

Sludge continues his recovery

Lindsay Ward added, “It’s good see someone had a fair bit of knowledge on how the transport works before hopping behind the wheel. Enjoy, you get to see Australia and they pay you for it.”

While Simon Smith wrote, “Wow! That’s awesome! Well done champion!”

WELL known truckie Paul ‘Sludge’ Andrews is undergoing more surgery, as he continues his long recovery after a motorcycle accident earlier this year.

The truck driver, who many know from his regular appearances on Outback Truckers, together with his purple 2008 Peterbilt 379 called ‘The Phantom’, was rushed to hospital on March 4.

Many of our readers have wished him well afer the latest update was shared online.

“Good luck with your treatment, it’s no fun. I feel for you, I have been in your shoes,” said Micheal Radamanthos.

Tracey Akers wrote, “All the best, love watching you on Outback Truckers and the truck you drive is my favourite truck – Peterbuilt. Love them.”

HAVING recently upgraded to her MC licence, 43-year-old Nicole Phillips spent two decades in office

“Well done. U will love it. Been on road been 17 years, still love it,” said Joanne Culhane.

“Good on you Nicole,” wrote Travis Scadden.

“Well done, take care,” added Fred Meyer.

And Michael Ryan said he’d give Nicole a wave when she’s travelling through Parkes.

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The accident left him with significant injuries including a brain injury, broken ribs, several broken bones, torn ligaments, fractured cheek bones and lots of bruising and abra-

sions. In late June, he returned to hospital to have surgery on both his knees.

Ted Scarfe added, “Keep on keeping on Sludge. Things can only get better for you.”

While Len Gloria Herbert wrote, “We are thinking of you, all the best.”

Nicole Phillips currently drives a Scania P450.

Sludge hopes the surgery will help fast-track his recovery.

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Truckies praise WA Police at Widgiemooltha tragedy

IT was a long, tough and emotional day for everyone roadside at Widgiemooltha, WA, on Tuesday, June 20.

Around 20 truckies were caught in the aftermath of a tragic accident between Kambalda and Norseman in which a 33-year-old male driver of a Hino truck sustained critical injuries and tragically died at the scene.

But transplanted Kiwi Jan O’Connor, one of the truckies trapped in the subsequent ‘hold’ for up to 11 hours while lanes were blocked at the intersection of Goldfields Highway and Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, says the ordeal was made a lot easier

thanks to the thoughtfulness of WA Police.

She took to Facebook site WA Truckies and Big Rigs to praise the three police officers controlling traffic from nearby Kambalda, who also organised pizzas, a tray of croissants, a crate of water and soft drinks for truckies, and even had portaloos trucked in for the day by Main Roads.

“Compared to NZ cops (underpaid, overworked and niggly to the max) I could not believe how good these WA coppers were,” wrote O’Connor, who also gave Big Rigs permission to publish the post.

“Easy to talk to, were open

to suggestions about communicating with the waiting truckies, and what struck me was they were mostly young, fit, and sensible. Unlike the poor old NZ coppers where most of the good ones have left in disgust.

“I was surprised when one cop thanked us for being respectful and not rubbernecking when they extracted the deceased’s body, but we all know it could have been any of us involved that morning so who would want to stare at a body removal. A split second and a life is taken.

“So yep, you’ve got some good coppers here.”

Kambalda Sergeant Ryan

Devine, who was in charge of traffic management on the day, was humbled by the praise from O’Connor, and the other truckies, when told about the Facebook post.

“We didn’t actually go out and get the pizza ourselves, I won’t take that credit. We have some emergency management partners in the area so I contacted them and they went to the Kambalda Hotel and bought some pizzas and brought them to the scene, and then we distributed them,” he said.

“Given the circumstance and what they were confronted with, which was obviously quite a testing scene with the

loss of a life on a road they travel regularly, they were all fantastic with us and very understanding of the delay, which ultimately was quite a long one for a lot of them.”

Sgt Devine said investigations continue by the Major Crash Investigation Squad from Perth into the crash between the Hino tray-back truck and road train.

Investigators would like to speak to anyone who saw the crash or either truck travelling in the area prior to the crash, and urge anyone with information relating to this incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via crimestopperswa.com.au.

Work diary blitz goes statewide after offences increase

TRUCKIES around NSW are being urged to “remain vigilant” with their written and electronic work diaries and follow work and rest requirements.

A statewide operation was triggered in NSW after a considerable number of penalty notices issued in the state were found to be linked to fatigue related offences.

NHVR director of operations Central Region Brett Patterson said the operation is crucial to promote compliance, reduce fatigue related incidents and will target drivers who fail to comply with work diary requirements.

“Driving a heavy vehicle while feeling sleepy, physically or mentally tired, or lacking in

energy, is a major safety hazard,” Patterson said.

“Falling asleep behind the wheel can be disastrous, but even a brief lapse in concentration can have serious consequences.

“Australia’s road toll is rising rapidly in almost every state and territory, and it is imperative we take additional measures to en-

sure safety on our roads. Patterson said NHVR onroad officers will be patrolling locations frequented by long haul intrastate and interstate heavy vehicles across the state.

In June, the regulator carried out a ‘work diary blitz’ at the Marulan inspection station, where 18 work diary related offences were recorded from over

1000 intercepts.

At the time, the NHVR said, “there is still more work to do”.

NHVR said it places a strong focus on educating heavy vehicle drivers on the main causes of fatigue, and wants drivers to know some of the main signs can include:

• A lack of alertness

• Inability to concentrate

• Drowsiness, falling asleep or micro-sleeps

• Difficulty keeping your eyes open, excessive head nodding or yawning

• Blurred vision

• Near miss or incident

• Not keeping in a single lane

• Not maintaining a constant speed

Kambalda police organised pizzas, a tray of croissants, a crate of water and soft drinks for truckies.

Hydrogen-powered prime mover on Brisbane roads

AUSTRALIA’S first hydrogen-powered prime mover, the Taurus, is expected to be making food deliveries around Brisbane for PepsiCo in a semi-trailer configuration before the end of the year.

The partnership with Pure Hydrogen, a Sydney-based, ASX-listed hydrogen supplier/ producer and HDrive, a specialist hydrogen vehicle manufacturer, officially launched at a media event at RACQ Mobility Centre in Mt Cotton late last month.

Manufactured in Asia but designed in Australia as a new build, the 6x2 Taurus is a 220kW 64 prime mover which has a driving range of up to 400km. A 70 tonne B-double will be a 6x4 with 440kW.

The construction process utilised top-of-the-range components, including Ballard Power fuel cells, Hexagon hydrogen fuel cylinders, and Hendrickson suspension, said Pure Hydrogen in a media launch statement.

Those who trialled the

around the track.

There are fold out steps into the cab, which boasts a stylish interior. By all accounts it was a smooth drive, with the regenerative braking an added bonus.

The Taurus has full air suspension, front and rear and is built to width with no special permits required. It has 6.5 tonnes on the front axle and weighs approxi mately 10 tonnes, depend ing on how many hydrogen

tanks are on board.

The Taurus on show at Mt Cotton had three but reportedly has the capability to accommodate five, giving it a range of up to 1000km.

It takes about 12 minutes to refuel which is comparable to the time it takes to put 800900 litres into a diesel tank.

Specific costs weren’t revealed to the media on the day, but Big Rigs understands that Pure Hydrogen will offer a package arrangement that

sees customers pay a fee for the vehicle and in return receive fuel and general maintenance. Consumables, such as tyres, are seen as an additional cost.

Meanwhile, under the launch agreement with PepsiCo, if the company determines that the vehicle has a commercial use case, it has the option to order additional hydrogen-powered vehicles from this year through to 2025.

The official launch of the Taurus forms part of Pure Hy

drogen’s strategy to “spearhead the growth of a broader hydrogen ecosystem in Australia and internationally”, including vehicles and associated infrastructure such as hydrogen production and distribution.

The Taurus is the first of several other fuel vehicles/ devices that Pure Hydrogen is working with its partners to deliver to market, including waste collection trucks, concrete trucks, refrigeration trucks, generators, delivery trucks and buses.

“This launch event is the latest exciting step in our development strategy for hydrogen-powered vehicles in Australia,” said Scott Brown, Pure Hydrogen managing director.

“It marks the perfect opportunity to set out a path forward for the future of Australia’s hydrogen vehicle industry, with the support of key stakeholders in business and government.”

“A key part of Pure’s strategy is to provide hydrogen solutions to potential customers by bringing both the devic es and the hydrogen needed to power them. The Taurus marks an important step in

this strategy, and commercial interest from PepsiCo and other parties has been most encouraging to-date.”

Brown added that Pure Hydrogen has had productive conversations with potential customers in the heavy vehicle industry, which it will look to convert into “value-generating relationships”.

Brown said Pure Hydrogen is specifically targeting the heavy transport sector. The company has already announced plans to build a hydrogen hub at Moreton Bay.

“There is a growing consensus that increased weight, limited driving range and longer recharging times make battery-electric vehicles unviable for heavy transport. Contrastingly, hydrogen fuel cells electric vehicles overcome these barriers,” Brown added.

“We look forward to launching the vehicle with the support of PepsiCo, our development partners and the Queensland government.”

Mick de Brenni, the Queensland Minister for En

Industry media got the chance to drive the Taurus at Mt Cotton last month. Inset [L-R] Ben Kiddle (HDrive), Mick de Brenni, Kyle Faulconer (PepsiCo), Scott Brown and Clint Butler (Pure Hydrogen).

Rebuilding with passion

very original and very Australian has been awesome and it’s been even more awesome to not only showcase the trucks in Australia, but also the trucks that I’ve managed to get from all around the world, which is the unique part of the series,” Kelly, 42, says.

The truck sales and restoration side of the business accounts for about 80 per cent of Kelly’s focus, with the transport operation making up the rest.

“We run six heavy haulage trucks still. We’ve got a good mix of trailing equipment. We’ve still got a 10-axle platform with a dolly so we’ve got capacity up to 200 tonne.

“I run three of my own triple road train sets, and then we’ve got half a dozen other low loaders that are in the fleet as well, with some of the old HHA guys who have been with me for a long time.”

They include ‘Driver Dave’ Pancino, who has been with Kelly for almost 17 years.

inner-sanctum of friends to understand how I work, or as far as I’m concerned it’s just hearsay.”

money isn’t the driving factor.

BY JAMES GRAHAM

EVERYONE has a Jon Kelly story.

That’s a line you’ll hear a lot from the resurgent heavy hauler and now global truck restorer who’s endured more than his fair share of tall tales in recent years.

After the high-profile collapse of Kelly’s Heavy Haulage Australia (HHA) in 2015, the company that also spawned the hit 2012 TV series MegaTruckers, many of the theories as to why it all went so wrong were unfairly aimed at Kelly himself.

The truth is, says Kelly, is that by that stage HHA had sold a 50 per cent share to the now defunct McAleese which failed to cope with the mining downturn in 2014 and took Kelly’s heavy haulage juggernaut down with it.

No, he hadn’t gone to jail for fraud after embezzling money, one of the more fanciful stories Kelly can recall hearing.

“You know, 99.9 per cent of it is all bullshit,” Kelly tells Big Rigs of the stories and theories still doing the rounds on social media and in roadhouses across Australia.

“If I was going to embezzle money, I’d make sure it was for $350 million, not $2.50 and I wouldn’t be in Australia, I would have gone and bought Greg Norman’s yacht, and I’d be sitting on that with him.

“People need to realise that I wasn’t a part of that deal, and they forget that I sold the business, and I got dragged over the coals as well.

“What happened with HHA was unfortunate. It was a combination of bad timing and bad decisions on my behalf in terms of setting up a business and partnering with the wrong people. And a lot of it had to do with a massive economic change. It wasn’t just HHA and

McAleese that got taken down.

“I had to start again pretty much from ground zero. I had a $100 million dollar fleet and ended up with just the ashes to restart again with.”

After the collapse Kelly says he “did a bit of consulting” and assisted with some other businesses but always bought and sold trucks on the side, something he did through the HHA days as an expression of his love and passion for trucks.

Today, that ‘hobby’ has evolved into a fully-fledged dealership with Kelly and his loyal crew restoring trucks back to their former glory at the Brisbane-based Heavy Haulage Assets and sharing those stories with a new TV audience on the Discovery show Aussie Truck Rehab.

“I think to do something

“I am a hard person to work for, because I have exacting standards, and I like to set the benchmark which means I have to be hard,” adds Kelly when asked about industry misconceptions about him as a person.

“But if you talk to anyone that’s ever worked for me, through the HHA days and even now, you know, I pride myself on having the best in business work environment and the best in business in equipment and conditions.

“So, you know, there’s a lot of people that you hear on social media running their mouths, and a few of my old guys that have worked for me have said [in response] that clearly you don’t know Jon Kelly, or you’ve never worked for him because he was the best boss, or it was the best place to work.

“You’ve either got to work for me to understand how I work, or be in my personal

When he looks back and reflects on those heady days of expansion at HHA, Kelly says he feels like he’s lived 16 lifetimes in his “short” 42 years.

But he’s also satisfied that he’ll “never die wondering”, a motto that still drives him today.

He’s thrilled with the way Heavy Haulage Assets has grown in the last two to three years. There’s always a slew of heavy-duty Kenworths, Macks, Western Stars – and even the occasional Peterbilt – moving through the refurbishing process and out the gate to new owners.

The operation is going so well that Kelly has just sold his current depot and inked a deal to move into a new premises in Archerfield, triple the size of his current operation.

“It’s never been about the money for me, to be honest,” explains Kelly.

“Sure, we make good money out of what we do, but the

“It’s always been about owning cool trucks, seeing them on the road, and painting a positive picture in the transport light, and being someone who people can call up and ask for advice or ideas.

“Ever since the show’s come out, we’ve been inundated with people ringing about wanting to do trucks up or wanting to do deals and sell us trucks and all that sort of stuff.

“It’s very early in the show’s days, but it’s definitely igniting the fires of people wanting to relive the history of these trucks.”

While the first series of Aussie Truck Rehab has now concluded – check Foxtel guides for reruns – there is already talk of a second series on Discovery.

Meanwhile, refurbished truck fans can also see get along to the Casino Truck Show on Saturday, August 5, where Kelly is planning to showcase 12 of the “coolest trucks” to roll out of the Heavy Haulage Assets’ yard.

The headline act for Kelly

is undoubtedly ‘Mad Cow’, the fully restored Western Star 600hp 6900 Series that won Rig of the Year in 1997 before falling on hard times.

Kelly rescued it from the scrap heap a few years back, ended up selling it – a decision he still rues today – before buying it back and dedicating it to youngest son Joshua,11, who like his older brother James, 13, has inherited his father’s passion for trucks. Kelly says Mad Cow holds a very special place in his heart. He recalls skipping schoolies in ’97 to jump in a truck to get to Darwin to watch the Rig of the Year ceremony alongside his equally besotted grandfather.

“That was probably the only non-Mack truck my grandfather ever took notice of. I just couldn’t believe how big and cool that truck was.

“Fast forward 30 years and now I own it. To restore it to its former glory, put it back on the map is an ultimate rags-toriches story – and have it be the absolute favourite truck of my youngest son Josh – is a massive deal for me.”

Jon Kelly says his passion for restoring classic trucks is the driving force today.

Jon Kelly with truck-mad son Josh, who like his older brother James, is a chip off the old block.

[L-R] Workshop assistant Izaiah Watego, finance manager ‘Dollar’ Dave Pattullo, Jon Kelly, crew chief ‘Driver’ Dave Pancino, and lead mechanic Marshall Watego, stars of Aussie Truck Rehab.

Kelly is looking forward to showcasing a fully completed Mad Cow at the Casino Truck Show on August 5.

A resurgent Jon Kelly has shaken off the loss of his high-profile heavy haulage business and is back in the spotlight again, doing what he loves most.

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McColl’s reunites with its oldest living tanker driver

Back in the 1950s, he drove the first ever milk tanker for McColl’s Transport

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

IT was around 70 years ago that this returned serviceman began working for McColl’s Transport, delivering milk from Victoria’s western district to the dairy factory at the company’s base in Geelong.

Born in 1923 and now living in Yarrawonga, Des Jones spoke to Big Rigs about how he came to be McColl’s first milk tanker driver.

The story of McColl’s started over 70 years ago, in 1952, when Stuart and June McColl purchased two F600 trucks and launched McColl’s Milk Transport in the Victorian city of Geelong. These trucks were used to pick up milk from dairy farmers around Port Fairy, which was then delivered to processing plants.

A few short years later, McColl’s purchased its first purpose-built milk tanker –and they needed someone to drive it.

That tanker had a capacity

his 100th birthday.

of 1834 gallon – or 8344 litres. By comparison, the company’s latest A-double tankers can carry 56,000 litres of milk!

Interestingly, Stuart never sold that original tanker. “It just sat in the back corner of the depot for years growing moss! His big plan was to have it painted and mounted up on the roof of the office as a sign,” explained Robert Rose, who is among the company’s longest serving truck drivers, having started there after finishing school in 1988.

“We nominated Stuart for the Alice Springs Hall of Fame in 2007 and thought it would be fitting to have his tanker parked there too where everyone could see it.”

The tanker was brought into the McColl’s workshop, where it was tidied up, with Geelong Abrasive Blasting handling the paint job. The tanker was restored within just a few weeks, so it could be brought to Alice Springs in time for Stuart’s induction into

the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame that year. “And yes, it’s still on display there,” Rose added.

From McColl’s Transport’s humble beginnings, the business has grown to encompass 26 depots, six major workshops, over 250 prime movers, 800 trailers and 650 staff.

McColl’s Transport was reunited with Des after being contacted by his son Alan Jones, who believed his father may be McColl’s oldest living tanker driver – and as it would seem, he was right.

Des originally met Stuart and Joan through their local

church and they became good friends.

As Des explained, “After the war, I became an electrician. Stuart was managing the biggest dairy in Geelong and he wanted to put an electrician on – so I applied for the job and knowing him so well, I got it,” he said.

As well as being an electrician for the dairy farm, Des also serviced ice cream cabinets that used brine to keep the ice cream cold and was on call 24/7.

“They had little shops everywhere. But if the ice-cream

was getting soft, I had to dash out there day or night.

“After I’d been working there for about six months or so, Stuart called me in and said, look Des, I’m putting on a tanker and it’s being built at Browns Motors here. I’d like you to drive it,” Des recalled.

“The job I had was already pretty good and the money was pretty good too. I asked what the driving job would pay and he quoted me a figure that was way above my salary, so I took the job and did that for about 12 months.”

When asked if he had ever

Des Jones became McColl’s first tanker driver, after being offered the job by Stuart McColl.

Des Jones is the last remaining survivor of the HMAS Canberra and was a guest of honour at the 80-year reunion last year. Inset: He joined the Navy as a stoker when he was 17.

driven a truck prior to that, he recounted the story of how he got his driver’s licence.

“When I joined the Navy in 1940, down at Flinders, I was on the Parade Ground. I’d only been there for about three days when the petty officer got our group together and said righto, how many of you boys have your driver’s licence? We were all young blokes and I was only 17,” he said.

“No one would put their hand up. So he asked if anyone had worked in a garage or seen a garage? So I said I had a little bit of experience, but no licence.”

The experience he was referring to related to an old C-Model Ford he came across while wiring up a house and a barn in his teens.

“The C-Model was jacked up and he asked if we could put a motor in it. I asked what he was going to do with it and he said he’d sell it. He wanted 5 pound for it. This was about 84 years ago so that was a lot of money at that time. A mate and I bought it and got it going.

“When I told the petty officer this, he sent me to the garage and said, ‘See that truck, do you think you could drive it?’ I said yeah. It was a real old truck. I had to take these blokes over to the railway and

get a loads of coal. I did that for a day or two. Then on the third day, they said I could go back to the Parade Ground. They handed me a licence and said, ‘You can drive any vehicle in the Navy’.”

When Des left McColl’s, it was to start his own business, returning to his trade.

“It was a good job and I really liked it – I’m a bit sorry I had to give it up. But Stuart didn’t mind and got another driver. He said that’s okay Des, if I can help you in any way, let me know.”

And so together with his business partner Max Brown, Des started JB Electrics in East Geelong. But all the while he remained great friends with Stuart, up until his passing in 2013, at the age of 95.

“I always got on well with Stuart, he was a real good bloke. Just before he died, I rang him to see how he was going. He wanted me to come and see him and I said when I’m down in Geelong, I’d certainly come and visit, but I didn’t get there before he died,” revealed Des, who turned 100 on May 4.

He says he celebrated his milestone birthday with “two parties at the RSL”.

Along with being the oldest living tanker driver to have worked for McColl’s, Des is

also the last remaining survivor of the HMAS Canberra, which was struck 24 times by gunfire and struck by torpedo in the Battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942.

In August last year, Des visited Sydney and Canberra as a guest of honour, as the Navy held an 80-year reunion from when HMAS Canberra was lost in battle.

Of the 819-strong people on board the ship, 84 were

killed and 109 wounded.

Des joined the Navy as a stoker at the age of just 17. “When I went onto the HMAS Canberra, which was my first boat, I was a thirdclass stoker, that’s as low as you can go in the Navy. Six months later I became a second-class stoker and within 12 months I was a first-class stoker.”

Des was actually working in the boiler room just hours

before the ship was attacked. He finished his shift at midnight and the ship was hit at around 2am.

The wounded were brought to the upper decks waiting to be transferred. Though attempts were made to get the ship steamed up again, with the boiler rooms destroyed, it was no use – so the order came in to abandon the ship.

Des recalls swimming as

fast as he could to the life raft as he had a fear of sharks.

He continued on with the Navy for several years, eventually becoming a leading hand. Though he says that’s where things went wrong. “I got the shock of my life when they said you’re off to Darwin because you’re a licenced driver – so I was a leading hand in the garage there. But I was a bit crook on that – I should’ve been on the Australia!”

McColl’s Transport founders June and Stuart McColl.

Des Jones (centre), celebrating his 100th birthday with John Bastin, Alan Jones, Tania Jones and Marita Seamer.

Stuart McColl never sold his first tanker, so it sat in the back of the depot for years. With some tidying up and a fresh paint job, the historic tanker looks as good as new.

660 horses a smooth ride

BY GRAHAM HARSANT

WHEN the phone buzzes and the email says it’s from Scania, my hand goes to open it up almost before my mind has finished reading the headline. Hopefully they want to put me into something, I think to myself.

Yes, they do, with an invitation to go for a run in their R660, one of a range of the company’s glorious V8s. “Absolutely”, is my immediate response. I’ve always loved the way these trucks drive, and feel, and look, and particularly, sound.

The R660 (which denotes the horsepower) sits second from the top of the V8 range which kicks off with the 530. Those 660 horses match just about any other manufacturer’s donk, but Scania goes one further – to the top of

the horsepower tree with the mighty V8 rumble of their R770.

The R660 adopts the latest Opticruise Gearbox as does the rest of the range, barring the R770, simply because that engine has too much grunt for the ‘box at the moment. Expect that to be rectified in the near future.

Behind me is a B-double with Scania’s Griffin emblazoned on the tautliner’s side and 60-plus tonnes of ballast on board.

Oh, there’s also ‘Driver Under Instruction’ plates fore and aft, because after some 14 years with an HC licence, I still haven’t gotten off my lazy backside and moved on up to an MC.

That’s not to say I haven’t driven a B-double before – I have many times; I’m just

not as adept as the rest of you.

I’m joined on this trip by Lindsay Pollock, one of Scania’s driver trainers, and as it happens, an almost neighbour of mine, coming as he does from Shepparton.

In a past life, Pollock spent a couple of years as a driving instructor with DECCA Driver Training, so I’m pretty conscious of doing all the right things – dredging my own DECCA-trained memories to the surface.

We leave Scania’s Laverton base and head out onto the always busy Boundary Road, over and around numerous roundabouts before hitting the wide open spaces on the freeway to Ballarat.

Want to know when this occasional B-double driver started feeling comfortable behind the wheel? I reckon it

took me all of a minute. Seriously, the truck is that good!

Driving many and varied prime movers, one of the first things I do is to line up something in the cab with the white line on my right. It may be the corner of the A pillar, something on the dash or even a speck on the windscreen. This simply to keep me in the middle of the lane and avoid the dreaded and usually VERY LOUD Lane Departure Warning from constantly harassing me.

Not in this truck!

I’ve gone through all those roundabouts, merged lanes, traversed a couple of narrow

roads, and am well up the freeway before I realise that I haven’t set off the LDW at all and that I’ve not organised a ‘line of sight’.

I’ve simply got in and driven – such is the confidence that this truck gives you. And I think that this makes the case for Scania even more compelling, because this truck is just a breeze to drive.

Getting into the nitty-gritty, the V8 displaces 16.4 litres, putting out those 660 horses at 1900rpm and 3300Nm from 950 – 1400rpm. The gearbox is Scania’s latest overdrive 14-speed Opticruise fully automated gear-change with Eco-roll.

Seventy kilos lighter thanks to being smaller and cased in aluminium, the latest Opticruise does away with reverse gear, instead locking the planetary gears at the back which effectively put the whole gearbox in reverse – not that you’ll get those 14 gears of course.

Gear changes are so quick and so smooth that you’ll have to look at the dash info to see the truck moving up through the range. There’s a choice of Economy, Standard or Power modes (ex-factory) which is nice of Scania to offer and I suppose I should have played with them all in the interest of full reporting. But I forgot. The truck did all I could ask of it, uphill and down dale – but the choice is there should you desire it.

Continued on page 20

Hitting the wide open spaces on the freeway to Ballarat.

When the email lands, our correspondent jumps at the invite to take the B-double for a spin.

It took our test driver all of a minute to get comfortable with the B-double pulling 60-plus tonnes of ballast.

The gearbox is Scania’s latest overdrive 14-speed Opticruise fully automated gear change with Eco-roll.

It doesn’t take long for our Victorian correspondent to get comfortable behind the wheel of the Scania R660 V8.

Call it the ‘Smile Factor’

From page 18

ON the safety front, Scania beats all-comers by having, not only a driver’s airbag, but side curtain airbags as well.

Should you, for some inexplicable reason lay the

truck on its side, there’s a roof hatch to crawl out of.

Add in Electronic Stability, Traction Control, Lane Departure Warning, Auto Hill Hold, Disks all round, Advanced Emergency Brak-

ing, Adaptive Cruise, LED head and tail lights, checking of all lights from the key fob and air suspension front and rear.

For the life of me – and I value my life – I cannot see how anyone could get into trouble in this. The 5-stage retarder (plus engine exhaust brake – 300kW @ 2400rpm) is a beauty and will extend the life of those disc brakes.

Then there is the steering which I have raved about in the past. All those safety features are trumped by the best steering in the business.

Point it and that’s where it goes. The steering is why I had no need to find a sight line. On top of those air bags it is simply superb.

Inside the cab it is all classy Scania. The dashboard is black with red trim, complemented with a dark sand lower section.

The superbly comfortable seats are upholstered in premium leather with peripheral red stitching, embossed with a V8 logo because…. well because you just like to be reminded of what’s under the bonnet every time you climb into the cab. Call it ‘Smile Factor’.

There’s a double refrig-

erator under a super comfy pocket spring mattress which extends in width from 800mm to 1000mm. There’s USB slots in the dash and the bunk area, DAB radio and a premium audio system.

A work bench folds out from the passenger side dash, that wonderful steering wheel is flat-bottomed, and leather wrapped and there is ancillary storage everywhere.

If you have to get in a truck, drive from Melbourne to Brisbane and get out at the other end feeling like you’ve

just been around the block, then take a look at Scania. You won’t be disappointed. Did I mention that subdued V8 rumble?

Postscript: You’ve read that I’m an occasional B-double driver. Lindsay suggests a quick break at a servo ahead so I drive in.

Now I could have taken the wide gap to the right of the pumps but no. I go between two of them and too late realise that 1: there’s not much room ahead and, 2: I’m too close to the RH

pumps. Dutifully looking into the rear view I can see that the rear axle on the B trailer is going to wipe out said pump. Embarrassment!

I suppose this could have been a good time to practise backing a B dub but I sheepishly left it to Lindsay to sort it. Still, as he politely put it, “You’ll know next time.”

Possibly to make me feel better, he also told me that I’d otherwise performed as well as most of the other (more seasoned) trucking journalists. Yay me!

After some 14 years with an HC licence, the Scania is motivating our writer to “move on up” to an MC. The dashboard is black with red trim, complemented with a dark sand lower section.

Red stitching adds to the ambience and it’s nice to be reminded that you’re in a V8, even before you crank the mill.

Point it and that’s where the Scania goes, it’s that easy.

Trailer tribute to ‘King of the Mountain’ turns heads

of the EziLiner by incorporating two cable guide rollers at the drop point of the trailer that simultaneously ensures the continuity of the cable from the top to the lower deck whilst maintaining the required tension levels.

But after 15 years of loyal use running to all points of mainland Australia, Mick’s EziLiner Drop Deck started showing signs of wear and tear.

“It is too good a trailer to get rid of,” Mick said. “Around the time I was thinking about refurbishing the trailer, a close friend of mine, Steve Donovan, told me about a car show he was organising to raise awareness for mental health. Sadly, Steve’s son took his own life, and the car show ‘A Day out for Don’ was named in his honour.

Mick contacted MaxiTRANS to see who they might suggest completing the rebuild.

“The team at MaxiTRANS in Victoria were terrific,” Mick explained. “I explained to them I intended to use the trailer as a display piece with the Peter Brock mural on the curtains and the deadline for its first public showing at the car show.

I also added that I wanted a few extra touches, such as the polished rear door handles.”

“Mick was fantastic and easy to deal with. He knew exactly what he wanted to achieve,” said Jason Keddie, MaxiTRANS general manager Victoria. “He was involved throughout the whole process and got to know our team quite well.

A REFURBISHED 15-yearold trailer has been given a new lease of life, paying homage to legendary motor racing champion Peter Brock.

Owned by Highland Haulage, the trailer had spent 15 years in service before its latest transformation.

Highland Haulage’s head office is located in the historic town of Deloraine at the foot of the Great Western Tiers in Tasmania’s central highlands. The business has grown from a single truck operation that started in the early 1990s to a predominate Tasmanian freight forwarding, shipping and transport operation.

It was started by husband-

and-wife team Mick and Chris Linger two decades ago, who rely on old-fashioned values, coupled with adopting new technologies to stay ahead of the game.

Mick says he takes great pride in his fleet and as such, ensures impeccable equipment maintenance and great presentation of his fleet.

Regardless of age, Mick is adamant that all his gear must be kept in showroom condition. His meticulous approach to cleanliness and presentation extends through the company’s warehouses, workshops and offices.

The impressive fleet of Kenworth and Western Star prime movers, coupled with

Freighter trailers, concentrate on providing general freight and specialised refrigeration services from Tasmania across Bass Straight to all mainland centres. “Our business is not just about trucks. We provide a total transport solution,” Mick said.

Early on, Mick accepted that growth was inevitable if he wanted to provide superior service to his clients. However, the rapid rate at which this expansion occurred was something neither he nor his original business plan could forecast.

Mick was conscious about ensuring his fleet would continually provide efficiency as well as maximum cubic

capacity. As a result, he was interested in the Freighter Drop Deck design as it optimised deck lengths to suit standard pallet sizes and maximise load volume. At the same time, he was equally impressed with the EziLiner’s which was launched in 2008.

With a lever to tighten and loosen the curtain, it avoids the repetitive nature of opening and closing buckles and straps.

When Mick first contacted his local Freighter Dealer, MaxiTRANS, Freighter engineers were in the final stages of developing a drop deck version of the EziLiner.

Freighter engineers developed the drop deck version

“Steve is a massive Holden and Peter Brock fan, so an idea evolved that I refurbish my old EziLiner Drop Deck as a memento to Steve’s efforts in raising awareness of mental health.”

“We completely overhauled the trailer giving it a new lease on life. The trailer was stripped back, sandblasted, before we gave it a new paint job. New curtains were fitted, air brushing completed and finished off with new LED lighting.”

‘Divine intervention’ saves Qld church from demolition

BY ALF WILSON

ORIGINALLY due to be demolished, this historic 115-yearold church and church hall was transported along the Flinders Highway on a 390km journey from Hughenden to Townsville last month.

It took nine days in total for Townsville-based Renewable Homes to load the church and church hall, which was transported in three sections – the main building was split in two, with the roof separated. These sections were pulled by three Mack Tridents.

This was a precarious job

which required extreme care, as the church and church hall were built way back in 1908, originally serving as a Presbyterian church.

It also survived a tornado in 1942 which wiped out half of Hughenden and soon after that became the Hughenden United Church.

The maximum width of the loads was 7.5m. The church load was 30m long, with a height of 5.2m. This meant the convoy didn’t need any energy workers along the way.

The church convoy left Hughenden at about 7am, with the trucks accompanied by

three police escorts and three industry pilots.

The lead Mack was a 2009 model driven by Kevin Nolan. Behind it was a 2015 Mack driven by Renewable Homes owner Jo Veneman and the third was another 2009 model driven by Matt Forrest.

The average speed along the journey was around 70km/h but Veneman said that decreased when they crossed the many narrow bridges on the journey. “It got down to about 5km/h at times,” she revealed.

Of course, there were some holdups along the way including just outside Hughenden, when had to stop for a considerable time at a level crossing for a train.

Then between Torrens Creek and Pentland there were two flat tyres which resulted in a 30-minute stop.

And one of the trucks blew a header tank and required stoppages to top up the water.

Veneman said that some sections of the Flinders Highway were up and down. “The church and church hall was

rocking and weaving on the trailers at certain times.”

The motto of her company is “saving history” and Renewable Homes specialises in saving iconic Queenslander buildings from being demolished, along with saving other perfectly good homes from heading to landfill.

“Australia is facing a housing crisis and it makes no sense in throwing them into the dump,” Veneman said.

Many spectators turned out to watch the move of the church and its hall, with residents in towns along the Hughenden to Charters Towers stretch – including at Prai-

rie, Torres Creek, Pentland, Homestead and Balfe’s Creek – at the roadside waving to the crew.

“This included lots of school kids which we were delighted with,” added Veneman.

At Charters Towers, which is 260km from Hughenden, the team had a welcome break at the Gold City Roadhouse. Then it was off towards Townsville (approx. 130km from Charters Towers).

Veneman also appealed to authorities to provide some special areas for wide loads to stop along the Flinders Highway. “There just wasn’t enough,” she said.

The final destination was the Renewable Homes depot at Roseneath on the outskirts of Townsville.

Big Rigs stopped at the strategic location of the pull over area on both sides of the highway between Calcium and Woodstock to snap some pics.

Lead pilot driver Lionel Tappenden arrived and did an excellent job stopping traffic heading towards the convoy as it pulled over.

Then just after 4pm the flashing lights of the police escorts appeared and soon after the Macks and the church cruised past.

Veneman tooted her horn and I managed to follow the convoy until the turnoff to the depot. Along the way hundreds of vehicles, including scores of trucks, stopped.

The journey was completed just after 4.30pm, as the convoy headed into the depot.

As for the fate of the church and church hall, it will stay at the depot before being put up for sale after Veneman can tally the considerable costs incurred.

The trailer received a new paint job, new curtains, air brushing and new LED lighting.

Highland Haulage owns the first ever Freighter Drop Deck EziLiner – but after 15 years it was showing signs of wear and tear.

The church and hall were transported in three sections.

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Trip of a lifetime for winner

allowed to take photos inside the factory, so all my photos were taken outside and in the nice little showroom, where you can walk up and see the engines up close.”

What also stood out to Anderson was the factory’s strong commitment to recycling.

“They showed me the process, and as they’re building the engines, there’s a lot of metal that comes off, so that all gets recycled. As parts come in, all the packaging is recycled. And they also have a day where they get employees to bring in anything they want recycled too,” she explained.

in Trucking Australia were welcome to come and have a tour – he said he would be happy to show them everything about the Cummins engines. Considering that WiTA has the fastest growing social media platform in the sector with 63,000 followers – an average of 1500 per month since WiTA was established –I think Elijah could have a lot to do!”

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

TRUCKS and the transport industry have been a lifelong passion for Roslyn Anderson, who was lucky enough to embark on a guided tour of the Jamestown Engine Plant in Lakewood, New York, in early June.

The trip was part of her prize for winning the ATA National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year Award in 2020, which was sponsored by Cummins. But due to Covid border closures and a hectic schedule, Anderson wasn’t able to take up the “once in a lifetime” opportunity – until now.

“It’s amazing to get an award and be recognised for what you’ve done for the industry, but to get this trip to go to Cummins, that’s the absolute ultimate. Because the awards were presented during lockdown, I actually found out I’d won while at home, sitting in front of the computer while the entire presentation was done on Zoom,” recalled Anderson.

“The trip was far beyond what I could have expected. It was such a fulfilling life experience. They are refurbishing a section of the factory at the moment and upgrading it with new technology, which was very impressive.”

Over the years, Anderson has worked for a number of trucking companies. Along with her current full-time role as an accountant at A-Civil, Anderson is also a board director at Women in Trucking Australia (WiTA).

Anderson says she had a choice between two Cummins factories in the US and settled on the Jamestown plant so she could add in a quick visit to Niagara Falls.

“It’s located in Lakewood which is a tiny little community. One of the Cummins employees Elijah Palmer who gave me the tour said he could actually see the Cummins factory from his bedroom window when he was growing up. He started out on the workshop floor and has worked his way up to a managerial posi

tion,” said Anderson.

Lakewood is home to approximately 3000 people –and the Cummins factory has around 1500 employees. “It’s situated a long way from the big towns so Cummins is a major part of the community,” added Anderson.

In fact, each year, the plant contributes around $1 million back to the community through charitable donations and employee volunteer hours served.

In May, Cummins announced the production of the 2.5 millionth engine at its Jamestown plant. It has also revealed plans to invest a further $452 million into the 998,000 square foot facility, to produce the industry’s first fuel-agnostic internal combustion engine platform that leverages a range of lower carbon fuel types, including natural gas.

Anderson embarked on a personal one-day tour of the Cummins facility, led by two employees, who she said led

to be surrounded by Cummins engines – I absolutely loved it.

“I noticed a lot of women were working in the production line. The transport industry is a good place for women to be. It’s a good place for employment, you just need to get a foot in the door – that’s the focus for Women in Trucking Australia so it was great to see so many women involved through the production process of Cummins’ engines.”

Cummins Inc. is now led by Jennifer Rumsey, who took on the role as president and CEO in August 2022.

“There’s a whole wall that shows the company’s timeline from the start, with what has happened each year. It had all the photos of past CEOs and they were all male – but now they have a female, who was recently appointed,” Anderson added.

On the tour she says she was shown so many different engine variations, covering onroad heavy haulage through to marine engines. “I wasn’t

“Elijah Palmer from Cummins made sure to tell me when I left that all the women truck drivers from Women

Now that Anderson is back on home soil, she says she’s hoping to soon get her truck licence. “It’s difficult being involved in an organisation like Women in Trucking Australia, where 99 per cent of members are truck drivers and I’m not, so now I’m looking to get my truck licence too.”

Elijah Palmer from Cummins was one of the employees who took Anderson on her guided tour of the facility.

Cummins’ Jamestown Engine Plant is located in a small village called Lakewood in the state of New York.

Roslyn Anderson visited the Cummins factory at part of her prize for being awarded the ATA National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year Award in 2020.

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Livestock legend honoured with family’s second OAM

Mick Pattel follows in the footsteps of his famous dad in more ways than one, discovers our Townsville correspondent.

BY ALF WILSON

OUTBACK owner-operator

Mick Pattel, who received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his work in the livestock transport industry, was hard at work cleaning the double decks of his trailers when Big Rigs contacted him.

Road transport “legend” would be an apt description of Mick, who at 71, is still fit and enthusiastic about the job.

Based at Richmond, which is 500km along the Flinders Highway from Townsville, Mick drives a Mack Titan with a 685hp motor and an automatic gearbox.

He hauls livestock in triples from the Gulf of Carpentaria region and outback centres to meat works on the coast and for live export from Townsville Port.

“I am dealing with wonderful clients some of whom are the third generation of families, I used to carry for their fathers and grandfathers,” he said.

Born named Kevin Michael Pattel at Winton, he has been known as Mick because his father was also Kevin Pattel.

“Dad’s middle name was Thomas, so I just took the Christian name of Mick to avoid confusion,” he said.

This dedicated truckie has strong views on many issues regarding the industry and one is rates.

His motto is that there are two types of operators: “Price makers and price takers.”

“I am a price maker and quote a fair price and if it is not accepted than I don’t do the job,” he said.

Having said that in 50 years of driving, Mick said he had never been the victim of a bad debt.

“It is because the clients I deal with are good people,” he said.

Although Mick said that rising fuel costs were “hard to manage” for the industry.

“But I own everything and have no debt which I can factor into my rates. Some who have lots of debt charge higher rates and let maintenance of their trucks do down which becomes a safety issue,” he said.

Some years back Mick had a second truck – a B Model Mack and employed a driver but it didn’t work out.

The Pattel name is well respected name at Richmond, around the Gulf region and big cities like Townsville where his father who also has received an OAM in 2019 when aged 92.

“I catch up with Dad as often as I can and he played a big part in my life,” Mick said.

I asked Mick what the worst road was he has travelled on and he nominated the Flinders Highway.

“When I haul cattle from

the Gulf to Townsville I use the back roads through Georgetown, Greenvale and Charters Towers. The Flinders between Richmond and Hughenden is rough and further on towards the Towers there are many narrow bridges,” he said.

On the subject of rest areas, Mick feels there is not enough, which is a sentiment of many other drivers.

“Along the Flinders Highway there are only a few and if you try and pull up after 10pm at night at one, most times you won’t find a park. So, you have to stop at one of those pull off areas to check the livestock,” he said.

Mick said that the Gregory Development Road stretch between Charters Towers and Clermont also needed more rest areas.

“There are only two at Cape River and a newer one at Frankfield which is a beautiful set up,” he said.

As for roadhouses, Mick said he doesn’t stop at many but when he does the BP Cluden on Townsville’s outskirts is a preference.

“I have a microwave and an induction hot plate in the Mack which I can cook in and my favourite food is steak,” he said.

Mick has led a wonderful life focusing on his beloved family and the road transport industry.

At the age of eight, Mick left Winton for Richmond and attended Richmond State and Secondary schools before leaving to work in the building and wool industry for a short time before deciding to drive trucks for his living.

From the age of 11 on weekends he would help his father work in the yard and go out with him in a Leyland on mail runs away from town and learnt to drive out on the

remote bush tracks and the start of a long-standing career in transport.

In 1969, Mick joined the family business to drive road trains hauling livestock and general freight.

Mick had his semi licence by the time he was 17 and by 21 he had his own business up and running and had an R model Mack with two single cattle trailers, then later on bought a Super-Liner with three double deck cattle crates. His current truck is Mack Titan.

In 1969, Mick joined the family business to drive road trains hauling livestock and general freight.

Four years later in 1973 he married Janet and is very proud of his three children,

Angela, Simon, Kellie, and their families.

Mick has also been inducted into the Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs, he was a member of the Livestock Transporters Association of Qld (LTAQ) which won a lot of concession for the livestock industry, he was also instrumental in the introduction of volumetric loading of cattle.

In 2008 Mick held many meetings along the east coast over fatigue laws, fuel taxes, and other injustices to the transport industry which led to the shut down for three days of the transport industry across Australia in July that year.

After the shutdown, and still unhappy with government treatment of the transport

industry, in August 2008 he cofounded the National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) alongside lifetime friend Peter Whytcross. Mick was also the inaugural national president and is now a life member of the association.

Unhappy with the Gillard minority government and the banning of the live cattle trade, in August 2011 Mick planned and with help from NRFA and others ran the Convoy of No Confidence from all over Australia to finish in Canberra with massive support behind him.

Mick has been involved in many community organisations such as Apex, the school P&C as president and he also served as a local councillor on the Richmond Shire council.

Whilst many drivers criticise the habits of caravans and often declare some as dangerous, Mick said he gets on well with most he contacts on his radio.

“If they are travelling at 80km per hour and you are behind them most will understand that you are doing a job with deadlines and fatigue management and they will let you pass,” he said.

In conclusion, I asked Mick how long he reckons he will be driving the highways and byways doing what he loves.

“I have had sickness along the way but recovered and have also had family and friends who have died much younger. So hopefully for many years to come,” he said.

At 71, OAM recipient Mick Pattel has no plans to slow down just yet.

Mick’s father Kevin, a big influence on his life, also received an OAM in 2019.

Mick was behind a nationwide protest against the banning of live cattle trade in 2011. Photo: Alf Wilson

The livestock legend hauls triples from the Gulf of Carpentaria region and outback centres.

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‘I got to go to places I never dreamed of’

I out here? I should be home with my family, getting a good nights’ sleep.”

BY AINSLEIGH BILATO

LIKE many operators, Bernard ‘Bernie’ Bianchi was committed to the industry long before he ever had the chance to hold a licence. Attending St Joseph’s College in Toowoomba, Bernie would watch the prime movers cruise along James Street from his carefully selected window seat in the classroom. He recalls thinking to himself, “One day, I’m going to drive myself a big truck up that road.” Although there is a high fence that now blocks the school’s view of the road, an addition to the architecture Bernie believes might’ve been put in place at the urging of his frustrated teachers.

This moment in the classroom was fondly remembered by Bernie, when he later drove his truck up the familiar street.

Bernie first started driving when he was just 17, carting chickens for a poultry abattoir in an old Bedford. After travelling between Brisbane and local farms in Toowoomba for 12 months, Bernie knew it was time he branched out, taking a role as a driver’s offsider for a furniture removal business. Here, he began the first of what would be many decades of interstate runs, touring from Toowoomba to Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide every fortnight. For all the opportunities and obstacles that the transport industry presents, Bernie reminds operators to appreciate their unique privilege to “see the country and get paid for it”, recounting “I got to go to places I never dreamed of going in a car.”

Jewells, a furniture removalist, had an opening for an owner-operator and a 20-yearold Bernie promptly seized the opportunity. While Bernie jokes that today’s operators would laugh at the proposition of tackling the 17-odd

hour hike from Toowoomba to Melbourne in his International ACCO Butterbox, he and this prized truck clocked up millions of kilometres in their cross-country adventures.

The ACCO Butterbox was every bit a fighter. Bernie describes encountering a swiftly rising creek out of Surat in 1978. Unable to pull up the fully-loaded Butterbox in time, Bernie had no choice but to follow the road into the creek.

The side-exit exhaust typical of the ACCO at the time meant the machine’s engine seized and Bernie and his offsider were left

hoping that the rising water would soon subside. Instead, the truck began to float and the pair were forced to escape through the driver’s window, swimming to a nearby tree in time to watch the Butterbox drift away.

Bernie remembers, that even during what would be most machine owners’ worst nightmare, he thought the ACCO still looked very impressive, “Like the Queen Mary sailing down the river!”

A tow back to Toowoomba, a three-week visit to the mechanic and a new engine was the remedy required to get the ACCO back on the road, and Bernie and his Butterbox were reunited. Despite this

misadventure, Bernie is grateful to have had an otherwise safe career.

Bernie cautions today’s operators to be aware of and drive to their own capacity. Although he credits a safer industry to improved working conditions, he prompts operators to be mindful not to drive fatigued as the consequences can be fatal. Still a little discussed reality of the job, Bernie recounts, “I’ve seen some bad accidents on the highway. You try and get some sleep and you can’t help but think about what you saw.” He recalls that these nights were stark reminders of all the time spent away from his wife and two daughters, asking himself, “Why am

Brief as it was, Bernie treasured the time he was able to spend at home with his children. The family were accustomed to the routine, the girls often waiting to hear the sound of the truck coming up the road so they could greet their father at the window on his return. Sunday was Bernie’s only day off and, even then, he would spend several hours washing his truck and trailer and effecting any repairs that needed to be done before the new week started. His daughters would play in the truck while Bernie washed it, which he mentions made the task far more enjoyable. While out on the road, Bernie was sure to phone his wife, Madonna, every night. He tells of calling Madonna one morning instead and her answering immediately with, “What’s happened to the truck?”

“She couldn’t believe I might just be calling her to say hello,” Bernie remarks, quickly adding, “She was right though. I needed $3000 worth of repairs!”

Nowadays, Bernie is home every night. He currently drives a school bus from Millmerrin to Pittsworth, calling on the experience he gained over 18 years driving coaches for McCafferty’s earlier in his career. While he says he doesn’t regret any of his time in transport and is thankful for the

financial freedom it has provided him, Bernie, at 67, now enjoys having the weekends off to spend time with his grandchildren.

Bernie says that his 2016 induction into the Wall of Fame at the National Road Transport Museum made him feel ‘important’, a feeling that can be rare in the underappreciated transport industry.

He takes pride in the fact that, for years to come, visitors of the Hall of Fame will be able to view his frame on the Wall and say, “Bernie Bianchi worked hard all his life!”

Bernie notes that the “massive” grounds on which the National Road Transport Hall of Fame is built lends itself to a comprehensive picture of the transport history, able to display all the different industries that rely on trucks and their operators.

Walking through the National Road Transport Hall of Fame and seeing firsthand how far transport has evolved in Bernie’s time in the industry makes him wonder where it will be in the next 10 to 20 years.

The National Road Transport Hall of Fame shares Bernie’s passion for storytelling and its underestimated ability to unite the industry and foster friendships. It is a privilege to tell part of Bernie’s story and we are honoured to be able to recognise another much-loved industry member on the Wall of Fame.

Bernie had quite the story about a misadventure in his International ACCO Butterbox.

Bernie Bianchi at Greyhound Terminal in Toowoomba.

Doing some work on the greyhound bus.

He joined Jewells as an owner operator at the age of 20, clocking up millions of kilometres.

Along with trucks, he spent over 18 years driving coaches for McCafferty’s earlier in his career.

With many stories to tell from his years on the road, this 2016 Wall of Fame inductee is enjoying being able to spend more time with his family these days.

Truckies’ K9companions

GIPPSLAND truckies Adam Trewin and Carly Vanderwiel and their canine friends –Pippi, Prinny and Spud – are helping raise awareness about mental health issues impact ing truck drivers.

The whippet-loving truck ing partners, who bring their dogs on the road with them for their weekly hauls to Bris bane, credit the trio with help ing keep their mental health in-check during the long, and often lonely, drives up the east coast.

The duo, pictured right, teamed with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) to spread some waggy cheer on this year’s National Take Your Dog to Work Day on Friday, June 23.

To mark the big day, we were flooded with other shots of your favourite four-legged companions. Here’s a few on the right that you sent us.

Space permitting, we’ll publish the rest in the July 21 issue of Big Rigs so keep those adorable pics coming via our social channels, or email editor@bigrigs.com.au.

Every day is a Take Your Dog to Work Day for David Roll.

Ralph is going two-up with Benny Geldof from Coonabarabran to Armidale.

Chris Green’s Lexie baby loves the truck. She even packs herself on his bag.

Deb Nelson shared this photo of her husband Mark Nelson’s road train companion, Lily-Rose, who has been in the truck with him since she was Kev Pearcey’s best mate Banjo sitting in his VZ V8 ute. He goes everywhere with Kev and definitely helps him shake off any mental health blues.

Stephanie Everitt’s girl Sasha during their Perth to Karratha return run. She loves being in the bunk or the passenger seat.

Michael Wheeler’s beloved Boomer never leaves his side when he’s on the job.

Allen Thompson had his faithful companion by his side for more than 11 years and over 2 million kilometres and many laps around Australia.

A set of big black eyes looking at Simba Bass 24x7.

Ann Waterhouse’s best mate The Boss (RIP) loved going interstate and intrastate with her. He would get excited when he saw Ann’s bag come out because he knew they were

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Share your truck pics to win with Shell Rimula

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

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

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

for your best truck photos and add yours in the comments, or email them to 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!

Josh Ward from KTM Transport was westbound at Border Village in South Australia when he snapped this ripper shot.

Justin Berrett took this great shot westbound along Nullarbor Plain in South Australia.

Timothy Smith catching the sunrise from a rest area in Parkesbourne, New South Wales. Peter Stretch Vlcek’s T904 driving for Brennan’s Quarries in Tumbarumba, New South Wales.

Matt Langley sent in this great shot, snapped on the Canteen Creek Rd, Devonport Ranges, NT.Dave Hely snapped this shot of his rig in the snow at Gurnang State Forest in New South Wales.

Congratulations to Michael Roels, who has won a $500 Shell Coles Express Gift Card for this great sunrise shot, snapped in Gurnang, NSW.

When the going gets tough, truckies keep everyone going

Greg Reid took this shot of his rig on a stop in Tambo, heading north to Darwin.

Travis Netherwood from Lieschke Transport shared this shot of his Kenworth 410 SAR near Bethanga Bridge in Bellbridge, Victoria.

Heywood Freightlines truckie Daniel Martin sent in this ripper of a shot, snapped just before he headed home to Adelaide from Melbourne.

Pearson Smith caught this great shot parked up in Geelong.

Mark and Deb Nelson from SEQ Transport shared this great shot from Coolgardie-Esperance Highway in Western Australia.

Trevor Sadler snapped this photo of his beautiful Western Star after he pulled up at Brewarrina the other night.

Jeremy Munro from St George Freightliners took this shot while eastbound over the Balonne River in Queensland.

Save the date: The best trucking events in 2023

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

JULY

Wauchope Yesteryear Truck & Machinery Show

July 8-9

Wauchope Showground, NSW nhma.com.au/rally/yesteryear-truck-and-machinery-show

Featuring historic and late model working trucks, vintage cars and tractors, machinery, motorcycles and stationary engines. Plus market stalls, swap meet and family entertainment. Free entry for exhibitors. $10 weekend camping. Saturday night fully catered meal and unreserved auction with proceeds to charity.

AUGUST Casino Truck Show

August 5

Casino, NSW casinotruckshow.com.au

Show sponsored by North Coast Petroleum. The Highway Lights Parade will roll through Johnston and Centre Streets from 10am on Saturday. Truck registrations ($30 each) from 6am at the Casino Industrial Area on the town’s east side. Includes live music, amusements and markets. Over $12,000 in cash and prizes. Presentation at 2pm. Plus plenty of blinged up trucks from all across Australia will be parked in the CBD. Bobtail and rigid trucks only.

2023 Australian Festival of Transport

August 24-27

National Road Transport Hall of Fame, Alice Springs roadtransporthall.com

The National Road Transport Hall has announced the 2023 Australian Festival of Transport. The four-day event will include welcoming the new inductees onto the prestigious Shell Rimula Wall of Fame and the Legends Gala Dinner that will incorporate the first annual ‘Transport Women Unite Red Ball’ on Saturday night. The Red Ball will also be host to the inaugural Transport Women Dream Maker Award. This award is to recognise the women in the industry who work behind the scenes, and help those who front the organisation to achieve their dreams, whether it be an owner/operator, a family business or a large company.

Razorback Blockade Reunion

August 26

National Road Transport Hall of Fame, Alice Springs roadtransporthall.com

Held as part of the National Road Transport Museum’s Festival of Transport, the Razorback Blockade Reunion will celebrate the six courageous truck drivers who, in 1979, blocked the then-Hume highway near the famous Razorback Ridge in the name of protesting road maintenance taxes introduced as early as the 1950s.

SEPTEMBER

NatRoad Conference 2023

September 27-29

Gold Coast, Queensland natroad.com.au

After a difficult two years for

road freight operators, NatRoad is pleased to invite members to the NatRoad National Conference 2023, to be held at the RACV Royal Pines Resort, Benowna on Queensland’s Gold Coast from September 27 to 29. Includes the ‘NatRoad Parliament’ and the NatRoad Awards presented at the Gala Dinner.

Lights On The Hill Memorial Convoy

September 30 & October 1 Gatton, Queensland lightsonthehill.com.au

The 2023 Lights on the Hill Memorial Convoy is planned to be held on September 30 en route to Gatton Showgrounds with the Memorial service to be held on October 1 at the Lake Apex Memorial wall. Live music at the showgrounds includes The Wolfe Brothers, Josh Setterfield, Hayley Jensen, Will Day, Kerry Kennedy & Double Barrel and more.

OCTOBER

Technology & Maintenance Conference

October 16-18

Melbourne, VIC new.truck.net.au/tmc

The Technology & Maintenance Conference (TMC) in-person event is back after four years. The event aims to bring new ideas, expert advice, and strategies to help transport operators save thousands of dollars through improved maintenance and purchasing strategies. The TMC program committee is seeking expres-

sions of interest from people to propose sessions, workshops or to be part of a panel at TMC 2023. The program will cover topics including technology, safety, productivity, environment, costs and industry careers. Registrations to be launched soon.

Convoy for Kids Sydney

October 29 Clarendon, NSW convoyforkids.com.au

Starting at the Sydney Dragway, the convoy will make its way to the Hawkesbury Showground in Clarendon for a day filled with fun and festivities for the whole family. The event will raise funds for the NETS Ambulance 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.

Goulburn Convoy for Kids & Carnival Day

November, 11 Goulburn Showgrounds, New South Wales convoyforkidsgoulburn. com.au

A jam-packed day of fun for the whole family at Goulburn

Showground, Braidwood Road. On the day there will be a huge array of trucks on display following the convoy, free carnival rides, entertainment galore including the return of Bluey and Bingo, activities and interactive games for the kids plus much more. A variety of food and refreshment stations will be available. Entry for kids is free. The Convoy for Kids Goulburn charity provides financial assistance to local families who have a child living with a permanent disability, special need, cancer or terminal illness.

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.

Illawarra Convoy will be held on November 19.

The Australian Festival of Transport will be held at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in August.

Wauchope Yesteryear Truck Show will have historic and late model working trucks on display.

The Goulburn Convoy for Kids is a registered charity run by local volunteers.

Convoy for Kids Sydney will raise funds for the NETS Ambulance Service.

Over 70 trucks tackle infamous road for charity

AT least 72 trucks drove past a once dangerous and deadly section of the Hume Highway, Sylvia’s Gap at Tumblong, New South Wales, to help raise funds for a local museum last month.

The Sylvia’s Gap Run is an annual event that started in 2015 in order to raise money for the truck museum and shed, the Australian Road

Transport Heritage Centre (ARTHC), in Gundagai.

This year’s event, which was held on the weekend of June 10 and 11, included a gala dinner on Saturday, a breakfast catchup at the Gundagai Showgrounds on Sunday followed by a truck road run along the 10km notorious road section just south of Tumblong.

The Sylvia’s Gap, which

is now closed to the public, was once a part of the main highway connecting Sydney and Melbourne. It includes a number of deep cuttings and winding road that saw many fatal accidents and near-misses

joining in after the start.

“We are extremely happy with the response from the locals and the trucking community,” said Daryl Westin, who is the secretary of the organising committee that comprises of

“Now that we have purchased the shed, as opposed to renting it as we did earlier, we have to deal with a lot more expenses. We’re also trying to update the shed and the facility to make it more user friendly, and the money raised will help us in that effort,” Westin added.

“We’d like to thank the two local farming families, the Horsleys and the McDonalds,

who own the rural sections of the land that we used for the truck run, for their continued support.

“We’re also grateful to the 20 odd volunteers who helped us in every way to make this a great event. There’s a lot of setting up, tidying up, and getting ready for the next thing, so we’re really appreciative of their support.”

The trucks drove down Sylvia’s Gap, which is a part of a privately-owned farming land now.

Nearly 20 volunteers, working with the organising committee, helped make this year’s event a big success.

Sylvia’s Gap Run is an annual event that started in 2015.

Sylvia’s Gap was once a very dangerous section of the main highway between Sydney and Melbourne.

The funds raised from the event and auction will help support the truck museum in Gundagai.

Organisers say the 2023 Gap Run was well supported by the trucking community.

At least 72 trucks participated in this year’s Gap Run.

Fatigue doesn’t only affect truck drivers

Why are drivers leaving?

Long-time veteran Tasmanian driver Selwyn Sin eld has expressed his heartfelt opinion about why drivers are leaving the industry.

“When all things are considered equal on the severity of penalty against risk to injury or death within the laws of the road there is a massive discriminatory di erence for what appears to be no reasoning of fairness. No other driver faces the penalty a truck driver can face for what is considered minor mistakes or minor logbook entry error,” Sin eld told Spy.

“In a perfect world we all still make mistakes, mostly minor, but rather than dictate our way out of that by high penalty amounts, many consider it would be a better way to do it via education programs rather than by aggressively chasing the almighty dollar.”

He said that only one in seven drivers who should be monitored for fatigue are NOT being monitored for their fatigue management.

“Currently around 20 million drivers hold a licence to drive but a mere 189,500 are monitored for managing their fatigue. ere is no argument some truck drivers cover large amounts of kilometres yearly. So too do many car drivers who cover well over 100,000km a year in their jobs. ere is no mention about managing fatigue for all those drivers who do not drive trucks,” explained Sin eld.

“Why is it thought that only a truck driver will become fatigued? Politicians have already set a precedent on being fatigued in the many lm clips showing them asleep while sit-

ting in parliament. ere is no argument fatigue kills, but that does NOT only happen to a truck driver. It can happen to anyone.

“What I am seeking is for truck drivers to be considered in the same way a car diver and the sleeping politician is considered when it comes to fatigue. We need an even playing eld across the board so the penalty for fatigue is balanced fairly between all drivers and not elevated to one small amount of selected drivers as it is within the heavy vehicle laws in place today. ere will always be fatigue related incidents between vehicles.

“So please let us have that discussion around fairness on who carries that blame and make the penalties in line with the seriousness of that incident. A written nish time at the end of a working day when no incident was had does not bear a need for an initial ne of $1100 in the rst instance. Maybe if the driver has continued to do the same thing over and over then maybe it will be needed to have that huge penalty.

“Note all HVNL penalties are issued at 10 per cent of the set penalty. at leaves the driver who worked 15 minutes past his regulated hours of work facing $1100 minimum for rst o ence. A car driver who runs a red light gets below $500 max-

imum penalty plus loss of some points,” he said in conclusion.

Marulan road concerns

I have had several contacts from angry truckies about the state of the Hume Highway northbound and southbound of the notorious Marulan Heavy Vehicle Inspection in NSW.

“It is an absolute disgrace and needs urgent work and not just a band aid solution,” one regular user told Spy.

Our champion drivers face the trauma of being stopped by the scalies and potentially breached for some minor logbook error.

But their trucks may be damaged or get a at tyre because of the road.

No wonder Marulan is a “dirty word” with many truckies.

Friends after chance meeting

Spy was driving through a roadhouse parking area on June 13 looking for drivers to have a yarn to and snap their pic.

Whilst there were plenty of parked trucks, they were all locked up and the drivers obviously were in the roadhouse having a meal or shower, or perhaps had wandered over to the nearby shopping centre.

Just as Spy was leaving the roadhouse exit, my phone

buzzed so I pulled over to answer it.

“Ted here, the driver from Deniliquin,” he said.

So I swung around and caught up with Ted Markwort who was beside his rig, aptly named “Takin Care of Business”.

“I have brought up some big pipes from Melbourne to North Queensland for a project and left on Sunday at 6am and arrived here today,” he said.

Some time ago I did a story and interview on Ted who is a genuine gentleman of the highways and byways.

Since then I have managed to track down two of his sons who are also drivers.

Ted wanted me to join him for a cuppa in the roadhouse but I had to reluctantly decline as I had another job soon after. is type of incident occurs regularly with Spy and I reckon the motto here is “you make genuine friends from chance meetings”.

Life saver for snake

A truckie saved the life of a large Morelia Spilota Carpet Python which he came across unexpectedly on a footpath across the road from his house at about 8pm one night.

He had just arrived home from work that evening and spotted a middle-aged lady who had seen it as she pulled

up, so ran to her rescue.

e self-confessed reptile lover didn’t want the snake to slither over the road at a snail’s pace and be run over by a car.

He placed his work esky nearby to redirect the sedate and non-venomous snake, which turned around and headed for trees.

Spy has to bestow the “Joe Blake” award of the month upon him.

WA pilot concern

One South Australian driver who regularly does runs into neighbouring WA has expressed concern at the actions of some pilot escort drivers.

“I have come across several instances recently of some pilot drivers travelling too close to a wide load behind them. You come around a crest or a bend and they are there,” he said.

Personally I can only praise the pilot escorts I have come across in past years. ose have done a magnicent job putting safety rst and they do travel long distances.

Mega roadhouse for Tassie

Space for six B-doubles will be provided when a new mega roadhouse is built at scenic Ulverstone in northern Tasmania. e 24-hour service station and roadhouse will have the rst Banjo’s Bakery drive through in the Apple Isle. Developers behind the project have decided to sell the approved proposal to another company to expedite its construction.

The Marulan Inspection Station on the Hume Highway.

The Magnetic Island barge with trucks on board leaves Nelly Bay for Townsville.

The Python that was saved by a driver.

Ulverstone is a beautiful town on the mouth of the River Leven, on Bass Strait.

It is on the Bass Highway, 21km west of Devonport and 12km east of Penguin and has a population of around 12,000.

e town is a part of the municipality of the Central Coast Council which also includes Penguin, Turners Beach, Leith, Gawler and surrounds and Forth.

Plans are underway for the mega development on a vacant lot at South Road, West Ulverstone, just o the roundabout and adjacent to the Bass Highway.

It will include eight double-sided fuel bowsers, three diesel bowsers and a canopy for trucks, three electric car charging stations, a convenience store, two drivethrough take-away food outlets operating from 6am to 11pm, two loading bays, six B-double truck spaces and 24 illuminated signs, including a 20m high, four metre wide pylon sign next to the highway.

ere are already many roadhouses along the Bass Highway between Launceston and Smithton and this one will give truckies another option.

Blood pressure danger

A long-time driver aged in his early fties went to a doctor to have some checks on possible skin cancers and the doctor checked his blood pressure.

Alas, it was a life threatening 220/200 and the doctor wanted to call an ambulance to have him rushed to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

e fellow refused and even had to sign a waiver at the medical centre, stating it was his decision.

Instead he asked the doctor to prescribe some blood pressure tablets.

e man’s partner of decades was worried sick and after some stern talks from mates and colleagues, he decided to have some treatment.

He wasn’t overweight at all but did admit to having a few too many alcohol intakes when o duty.

But it took a week for him to take action. Like many

males we become stubborn when it comes to having check-ups and seeking treatment for any ailment.

Many of the truckies Spy yarns to from around the country are on medication for high blood pressure or hypertension as it is also referred to.

Fuel for thought

Spy enjoyed a visit to historical Ravenswood on June 15 with a retired NSW truckie and we came across a treasure trove of memorabilia from long-gone eras.

Ravenswood is 40km from the Flinders Highway turno , which is 87km from Townsville and 43km from Charters Towers.

A visit there is like going in a time capsule back to the late

1800s when it was a thriving gold mining town with 20 pubs.

Today, there are two pubs there named the Imperial and Railway Hotels, and these are often patronised by visiting truckies, workers from the nearby gold mine and tourists.

Both pubs were built in 1903 and beside the Imperial are two old rusty wrecks of Ford trucks which operated from the 1940s.

In a local park an old Chev holds pride of place and inside the Railway Hotel are two old fuel bowsers from the days when measuring was in gallons and not litres.

Around Ravenswood you will nd wrecks of old trucks and even some items from when horse and drays were the main transport.

Purchased a lotto ticket

Spy hears of a long-haul truckie who carries a swag in his truck and often likes to camp under the stars instead of in the sleeper box during a fatigue break.

On this particular occasion he enjoyed a sleep under the stars at a rural place called Hidden Valley.

He woke in the early hours to have a call of nature nearby and when he returned found that a huge tree branch had fallen onto his swag.

“If I had been there I would have been seriously injured or even may have been killed. I didn’t even think about trees above me. It was a huge heavy branch,” he said.

Now the gent looks up before he camps and headed o to the newsagency to buy a lotto ticket.

“ at was my lucky day,” he quipped.

Roo roulette

Beware of giant kangaroos hopping across the road when you travel along the Wilcannia to Bourke Road.

at was a warning conveyed to Spy by a driver who had been a good source of information for many years.

“I have never seen so many kangaroos hopping across a road and most of them were huge. It is like playing roo roulette,” he said.

He said that stretch used to be a horror trip for drivers. “But today the dirt and gravel surfaces are usually pretty well maintained. e roads are closed quickly in wet weather and that prevents rut damage.

In dry weather you can easily complete this run in a soft roader, provided you keep speed to less than 80km/h maximum, to minimise tyre stress,” he said.

No escape from roadworks

e bitumen road network on idyllic Magnetic Island is just 10km long.

However truckies who travel there by barge from the mainland will be held up by roadworks just like on the mainland.

ese are on the hilly sections between Picnic Bay and Nelly Bay and from Arcadia to Horseshoe Bay.

Truckies negotiating these sections have to use lower gears.

It is one of the most pleasant experiences for truckies: the trip on a barge across Cleveland Bay from Townsville to Magnetic Island.

Every day trucks arrive on “Maggie” for a variety of jobs.

e trip takes about 90 minutes. Maggie is a suburb of Townsville about eight nautical miles across the briny.

e barge leaves the Ross Creek terminal in Townsville and unloads and loads at the Nelly Bay ramp.

Having been on the trip numerous times I can vouch for what a scenic trip it is.

Truckies who get to stay overnight there can enjoy a spot of shing with a popular spot being from the Picnic Bay jetty.

Spy also knows of truckies from Victoria and NSW who take their families to Maggie during holiday breaks. Some even own houses or units there.

The Imperial Hotel in Ravenswood, Queensland.

The old bowser in the Railway Hotel.

A road sign on the Bass Highway near Ulverstone.

Two old Ford trucks next to the Imperial Hotel.

third gen family business

BY ALF WILSON

BASED at the outback

Queensland town of Hughenden, Coffison and Sons has been operating for 51 years. The town is located 388 kilometres west of Townsville along the notorious Flinders Highway.

Started by Fred Coffison, who is now aged 78, together with his wife Marilyn, it’s been a family affair through and through – now run by his son Dean Coffison, 53, who is the current manager, with his sons Wyatt, 24, and Dylan, 21, who work as drivers.

Coffison and Sons has a fleet of four trucks including a Mack, a Western Star, a Hino and a Freightliner Argosy, which travel as far away as Townsville on the coast and to some of the most isolated locations in the outback.

It may well be old; but the ex-army 2000 model Mack has become the pride of the fleet. It was purchased because military vehicles are always well maintained.

“We bought it at a Townsville auction a year ago and it only has 40,000km on the clock. A great addition,” said Dean.

“We are a proud family-owned company and I think we have the only independently owned fuel depot in Australia at Gray Street in Hughenden. When dad started the business, he delivered fuel to property owners and since then I have taken it to the same places where

their sons are in charge. Now my sons are taking fuel to those properties where grandsons are.”

Dean says he was already travelling in trucks with his dad from the age of just eight years old. “The road transport industry is in my blood.”

As for the worst roads he has travelled along, Dean rates the Flinders Highway as being right up there.

“It is bad between Hughenden and Townsville and also the 100km stretch from

Hughenden to Richmond is terrible – it is up and down like a rollercoaster,” Dean said.

He also reckons there are nowhere near enough rest areas along his travels, which is a common gripe with many other truckies.

I asked Dean to nominate any decent rest areas and he thought for a moment before replying. “There is a good one at the top of the Burra Range where there are toilets and I often stop at another

near Balfes Creek called Red Hill, which is just a pull off area,” he said.

On the subject of the Burra ranges, I raised the subject of numerous truck drivers claiming to have seen a Yowie-like Hairy Man at night along that elevated section of the Flinders Highway.

“I have heard rumours about drivers seeing the Yowie, but haven’t seen it yet, but I have spotted what I thought may have been a ‘Min Min Light’,” he said.

Now that did spark my curiosity as other drivers had claimed to have come across a Min Min too, so I asked where.

“It was around Birdsville but I never followed it,” he said.

After that remark, Dean added that Birdsville was one of his favourite locations he had delivered to.

“I used to take fuel there before the annual Birdsville races and it was always a great place with loads of

nice people and is simply a wonderful outback country town,” he said.

The Coffison family is highly respected in the northwest outback, and along his journey, Dean has met some genuine characters.

One was a hawker named Laurie Friswell who was nicknamed the ‘Birdman’ and would travel weekly between Townsville and Mount Isa, a 900km trip, along the Flinders and Barkly Highways.

The Birdman sold everything from sausages, home brew beer, and any other supplies required by his many customers.

He also serviced scores of condom vending machines at roadhouses and on properties.

“The Birdman used to fuel up at our Hughenden outlet on the way out each Monday and then on his return journey either on Wednesday or Thursday. Everybody knew him,” Dean said.

I had travelled with the Birdman on several occasions way back then and used to enjoy a stop at Coffison Fuel.

Whilst three generations of males dominate the company, Dean’s wife of three years, Angela, is also an integral part of the smooth running of the business.

“Angela does all the bookwork and is a school teacher. I met her at Hughenden and it was love at first sight. She is the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said.

Versatile Angela is a full-

For three generations, this outback trucking family has been delivering fuel and freight to some of the most remote locations.

Dean and Angela at the Convoy For Kids marshalling area. Photos: Alf Wilson

Truckin’ In The Outback

somebody had broken into it, and he came out like a raging bull. That even appeared in a big national men’s magazine,” Dean said.

As for roadhouses he likes, Dean nominated the Gold City Puma on the western outskirts of Charters Towers and the United near Hughenden as his favourites.

“They both have friendly staff and good food,” he said.

Outside work Dean enjoys motorbike riding in the vast expanses of the outback and has a passion for camping.

“There are many places in the outback where I can camp and the people are so nice to deal with,” he said.

Coffison and Sons is a community minded business which has sponsored many events.

time teacher based at Townsville. I asked Dean about how the distance they lived apart affected them.

“We have a house in Townsville and my company runs freight there every week, so I get to spend the weekends with Angela,” he said.

Dean also possesses a wonderful sense of humour, and I can be testimony to that.

About 20 years ago Dean was at the Great Western Hotel in Hughenden when a scantily clad lady was serving drinks.

There was a small fleet owner who did the Townsville to Mount Run weekly who delighted in playing practical jokes on other truckies.

This jovial gent used to stop at the Lights on the Hill Roadhouse on Hughenden’s outskirts with two of his other trucks and their drivers.

“He was passionate about his new truck not being damaged or the paint scratched and when they were eating breakfast, I had the key to his rig and got her to sit in it naked. Then we told him

These include the popular Corfield Races held annually between Hughenden and Winton.

“Times may be tough but if we are asked to sponsor events we will always try and help,” he said.

Recently, Dean and Angela participated in the annual Townsville Convoy For Kids held on May 29.

“This was my third such convoy and I like supporting an event which donates to kids suffering from cancer,” he said.

Dean and his father Fred, who founded the company.

Dean Coffison with sons Wyatt and Dylan.

Dean’s Western Star in the convoy.

Truckin’ In The Tropics

‘Rising fuel costs hurt us’

LONG-TIME owner-operator Greg Hemley gave an apt description about the effects of rising fuel costs on the road transport industry. When I asked, “nasty and it hurts us” was his reply.

The 46-year-old, whose company is Hemley Haulage, was sitting in the driver’s seat of his Freightliner Coronado in the parking area of the BP Cluden Roadhouse, when I saw him just before sunset in June.

Based at the Sunshine Coast for the past six years, Hemley runs three other trucks, an Argosy and two Ford Louisvilles.

“I carried steel from Bris-

bane to Mackay and then picked up line marking material at Clare in the Burdekin region to take out to Camooweal near the NT border,” he said.

Hemley used to be based at Stawell in Victoria. I told him he was the second diver in a week I had yarned to from that town, which is famous for its annual foot race.

On the subject of the worst roads he has travelled along, Hemley said the Goondiwindi to Brisbane stretch wins hand down.

“That includes parts of two highways including the Cunningham which can be terrible,” he said.

Hemley added that the section of the Barkly Highway which runs between Mount Isa and Camooweal had improved in recent years.

Regarding the availability of rests areas suitable for truckies Hemley said there aren’t enough of decent size away from highways.

“Parking can be a major problem for us and caravans can make life difficult,” he said.

Hemley visits many roadhouses on his travels and is a big fan overall of BP establishments.

“I like the BP Archerfield because that is the one I stop at the most often. But the

BP at Paget in Mackay and this one here at Cluden near Townsville are also very good,” he said.

Outside work, he loves motor car racing and particularly watching the Bathurst V8 Series.

Also a big fan of AFL, Hemley barracks for the Essendon Bombers and hopes they’ll make the final eight this season after promising signs.

We got onto the subject of legendary former Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy and I told Hemley I had met up with the great man a month before and done stories on him for several papers. “I am a big admirer of Kevin Sheedy,” he said.

Keeping rail lines in checkIt’s triple the fun for this livestock owner operator

WHEN Big Rigs saw owner-operator Mick Voerman early on June 15 he was hauling livestock in a triple from Reid River on the Flinders Highway to Townsville Port for live export.

Voerman, 38, is based at Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands and drives a 2021 Western Star with a 600hp motor up front and an 18-speed Road Ranger gearbox.

Voerman has been an owner-driver for two years. His company is MJV Transport. Before that, he worked for Footy’s out of Charters Towers.

ALLAN Wenck, 36, drives an Isuzu tilt truck for Queensland Rail and was parked up at the sleepy hamlet of Mingela when Big Rigs saw him.

He carries tools and other gear for railway gangs working on maintenance of the line out west.

With him that day was his assistant Ian Burns who was in the passenger seat.

“I travel mainly between Townsville and Charters Towers but do get out to Pentland and occasionally to Mount Isa,” Wenck said.

He added that the Flinders Highway does get very busy at times. “A lot of trucks travel on it.”

His hobbies include playing darts in Charters Towers whilst Burns enjoys fishing.

Both these lads love their

jobs supporting the gangs which keep the western permanent way in good shape.

The railway line between inland Mount Isa and Townsville Port has lots of trains which bring minerals for export.

Mingela is a tiny centre just off the Flinders Highway; located 87km from Townsville and 43km from Charters Towers.

“I have six decks of cattle and pick them up from the holding yards at Reid River,” he said.

Voerman had stopped at the Calcium Roadhouse which is 50km from Townsville and there was a large bull in a paddock behind him when I snapped the pics.

He rates inland roads as challenging to travel on, adding that one of the worst is between Clermont and Charters Towers.

I asked him which was the worst road he gets along from

the Atherton Tablelands, a subject on which local truckies have divided opinions about.

He swiftly nominated the Kuranda Range section of the Kennedy Highway.

“It gets very busy with traffic and is winding,” he said.

He says he doesn’t have any hobbies and when he’s off work just enjoys spending quality

time with his family. A Cowboys supporter in the NRL, Voerman said there could be more rest areas for drivers. Voerman likes stopping at the BP Cluden. “The facilities are good with clean showers and friendly staff,” he said. Voerman has descendants from Holland but is a genuine Aussie.

with Alf Wilson

Allan Wenck (left) was travelling with his assistant Ian Burns.

Greg Hemley has been based on the Sunshine Coast for the past six years.

Livestock truckie Mick Voerman has been an owner-driver for two years.

DAF XF and B-double are on the highway to health

BY DAVID VILE

ONE of the displays that garnered a lot of interest as part of the recent South Bank Truck Festival was the ‘Heart of Australia’ B-double, paired with the

latest-model DAF XF. It’s essentially a purpose-built medical clinic on wheels.

Since its inception nine years ago with one truck, the Heart of Australia program now operates five trucks providing specialist

medical services to over 40 rural and remote communities across Queensland.

Under the leadership of Heart of Australia founder, cardiologist Dr Rolf Gomes, services provided to patients range from cardiology and neurology through to gastroenterology, sleep and respiratory specialties and geriatric medicine.

With three B-doubles and a single-trailer unit on the road, communities from Cooktown in the north through to Quilpie in the south have access to a range of medical services which would normally only be accessible via travelling significant distances to the larger centres.

Ainslee Wallace is the partnerships and communications co-ordinator with Heart of Australia and gave some background to the services provided over a large geographical area.

“Our program was specifically cardiology to begin with, but the demand from the community has driven it and we now have around 27 specialists across 11 specialties and 40 staff,” Wallace said.

“Since we commenced in 2014 we have seen around

16,000 patients and saved those patients around 33 million kilometres in travel accessing our services, and importantly we have saved over 600 lives.

“We are a referral-based service, so we have a lot of engagement with local GPs and the uptake has been really good – people appreciate the service and once we commit to a community we aim to stay there.”

Currently the Heart of Australia trucks are deployed on a regular ‘clinic run’, with one truck running west through Charleville to Quilpie, another working its way along the Queensland coast from Childers to Cooktown and the third truck taking in Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Longreach and Emerald in a circular route.

Static clinics are also held at Weipa and on Palm Island. The single-trailer unit is set up to service former mine workers with lung and respiratory screening on a regular basis.

‘Heart 4’ is the DAF unit which runs up the coast every four weeks, under the control of driver Ben Williams. Featuring the full quota of safety features and specifications to

get the job done, the DAF is powered along by the latest Paccar MX13 engine rated at 530 horsepower coupled to a ZF Traxion automated gearbox.

The B-double trailers are set up with a full allocation of medical and diagnostic equipment along with water tanks and generators, so it’s fully self-sufficient if away from static power and water supply.

Needless to say, keeping the ‘show on the road’ can be a costly exercise and the program has solid corporate support from companies such as PACCAR Australia, along with

Livestock Transport.

“Corporate support is something we couldn’t do without, it means we can run the service without passing the costs on, our patients pay here what they pay in the city,” Wallace said. Up until now the program has been solely based in Queensland but plans are afoot to expand across the borders into the NT and WA.

“The programs we run work, so we are looking at scaling it up into the other states, it’s just a matter of getting the support,” she said.

IOR, Bridgestone and Frasers

‘Heart 4’ driver Ben Williams (l) and Heart of Australia founder Dr Rolf Gomes (r) at the South Bank Truck Festival display.

The DAF is fully kitted out to provide a full range of medical and health services to regional and remote communities.

Arrow uses some Cascadia 116 models for local cargo work and some Cascadia 126 sleeper cab models for longer runs.

The Cascadia has a short nose and is also fitted with additional bonnet-mounted mirrors, which improve its visibility. Like the Actros and Shogun, the Cascadia also comes standard with a full suite of active safety features including AEBS and is the only bonneted truck in Australia with a steering wheel airbag.

The inclusion of the active safety features was critical for Arrow’s needs.

“We were an early adopter of active safety features like active emergency braking with the Mercedes-Benz trucks and we just wouldn’t buy a truck without them,” Webster added.

“It is also reassuring that the Cascadia has a driver’s airbag and I was really surprised to hear it is the only one in that class that does.”

Coming from the Daimler Truck brands, all of the units can be serviced by the same

dealership network.

Having bought the trucks under the Daimler Truck Financial Services (DTFS) guaranteed buy-back package, Arrow Transport has the choice to return the trucks at the end of the finance contract for the agreed price, keep or sell them.

Arrow Transport and Logistics now runs 120 trucks that operate cartage out of wharf precincts in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.

ARROW Transport and Logistics has added new Freightliner and Fuso models to its fleet recently.

Historically Arrow’s wharf cartage fleet exclusively featured Mercedes-Benz trucks, particularly the Actros model.

However, with an increase in operational demand and supply chain constraints at Benz’s end, Arrow Transport was unable to source all the Actros units it needed in time.

The company ended up going with Freightliner Cascadia and Fuso Shogun models, in addition to the new Actros models, to meet its application needs.

“We are dedicated Mercedes-Benz Actros customers because they deliver the advanced safety features, fuel efficiency, lower emissions and driver comfort that we demand at Arrow Transport and Logistics,” said Arrow Transport’s managing director Craig Webster.

“Although we were a little hesitant at first, we have found that the Freightliner Cascadia and Fuso Shogun products also tick the same boxes that we care about, even though they have different characteristics.”

Webster says the Arrow drivers were unsure about the Cascadia and Shogun models at first but changed their opinion after using the new trucks.

“They had some preconceptions about the Fuso Shogun, with it being Japanese rather than a European truck, but these were soon overcome and the drivers love them,” he says.

“The Cascadia was also something different for us and we don’t usually run trucks with bonnets. But the feedback for both trucks has been overwhelmingly positive.”

The Shogun 460 models are perfect for side-loader work in built–up areas and the visibility, maneuverability and performance have all won new fans among the drivers.

Arrow Transport and Logistics managing director Craig Webster.

Arrow’s

fleet features

Freightliner and Fuso models.

THE CASCADIA WAS ALSO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR US AND WE DON’T USUALLY RUN TRUCKS WITH BONNETS. BUT THE FEEDBACK FOR BOTH TRUCKS HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE.”

CRAIG WEBSTER

Tankers go hydraulic

WITH a drought on the horizon, based on El Nino conditions, we look like we are in for a dry and dusty summer, especially for the eastern states.

Tanker bulk liquid transport operators, whether handling water, molasses, or even liquid fertiliser, face a real challenge.

In drought water carts, anything from 5000 litres to 50,000 litres become premium property. During the last sixyear drought, water carts kept country towns running by trucking in huge loads daily. It seems governments are not responding to the need for increased water storage.

So those water carts that have been doing very little work over the last three summers are going to be very busy!

Aussie tanker pumps

When Aussie Pumps got started 30 years ago their super reliable and highly efficient engine drive self-priming pumps were a big hit. The range went from 2” all the way through to 6” pumps and delivered flows of up to 2900 litres per minute. Those pumps were powered by Honda engines, Yanmar or Kubota diesels.

Most were perched on the back-end of water carts and were used for dust suppression on construction and roadwork sites and for hauling water in those tough drought

conditions. The weakness in the whole system wasn’t the pump but rather the engine that drove it. Aussie Pumps repeatedly got complaints from customers with engine failures, due to ‘dusting’ or sometimes simply poor engine maintenance.

“We found that the tanker operator always checks the truck engine to make sure the oil levels are right, and maintenance is okay. They often forgot about the engine at the back-end that runs the pump,” said Aussie Pumps chief engineer John Hales.

“Truckies wanted a more

reliable drive system and more versatile pump performance.”

Aussie’s hydraulic drive solution

Australian Pump introduced the GMP pump to replace traditional lightweight aluminium Honda drive units with bigger 3” cast iron pumps that were designed around ‘semi trash’ configuration. That includes a big open impeller, a stainless steel wear plate mounted inside the body and silicon carbide mechanical seals (for long life and abrasion resistance). Most importantly, a front clean-out port that enables the pump to

be cleared of blockages in the impeller chamber, without dismantling pipe work, is now a standard feature.

Going hydraulic

Aussie pioneered the use of hydraulic drive systems in engine drives. The hydraulic circuit is completely sealed from dust. Lubrication is another massive advantage. The hydraulic motor is lubricated by the closed circuit system. There are no daily engine oil checks, it’s all just driven off the prime mover’s PTO hydraulic pump.

So hydraulic drives are taking over. Local government

bodies, probably Australia’s biggest fleet owners of water carts, have already discovered that hydraulic drive is the way to go.

Imagine having no issues with available power because the hydraulic drive has the prime mover engine to draw off.

“We are seeing more and more tanker manufacturers swapping over to our hydraulic drives. We also are noting many conversions of earthmoving contractors and even farmers swapping over to hydraulic where the truck transmission is suitable.

Replacement program

“The company is also seeing some level of disenchantment with third world hydraulic drive pumps. Parts support seems to be non-existent, and customers tell us that they constantly face problems with premature seal failures. We don’t have any of those problems,” said Hales.

Further information on the complete range of hydraulic and engine drive pumps is readily available from Australian Pumps. “Truckies get the best deals,” said Hales.

Hydraulic drive pumps offer compact installation and maintenance savings.

Aussie’s 3” self-priming tanker pump utilises the truck’s hydraulics system for dust-free operation and loads of power.

Protecting HVAC systems with a Ryco cabin air lter

ONE of the most overlooked truck lters is the cabin air lter. “Cabin lters are a relatively new innovation and many truck owners aren’t even aware if their vehicles are tted with one,” said Alastair Hampton, Ryco’s general manager of engineering and innovation.

“ is can lead to these lters not being replaced as regularly as they should. In a time that the health and safety of many people has become so important, replacing an existing cabin lter with the best available on the market is a reasonably small investment to make.”

ere are two things that are really important for a cabin lter to do: Firstly they need to protect the cabin’s occupants, making sure they are not exposed to airborne pollution whilst driving along the road. It’s also protecting them from pollens and particles that aggravate allergies. Secondly, they protect the HVAC system which, over time, collects dirt and dust, coupled with moisture and the cold. Without the HVAC system you end up growing mildew, resulting in ow issues and expensive maintenance.

ere’s never been a more

important time to have a truck’s cabin lter working at its peak level of performance. Ryco’s upgraded MicroShield range of cabin lters are the most efcient and micron rated in the Australasian market and a mustt for vehicle and workshop owners in this current climate.

Whereas most cabin lters are rated to 2.5 micron, MicroShield sets the standard with a staggering 0.3 micron.

“ e Ryco MicroShield range of cabin lters are made from N99 medical grade media which provides both anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

e MicroShield range of cab-

in lters from Ryco are 99.7 per cent e cient and tested and compliant to ISO111552:2009 standards,” Hampton added.

e increased protection of the upgraded MicroShield range comes from an innovative three-layer system. e rst layer is anti-viral with natural polyphenol extracts that eliminate viruses, bacteria and allergens.

e second layer is activated carbon which is designed for odour and gas absorption. e third and last is medical grade polypropylene that’s electrostatically charged, which collects more micro particles. All

MicroShield cabin lters are 100 per cent safe and free from pollution.

One of the many advantages of tting a Ryco MicroShield cabin lter is the anti-viral layer inhibits the survival of bacteria and viruses using a natural micronutrient called polyphenol.

e bene t is that not only does a Ryco cabin lter stop the bacteria and viruses from entering the truck’s cabin, it also destroys them at the same time. is includes serious diseases like In uenza A and H1N1/H3N3.

With research showing that a cabin’s interior can contain

over 10 times more pollutants than the outside air, Ryco is strongly urging all truck owners and workshops to make a cabin lter check and/or replacement a priority. When completed by a professional, a check or replacement takes only a matter of minutes on most vehicles.

When it comes to product design and development, Hampton commented, “ e Ryco MicroShield cabin lters now exceed the t, sealing and ltration e ciency of their original equipment (OE) counterparts. To do this, we concentrated on precisely matching the

OE lter housings using our own Melbourne based R&D team and technology like 3D scanning plus we focussed on improving the cabin air design and construction. e results have been impressive.”

Ryco has a wide range of commercial vehicle cabin lter applications. More part numbers will be progressively available in the near future. e upgraded versions of MicroShield cabin lters will be denoted with an “M” on the packaging as opposed to “MS”. You can download the cabin lter range yer by scanning the QR Code. More information on the N99 MicroShield Cabin Air Filters or to nd the cabin lter for your truck, visit ryco lters. com.au. To purchase a Ryco cabin lter, visit your nearest Ryco stockist.

Ryco’s N99 Commercial Cabin Filter Range is designed and tested in Australia’s only dedicated filtration laboratory to meet the harshest Australian conditions. Protect your HVAC system with a Ryco N99 Cabin Air Filter. Save downtime and costly repairs by stopping dust build up on the fan motor, condenser and other HVAC components. So when your fleet needs superior protection, be Ryco Ready.

SCAN

Training for drivers who arrive first at road incidents

HEAVY vehicle truck drivers are regularly the first to arrive on the scene at road crashes on rural and regional roads. These drivers face often confronting situations that require them to provide emergency support and first aid prior to the arrival of emergency service authorities. Due to the geographical nature of Queensland and the distances truck drivers cover, they are more likely to be placed in a situation where

they are first on scene on our rural and regional roads.

A recent survey undertaken indicates that 70 per cent of regional and remote area heavy vehicle drivers report having been first on the scene of a road crash. Fifty percent of these drivers report having provided first aid for more than an hour before medical help arrived.

To support truck drivers, the Queensland Trucking Association Ltd (QTA), in partnership with the Motor

Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) have been facilitating ‘First on Scene: Remote Incident Training for Heavy Vehicle Drivers’ training sessions around Queensland. Griffith University are also working in collaboration with QTA and MAIC to conduct a project and outcome evaluation.

To complement face-toface training sessions, and to ensure that more drivers can receive the training, the QTA are developing Toolbox Talk Presentation which can be delivered from the Depot. This practical session will be designed to provide drivers with the top safety tips when arriving first on scene.

A concise Glovebox Guide is also part of the resource package which will be available to all drivers who participate in the Toolbox Talk Sessions.

“We are pleased to be rolling out this training to support our heavy vehicle drivers and we want to ensure that more drivers can do the training,” said Gary Mahon, QTA chief executive officer.

“The training sessions

attended by drivers so far indicate there is a high volume of drivers who have been first on scene at least three or more times.

“This reinforces the importance of this First on Scene training and the development of the Toolbox Talk presentation resource. Ensuring that a driver’s immediate safety is looked after in these circumstances is of paramount importance and well considered in the training material. Post-incident support is another vitally important component that is covered.”

The QTA is also encouraging drivers who have had experience being first on scene to participate in the research being conducted. Senior lecturer Dr Darren Wishart has a wealth of experience conducting road safety research projects and is keen to talk with drivers who will share their experiences. Dr Darren Wishart can be contacted via 07 3735 1206 | d.wishart@griffith.edu.au

Further face-to-face training sessions are scheduled for delivery on the Gold Coast

(August 30), Mackay (July 10), and Townsville (October 16-17).

Bookings can be made through https://www.qta. com.au/events. To express interest in receiving the First on Scene Toolbox Talk Presentation, please scan the QR code on the right.

John Lipman from St John Ambulance delivering First on Scene training.

Practical session on how to make a stretcher from a blanket (Martins Stock Haulage, Oakey).

Trucking CEO raises $10ok to help the homeless

LAST month, Followmont Transport CEO Mark Tobin took part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, raising close to $100,000 to support Australians in need.

This is the second time Tobin has participated in the CEO Sleepout, which has raised millions of dollars for Vinnies’ homelessness services.

“This year I’m taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money for the St Vincent de Paul Society to support Australians in need. For one night, I’ll be sleeping outside as part of an eye-opening experience to raise awareness and bring home the realities of homelessness,” said Tobin.

“At Followmont Transport, we want to make a difference. As shareholders we have made a commitment to being a business that uses profit for a purpose. To contribute to the direct community and wider society, ensuring we are making a positive impact for future generations. I am so passionate about giving back and this sleepout is something I am extremely proud

to be a part of.”

According to Vinnie’s, over 122,000 people are experiencing homelessness every night in Australia. The annual CEO Sleepout encourages leaders in business,

community and government to do the same for a night, to help raise vital funds.

This year, 1490 CEOs and business leaders took part in the CEO Sleepout on Thursday June 22, raising a

grand total of $8,426,900.

Tobin raised $97,496, placing him in sixth place on the national CEO Sleepout Leaderboard – and surpassing his goal of $75,000.

Of that total, over $34,000 was raised when Tobin took to the dunk tank, where Followmont employees tried their hand at hitting the target.

“The realities of homelessness hit home. You’re cold, you’re hungry, you can’t get comfortable, you don’t sleep, it’s dead quiet and it’s lonely. And that’s just one night. Imagine spending every night like this,” said Tobin.

“It’s something I can’t even fathom and my heart goes out to anyone who is faced with this reality.”

He thanked everyone who had donated to the cause. “I’m absolutely blown away by your support and generosity and hope that every person knows they have contributed to a fantastic cause, helping to change the course of someone’s life. Thank you for helping me make a difference,” he said.

This cardboard box became Tobin’s bed for the night.

As part of his fundraising efforts, Mark Tobin also took to the dunk tank.

Followmont Transport CEO Mark Tobin.

Mammoet miniatures a hit

collectors globally, according to Gregoire.

“The Kenworth T909 is a beautiful truck as a typical Australian model, we produced it as a limited edition, and it sold out in two to three days. Now we have the C509 and triple road train, overseas collectors like to have something different other than a European truck such as a Mercedes Benz or a Volvo – the collector market globally loves these Australian models.”

energy to make things bigger and better.”

From his base in Holland, Gregoire has a global focus and believes that taking the ‘show on the road’ and talking to the collector base directly at events and shows such as Brisbane is one of the best ways to gain feedback, and therefore improve and develop the model range and build the Mammoet brand.

important to go to the shows and get the feedback from the customers to plan for the future. The collectors world-wide all have the same passion and ideas – you can have a collector from Holland, the UK, Canada or Australia. At the end of the day they all want the same thing, and their passion for the brand is amazing.”

BY DAVID VILE

SINCE its inception in 1807, Dutch company Mammoet has become a global entity, focusing on heavy lifting and specialised transport services, with trucks and equipment working on all continents, including a growing presence in Australia.

However, it would be fair to say that around the world there are more vehicles in miniature wearing the Mammoet colours than their 1:1 scale counterparts, with a wide range of Mammoet scale models and toys keenly sought after by collectors.

Mammoet, in association with Brisbane-based Drake Collectibles, has released a number of Australian-themed models in 1/50 scale over the last few years which mimic the equipment range working in Australia. Initially a Mercedes Benz and Drake 4x8 Swingwing float was released, followed a few years later by a Volvo FH Globetrotter with ballast box.

Proving to be a big hit in 2020 was the Kenworth T909 and 7x8 Steerable float, which sold out worldwide in a couple of days, whilst the recent Brisbane Truck Show saw the release of a Kenworth C509 and

triple road train trailer set.

The launch is also a first for Drake. With a number of Kenworth C509s having been on the market in various company liveries for a number of years, it is also the first time Drake has released trailers in a triple-road train configuration.

Paul Gregoire, who manages the Mammoet Collectibles enterprise from the company’s headquarters in Rotterdam, travelled to Brisbane to attend the launch and chat to collectors about the Mammoet model range which includes trucks, trailers, cranes and a variety of associated lifting and transport equipment.

“The models we have developed with Bruce Hay from

Drake show what we can do together,” Gregoire said.

“From our traditional European models like the Volvos we were very surprised with the amount we sold here and also the feedback we got from the Australian collectors which led us to make new models for the Australian market.”

A point of difference between the Australian Mammoet fleet is the colours, with trucks predominantly white with the red stripes, as opposed to the black-on red colours used across the Mammoet fleet in other parts of the world.

This, along with the unique features of Australian trucks is also a factor in the appeal to

Along with the growing number of scale models, Mammoet also has a variety of toys and merchandise catering for all ages, with the children’s toy range in particular becoming a popular choice around the world.

The toy range extends from ‘indoor’ plastic truck toys and building sets through to the outdoor ride-on excavators and tip-trucks among other things.

“We wanted to get connected with our younger transport fans and it has really grown over the last couple of years. Last year we sold 150,000 toys in 40 countries and this will also help us get more collectors in the future.

“We are growing the market, outside of Europe is our focus, and it’s amazing the number of people over here in Australia who know our company and what we do, it’s very positive to see, gives us a new

“I have the best job in the world,” he said with a smile. “I love my job and what we do and to understand the passion of our collector base, it is more

*The C509 and Freighter Trailer set is due for release worldwide in early July and will be available from Drake retailers in Australia or online via the Mammoet Store. Visit store.mammoet.com.

All smiles from 3-year old Lachlan with his Mammoet toy Jeep.

It’s a thumbs up from Mammoet’s Paul Gregoire, with the Kenworth C509/Triple Road Train model released at Brisbane.

The Mammoet model range has been a popular fleet for diecast collectors worldwide.

First of 20 Iveco S-Ways for Monson Logistics

TASMANIAN-headquartered

Monson Logistics has started taking delivery of 20 new Iveco S-Way prime movers.

A majority of the new 460 AT prime movers will be based at Monson’s Brooklyn depot in Melbourne, while a few will join the fleet across the Bass Strait at Monson’s Hobart, Bell Bay and Burnie facilities.

The new S-Way range includes a number of standard safety features.

“We had an opportunity to establish a greater presence in Victoria, and the bulk of the Iveco S-Ways that we’ve bought – both 460 AT units and 550 AS trucks – will be based in Brooklyn, replacing a fleet of 19 older prime movers,” Monson said.

“The majority of these are 600hp trucks approaching 20 years of age, and for the predominantly urban and metro delivery work they’re doing, they’re just not fit for task.

“A shift to S-Way 460 AT prime mover makes a lot of sense for this application: the cabins are much quieter and comfortable, the visibility and maneuverability is far better, fuel use will be cut, and

at 460hp, that’s more than enough for the job.

“We’re also pleased to be taking 19 old trucks off the streets in Melbourne’s west and replacing them with Iveco models that meet the very stringent Euro6 (Step E) emissions measure – it’s a good outcome for all. Increasingly, many of our customers are also requesting that the trucks used to transport their goods meet certain

environmental criteria.”

The new trucks will replace a fleet of 19 older prime movers at Monson’s Melbourne facility.

Among the Brooklyn based S-Way 460 AT trucks which will be running single skel trailers for container work, are two 550hp B-double 550 AS prime movers which are designated for intrastate runs into regional Victoria.

Monson said that another

benefit of the S-Way versus the vehicles they’re replacing, is the Hi-Tronix automated manual transmission (AMT), which is much easier to drive than the non-synchro manuals.

“Operating in a metro environment and in start and stop traffic, the AMT is the way to go, it’s a lot easier for the driver and fatigue is reduced, it makes for better allround safety,” he said.

“Having good safety fea-

tures has been an important purchase consideration for us in selecting the S-Way and the X-Way models before these.”

The new S-Way range features standard safety equipment such as advanced emergency braking system, brake assistance system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning system, electronic stability program with ABS (disc brakes all round) and ASR (anti-slip regulation), hill holder, driver style evaluation

(DSE), and driver attention support (DAS).

Meanwhile, Monson said that a lot has been happening at the company’s Tasmania’s depot.

“We’ve consolidated our position in Tasmania and just finished installing new security systems at our Burnie depot to meet Australian Border Force requirements, this includes facial recognition technology, giving us greater control and surety of bonded containers,” Monson said.

“Over 90 per cent of import containers under Australian Customs bond to Tasmania now go through a Monson Logistics facility.”

The remaining S-Way prime movers that are on order will join the Monson Logistics fleet by year’s end and bring the total number of company-owned Iveco models to over 60 trucks.

The new models were purchased with extended warranties of five years / 500,000 kilometres, and the bulk of the servicing and maintenance will be handled by selling dealer Adtrans in Melbourne and WB Truck ‘N’ Trailer in northern Tasmania.

The trucks are being used for side-loader container work, linehaul and general freight applications.

Monson Logistics owner Bruce Monson.

AS we know, heavy-duty vehicles play a crucial role in Australia’s economy – transporting goods and materials across vast distances, enabling businesses to operate efficiently and effectively. Without heavy-duty vehicles, Australia’s economy would come to a standstill.

Vehicle owners, operators and mechanics often experience delays and frustrations when facing issues with electronic and mechatronics faults in heavy-duty vehicles.

Often vehicles can be quite a few years old, which presents a problem when trying to replace electronic components that may no longer be readily available as a new product.

These modules can be responsible for controlling various aspects of the vehicle’s operation, including engine performance, emissions and safety features. When these modules fail, the vehicle may be unable to operate or may experience significant per-

formance issues.

Injectronics is a leading technology repair company that specialises in providing reliable and efficient repair solutions for heavy-duty transport equipment. With extensive expertise and stateof-the-art facilities across the country, Injectronics can offer a wide range of services to assist in repairing technology in the heavy-duty transport space.

Injectronics has a dedicated repair line for HD prod-

ucts, providing a faster turnaround time for the customer.

This means that heavy-duty vehicles can be repaired and back on the road quicker, reducing downtime and minimising the impact on business operations.

Another way Injectronics can assist is through advanced diagnostic capabilities. Injectronics has access to cutting-edge diagnostic tools and equipment specifically designed for heavy-duty transport technology. Whether it’s

engine management systems, electronic control units, or complex vehicle communication networks, Injectronics can accurately diagnose and identify faults in the technology, saving valuable time and effort.

Moreover, the service provided by Injectronics is environmentally friendly. By repairing and refurbishing electronic control modules and components, rather than replacing them, Injectronics is helping to reduce waste and

INJECTRONICS HAS A DEDICATED REPAIR LINE FOR HD PRODUCTS, PROVIDING A FASTER TURNAROUND TIME FOR THE CUSTOMER.”

the carbon footprint of HD vehicles, saving dead units from landfill. A significant benefit to businesses and the wider community.

The Caterpillar 3176 diesel engine is a 10.3 litre

A heavy-duty vehicle in for repair.

Injectronics specialist technicians can offer insight into fault causes and advise of any necessary checks required to repair the failure.

WHG helping to keep things all on track

IN only 15 years, Arva Transport and Logistics has grown from a single operator with just one truck, to a fleet of over 100 vehicles – and counting.

With the company on a trajectory of growth, the Arva team sought innovative technology. Arva adopted WHG telematics solutions to support the business growth, enhance visibility and assist with keeping operations running smoothly – from asset tracking and location through to driver safety monitoring and training, the team has leaned on its tech.

Arva was started by Agustinus ‘Gus’ Arief in 2008, servicing the eastern seaboard, carrying all manner of general freight; and offering a professional service built around communication and passion.

“Our operations are currently centred around Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane – and we service those areas well,” said general manager Tai Etuale. “We have a mixture of semis, rigids and B-doubles, which are contracted to specific customers, with our bread and butter being our interstate linehaul services. We run drop deck Vawdrey trailers that are

designed to pick up any type of load, with sliding removable posts for full straight deck conversion and mezzanines rated for rear end loading, so we very rarely run empty and the design is user friendly for operators.”

Arva’s main base is in Laverton North, however a site will soon be opened in Brisbane and an Adelaide depot is due to open later this year. Etuale revealed a second Melbourne site is also on the cards in the very near future too.

To accommodate its growth, Arva has a heap of new equipment on order, including 15 Scania prime movers, five Kenworth K200s, three Volvos, 15 rigids (including Hinos, UDs and Fusos) and a yearly Vawdrey trailer order, all due to arrive from August 2023 to the second quarter of 2024.

For the past five years or so, Arva has utilised the services of WHG, a leading supplier of vehicle and asset tracking telematic technologies, driver safety technology and other services.

“The system means we can track drivers in terms of ETAs for deliveries or pick-ups. An

important role as an allocator is to understand the location of linehaul vehicles inbound to notify customers and let them know what was happening with their load – and there was always that worry about distracting drivers whilst driving and waking drivers up affecting their fatigue. The transparency of the WHG system means we’re able to get all the info we need without having to jeopardise the safety of our drivers out on the road,

“We run a lot of reporting off the system, including driver behaviour – it monitors things like speed and braking performance. If the driver goes above a certain speed, it gives

the driver an alert, providing 10 seconds for them to rectify their speed and slow down, before generating a report and alerting us.”

He added that the system helps ensure compliance. “And that’s the whole purpose of it – to make sure our driver behaviour is correct out on the road, not just for the perception of our business but most importantly, for the safety of the public.

“We get this report now, and it’s barely worth me opening the email anymore, because our operators are all doing the right thing on the road. It’s been extremely effective.”

Having been in the game for

some time and worked for other major transport companies in the past, Etuale says he’s used other telematics providers but what sets WHG apart is its ease of use and back-up support.

“The thing that stands out to me is what happens behind the scenes. As a consumer I want to understand more about how to use the systems and have all the key info there. The key is in the aftersales and ongoing support.

“In the beginning we weren’t using the system to its full potential – and if you’re not using it properly, you’re not going to get the most out of it,” Etuale said.

“WHG is a great solution

provider and they’re always there when we need them. At the moment, we’re in the process of getting the final WHG units installed across the fleet –and all our new equipment will have the system fitted before the equipment is delivered.”

With a team of safety-conscious drivers, propelled by passion and effective communication, and a fleet guided by advanced technology supported by WHG, Arva continues to expand. When you next see an Arva truck on the road, give the team a wave.

For more information, please visit whg-telematics.com and arvafreight.com.au.

Arva Transport and Logistics director Gus Arief with a new addition to the fleet.

Some of the Arva Transport warehousing team.

Enhancing safety and efficiency for operators

THE transport industry plays a vital role in keeping goods moving and economies thriving. However, it also faces numerous challenges, including ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, managing driver fatigue, maintaining vehicle safety, and effectively monitoring Chain of Responsibility (COR). In this landscape, SAFVER emerges as a comprehensive solution that empowers transport companies to address these challenges and achieve

heightened safety and efficiency.

One of the critical aspects SAFVER tackles is Mass Management. Overloaded vehicles pose a significant risk on our roads, compromising both safety and road infrastructure. SAFVER provides tools to monitor and manage vehicle weights, ensuring compliance with legal limits and reducing the likelihood of accidents and infrastructure damage.

Fatigue management is another vital area where

SAFVER excels. Driver fatigue is a leading cause of accidents in the transport industry, and compliance with fatigue management regulations is crucial.

SAFVER’s features enable the monitoring of driver fatigue hours, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. SAFVER promotes safety on the roads, safeguarding both drivers and the public.

Maintenance management is imperative for ensuring the safe operation

of vehicles. SAFVER offers robust tools to schedule and track vehicle maintenance, including inspections, repairs, and servicing. By providing automated reminders and maintenance logs, SAFVER assists transport companies in maintaining a proactive approach to vehicle maintenance. This not only enhances safety but also improves vehicle reliability, reducing the risk of breakdowns and delays.

Additionally, SAFVER places significant emphasis

SAFVER

ALL-IN-ONECLOUDBASED DIGITALPLATFORM

SAFVERisaninnovativesoftwaresolutionforthetransportationindustry,offering featuressuchasdrivermanagement,fleetmanagement,andcompliance management.Withitsuser-friendlyinterfaceandcomprehensivetools,SAFVER enablesbusinessestostreamlineoperations,enhancesafety,andoptimize efficiency.Experiencehassle-free managementofdrivers,vehicles,and compliancewiththepowerofSAFVERatyourfingertips.

on Chain of Responsibility (COR) management. COR ensures that all parties in the supply chain share responsibility for safety and compliance. SAFVER provides a centralised platform to manage COR obligations, including documenting policies and procedures, conducting training programs, and monitoring compliance. By streamlining COR management, SAFVER enhances transparency, accountability, and safety across the entire supply chain.

By leveraging the comprehensive features of SAFVER, transport companies can achieve a higher level of safety, compliance, and efficiency. SAFVER’s integrated approach centralises critical

functions, reduces manual processes, and automates time-consuming tasks. This enables transport companies to focus on core operations while knowing that safety and compliance are being effectively addressed.

In conclusion, SAFVER stands as an essential tool for the transport industry, empowering companies to enhance safety, achieve compliance, and optimise efficiency. Through its Mass Management, Fatigue Management, Maintenance Management, and COR Management features. With SAFVER, we pave the way for a future where road safety and industry growth go hand in hand, benefiting drivers, companies, and society as a whole.

SAFVER’s features enable the monitoring of driver fatigue hours, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

SAFVER is a comprehensive solution that empowers transport companies to achieve heightened safety and efficiency.

After a dog, a dashcam is a driver’s best friend

BY ANDREW ROSSINGTON, CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER, TELETRAC NAVMAN

AS every driver knows, you’ve got to keep your eyes on the road. Conditions change fast, other drivers are unpredictable and unfamiliar roads pose a challenge. But what if you had an extra set of eyes helping you out?

is is where a smart dashcam comes into play. For many drivers and operators, a dashcam can be your best friend on the road. ere are lots of good reasons why it makes sense to invest in a quality dashcam, particularly one where new technology, incorporating arti cial intelligence, is used to tell you more than just show you footage.

e latest cameras won’t just record your journey. ey recognise road signs, which is a boon when you’re driving a route you don’t know well. Approaching a stop or giveway sign? Your dashcam will warn you if you pass these incorrectly. And with speed limit sign recognition, there’s

never any danger of breaking the law and facing a ne, disciplinary action from your employer or potentially losing your license.

It’s easy to let your speed creep up, especially on a long, open road where other users might be breaking the limit. But as an operator, you know

you must stay below the posted maximum – and the average speed cameras on most major highways will catch you out if you don’t. A dashcam will keep a watchful look out for you, adding another set of eyes to the road. Most modern dashcams also have low light sensors, which is where

THE CONNECTED TRUCK

The Connected Truck is transforming the way our teams work by bringing real-time visibility and information to the workplace. This technology enhances not only our driver’s safety with fatigue and maintenance tools, but also promotes sustainability through fuel efficiency and effective job management.

1300 111 477

speeding, cutting in front of your truck and undertaking are some of the behaviours operators must deal with every day.

A dashcam can also help you out if there’s an incident, validating your side of the story and helping with insurance claims. is is where the traditional function of a dashcam –aside from the AI features like road sign recognition – comes in handy. A dashcam is an impartial witness to what has happened, and the footage can be relayed to your insurer or enforcement as it can be tendered as evidence in court.

many incidents occur, and can be used to potentially see through bad weather onto the road ahead when needed.

New dashcams can also warn you if you’re following another vehicle too closely, or if you’re engaging in harsh braking or manoeuvring.

Drivers have a heavy work-

load, and any assistance you can get to make sure you get to your destination safely, and on time, is worth having.

When you’re on the road, you also quicky realise some other users pose a danger, both to you, as an operator, as well as to themselves and others. A lack of lane discipline,

You might not get the same companionship from a dashcam that you’d get from a pet, but you will get another set of impartial eyes, eyes which can help you do your job better, arrive at your destination safely and act as a witness if there is an incident. What’s not to like?

So for any of your smart camera requirements in your business, get in touch with your local Teletrac Navman team member, by calling 1300 111 477.

A dashcam adds another set of eyes to the road.

A different way to address the driver shortage

having the ability to create workflows that track individual delivery or customer requirements.

The variance in proof-of-delivery is a good example. Some customers may require a signature, others photographic proof and/ or time stamping. Capturing this requirement and serving it directly to the driver makes life infinitely easier – particularly if requirements change between one delivery type to another.

This is just one step in the delivery process – when you look at how many other variances a delivery can have, you realise how complex a driver’s job can be.

THE estimates vary, but we are in the middle of a perfect storm in terms of the availability of qualified drivers to take the wheel. With a shortage estimated to be in the thousands, the average age of our driver population con-

tinues to increase while the number of new drivers taking the wheel has declined.

This isn’t news. While there are initiatives in play to address this, it will take months, if not years, for the full impact of that to be real-

ised. So, what can we do in the meantime?

Make your drivers’ life easier

It isn’t about more breaks or shorter hours. This is about not having them doubling

back on the same road two or three times in a day because the route they are taking hasn’t been optimised.

For those involved in lastmile delivery, it isn’t enough to just be able to do this at the start of the day. Being able to adapt route changes on the fly in the face of traffic issues, weather impact or the end-customer changing their plans – has a massive and positive impact on both the driver and your productivity.

We estimate you can save an average of 20 per cent in fuel usage and make 20 per

cent more deliveries simply by using dynamic scheduling with route optimisation. Drivers aren’t doing unnecessary miles and there is a real ‘feel good’ factor in knowing you are being as efficient as possible and getting more done, for less effort.

Embedding your IP

The ideal is for any driver to be able to instantly take the wheel and be able to deliver your goods or service to the standard you expect; on any route, for any customer. Achieving this generally takes two things. Firstly,

Secondly, there are a lot of things that can be useful for another driver to know, that are inherent to a particular delivery. It could be there is a very specific location where the delivery needs to be made – particularly on a building site. It might be alerting a driver that the property owner has a dog or that the delivery location doesn’t have enough space for turning so you need to back out of the drive.

Being able to capture this level of detail in a way other drivers can instantly connect to makes their life infinitely easier. It also means you have more flexibility in terms of driver selection, including bringing contractors and temporary drivers into the mix.

The average age of our driver population continues to increase while the number of new drivers taking the wheel has declined.

There are a lot of things that can be useful for another driver to know, that are inherent to a particular delivery.

Being able to adapt route changes on the fly has a massive and positive impact on both the driver and your productivity.

Keep yelling until they listen to our safety fears

BY BORED NEUROTIC HOUSEWIFE

BEING ‘SAFE’ is a reasonable expectation of every truck driver when parking at a roadhouse or truck stop.

As a wife/partner of a truckie, we’d also expect that they are ‘safe’ when having their legislated fatigue management break.

‘The Book’, the holiest of holy – well for enforcement at least – tells a driver when they can and can’t travel. Sometimes we can’t travel at the most convenient juncture. Prime example, a driver couldn’t get past the cameras at Boggabilla two nights ago, to get to Goondiwindi with his mates. So, he parked it up at the Shell – safe right?

So what? people may well ask.

Well, now that the driver in the above example received facial injuries after a bashing, the second attack in as many days, and the third we are aware of from the same roadhouse within a few weeks.

If he could have run the gauntlet to Goondiwindi and afford the fine and loss of demerit points, he would of – in the name of safety. Others get paid for their safety initiatives.

The driver attacked last week was transferred to PA Hospital in Brisbane for surgery, according to social media reports.

The same night as the above attack, a man was attacked and items stolen in a motel rampage, according to a local newspaper.

Yet another truck driver was subjected to at least two

cars on the highway that appeared to be pressuring him to pull over, with one vehicle brake checking the truck driver. This happened between the camera and Boggabilla township.

The reason for this is unknown, but the driver was concerned for his safety. It’s gotten to the point where drivers just won’t stop to help other motorists is some locations because they just can’t guarantee their own safety to help another person.

On April 27, 2023, a truck driver was attacked at the Shell in Boggabilla. As

result, his face has been surgically reconstructed. He was in critical condition when arriving at hospital.

In recent weeks, another reported two incidents.

· Truck driver paid for fuel when a Toyota Kluger tried to run him over when he was walking back to his truck. If it wasn’t for a couple of other truck drivers in the vicinity, the outcome could have been a lot worse; he could well have been ANOTHER statistic of a truck driver bashing, unreported by media and/or the NSW Police Facebook pages.

· Three truck drivers parked up near the Coles at Moree, waiting for the servo to open. All three trucks were broken into. We know one had his wallet stolen but unaware of what was taken from the other trucks. They don’t seem to discriminate between heavy or light vehicles either. If you’re parked up and trying to manage your fatigue, you are fair game to what appears to be the disenfranchised youth roaming the streets in the wee hours of the morning. How many drivers don’t report anything due to the

time constraints of their run, work/rest requirements (logbook) and/or likelihood of any action being taken against the perpetrators?

The local police seem ill equipped to manage and prevent these attacks, or maybe the legal system lets them down. The police are overworked and underpaid as it is. The legal system seems to just smack that naughty person’s hand and off they toddle again… to the detriment of those just trying to make an honest living. No sooner they are dealt with, and they are back on

the streets reoffending. Drivers have been trying to contact members of parliament, local council members and the roadhouse owners, where possible. All of this to no avail!

Enforcement and safety – two things the industry pundits and legislation are very strict on where drivers’ behaviour is concerned. Where is it now that the situation has changed, and the truckies need enforcement and safety to get through these troubled areas on the highway?

The scariest thing – OUR truck drivers are talking vigilantism. They will be the ones behind bars for protecting themselves, not the perpetrators. How does that help anyone, apart from drivers not being attacked in their sleep?

Drivers have said that some police have warned them to not stop anywhere between Bellatta and Goondiwindi. Someone, other than the drivers, need to tell the heavy vehicle enforcement bodies of the very real risk to drivers who may be required to stop or travel through these areas of concern.

It’s not just drivers they attack, it’s also the damage to the vehicles and trailers. The cost to the truckies, and the truck owners, is large… and not just financially.

It’s truly sad that drivers, and volunteer driver advocates, have to make sure that the drivers are aware of what is happening, to help them avoid becoming another victim. Where are the people paid to look after drivers’ safety?

Police have allegedly told truckies to avoid Boggabilla altogether.

Honouring our ‘backroom’ heroes with new awards

We have a free event from 10am-4pm. This is a careers event designed for schools and TAFEs, but also anyone interested in the transport, logistics, and supply chain industry.

WHAT an amazing and diverse industry, the transport, logistics, and supply chain industry is; Transport Women Australia Limited (TWAL) has been running a photo competition over the last several weeks and the range of amazing photos that we have received, has been astounding.

We are going to be hard pressed to pick a winner. I am so proud to work in this industry and continue to love it after 53 years of service, in so many roles and companies. I have no doubt that there is no better industry to work in.

The next large TWAL event will be at CeMAT on July 26, not only on centre stage with a presentation by myself but also on the recruitment panel by Kat Attana from Tasman Logistic Services.

We have an industry speaker and a panel of experts to talk about careers and roles within the industry and is open to all, but you must register. You do not need to be a TWAL member or attached to a school or TAFE, the event will be emceed and hosted by the TWAL company secretary True Ross-Sawrey.

Anyone wishing for more information or to register, please contact events@transportwomen.com.au Registration closes very soon, it should be a great day so don’t miss out. We want to showcase our wonderful industry and its many and varied careers to as many people as possible during the event.

We also have an informal dinner planned for Adelaide after the Heavy Vehicle Roundtable on July 12, but it will need to be confirmed.

Anybody interested in this event, please contact chair@ transportwomen.com.au or ph 0417422319 to ensure that we book the numbers to go ahead. We look forward to having this event in Adelaide, the first dinner for many years.

TWAL, in conjunction with the Road Transport Hall of Fame at Alice Springs and the Festival of Transport will stage the inaugural Dream

Maker Awards in August and the nominations are coming in as we near the deadline for entries.

We have many companies wishing to honour their backroom staff who often don’t get the recognition they deserve, and this is what the Dream Maker Award is all about and whether or not people agree with the name, it is about the recognition of these extraordinary people

and their consistent work behind the scenes, which contributes to the successful running of the transport companies both large and small around Australia.

The Dream Maker Awards will be presented at the Transport Women Unite Red Ball on August 26, and we are very excited to cohost both the awards and the ball at Alice Springs, and we

hope that you join us there.

TWAL is also nominating women for the Australian Freight Industry Awards. I am always excited about recognising and showcasing our wonderful members and supporters and acknowledging our role models by nominating them in industry awards whenever we have the opportunity. This encourages the next generation joining our industry to have something to aspire to be, and to follow. This is also one way to show the extraordinary versatility of the women in our industry.

We will have a separate press release announcing a new silver partnership from a long-term sponsor and corporate member. This silver partner will join the two gold partnerships we have signed this year, Prime Creative Media, and Linfox and our Foundation Business Partners, NTI, and Volvo to allow TWAL to continue to develop initiatives and programs for the benefit of our members and the wider industry.

TWAL company secretary True Ross-Sawrey.

Kat Attana from Tasman Logistic Services.

Tougher penalty imposed for primary duty offences

THE National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is currently looking at what duties you perform, not the title you hold and this has seen higher penalties when it comes to breaches.

The Supreme Court has imposed a tougher penalty for primary duty offences under the HVNL. While no accidents or injuries formed any part of the complaint, the court focused on risk and deterrence. The court considered that the safety measures already in place were plainly inadequate. Although the schedulers were not deliberately avoiding their obligations, they failed to safely schedule drivers and check drivers’ documentation to ensure compliance with the HVNL.

It’s not just haulage companies being prosecuted, the NHVR laid charges against an excavation company for breaching its duty to ensure the safety of its transport activities, which included a failure to have procedures and

policies in place for vehicle maintenance and mass management.

The court fined the excavation company $112,000 and made a Supervisory Intervention Order (SIO) with an expected cost of over

$260,000. The order requires the company to do several safety initiatives including conducting training in compliance and implementing mass measurement devices on their fleet.

NHVR acting executive

director Belinda Hughes said,

“Although the fine is significant, we are more interested in improving the companies’ safety by requiring them to implement appropriate safety systems and processes.”

This outcome shows that

repeat offenders will be held accountable and if you are operating a haulage vehicle with a mass of 12 tonne or over combined, or a bus with 12 seats or more, for any reason, the Chain of Responsibility means all parties in the road transport supply chain are able to be held responsible for their actions or inactions relating to breaches of fatigue, speed, loading/unloading, mass and dimension and maintenance.

Compliance can be achieved using a proactive approach ensuring CoR training in the Chain of Responsibility, implementing a Safety Management System addressing the CoR responsibilities and ensuring to monitor CoR responsibilities are being adhered to.

It’s not just haulage companies being prosecuted – the NHVR laid charges against an excavation company for breaching its duty to ensure the safety of its transport activities.

WHILE NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES FORMED ANY PART OF THE COMPLAINT, THE COURT FOCUSED ON RISK AND DETERRENCE.”

COMPLIANCE EXPERT MORGAN O’RANCE HV Compliance

We ALL Need Space to keep you safe campaign

BY MICHELLE TAYLER – NHVR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CORPORATE AFFAIRS

OUR commitment to building strong and respected relationships with industry as well as local and state governments helps us stay connected and informed on the challenges and opportunities that are facing the heavy vehicle supply chain.

To protect and support the safety of operators, drivers, and everyone on our roads, we continue to expand our Don’t #uck With A Truck and We Need Space campaigns.

Our second phase of the Don’t #uck With A Truck is a campaign titled Don’t Truck It Up, which features social media personality Luisa Dal Din, demonstrating a range of safety scenarios including turning, stopping and overtaking a truck.

A scrap metal claw, sledgehammer and slingshot destroy popular objects in a young person’s life, such as mobile phones and gaming consoles, to show how quickly crashes can occur if they don’t follow the rules

around driving safely around trucks.

I’m excited to share our latest phase of We Need Space, aptly titled We ALL Need Space.

This latest phase will feature the faces of popular celebrities to help spread the word that whether you’re a comedian, musician, athlete, truck driver, car motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian, we all need space to stay safe on the roads.

The first celebrity we’ve partnered with for We ALL Need Space is renowned Aussie comedian and social media personality Jimmy Rees.

Jimmy has shared three videos in his signature point of view style, sharing his humorous take on the family road trip, young drivers’ attitude after first receiving their Provisional (P) licence, and the habits of caravanners, all whilst highlighting how these groups, and everyone, can drive safely around trucks.

In the videos, Jimmy addresses how to navigate a truck’s blind spots, keep the lanes beside a turning truck free, and how to safely overtake a truck.

Specifically, for caravanners, the video explains the impor-

tance of leaving truck rest stops free and using the UHF radio Channel 40 to let truck drivers know if a caravanner plans to overtake, or vice versa.

Stay tuned - we have more exciting personalities lined up to lend their voice to this important safety initiative.

The campaign is live now with more components being released through to September, so keep an eye out on your socials for Jimmy’s videos. For more information, visit nhvr.gov.au/weneedspace.

• Ed’s note: You can also view the first wave of videos in this campaign by visiting bigrigs. com.au and searching for Jimmy Rees.

Comedian Jimmy Rees has shared three videos in his signature point of view style.

TO PROTECT AND SUPPORT THE SAFETY OF OPERATORS, DRIVERS, AND EVERYONE ON OUR ROADS, WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR DON’T #UCK WITH A TRUCK AND WE NEED SPACE CAMPAIGNS.”

Recognising hard work and dedication in the industry

bourne, there are six categories where nominations are being sought, including Female Leadership Award, Investment in People Award, Application of Technology Award, Young Achiever Award, Best Practice Safety Award, and the Sustainable Environment Award.

THE transport industry plays a pivotal role in Australia’s national economy, connecting businesses and consumers, facilitating trade, and ensuring the smooth flow of goods and services. Among the many essential workers in this industry, truck drivers, freight carriers, logistics experts, and other professionals tirelessly work to keep supply chains operational.

Yet, their contributions often go unnoticed. This is why the Australian Freight Industry Awards – sponsored by TWUSUPER and Viva Energy Australia and now in its 33rd year – holds immense importance, as they not only celebrate achievements of the transport sector but also recognise the hard work and dedication of transport workers.

Being presented on Saturday, September 2, in Mel-

I encourage you to visit afiaawards.com.au to review the entry criteria and lodge your nomination.

The AFIAs honour excellence and innovation within the transport industry. By acknowledging the efforts of individuals, businesses, and organisations, the awards shed light on the invaluable contributions made by the industry to Australia’s economic growth and prosperity. From outstanding safety practices to efficient logistics management and sustainable initiatives, these accolades recognise the best practices that drive the industry forward.

Peer recognition is a powerful tool that can significantly impact an individual’s or an operation’s morale and motivation. When transport workers see their hard work and dedication acknowledged through prestigious awards like those offered by the Victorian Trans-

port Association, it instils a sense of pride, validates effort, and encourages excellence.

This recognition boosts their motivation, leading to increased productivity and higher job satisfaction. By fostering a positive work environment, the AFIAs contribute to the overall well-being of the industry’s workforce.

The transport industry often faces misconceptions and

negative stereotypes. Many fail to grasp the significance of the industry and the tireless efforts made by its workers to keep the economy moving. The AFIAs provide an opportunity to showcase the industry’s achievements, professionalism, and dedication to excellence.

By highlighting success stories and innovative practices, these awards help reshape the industry’s reputation, position-

ing it as a vital pillar of the national economy and an attractive career choice.

It’s important to not let a culture of continuous improvement within the transport industry go unacknowledged.

Recognising and celebrating achievements inspires competition and encourages participants to push their boundaries, striving for excellence in their respective fields.

This healthy competition leads to innovations in technology, safety protocols, sustainability practices, and operational efficiency. Ultimately, this drive for improvement benefits the industry, enhancing its capabilities, reducing costs, and improving customer satisfaction.

As the transport industry faces a shortage of skilled workers, attracting and retaining talent has become a top priority.

The AFIAs contribute to addressing this challenge by showcasing the industry’s accomplishments and highlighting the rewarding career opportunities it offers. By recognising outstanding individuals and businesses, these awards create a positive image of the industry, encouraging aspiring profes-

sionals to consider a career in transport. Moreover, for those already working in the industry, the awards demonstrate that their efforts are valued and provide an incentive to stay and grow within the sector.

The AFIAs play a crucial role in recognising the transport industry and its workers, highlighting their achievements, and promoting continuous improvement. By acknowledging excellence and innovation, boosting morale and motivation, enhancing the industry’s reputation, and attracting talent, these awards contribute to the overall growth and success of the transport industry in Australia.

It is imperative that we continue to appreciate the efforts of those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our economy moving.

I invite you and your operation to nominate for the awards and join the industry for the black-tie gala award presentations at Crown Melbourne on September 2, where we expect over 700 to enjoy a lavish three-course meal, phenomenal entertainment, and the opportunity to celebrate our great industry and its high achievers.

SAF-HOLLAND is one of the leading global manufacturers and suppliers of high-quality axles and suspension systems, fifth wheels, kingpins, coupling products and landing gear to the commercial vehicles industry.

VTA COMMENT PETER ANDERSON CEO, Victorian Transport Association

Ettamogah Rail Hub managing director Colin Rees was the Personality of the Year Award recipient in 2022.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE SUDOKU

ACROSS

1 If youare a collectorofClarice Cliff whatdoyou collect?

(7)

Across

4 Name an alternative term for a crayfish (7)

4 WhatLatin American danceisperformed byseveral peopleinsinglefile?(5)

7 Whatare lengthwisethreads on a loom? (4)

DOWN

1 Whichchess piecesaremostnumerous?(5)

2 Whatbrightyellow powderis usedfor flavouring in Asian cookery?(7)

Down

3 InearlyEngland,what was a smalllandholderbetween gentry and labourers? (6)

8 Which term describes grandeur (7)

8 Whatisthe capital ofLiberia? (8)

9 Which word implies undoubtedly (7)

10 In 1982 who madethe firsttelevised147 break in snooker? (5,5)

10 What is a tropical hurricane (7)

1 To have struck smartly with the open hand, is to have done what (7)

4 Whatbranch ofmedicine isconcerned with diseasesand abnormalitiesofthe heart?(10)

2 To dismiss from office, is to do what (5)

3 Which term means to marry (7)

12 Whichinventor (Thomas ____)tookout more than a thousandpatents inhis lifetime?(6)

5 A starthat suddenly brightens thengraduallyfades is called what? (4)

11 Kiev is the capital of which European republic (7)

13 Whatisthelastwordof“RuleBritannia”?(6)

12 Which term is applied to a returned soldier (6)

6 Which film,1984’s BestPicture Oscar winner, was filmed inPrague? (7)

4 Which building is devoted to instruction by lectures (6)

9 Where wasLouisArmstrong born? (3,7)

14 What is a characteristic style of pronunciation (6)

15 TheMisfits in1961 was the last film starring Marilyn Monroeand which otheractor? (5,5)

18 Name the principal ore of aluminium (7)

18 Native toCentral and South America, a tamandua is whattypeofanimal? (8)

19 What cloth isspreadover a coffin? (4)

20 Whatisaninformal wordfor“avery long time”?(5)

21 Which Shakespearean character was the Moor of Venice (7)

21 What diseaseisalso knownaslockjaw? (7)

22 To be restricted, is to be what (7)

23 To lift up, is to do what (7)

24 What are the uses of sarcasm, ridicule, etc (7)

QUICK CROSSWORD

ALPHAGRAMS: LEASE,MYRIAD,NEARING,ORGANIST,

ROUND WORD GO

Howmanywordsoffourlettersormorecan youmake?Eachlettermustbeusedonly onceandallwordsmustcontainthecentre letter.Thereisatleastonenine-letterword. Nowordsstartingwithacapitalareallowed, nopluralsendinginsunlessthewordisalso averb.

5 To make the sight dim, is to do what (5)

11 Whichwomanwasmarried on 29April1945, and died the followingday?(3,5)

6 Name an alternative term for a white ant (7)

7 What is a poem or piece of verse (5)

12 Whatisthe widening channel of a river wheresaltwater mixes with freshwater?(7)

14 Inheraldry what isthecolour silver?(6)

13 What is an epicure (7)

16 Millionsofrecords fromwhichUS immigration entry islandareaccessible onthe internet? (5)

15 Who superintends monetary transactions (7)

17 WhichEnglish college wasfoundedby HenryVI in 1440? (4)

16 Name a cavalry soldier (7)

17 What are rounded hollows in rocks (6)

18 What are accounts for money owed (5)

19 To bury, is to do what (5)

20 To make earnest entreaty, is to do what (5)

DOUBLECROSS

Findafinishedcrosswordbydeletingoneof thetwolettersineachdividedsquare.

Solvetheanagrams.Eachsolutionisaone-word anagramofthelettersbesideit,andthefivesolutions aresequential.Forexample,ifthefive-lettersolution startswithJ,thesix-lettersolutionstartswithK,andso on.

EASEL DIMRAY GRANNIE ROASTING TRANSPOSE

Insertthemissinglettersto maketenwords—fivereading acrossthegridandfivereading down.

Note: morethanonesolution maybepossible

amiramritaariaarumatriaatriumattarauraauriccaratcart cramcurtmarcmariamartraitaratarimutarmactarttiara tracttraittramtraumaTRAUMATICtrim

SOLUTION

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Truckie goes the distance with new training program

An in-house driver training program has enabled this young driver to achieve his dream of upgrading from his HR licence through to his MC.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

WHEN Jamie Murphy, 29, started working at South East Queensland Hauliers (SEQH) just under a year ago, he began working out in the yard.

With a HR licence already under his belt and around five years of truck driving experience – coupled with a good work ethic and the right attitude – Murphy was an ideal candidate for SEQH’s inhouse driver training program.

Started in the 1960s and still family owned and operated, SEQH is a full service wharf logistics provider based in the suburb of Hemmant, about five minutes from the Port of Brisbane. It also has a second depot in Toowoomba, and operates a fleet of around 85 trucks across the two sites. Its fleet is comprised of semis, B-doubles, A-doubles and road trains, along with side-loaders.

As SEQH’s human resources advisor, Carolina Bayona

Fuel Driver Opportunities NATIONALLY

The Role

Toll Group have full time permanent opportunities for experienced MC/ HC drivers and new drivers wanting to expand their career path for our Fuels Business operating nationally.

Benefits:

• Permanent Full Time Opportunity

• Great hourly Rates and allowances

• Career advancement and training opportunities

• Safety Obsessed Culture

• Modern Fleet with replacement programs

• Varying Rosters to provide a work/ lifebalance

• 5 Weeks A/L

Skills & Experience

• Current MC/HC driver’s license

• Current Dangerous Goods (DG) licensepreferred

• Experience in bulk fuel is preferred,

Piñeros, explained, the company developed its in-house driver training program in response to driver shortages.

“About a year ago, I started noticing how difficult it was getting to find good drivers. We were finding there were a lot of people who were interested in working in this industry, but they didn’t have the skills,

the experience or the required licence,” she said.

“Together with our inhouse driver trainer Dan Walter, we’ve created a program that provides people with the right attitude an opportunity to start working with us, starting out with a single trailer, then progressing them through to the doubles.

“We have a lot of drivers who have started working with us with previous experience in rigid trucks. After training with us, they are now doing double trailers at the wharves – and they’re really grateful because we’ve given them an opportunity that a lot of other companies weren’t providing.” Along with practical on-

butalltraining will be provided

• Basic Fatigue Management accreditationpreferred

• Experienced MC and HC Drivers

Working at Toll

At Toll Fuels we are proud to be a leading logistics provider ofbulk liquid, you name it we do it from Metro service stations, JetandAvgas to Mine site distribution withlocal andlinehaul options.

If you are interested in any of these roles, please contact John Markham via email at john.markham @tollgroup.com or phone 0402 965 715 to discuss further.

INDUSTRY LEADING RATES OF PAY & SUPERANUATION OF 15% ROSTERS THAT PROVIDE WORK/ LIFE BALANCE

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN FUEL WE’RE WILLING TO TRAIN THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Toll embraces and celebrates a variety of cultures. We continue to build a business that reflects the values of equality, built on the knowledge and understanding that everyone is welcome including the First Nations Peoples, and those of all ages, genders, and abilities. Women are actively encouraged to apply.

All applicants must be entitled to work in Australia and be prepared to undergo a criminal history check, pre-employment medical and/ or drug & alcohol testing as required.

Jamie Murphy said he’s wanted to be a truck driver ever since he was a kid.

Murphy progressed to his MC licence in May.

road training, the program has a strong focus on loading, load restraint, where to place the load, along with covering range descents at locations like Cunninghams Gap and Toowoomba Range – providing SEQH with peace of mind that its drivers can gain sufficient experience before hitting the road on their own.

The program offers onthe-job training, with SEQH also covering the cost for its drivers to progress through each licence class.

For Murphy, he says he had hoped to one day be driving the big rigs, ever since he was a little kid. “My uncle used to drive B-doubles and I remember going in the truck with him a few times when I was six or seven years old – and I thought it was awesome. I’ve loved trucks ever since.”

Murphy had originally applied for a forklift driver role at SEQH, but after seeing his resume, the team offered him a job as a yard maintenance manager before offering him the chance to take park in the driver training program upon its launch.

“While doing yard maintenance, they asked if I wanted some practice moving some of the bigger trucks around the yard. I also practiced reserving and hooking them up,” said Murphy.

“I went out on three different drives with Dan – to Chinchilla, Pittsworth and Coopers Gap – which were all a few hours each. We covered a lot of different roads, different highways, tight corners, there was wildlife to look out for and we went through a couple of ranges as well.

“Heading out with Dan

was good because you don’t feel as scared to ask questions. The help has been really good too. Often after my shift was finished, we’d still run into each other in the yard and he has always been really approachable.”

Murphy went on to pass his MC licence with flying colours on May 4.

Based at the Hemmant location, Murphy is behind the wheel of a Mack Superliner.

“It’s one of the older ones, so it can be a bit bumpy but it’s a really good truck to drive –Mack does real well with their trucks. And then there’s a big yellow Kenworth we get to drive if our truck goes in for a service,” he added.

Murphy also has his MSIC card (Maritime Security Identification Card). “That allows us to get into the port and do container and oversize work

Easter Group Pty Ltd Easter Group Pty Ltd

73 Formation St, Wacol

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

(Brisbane based only)

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 arepermanent full time and roster positions including paid leave entitlements and public holidays. Drivers will need to be available to be scheduled for work falling across the 7 days of the week.

The successful Applicant will:

• Hold a current MC licence (minimum two years)

• Have knowledge of the HVNL and Load Restraint

• Be professional

• Be reliable

To apply for the Operations/Driver positions please contact Operations Manager or by emailing your resume to

WORKSHOP MECHANICS & TYRE FITTERS WANTED

(Brisbane based only)

To apply for Mechanic positions please forward your resume to Workshop Manager via email to employment@kseaster.com.au

too. I do a bit of everything now, it’s really good,” he added.

“This whole week I’ve been going out to Coopers Gap, which is three and a half hours away, then I head to Toowoomba to bring a load back, so I’m not running empty for too long. Other weeks, it’s more local stuff.”

For Murphy, he says the role has been a perfect fit. “I work well in a team, but by myself I get things done a lot quicker. I enjoy being out and getting to see things.

“With SEQH, there are a lot of different driving roles, including what they call the ‘grain run’, where you’re away from Monday to Friday, covering a lot of kilometres, carrying grain. I wouldn’t mind getting into that one day. And eventually I’d like to get into the interstate work, driving road trains.”

Students explore Townsville depot

FOLLOWMONT Transport’s Townsville team recently hosted a group of Year 11 students from the Kirwan Clontarf Academy.

The students were given the opportunity to explore the Townsville depot and workshop, while learning more about the company’s freight operations in North Queensland.

They were also given the chance to jump into the cabin of one of the trucks, which was a first for many of the students.

“We’re proud to partner with the Clontarf Foundation and introduce the students to our industry, helping them

understand the different career paths available when they complete schooling by the end of next year,” Followmont Transport said.

The Clontarf Foundation aims to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. Established in 2000, with a single academy located at the Clontarf Aboriginal College in Waterford, WA, the Clontarf Foundation now operates almost 150 academies in WA, NT, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and SA, supporting over 11,500 participants.

The students were shown around Followmont’s Townsville depot.

Murphy also has his MSIC card, so can head into the port and do container and oversize work too.