Big Rigs 16 august 2024 by Prime Creative Media

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CONTRIBUTORS

Truckin in the Topics/Spy on the Road:

Alf Wilson, 0408 009 301

David Vile and Graham Harsant.

Big Rigs National Road Transport Newspaper is published by Prime Creative Media. It is the largest circulated fortnightly truck publication in Australia with 22,500* copies per fortnight.

*12 month average, publisher’s claim October 2022

Council wants to see much tougher penalties

BLUE Mountains City Council mayor Mark Greenhill is hoping for much tougher penalties for heavy vehicles breaching weight and length limits on Old Bathurst Road.

The road currently has a vehicle weight limit of 3.5 tonnes and length limit of 7.5 metres, with $227 fines for those breaching these limits – and Greenhill wants to see this increase tenfold.

His comments follow a recent incident where concrete was found spilled on Old Bathurst Road, which the council says resulted in slippery unsafe conditions on the bends and sparked a significant clean-up operation.

Previously, digital signage was in place to warn truck drivers not to use the road.

However, this was removed from the bottom of the hill by Penrith City Council after they installed large static warning signs to deter over-

size vehicles from breaching weight and length limits for the road.

Blue Mountains City Council says it is now hoping for a meeting with Penrith City Council, Transport for NSW and NSW Police to review Old Bathurst Road safety issues and identify the best ways to prevent oversized vehicles from using Old Bathurst Road.

Greenhill said drivers who broke similar weight and height rules at Galston Gorge in the Hornsby Local Government Area faced far greater penalties.

“If you drive an overweight or oversized vehicle in Galston Gorge, you face a significantly higher fine of $2818,” he said.

“This has been an ongoing situation for many years, and obviously the current fine is not acting as a deterrent for drivers who don’t mind

flouting the rules on this very steep and winding road.

“There should be no difference between breaking the rules in Hornsby and breaking them in the Blue Mountains.”

Greenhill is seeking for the issue to be further addressed and enforced as a priority. He is seeking support for the higher penalty for oversized trucks using Old Bathurst Road from NSW Transport Minister Joanna Haylen and Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle.

“Council has long-standing concerns about the movement of heavy vehicles through the Blue Mountains; I said five years ago the situation on Old Bathurst Road is a fatality waiting to happen,” added Greenhill.

“We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure safety on our roads.”

Drawbar so damaged it couldn’t track straight

AFTER being presented for an inspection, this drawbar was found to be so badly bent that the vehicle couldn’t track straight.

The operator presented the vehicle for a Programmed Vehicle Inspection, undertaken by a National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) safety and compliance officer, who is also a qualified diesel mechanic, with over 30 years of experience.

“In Queensland, vehicles classed as Certificate of Inspection (COI) vehicles – such as heavy vehicles – and not operating under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) are required to present for regular Programmed Vehicle Inspections (PVIs). Owners of registered COI vehicles must have a current COI at all times,” explained the NHVR.

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“During a PVI, the following would be checked/inspected: lights; wheels, tyres, mud guards, mud flaps; body fittings and protrusions; tow couplings, service brake and park brake efficiencies; suspension; axels and crossmembers; hydraulic leaks; air systems; underbody and chassis; any modifications.”

Speaking of this vehicle, the NHVR said, it was in an unus-

able state, and was required to be taken to the original manufacturer via a float for repair. “The vehicle’s drawbar was bent to such an extent the vehicle could not track straight, with the right-side beam visibly split.”

The regulator also issued a reminder of the dangers of operating a defective vehicle. “It’s extremely dangerous… not just for yourself, but for other road users as well.

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A recent incident saw concrete spilled on the road. Image: Candidate for Blue Mountains City Council Kieran Best

The vehicle had been presented for a Programmed Vehicle Inspection. Image: NHVR

Licence win for Slim’s widow

SOUTH Australia is a step closer to becoming the first jurisdiction to stop foreigners from driving on their truck licence from overseas.

At present, drivers who come to Australia from overseas can drive the same class of heavy vehicle that they can drive in their home country, for anywhere from three to 12 months, depending on the state or territory.

But emboldened by lobbying for change from the South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA) and a petition presented by Delphine Mugridge, the widow of revered interstate driver Neville ‘Slim’ Mugridge, SA Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis has vowed to change the regulations in the coming weeks.

Speaking at the SARTA annual conference earlier this month, Koutsantonis went as far as telling attendees that overseas heavy vehicle driving experience will no longer be recognised in South Australia.

SARTA executive officer Steve Shearer said there are still details to be ironed out, and that Koutsantonis is still seeking the endorsement of his cabinet for the changes. But the net effect will be that you can’t drive on your overseas truck licence in SA, said Shearer.

“They indicated that is likely to apply for MC class work, so B-doubles and above,” he said.

“They’re still mulling over where they would also apply it to a semi-trailer but it seems

that their view is that’s not as big a problem.

“That of course won’t stop anybody who’s come to live in Victoria, Queensland or NSW, or anywhere else, from driving a B-double, or bigger rig into South Australia, you just won’t be able to live here and have a licence issued by the SA government.”

Koutsantonis later told Big Rigs that South Australia is considering implementing “significant changes” to its licensing system and will have more to say soon.

“Everyone has the right to go to work and return home safely, and we’re committed to making sure that’s the case in the road transport industry” Koutsantonis said.

Big Rigs understands that Koutsantonis will be trying to convince the other transport ministers around Australia to follow his lead.

Results from a recent Austroads survey (see story on page 4) also backed the need for change.

“I made it clear that the bulk of the industry will be behind this approach as well,” Shearer said.

“If we can pull that off, it will mean that the door for overseas licence holders to drive anything bigger than a semi will get shut. The question is, how long will it take.”

Koutsantonis also an-

nounced at the SARTA conference he’d be pushing for the state to adopt SARTA’s successful HC to MC competency-based pilot program being used by Fennell Forestry.

A minimum number of yetto-be-confirmed hours that are lot closer to what industry was recommending would then become the new standard, Shearer said.

Delphine Mugridge told Big Rigs she was thrilled with the progress being made by Koutsantonis.

More than 18,000 people have signed the petition she started after losing her beloved Slim in a two-truck crash near Yalata on April 8.

She was invited to present the petition to Koutsantonis who has also asked her to speak in parliament when the petition is tabled next month.

Delphine hopes Slim would be proud of her fight to leave a lasting legacy in his memory. She said that if there had been better protocols, he would have still been here to celebrate their 10th anniversary earlier this month since rekindling their teen romance.

Shearer also met with Koutsantonis for the petition handover and applauded Delphine for her fight for change.

“We’ve been working with Minister Koutsantonis, and our colleagues around the country, for some years [on

provided some added impetus within government,” he said.

“It’s safe to say that our understanding is that the government acknowledges that there is a serious issue with some drivers operating on overseas licences and have put in a lot of effort into working out what they can do about it.”

Shearer stressed that the need for licensing changes aren’t aimed at those operators who do the right thing and train and manage overseas drivers “properly”.

“The problem is the individ-

uals who do the least that they can and take advantage of whatever the law allows them to do – that’s the gap that we have to close.”

Shearer would also like to see a guide published to help overseas drivers bridge the cultural divide.

“No matter what country they come from to understand things like the language that’s used by drivers in trucks in Australia, and I don’t mean the sort of slang, I mean, things that we take for granted, like if I get on the radio and say, ‘come round’, you need to know what that means.”

Delphine is determined to create a lasting legacy for Slim, left, who died in a two-truck crash in April. Image: Delphine Mugridge

Call for licensing changes

MORE than 85 per cent of 1900 survey respondents say foreign truck drivers should not be able to drive in Australia on their foreign licence.

That was one of the key findings from an Austroads probe released earlier this month that canvassed industry views on the management of overseas licensed heavy vehicle drivers.

Below is a summary of the main survey findings and an outline of the next steps.

Safety concerns

A number of respondents commented that there are many skilled and competent heavy vehicle drivers who hold an overseas licence or have transitioned to an Australian licence and work as drivers. However, there were also areas where safety and skills issues were raised.

Key areas of concern were:

Road safety culture and driving etiquette: In general, Australians place a high value on safety including on the road. This is supported by road rules and laws. It also translates into the way people drive on the road where most people seek to respectfully and safely share the road with others. These same values and legislative frameworks are not universally shared. Someone coming from a country with

a different road use culture may drive in a way that is not aligned with Australian expectations or safety focus e.g. accelerating to merge ahead of someone; tailgating; not observing line markings and passing in situations where it is not safe to do so.

Knowledge of Australian road rules: To support safety outcomes, Australia has a robust set of road rules and regulations to promote safe driving, particularly for heavy vehicle drivers e.g. fatigue laws; chain of responsibility.

A person driving on an overseas licence may not have any knowledge of these laws or the enforcement consequences if they are broken.

English language skills: Where a driver does not have a good grasp of English they may struggle to comprehend or clarify instructions from their employer; fail to use or understand what is being said on the two-way radio; and not understand road signs.

All these situations can lead to poor safety outcomes.

Experience in Australian road and driving conditions: Rural and long-distance driving in Australia presents some particular challenges. A person who has not driven on these sorts of roads and under these driving conditions, can present a safety risk.

Experience in larger combination vehicles: Australia has a system of graduated licensing where a person progressively builds their skills in rigids before moving to combination vehicles. This graduated licensing system is not found in most other countries. In addition, the size of heavy and multi-combination vehicles often exceeds the vehicle types a person has experienced in their own country. There are safety concerns with a person driving large combinations without progressively building a bank of experience.

Skills: Some drivers have limited experience developing skills that are routinely expected of a heavy vehicle driver in Australia (including reversing and trailer coupling).

Quality of training and assessment: A significant number of respondents outlined the need for increased quality and integrity of Australian training and assessment standards. The number of very short courses on offer is considered a problem. The relatively low level of behind-thewheel time was of particular concern.

Possible options for exploration

Key findings were:

17 per cent of people said that it is acceptable to drive a rigid but not a combination heavy vehicle for personal (therefore not work-related) purposes. This compares to only 10 per cent who said that it was acceptable to drive a rigid but not combination vehicle for work-related purposes.

Australian learning and assessment requirements should be able to transfer from an overseas licence and obtain either a rigid or heavy combination licence.

Next steps

State and territory licensing regulators will be presented

“Options supported by states and territories for further investigation will need to be more substantively assessed,” Austroads said.

“Legislative change may be required to implement most policy changes and this change is subject to processes of community and government scrutiny and oversight.”

Law needs three more words

BY JAMES GRAHAM

INFORM, educate and enforce.

With the eagerly awaited release of the updated Heavy Vehicle National Law closer than ever, those are the “three little words” that the National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) is adamant can’t be left out of the final draft.

NRFA president Glyn Castanelli is now lobbying other industry bodies and transport ministers to hammer that message home.

“Having these three little words, inform, educate and enforce” included in HVNL will enable a uniform approach to on road enforcement from all enforcement agencies and ensure that all drivers are treated reasonably and with respect for minor

matters regarding work diary discretions,” said Castanelli, a former long-distance truck driver himself.

“It will go a long way to removing the negativity within industry caused by the current unbalanced enforcement approach.

“It will give all drivers, new and old, the chance to learn from their mistakes, instead of being turned off our industry for good after receiving excessive penalties for minor and low risk breaches or mistakes.”

Castanelli hopes that by the time the country’s transport ministers are next due to meet in December, that he’ll have a commitment from each one to ask for “these three little words” to be written into the HVNL.

Castanelli is quick to stress

that this is already the same enforcement policy of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

Where it’s all coming unstuck is that the police have a different set of rules.

“The regulator has been running this inform, educate and enforce campaign for several years now, and it’s working,” Castanelli said.

“It’s really changed the engagement on the side of the road.”

Castanelli said the police only have to follow the same model.

“It’s something that works and treats people like humans, who make mistakes. The best thing to do is let people know what they’re doing to make that mistake.

“I’m quite sure that they could put a note in [to the

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computer system] to say you’ve been intercepted and hadn’t ticked this box in the work diary and I’ve given him the proper instruction.

“Then if I get pulled over in a week’s time and I’m still doing the same thing, they might give me another talking to.

“But if I get pulled over a third time then you’d think I’d definitely get some sort of penalty through enforcement.

“That would be the way I could see it working.”

Castanelli has heard the argument that it won’t change because police will only enforce the law, rather than inform and educate.

He notes that NRFA past president Rod Hannifey also wrote to police some time ago seeking leniency when dealing with truck drivers on the roadside with minor work and rest hour breaches and mistakes within the work diary.

The unanimous response was that police can only enforce what is in the law and there is no leniency written into the law.

But Castanelli said it doesn’t have to be that way.

“We need to give the police the tools they need. Even put it into the law that before you get a fine they have to at least have given you the opportu-

nity to have been informed about what mistake you are making.

“We don’t need to convene another round of reviews and consultations to make this simple change to the law.

“Just acknowledge what has been proven to work and do it.”

The Australian Trucking Association said truck drivers who commit a minor fatigue or record-keeping offence should have a one-time op portunity to do an online training unit instead of being fined.

ATA CEO Mathew Munro said there needed to be more focus on fatigue training, instead of imposing tough penalties for minor mistakes.

“Under the approach we are proposing, a driver who was issued with an infringement notice for a minor fatigue or record keeping offence could undertake an online, nationally recognised work diary unit through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator [NHVR],” Munro said.

“A driver who completed the free unit would be entitled to get the infringement notice withdrawn.

Munro said the NHVR would maintain a register of the drivers who had done the course. Drivers would only be able to do the course once.

“The driver would be recognised as completing a nationally recognised unit of competency and would be able to include it in future job applications or even transfer the credit toward a vocational certificate,” he said.

“Our plan would provide training to drivers instead of fining them for simple work diary errors. It would also be cost effective for governments and the NHVR.”

The ATA will put the plan to the National Transport Commission, the NHVR and the six state and territory governments that use the HVNL.

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The NRFA believes changes to the national law will help police adopt the same approach to enforcement as the NHVR. Image: NSW Police

NRFA president Glyn Castanelli.

Transport boss fears new laws will derail projects

PEAK WA transport body, the Western Roads Federation (WRF), has added its voice to a growing cohort of industry groups concerned about the impacts of the proposed Nature Positive laws.

Labor says it’s working to fix Australia’s environmental laws “so they better protect the environment while supporting sensible develop ment” and wants to set up a statutory agency known as Environment Protection Aus

tralia, and another called the Environment Information Agency to improve the “transparency of environmental information”.

But in a recent media release to industry, WRF CEO Cam Dumesny, said the new laws place at risk nearly $112 billion of new projects in Western Australia alone, $66

industry in Western Australia is highly dependent on new projects both to support them during construction and to sustain the projects once in operation,” Dumesny said.

“It will also negatively impact east coast businesses and transport companies that also support these projects.”

Dumesny told Big Rigs it takes long enough to get projects up and running as it is without added interference from the environmental

“If we’re all going to now have to get all these approved by 4-5000 bureaucrats in Canberra, there’s not a hope in hell that they’ll get approved, so it’s an economic disaster at best.

“That’s why the mining and agriculture industries are up in arms over it and we’re a service industry to both those sectors so it impacts our members.

“On the back of the live sheep export decision, which

was just appalling, there is a genuine sentiment over here that the federal government has declared war against WA and forgot to tell us.”

Dumesny contends that the proposed new environmental laws were prepared with no consultation or transparency and no consideration of all the impacts of the changes.

He said a short-lived proposal for a 40km/h dusk-to-dawn speed limit on some parts of regional highways across Australia highlights another reason why industry should be concerned.

“Following a media leak the federal minister scurried to say the speed limit would not be included.

“But that should not be taken as a rock-solid guarantee, as minor parties appear committed to the proposal and based on current polling it’s highly likely in a few months we could have a Labour/ Greens coalition government. And that inevitably will mean

the speed limit will be back on the table.”

Dumesny said that to get the proposed new laws passed the government will need to negotiate with the Senate crossbench.

“Many on the Senate cross bench don’t believe the laws go far enough and want a cli mate trigger placed in the new act, requiring every project approval to take into account climate change.

“That could pose a real threat to projects with a road freight benefit.

“The concern is based on the new laws if passed being administered and executed by a reported 4000 to 5000 new Canberra bureaucrats, many of whom will be culturally and economically disconnected from the lived reality of most Australians and our industry who supports them.”

Dumesny said it is obvious that the federal government and the Senate crossbench supporting the new laws are

intervene. We need a pragmatic approach that balances the competing needs of environmental protection and economic growth.”

A parliamentary committee was supposed to report back on its inquiry into the proposed new laws by August 8 but has now asked for an extension to August 19 to “allow it to consider the evidence received and to conclude its deliberation”.

Work begins on Newell Highway’s newest rest area

FOUNDATION and pavement works have started on the Newell Highway’s newest heavy vehicle rest area, which will be the largest of its kind in north-western NSW.

The rest area, which is located about 12km north of Narrabri, will feature 18 truck parking spaces up to 48.5 metres long, providing for short- and longterm parking.

Toilet facilities, a picnic shelter, rubbish bins and solar lighting will also be installed, along with some tree planting and landscaping.

Currently, outside of Narrabri, heavy vehicle drivers face

lengthy detours for rest areas with toilets – either having to travel 31km south to the Bohena Rest Area or 52 kilometres north to the Tookey Creek Rest Area.

As well as the parking bay for trucks, it will also have space for 10 light vehicles and caravan parking spaces for shortterm parking.

The rest stop is a key part of the Newell Highway Heavy Duty Pavement Upgrade project that is currently being delivered and involves major upgrades to 20 kilometres of road between Narrabri and Moree.

The Newell Highway Heavy

Duty Pavement Upgrade project is jointly funded by the Australian government, which is contributing $205.7m, and the New South Wales government, which is contributing $55m.

The rest area is expected to be completed by early 2026.

NSW Regional Transport and Roads minister Jenny Aitchison recently visited the site and said she was “impressed” with the scope of the works in tailoring around the needs of heavy vehicle drivers.

“It was also pleasing to see how the layout of this rest area will deliver a much safer alignment for the road,” she added.

“I am grateful to the freight industry for their comprehensive feedback, which is enabling the NSW Labor government to deliver more facilities that will truly support wellbeing and fatigue management of heavy vehicle drivers throughout NSW. She said that there has been a shortage of rest areas in north-western NSW for too long, and she is pleased that the state and federal governments are investing in new facilities that will reduce driver fatigue and make journeys more comfortable.

“Driver fatigue contributed to at least 20 per cent of heavy

STATE-OF the art sensor technology is now scanning trucks in real time and giving drivers time to adjust their load or replan their route before they can cause an overheight incident on the Sydney road network.

The six-month trial will see trucks taller than four metres scanned as they pass under the sensor, and their height and number plate information will be gathered and instantaneously displayed to drivers on the overhead Variable Message Sign (VMS).

The first site is now live on the southbound lanes of the M1 Pacific Motorway at the Mount White Heavy Vehicle Safety Station which is operated by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

Another sensor is being installed on the Hume Highway at Pheasants Nest, with other arterial sites being considered

on the M4 and Princes Motorway.

“This is fantastic news for our truckies and the wider community using NSW roads,” said Road Freight NSW (RFNSW) CEO Simon O’Hara, a member of the overheight taskforce assembled by NSW Roads Minister John Graham.

“Minister Graham listened and acted on our concerns and the establishment of the Overheight Trucks Taskforce has certainly demonstrated what has been collectively achieved in dramatically reducing the number of incidents involving overheight trucks.”

The Minns government has introduced a zero-tolerance approach, including six-month registration bans. The crackdown has resulted in a dramatic drop in overheight incidents in Sydney tunnels. In the first six months of the taskforce’s oper-

ation (July to December 2023) there was a 67 per cent decrease in total closure time minutes and a 32 per cent reduction in incidents, the lowest level in seven years.

Over the same period, the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, the most disrupted route, saw an 80 per cent reduction in closure minutes and a 58 per cent reduction in incidents. The reduction in incidents has continued across the network in 2024, with 26 recorded overheight incidents between January and June, 62 per cent fewer than the same period in 2023.

“I want to thank the vast majority of truckies who always know their height and their route,” added Graham.

“This technology is an awareness, not enforcement tool, it arms drivers with the right information so they can make the right decisions on the road.”

MACK Trucks Australia has delivered the 80,000th Wacol-built truck to WAbased mining logistics giant MLG.

The largest chunk of those Australian-built trucks are of course Volvos, but MLG is a worthy recipient of the milestone rig, a 300-tonne rated 685hp Mack Titan that will be put to work as a part of the bulk haulage fleet.

The MLG fleet consists of over 140 trucks, with more than 50 per cent per cent being the bulldog brand.

Operating at sites across Western Australia and the Northern Territory, the trucks operate anywhere between 50150 kilometres at weights of 200-300 tonne, predominantly delivering ore from open pit to operating plants.

The company took delivery of its first Mack, a 170-tonne

rated Titan, from Truck Centre WA in 2014 and it’s still working in the MLG fleet.

“We specialise in a key set of services, but a large part of what we do is bulk haulage,” said Murray Leahy, managing director at MLG.

“Uptime, efficiency and productivity are critical to our operations, and the Mack brand has played a key part in keeping our wheels turning over the last decade.

“That we can depend upon Australian-made products to service our customers 24/7 in the dirt, dust, heat and flies is a testament to the local knowledge, skill and dedication of the engineers at Wacol.”

Darren Cowan, acting vice president, Mack Trucks Australia, said he is proud of the partnership with MLG which exemplifies the application excellence achievable through local manufacturing.

vehicle fatal crashes in regional NSW in the five years to December 2023,’ she said.

“For the Newell Highway,

fatigue is the highest contributing factor accounting for nearly 44 per cent of all heavy vehicle fatal crashes.”

projects in Western Australia alone, said WRF. Image: jovannig/ stock.adobe.com

The rest area, which is located about 12km north of Narrabri, will feature 18 truck parking spaces. Image: TfNSW

The team from Mack and MLG celebrate the Wacol milestone. Image: Mack Australia

MADE IN GERMANY

‘Brain fart’

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

this looming legislation to our attention.

From what we can glean so far, the Canberra pollies are working to fix Australia’s environmental laws so they better protect the environment and give faster, clearer decisions for business.

Dumesny, however, is far from convinced (see story on page 6), going as far calling the whole idea “a brain fart” that’s a threat to billions of dollars of projects in WA and beyond.

One of the most non-sensical concepts he said was raised in early drafts was the idea of imposing a 40km/h speed limit on some regional highways.

Dumesny said that one has thankfully been shelved, but fears it won’t be the last time we hear about that idea, or others of a similar nature with so many disconnected bureaucrats in Canberra running the show.

Letters to the Editor

Stop asking for recognition while putting the other sex down

S Series Work Lamps

men or anything remotely close to what is stated in this article for that matter.

They don’t think they are hard done by; the women are just getting it done.

Tannicka Liebelt Director AG Farm & Co Pty Ltd

IN BRIEF

Major truck recall

PACCAR and Volvo have both been forced to recall trucks in the past month due to manufacturing issues.

A total of 4890 Kenworths of various models, produced between 2023 and 2024, have been affected.

Due to a manufacturing problem with these trucks, the elbow fitting from the rear spring brake valve to the forward drive axle may not have been tightened to the sufficient torque. Meanwhile, the Volvo trucks impacted are all from 2024 and include FH, FM, FHE, FME (4), variants 24-HDV, TYPE-FH/FM, LSS-DW3, E4-HDV, TYPE-FH/

Rolling billboard with a lifesaving message

IN the velvety darkness of an outback night, they are often heard but not seen, as they rumble through our small outback towns, delivering the necessities of life for isolated residents across thousands of kilometres of our vast Australian interior.

Come daylight it’s a differ-

people, and those people don’t really ask for help when they need it, so we’re trying to get the message out there that there’s help available for them.”

Neil Mansell Transport has been in the transport indus try for more than 40 years, but this is the first time they

of Moruya to the east of the existing Princes Highway, from north of Malabar Drive to south of Mountain View Road.

The suggested refinements have resulted in the corridor moving slightly to help reduce impacts to coastal wetlands, properties and local amenities, which the community had flagged as a priority.

Construction of the bypass is estimated to cost over $1.7b.

$30m for research centre

NSW is investing an additional $30m to expand the Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre in Cudal, near Orange in NSW.

The centre – supposedly the only government-owned and operated testing centre of its kind in the world – officially opened in 2019.

The $30m investment follows the purchase of 100 hectares of farmland adjacent to the ex isting site.

Planned works will include the expansion and construction of a 4.4km loop track, as well as a new heavy vehicle skid pad. This will support the staff in increasing safety testing and research. This work involves en acting real-world scenarios at the centre to test vehicle safe ty features that help prevent crashes.

boards” will carry details of the new Western Queensland Head to Health service, designed to help outback residents find the mental health support they need either locally or via telehealth. The Head to Health service is also available Australia wide.

Tragically, the statistics don’t favour outback residents or truckies when it comes to mental health.

“Very remote residents are more than twice as likely to die by suicide than ity-dwellers, with one in two workers in the transport industry reporting some level of psychological distress, ompared to an average of 1 in 3 for working age Australian men,” reveals Western ueensland Primary Health Network manager Deb

“This is a great way to get the message out there that bush residents are supported, and that they have options

free, confidential service that they can call anytime, anywhere.”

The Head to Health trailers’ maiden journey from Darwin to Adelaide is just the beginning of a long haul commitment for Neil Mansell Transport, as the trailers are folded into their regular services from the east coast of Australia, deep into the Northern Territory and beyond.

“We are really fortunate to support RHealth in bringing this tautliner design to life,” said Attard’s Queensland state manager Josh Furlong, whose company manufactured the new truck curtains.

“We assisted in creating RHealth’s vision for this design, which we are very proud of – we are really happy to support such a great cause.”

To access the Head to Health service anywhere

Truckie shortchanged by costly super loophole

BY KAYLA WALSH

A South Australian truckie has hit out at a legal loophole that means transport companies only have to pay their employees superannuation based on 38 hours a week of work – even though drivers might be putting in twice that number of hours.

Bennen Lapworth, 42, drives an average of 70 to 72 hours a week, doing a mix of interstate and local runs.

He told Big Rigs that he only receives about $150 a week in super, but he should be getting closer to double that amount if it was paid out based on actual hours worked.

“An extra $150 a week might not sound like a lot, especially if I’m not getting it for 20 years or whenever, but it really adds up,” he said.

“I worked 14 hours yesterday, 14 hours today, and I’ll probably work ten hours tomorrow.

“Show me a truckie who only works eight hours a day – it would be pretty hard to find one.”

The Gawler man said he would like to retire between the ages of 65 and 70, but he’s worried he’s not going to have enough money in his super fund to afford it.

“The cost of living is through the roof right now,” he said. “I know I could put more of my wages straight into my super, but it’s very hard to save that money.

Steve

“Unfortunately for me, I lost nearly $50k in superannuation during the pandemic because I had set my fund to aggressive investment, and with everything else that was going on I wasn’t paying enough attention.

“When that happened, I started really looking into my super and found out there was this law.

“Truck drivers are really missing out – we’re working

twice as much as employees in other industries, but that’s not reflected in our super.”

For employees covered by both the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 and the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2020, “ordinary hours” of work are considered to be 38 hours. In some cases, ordinary hours may be determined as an average of up to 28 consecutive days.

According to the Australian Tax Office, ordinary time earnings (OTE) are defined in the same way as other employees, and the compulsory 11.5 per cent super will only be paid on those hours – and not any “overtime”.

For long distance drivers, for example, you can calculate super guarantee using an hourly driving rate method, a cents-per-kilometre method, or the minimum guaranteed wage method (but you can’t use this method if the driver’s wages are more than the minimum under one of the other two methods).

Lapworth continued: “There are a few companies out there who will pay super based on all the hours that you work, but they often only pay the drivers at the award

rate of $25 an hour.

“Most companies pay above the award rate, so you’re faced with making that sac rifice of only getting the 38 hours of super.”

He has nothing against his employer, who he preferred not to name.

“I think they’re a good company to work for, it’s not about them,” he said. “I’ve been in the transport indus try for most of my life, and I know there are so many other drivers who have put in 140odd hours a fortnight on the road, for decades. Consider ing how much we work, we’re getting such a small amount to retire on.”

Steve Shearer, the executive director of the South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA), said the super issue for truck drivers has “blown up” several times in the past.

“There is a provision that was put into the Long-Distance Award for truck drivers a few years back, that said superannuation is paid on ordinary time hours of 38 hours a week,” he said.

“That includes a 30 per cent disability allowance and a 20 per cent overtime component. The tax office tried

to argue that ordinary time earnings means what they ordinarily earn, and we said no.

“It means what you get paid for your ordinary time, not your overtime, because overtime is not guaranteed.”

Lawyer Adam Cockayne told Big Rigs that if overtime hours are not being paid at a higher rate, it might be argued that all hours are ordinary hours and form part of the OTE.

“If there is any doubt, the award or contract should be checked,” Cockayne said.

Shearer, executive director of SARTA.

Victoria’s worst regional roads revealed in survey

POTHOLES and poor road conditions are the top two issues identified by a record 7000 drivers in the latest RACV My Country Road safety survey.

An overwhelming 64 per cent of participants flagged these as the primary safety issues; up from 46 per cent in 2021.

RACV said it will use the data from the survey to encourage the state government and local councils to make commitments that deliver safer regional roads.

The growing concerns around driver safety in the state come amid increasing calls for action, including from the Victorian Farmers Federation which said the state had the worst roads in the country in its submission for an update of the Victorian Freight Plan.

The Melba Highway from Coldstream to Yea received the most responses regarding safety concerns in the

RACV survey, followed by Tylden-Woodend Road from Woodend to Tylden, Kilmore Road from Monegeetta to Gisborne, and the Goulburn Valley Highway from Nagambie to Shepparton.

The most dangerous intersection in regional Victoria was identified as the junction of the Midland Highway and Howard Street in Epsom, north of Bendigo.

Overall, 14 per cent of participants supported ‘a lower or more appropriate speed limit’ as a measure to improve road safety. That response rose to 56 per cent on the top 12 worst roads, highlighting that many Victorians believe reducing the speed on highly dangerous roads is an appropriate approach.

RACV head of policy James Williams said the survey data indicated that the condition of regional roads has become a major safety concern for Victorians.

“Sixty per cent of survey participants think that improving road surfaces should be the priority road safety solution,” Williams said.

“While in 2021, dangerous driver behaviour was the biggest safety concern on regional roads, this year poor road conditions received more than double the number of responses as dangerous driver behaviour.

“Fifty-eight per cent of the survey participants told us that they use the road they identified every day, and that level of local knowledge has been invaluable to identifying Victoria’s most unsafe roads.”

Willaims said six of the top roads identified in the 2021 survey appear again this year, including the Melba Highway, Bass Highway, Bacchus Marsh Road, Phillip Island Road, Warburton Highway, and the junction of the Midland Highway and Howard Street in Epsom.

“Sixteen of the twenty-one most dangerous roads identified in the 2021 survey received upgrades and improvements by government; but more work needs to be undertaken to improve the safety of regional roads.”

The survey used an online interactive map that showed high-speed roads with large concentrations of crashes causing death or serious injury in regional Victoria.

The map highlighted roads with speed limits of 80km/h, or higher, where there have been fatal or serious crashes for the five-year period between 2018 and 2023. Participants provided feedback by clicking on one of the highlighted roads and filling out a survey.

Participants were also welcome to nominate another road in regional Victoria that they felt posed a risk to drivers.

The following roads received the most responses:

elba Hwy, Coldstream to Yea (B300)

Tylden-Woodend Road, Woodend to Tylden (C317)

3. K ilmore Road, Monegeetta to Gisborne (C708)

4. Goulburn Valley Hwy, Nagambie to Shepparton (A39)

5. Princes Hwy, Warrnam bool to Portland (A1)

6. Western Hwy, Trawalla to Beaufort (A8)

7. Bass Hwy, Jam Jerrup to Leongatha (M420/B460)

8. Princes Hwy, Colac to Stonyford (A1)

9. Princes Hwy, Stratford to Bairnsdale (A1)

10. Great Alpine Road, Bairnsdale to Wangarat ta (B500)

11. Bacchus Marsh Road, Balliang to Lara (C704)

12. Phillip Island Road, Phillip Island (B420)

Top issues identified as contributing to safety:

• 6 4 per cent – Potholes/ road condition

• 32 per cent – Dangerous behaviours of other drivers (e.g. speeding, erratic driv ing)

• 29 per cent – Narrow lanes/road

• 26 per cent – Intersection safety issues

• 24 per cent – Limited over taking opportunities.

Putting the fun into trucking

This ever-growing Port Kembla-based fleet is continuing to put smiles on the faces of little kids and big kids alike with its eye-catching trucks.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

If you think you may have seen characters such as Mickey Mouse, Bluey, Captain America or Superman in your travels along the highways, chances are it was one of the bright set-ups operated by Ross Transport.

Based in Port Kembla, NSW, the company operates a vibrant and eye-catching fleet, servicing Australia’s east coast.

Family owned and operated, Ross Transport was established by Reg and Frances Ross in 1975. Today it’s owned and operated by their son Alan Ross, working alongside his daughter True Ross-Sawrey, who also owns her own transport business.

Ross Transport operates a fleet of around 70 trucks and 130 trailers, across its general freight and tipper division.

The tipper fleet is made up of 27 trucks, including everything from truck and dogs, to semi and B-double tippers and live bottom trailers. And it’s here that Alan’s inner child has come to play.

Ross Transport made its first move away from its standard white and blue livery when it added three dark blue and white trucks to celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2015, and then in 2017 released its beautiful pink truck into the mix.

WE HAD BEEN DOING MORE OF THE OLD SCHOOL CARTOONS AND WANTED TO MOVE INTO THE NEW AGE CARTOONS TOO TO APPEAL TO THE YOUNGER KIDS.” TRUE ROSS-SAWREY

While the traditional co lours are still the mainstay of the fleet, various truck and trailer set-ups have been jazzed up with popular su perheroes and cartoon char acters, while others have their own unique style and flair.

“We do like our trucks to be very vibrant and colourful,” said Alan.

The first character-themed truck for Ross Transport hit the road in 2018, with a Marvel Avengers theme. Next came a truck and dog set-up featuring DC Comics superheroes, followed by trucks featuring Ironman, Thor, Looney Tunes, Jetsons, the Road Runner, Flintstones and a special autism awareness truck.

The newest additions were a truck and dog set-up that hit the road in March, featuring Bluey and the Heeler family from the super popular children’s television series, which is set in Brisbane.

And, more recently, a Dis-

ney truck and dog set-up featuring classic characters including Mickey and Min nie Mouse, Donald and Dai sy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, The Little Mermaid, Snow White and Beauty and the Beast.

This magical unit was put to work in July, servicing the company’s local, intrastate

wearing that badge. “The Western Stars are a little bit

Before nutting out the design of the first character-themed truck, Alan says it

very eccentric. He has an interesting personality and likes to be unique. Dad really is a child at heart. When we saw how much traction those first character themed truckstinue pushing them through the fleet.

“We had been doing more

The Disney unit features a Western Star 48X with sleeper cab, as it’s used for the longer runs. Image: Ross Transport

A special bucket list trip

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

CASUARINA Smith – who many will know as Trucking with CJ – recently made her first trip “across the paddock”, travelling from Western Australia’s Goldfields region and into New South Wales, for the Casino Truck Show, held on August 3.

Steering a Merkanooka Haulage Kenworth T909, she left on Wednesday July 24 and made her way across the Nullarbor over four days, sharing many special moments with family along the way.

The 34-year-old South Australian truckie has worked for Merkanooka Haulage since January, doing fly-in, fly-out work.

Usually you’ll find her steering triple road trains full of unprocessed gold ore from the mine to a processing plant, however the work is quite di

verse and can include various other runs too.

The “Insta-famous” truckie has over 80,000 followers on the social media platform and over 26,000 followers on TikTok, where she shares her dayto-day work as a truckie.

While Merkanooka Haulage typically operates solely within WA, CJ says her bosses were really supportive when she asked if she could take a truck to the other side of the country.

“We don’t run east to west or vice versa, so this was a project I was working on for months. I’m grateful that my boss was so understanding and allowed me to take the T909 across,” CJ said.

Though there was a slight hiccup just before she was due to set-off. “The freight I’d

another job,” she explained.

“It wasn’t until the day before I left that we found a load – a Bruce Rock trailer I delivered into Sydney. I rolled into Sydney on the Sunday morning. As I’m on standard hours, I could only do the 12hour days.”

Along the way CJ was able to meet up with her mother at the rural town of Kimba on the Eyre Highway, who had driven 2.5 hours each way so she could see CJ in the truck.

“Mum lives in Port Lincoln and said she would meet me at Kimba. But I lost phone reception before I got there so I wasn’t sure if she’d make it. As I pulled into Kimba, I saw my mum rolling in too. That was the first time Mum has ever seen me in the big truck.”

Next CJ was due to meet up with her father – who is also a truck driver – and younger sister Violet, who at 15 got to enjoy her first ride in the truck with her big sister.

“They’re from the Adelaide Hills. My dad pulled Violet out of school to drive to Port Augusta, but I was behind schedule so instead they continued up further on and met me at Iron Knob,” said CJ. Violet travelled in the passenger seat with CJ for over two hours, with their father following on behind in his car. “At first she wasn’t too enthused but now she wants to come with me again next time. This was Violet’s first taste of being in the truck. It

was really cool to share that moment with her. It was great to see that moment where she really understood what I do and why I love it.

“Dad has come to the Mack Muster so he saw me there with the truck, but it’s the first time he’s seen me driving the 9-0.”

Along with these heartfelt moments with her loved ones, CJ says driving the Nullarbor was another big highlight.

“I had never done that before. I got to go on all these roads I’ve never been on and then got to stop at the Nullarbor Cliffs.”

With the site filled with caravans, CJ decided to park down the road and walk over. When the caravanners realised, she says they were so lovely and accommodating.

“They offered to move their caravans so I could get a nice shot there with the truck. I had lots of people asking me questions too, which was great.

“It was great to get a feel of what’s it’s like to be self-sufficient in the truck. I brought all my meals and ate in the truck each night and learnt where all the truck stops were to have showers.”

From Sydney, CJ made her way up to the Gold Coast, where the truck was detailed, before hitting the road into Casino for the big event, where she gave out colouring sheets and balloons for the kids, and had plenty of giveaways on offer.

Dad’s ‘inner child’ helps inspire the next generation

From page 14

Being third generation, True has very much grown up in the family business – officially coming on board as an employee in 2013 and in 2016 expanding her wings away from just Ross Transport and focusing on her own business as well.

“Unfortunately though, the transport industry often gets this bad public perception. A few years ago, we were struggling to get drivers so we started an extensive training program.

“The reason we continue doing these trucks is to try

tionship with the public.”

With the soaring popularity of Bluey – the show is even getting its own theme park, opening in Brisbane this November – it’s not surprising that the Bluey truck has been getting the most attention by far.

“We have people messaging us all the time about the Bluey truck, with lots of them saying the driver honked the horn as she went past and the kids were so excited,” said True.

Ross Transport is also quite active on social media and even has its own TikTok ac-

autism awareness ribbon and jigsaw puzzle, along with the words “Autism is my superpower”.

“Normally Dad and myself come up with ideas for the new trucks, but sometimes our drivers give us ideas too – as was the case with the autism awareness set-up,” True said, also revealing some other ideas we might see in the fleet in the future.

“We’re thinking of doing a second Disney themed truck with all the new-age Disney characters like Elsa from Frozen, Moana and Encanto. It would be good to do a Pixar

CJ takes in the views at the Nullarbor cliffs.

Image: Trucking with CJ

CJ’s mother Debra drove 2.5 hours each way to catch up with her on the road.

Younger sister Violet got her first ride in her sister’s truck.

Casino show smashes more records with turnout

BY GEOFF CROCKETT

CLEAR blue skies and a comfortable 20-degree temperature helped to bring massive crowds to Richmond Valley for the Casino Truck Show earlier this month.

The popular NSW show was forced to cap truck registrations at 600 the day before as the trucking community signed up online in record numbers and organisers were faced with running out of available streets on which to park any more trucks.

A carnival atmosphere took over the small NSW town on Saturday, August 3, as more than 30,000 people descended on the area – with plenty arriving early and lining the edges of the Bruxner Highway with deck chairs and portable barbecues to enjoy breakfast before the truck parade.

Of the 600 registered trucks, 330 took part in the parade which rolled through the town to cheers and applause for nearly two hours.

Aside from streets lined with the trucks, the show included a busy children’s corner with rides and food, and a wide array of stalls with businesses selling a range of truck products and show merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies and caps for fleets, brands and the show itself.

Richmond Valley Mayor and Casino local Robert Mustow praised the organisers and volunteers behind the show for their efforts in delivering such a big event for the city.

Delivering the Mayor’s Choice award to Phil Ford for his KW Mini, Mustow thanked the truckies for taking the time to come to town and invited everyone back for 2025.

Richmond Valley Council manager of community connection Sharon Davidson said the event is the biggest “single day event the Richmond Valley has ever held”.

“We were blown away by how much love there is for the Casino Truck Show,” Davidson said.

biggest single day events held on the Northern Rivers. It’ll be bigger and better next year.”

The major charity raffle prize of a custom-made bar, a bar fridge and a 24-volt kids’ four-wheeler was sold to Jon Kelly for $24,000 which will go towards the Movember men’s health cause.

The show garnered strong support from industry sponsors and offered more than 35 trophies across a wide range of categories to the truckies who went to the trouble of bringing their rigs to northern New South Wales.

The winner of the Tiny Lollback Rig of the Show, Andrew Salter, drove his Kenworth K200 up from Adelaide in the middle of a month-long trip hauling oversized freight around Australia.

keep coming back while-ever the trucks were parked up on the street and not out on dirt.

Salter summed up his enjoyment of the show: “Good community, good people, good atmosphere.”

An owner-driver, who has been running his own trucks for 34 years, Salter said he most often worked with a Pilot to cart heavy machinery around the country.

Asked about his favourite state to work in, Salter was quick to point to Western Australia.

“I’ve always found in WA, the law enforcement and Main Roads heavy vehicle unit, they’re so easy to work with there, so relaxed,” he said.

Aaron and Alle McGrath flew to Australia from Christchurch, hired a motorhome in Sydney and drove up to Casino to witness this year’s show.

A transport manager by trade, Aaron said they had been to a few of the big truck shows in New Zealand and wanted to experience the “biggest truck show in the southern hemisphere”.

“It’s pretty nice. We’ve had a cracker day,” he said.

Alle said she was impressed by the family atmosphere of the event and see all the families out lining the streets to watch the truck parade.

John Baillie and Craig McCauley were another couple of

who made the trek with

Wearing “Industrial Tours” t-shirts they’d commissioned for themselves and their group, the duo said they all had a love of trucks and the transport industry and had decided they would make truck shows part of their travel plans for the next few years. The t-shirts already had last year’s Kenworth Klassic recorded as a tour date, with Casino next, and Brisbane Truck Show 2025 in the planning phase to come.

One thing’s for sure, the Casino Truck Show 2024 will go down in the record books as the biggest celebration of trucks and transport in Australia this year.

For more pics and a list of category winners turn to page 20

Kiwis

Trucks lined the streets of Casino for its biggest show yet. Image: Richmond Valley Council

Andrew Salter with his trophy-winning rig. Image: Richmond Valley Council

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Pressure’, didn’t break a sweat. Image: Prime Creative Media

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Congrats to all the winners

Best Tanker: Monaro Fuel (Kenworth T610)

Best Tipper – Civil: Matt Lee Excavations (Kenworth T600)

Best Tipper – Bulk: TJK Transport (Kenworth T659)

Best Log Truck: N & N Smith (Western Star)

Best Livestock: MPT (Western Star)

Best Refrigerated: Churchill Transport (Kenworth T909)

Best General Freight: Dawson’s Haulage (Kenworth T909)

Best Heavy Recovery: Anywhere Truck & Machinery (Kenworth T909)

Best Heavy Haulage: SNS Heavy Haul (Kenworth C504)

Best Rigid: JDN (Kenworth T359)

Best Tilt-Tray: All Coast Towing (Hino FE)

Best Day Cab: Lawrence Transport (Kenworth 100)

Best Bonnetted: HHA (Western Star)

Best Cab-Over: PJB Trucking (Kenworth 200)

Best Engine Bay: Karraman’s Quarries (Mack Superliner)

Best Custom Truck: S & S McMahon (Kenworth T909)

Best 2470 Local Truck: CMT (Kenworth T600)

Mayor’s Choice: Phil Ford (Kenworth Mini)

Best Sponsors Display: SNS Heavy Haulage

Best Restoration: Wickhams Freightlines (Kenworth T600)

Best Historic: Cromack Transport (Diamond T)

Best Classic: Bondwoods Transport (Kenworth W900)

Best Japanese: TKN (Hino)

Best European: SRH Milk (Volvo)

Best Ford: Ikin Haulage (Ford LTL)

Best Iveco: Bolen & Son (Iveco S-Way)

Best Freightliner: Elite Trucking Co (Freightliner FLB)

Best Western Star: Northern Rivers Council

Best Peterbilt: Spinifex

Best Mack – Old Breed: HHA

Best Mack – New Breed: Milko

Best Kenworth – Pre-2000: Rasmussen Bulk

Best Kenworth – Post-2000: O’Neil’s (Kenworth T909)

Youngest Entrant: Rodic Schubert (Hino)

Fleet Maintenance: N & N Smith (Western Star)

Doing the Business: Collins Haulage (Kenworth T950)

That’s Large: Willet Transport (Mack)

Absolute Banger: Milin Transport (Ford LTL)

Smick As: Fruit Haul (Kenworth 104B)

(Kenworth K125)

Industry Pride & Passion: Matt Lee Excavations (Kenworth K104)

Great Eight: Drain Transport (Kenworth Legend)

Great Eight: Airlie Beach Hotel (Kenworth T909)

Great Eight: Imy Deen (Kenworth T900)

Great Eight: Lawrence Transport (Kenworth T900)

Great Eight: Grain Trans (Kenworth T950)

Great Eight: Durkin Trans (Kenworth T909)

Great Eight: Maddox Haulage (Peterbilt)

Great Eight: SRV Road Freight (Kenworth T909)

Sensational Six: Eric Ballard (Mack Superiner)

Sensational Six: Lindon Pastoral (Mack Titan)

Sensational Six: Lawrence Transport (Kenworth T900)

Sensational Six: Milko (Mack 100yr)

Sensational Six: TK Reiner (Kenworth K200)

Sensational Six: Land Transport (Western Star)

Top Owner Driver: Hinds Haulage (Kenworth T909)

Exceptional Company Display: Bondwoods Transport

Exceptional Company Display: Carways

Exceptional Company Display: Bloomers Transport

Best Original / Trad paint: Cleveland Transport (Kenworth T600)

Best Custom Paint: STA (Kenworth T909)

Best Line & Scrolls: Causley Transport (Kenworth W900)

Best Airbrush & Artwork: D & J Johnson Transport (Kenworth T904)

Best Paint Scheme: Imy Deen (Kenworth T950)

Judged Elite: DC Campbell (Kenworth T900)

Judged Elite: Graintrans (Kenworth T900)

Judged Elite: TDH (Kenworth C509)

Judged Elite: BT Civil (Kenworth T950)

Judged Elite: Ballinger Transport (Kenworth T950)

Best Fleet: Lawrence Transport

Best Fleet: Winston Express

Best Fleet: VE Group

Show Truck Champions: Robinsons Heavy Haulage (Mack Superliner)

Show Truck Champions: HHA (Mack Superliner)

Show Truck Champions: Nigmel PTV (Kenworth T909)

Show Truck Champions: Lawrence Transport (Kenworth T909)

Show Truck Champions: Schaffer Transport (Kenworth K200)

The Tiny Lollback Rig of the Show: A & J Salter (Kenworth K200)

Just some of the flash rigs on display. Image: Prime Creative Media

More than 30,000 packed the streets of the small NSW town. Image: Richmond Valley Council

Adrian and Brendan Glenane at the Lubecore stand. Image: Prime Creative Media

Sharece Willis, Brendan Morris, Nick Lean and Trent Lean in front of the W Model Kenworth they are slowly restoring. Image: Prime Creative Media

HHA Roadways won three awards on the day, including Best Bonnetted for this Western Star.

Image: Prime Creative Media This Ford stood out from the crowd. Image: Prime Creative Media

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Share your truck pics to win with Shell Rimula

SHELL

with Big Rigs in a big way – so there are 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

email them to kayla.walsh@ primecreative.com.au.

Don’t forget to include a brief note about the truck and where the photo was taken.

We’ll feature some of the best photos in each edition of Big Rigs Newspaper, with one winner announced each month.

Keep those amazing truck pics coming!

Byrant Day sent us this pic of a Gilbert’s Transport truck north of Coober Pedy, heading to Darwin.

Matt Lockhart sent us this great pic, unloading at Gundaline Station, Carrathool. in Glossop, SA.

Matthew Wilson took this striking shot at Pinkenba, Brisbane.

Brock Gladman snapped this pic of Burkinshaw Transport’s T909 looking the part.Ben Stamatovich (The Drone Way) took this awesome shot during a “casual drive along the Nullarbor”.

Joel Harris took this awesome sunrise snap 70km south of Julia Creek.

When the going gets tough, truckies keep everyone going

Doug McPeak snapped this great shot at Borambil, NSW, one Friday afternoon.

Tom Charlton took this aerial shot at Tookey rest area in Bellata.

Thanks to Grant Wolski for this lovely sunrise snap at Goonoo feedlot.

Cameron Deans took this great snap of the view from his truck at the Great Australian Bight.

Shaun Wood took this ripper pic at Naturi, SA.

Kyle Nicholas-Benney snapped this off on the Cobb Highway at Ivanhoe.

Cheers to John Cavenagh for this snap, taken in central Australia.

Celebrating all things road transport in Alice Springs

BY AINSLEIGH BILATO

THE National Road Transport Hall of Fame’s 2024 Festival of Transport is once again set to be a must-attend event.

The festival, celebrating all things road transport, is a chance to catch-up with friends and family, hear the stories of operators past and present and recognise the ongoing hard work of industry members.

The jam-packed program in Alice Springs begins on Friday, August 23 with the Kenworth Welcome Drinks, hosted against the impressive backdrop of the Museum’s Kenworth Dealer Hall of Fame.

The Kenworth Dealer Hall

of Fame is dedicated to exhibiting the Kenworth story and that of the individuals who have bolstered the Kenworth name throughout Australia, from suppliers to customers.

The museum’s Old Ghan Café will then host the annual Transport Women Breakfast on Saturday morning before the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday afternoon.

The Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony honours individuals who have contributed at least 25 years of service to the road transport industry. With all facets of the industry set to be represented, we will see over 50 inductees from all Australian states and territories celebrated for their

The first signs of spring are starting to appear, and truck shows are back with a bang. We’ve put together some highlights – in addition to the Festival of Transport highlighted above – for your calendars over the next couple of months, so you don’t miss any of these great events.

AUGUST

Lowood Truck Show

August 17, 2024

achievements.

The Industry Icon Award, also presented at the Induction Ceremony, highlights an individual who has gone above and beyond to represent the transport industry, having devoted themself to service and improvement for all industry members.

The 2024 Induction Ceremony will be closed out with the presentation of the History Makers Award. The History Makers Award, in its second year, will be awarded to Kurt Johanssen.

Kurt, a Northern Territory local, was a pioneer of innovation in the transport industry. He is credited with the development of the first modern road train in 1942, which he used for cattle haulage around and in Alice Springs.

Using surplus equipment from World War II, such as a Diamond T980 and Bren gun carriers, and taking inspiration from the self-tracking trailers seen on the AEC road train, Kurt revolutionised the haulage process.

Following its careful restoration, Kurt’s road train, Bertha, remains on display at the Museum for those attending the Festival of Transport to view. Beyond his own impressive service, Kurt believed strongly in honouring those who worked beside him in

improving the industry and those who would continue this work. Kurt was a founding member of the Road Transport Historical Society and, in 1992, even donated $500 to kick start the National Road Transport Museum we enjoy today.

The Transport Women Unite Red Ball will be hosted on Saturday evening, the red dress code making for an exciting visual display. The Dream Maker Awards, a joint venture between Transport Women Australia Limited

Truck Pull

and the National Road Transport Hall of Fame, will be presented at the Red Ball.

There is seldom a family business, large company or owner driver who does not have a mother, wife, partner, sister, daughter or female friend to thank for their success.

The award celebrates these women who work diligently and largely unrecognised behind the scenes to help others achieve their dreams.

The Cummins Cup Truckies Race Day at the Alice Springs Turf Club on Sunday rounds

NatRoad Connect 24

September 12-13, 2024

Pacific Bay Resort, Coffs Har bour, NSW natroad.com.au

out a busy weekend. Whether you’re a lucky punter or not, all visitors are winners with the range of exhibits on offer at the Museum, which also hosts the Alice Springs subbranch of the RSL Military Museum.

The Festival of Transport will take place from August 23-25. Tickets to the exciting events on offer at the Festival of Transport can be purchased via the National Road Transport Museum website or by calling 08 8952 7161.

Email kayla.walsh@primecreative.com.au

Lowood Showgrounds, QLD

Facebook: The Lowood Truck Show

Held at the Lowood Showgrounds in Queensland, this local show features a display of trucks, bikes and cars. A vehicle parade will proceed through Main St. Lowood at 11am. Other attractions on the day include kids’ entertainment, trade stands, live music and food and drink. Entry is free, with donations for charity welcome. For more information email lowoodtruckshow@yahoo. com.au, or phone Robert on 0467 530 349.

The main attraction at this event is the Team Truck Pull competition, where a team of six people pull a prime mover over 25 metres. The winner is the fastest team! Attendees at the event can also enjoy a kids’ zone, market stalls, food and drink and more. For more information email thallonpandctreasurer@gmail.com.

SEPTEMBER

Sunnydale Vintage Day

September 7, 2024

Kojonup, WA

Facebook: Sunnydale Vintage Day

Dust off your classic rigs and head to Kojonup for this year’s Sunnydale Vintage Day. With truck displays, tractor pulls, stationary engines and equipment displays, there’s plenty to interest vehicle enthusiasts – plus live music, a petting zoo and kids’ rides to keep the whole

American Iron Echuca Truck Display

September 7–8, 2024

Echuca Rotary Park, VIC campaspe.vic.gov.au

All makes and models of trucks are welcome at the American Iron Echuca Truck Display. Attendees can look forward to modified tractor/ mini tractor pull demonstrations, on-site camping and catering, club merchandise and trade stalls, as well as live music by Van-yt.

NatRoad Connect 24 is an event where truck operators, industry suppliers, and sector stakeholders can network and attend sessions on practical and operational information and advice. It also includes the Cummins and PACCAR and its Dealer Industry Fund Gala Dinner, where the NatRoad Annual Awards are presented.

MegaTrans

September 18–19, 2024

Exhibition Centre, VIC megatrans.com.au

Melbourne Convention &

Leaders from across the supply chain will gather in Melbourne to discuss the future of the logistics industry at MegaTrans, an integrated trade expo and conference reserved for companies offering advanced technologies and services. Experts will discuss the issues that are shaping the future of the sustainable supply chain, including workplace diversity and real estate planning.

Clarendon Classic

Machinery Rally

September 21-22

Clarendon, NSW sydneyantiquemachinery club.com

Held at the Hawkesbury Showgrounds on Racecourse Road in over two d ays, this event offers something for everyone. Check out some classic rigs at the Kenworth Klassic Truck Show, hop on an old double decker bus to Richmond Station, or explore the displays of vintage machinery, including stationery engines, tractors, steam engines, models and more.

For our complete events calendar visit bigrigs.com. au and search events. Have you got an event you’d like included in the next Save the Date? Email all the details to kayla.walsh@primecre ative.com.au

Over 50 inductees from all Australian states and territories will be added to the wall this year.

Some of the different models on display at the Kenworth Klassic last year. Image: Daniel Thornton/ #DATphotography31

Sheppard Transport’s Western Stars at the American Iron Echuca Truck Display last year. Image: David Vile

years of service to the road transport industry. Images: Road Transport Historical Society

Trucking isn’t just moving a load from one place to another. It’s a journey of a thousand experiences. It’s golden skies, fierce storms, hours of solitude and hard work.

Whether it’s on the road, in the yard, behind the scenes or in the back office, it’s not just a job, but a passion. It’s something you’ve inherited from those who came before you, that has paved the way for the next journey.

It’s heritage. It’s a legacy. kenworth.com.au/legacy

Campbell’s clobber a popular choice at shows

BY DAVID VILE

WITH its trucks always turned out to a high standard, the fleet of DA Campbell Transport of Bathurst is one of the most easily recognised as they make their way across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and into South Australia.

The Campbell name is also easy to spot at any truck show or gathering of people where trucks are a passion, with the merchandise range featuring the company’s trucks being a popular choice of many.

Deb Campbell has been tasked with the job of taking the company’s merchandise ‘on the road’ and as such makes her way around a number of events throughout the year with clothing and accessories for truck fans to purchase.

On a busy weekend in April this year, Deb and her hus-

With the tables stacked up with a variety of Campbell Transport-branded product, trade was steady as she took a few minutes to chat to Big Rigs.

“Dean Campbell started out with one truck working as an owner-driver, and especially over the last couple of years people have really started to follow the trucks as the company has grown and our merchandise supports that.

“We kicked off with the t-shirts and hoodies, now we have the trucker hats and the footy shorts, they are really popular with the younger kids…and some of the older ones as well - and of course we have to have the stubby holders!” she said.

With Dean Campbell’s first truck, a Kenworth SAR, the first to feature on a t-shirt, the clothing range now features a number of the Campbell

day - he works with an artist and does all the designs himself, on a black shirt the fleet colours come out really well.

“All of the shirts have a story to tell, the SAR ‘Believe and Succeed’ was named by his grandmother, and the ANZAC trailers are in remembrance of his grandfather who went to war, so they all have a name and a meaning,” she explained.

“Across our range we now have about seven different designs, and we have just released a new one. ‘Moonlit Digger’ is our newest truck, which is another Defence Force tribute one. It’s pretty much when a new truck arrives we start planning the shirt.”

Deb and her husband have clocked up plenty of miles over the last couple of years, covering events such as agricultural shows around the local Bathurst and Orange area

“We go to all the truck shows - obviously Dean doesn’t have

the time, it takes a fair bit of time and mileage to get to them, so we do that on his behalf.

“He will get a couple of the trucks such as Boogie Nights to a few of the shows, it is hard to get them off the road to a show, but they do get to a few.

We will be at Casino in August and also at Castlemaine later in the year and of course back home for the Dane Ballinger Memorial show which Dean

ran with Dane Ballinger.”

The company also has an online store along with the overthe counter sales and as such the Campbell name is now being seen on people’s back far and wide.

Having launched a new division to the business in July hauling logs from Bathurst to Tumut, and putting some new B-Double combinations on the road, Deb reckoned that they would have to look at do-

ing a logging-themed shirt to add to the collection.

For now, she will just load up her car and head off to the next event.

“There wasn’t ever really a plan, it just evolved into this.

“We have been doing shows for a fair while now, we did one or two and it went from there. It’s involved lots of miles; we just about need to run a logbook,” she said with a smile.

Truckies rally to help family of young teen fighting cancer

BY KAYLA WALSH

A TRUCK meet held at a car park in Sydney in July has raised $6872 for the family of a local boy who is fighting cancer.

A total of 80 trucks rolled up at Marsden Park on Saturday, July 27 for an evening of fun and fundraising.

Organiser Luke Roberts, who is a driver for KWS Towing, has been running truck meets on a monthly basis for the past few years, with the first one raising about $350.

He is delighted with how far the event has come.

“This one was probably the biggest yet,” he says.

“We had a barbecue, we were walking around with buckets, and we had a raffle with some great prizes that were donated.

“We even had people asking if they could transfer money – some people donated like $500.”

Roberts says the money raised will be well spent, helping the family of 13-year-old

local boy Hayden, who was recently diagnosed with a type of sarcoma, a rare cancer that begins in the connective tissues of the body.

“The family are our neighbours, they are good friends of ours.

“We wanted to raise some money so the dad could have

some time off work to spend with him in the hospital.”

Fundraising aside, Roberts says the truck meets are a great way to catch up with fellow truckies and have a laugh.

“We thought it would be a nice way to put a name to the faces, have a chat and a coffee, maybe a dessert.

“Some weekends we might only get 30 trucks, but it’s

“My friend Jake Cusbert and I set up the meets bethe road and you might give them a wave but you might not know their name.

The truck meet brought a total of 80 trucks to Marsden Park in Sydney. Images: Luke Roberts

Deb Campbell with some of the DA Campbell merchandise range. Image: David Vile

Lifting the bar for hoists

RUD Australia is pleased to announce they are the exclusive supplier of high-quality German brand Finkbeiner mobile heavy vehicle hoists for trucks and buses, effective August 1, 2024. Big Rigs spoke with Peter Nuttall, managing director of RUD Australia on the expansion of their range into the wireless mobile heavy vehicle hoist industry.

The Germany based RUD Group was established in 1875. Its 40-year-old Australian subsidiary, RUD Chains, is a highly respected and wellknown name in chain technology and lifting solutions. RUD Australia also manufactures Endurequip Portalift which is the only Australian-made mobile chain-driven heavy vehicle hoist with a history of over 35 years. The addition of Finkbeiner to the existing range of Endurequip is good news for both metro and regional workshops across Australia offering a choice of high quality cabled or wireless hoists.

What are the key advantages of choosing portable heavy vehicle hoists from RUD?

Endurequip has been manufactured in Australia for over 35 years and is the only Australian-made mobile heavy vehicle hoist. With the addition of Finkbeiner which is manufactured in Germany, we can offer the following benefits to the Australian market.

• Portability: Both Endurequip and Finkbeiner hoists are completely self-contained and mobile, allowing for convenient on-site repairs or flexibility

inside workshops.

• Versatility: Both hoists can handle a wide range of vehicles, from buses to military trucks, with lifting capacities ranging from 10 to 85 tonnes.

• Quality: The Australian-made Endurequip and German-made Finkbeiner adhere to the highest standards of performance, safety and reliability.

• Nationwide service: RUD already has the most extensive Australia-wide service network for Endurequip which will now include Finkbeiner.

Can you tell us more about Endurequip Portalift?

Endurequip Portalift is the only Australian-made mobile heavy vehicle chain driven hoist, manufactured in our 6000 square metre state-ofthe-art Brisbane factory using Australian steel and local parts. It is reputed across Australia and overseas for quality, ease of maintenance and longterm reliability.

Endurequip Portalift offers long-term peace of mind with a 10-year warranty. The Portalift hoist runs on a robust RUD chain drive system

which lasts decades even with frequent use. Each Portalift hoist can be used in combination sets to lift a maximum of 60 tonnes. As a quality Australian product, the Portalift is reliable and robust for the most arduous applications including dusty mine sites and wash bays with an IP65 rating. This is the reason why many truck, bus and rail workshops use Endurequip. Endurequip Portalift hoist is also the exclusive heavy vehicle hoist supplier to the Australian Defence Force.

What makes the Finkbeiner hoist a popular choice for workshops worldwide?

Finkbeiner is a German based company, established in 1927, and is known worldwide for its engineering heritage with hydraulic mobile column lifts. Finkbeiner pioneered the hydraulic mobile column hoist in 1967, revolutionising workshop flexibility. Every Finkbeiner hoist undergoes rigorous testing in Germany from the manufacturing stage to quality control, ensuring exceptional performance and reliability.

Finkbeiner hoists are quick to set up with fast lifting

speeds, maximising workshop productivity. They are virtually maintenance free with wireless communication, offering better quality signals than Bluetooth. By combining sets of up to 20 hoists, you can have flexibility for different heavy vehicles in your workshop.

• Pioneers in flexibility: Finkbeiner invented both hydraulic mobile column lifts and the Y-tec semi-scissor platform lift, changing the landscape of workshop flexibility.

• Uncompromising commitment: Every Finkbeiner hoist adheres to the strictest quality standards which ensures each hoist can deliver performance and reliability for years.

• Global support: Finkbeiner offers an extensive service

network to guarantee quick and hassle-free installation, empowering you to get your workshop up and running in the quickest time.

What about service?

Endurequip has always been known for quick and efficient service across Australia. We are now expanding our current service network to include Finkbeiner so our customers can be assured of the same standards of service they have received from Endurequip. Fully trained service agents will ensure your hoists will perform optimally with regular servicing cycles.

In conclusion, what does RUD offer to the Australian transport industry?

RUD combines a history of

140+ years in lifting innovation. Endurequip is the number one Australian-made mobile heavy vehicle hoist for over 35 years and now combined with Finkbeiner, we can offer a comprehensive range of mobile heavy vehicle hoists tailored to the needs of the Australian transport industry.

Our chain-driven and hydraulic hoist range offer multiple options for automotive workshops to keep their operations running smoothly and efficiently. In addition, we also offer an extensive range of accessories such as vehicle stands, ramps and adaptors for use in agriculture, military, portable dwelling units, rail, and special lifts. Contact us today for more details on the best options for your requirements.

Complete Steering Australia: Reliability meets the road

COMPLETE Steering Australia (CSA), established in 2001 after Complete Truck Alignment (founded in 1988), continues to strive to be at the very forefront of heavy vehicle commercial power steering. It offers the very best of services in their modern wellequipped locations in Melbourne (Laverton North) and Brisbane (Stapylton) with future plans of other locations.

Business development manager, Peter Elliott, says CSA also has factory trained diagnostic centres in regional cit-

ies to complement the service offering for fleet and owner drivers – ensuring power steering systems function as they were designed to do.

CSA are specialists in rectifying steering faults, which include complaints of hard steering, locking up and wandering.

A mong its service offerings, CSA can perform steering gear re-seals and repairs for TRW, ZF, Bosch, Sheppard and other European and Japanese makes. It also conducts pump reseals and repairs for TRW, ZF, Vickers, LUK and other Euro-

pean and Japanese makes.

Other services include ac cident damage inspection for steering gears (for all brands), power steering installation and conversion, and steering design and fault correction.

CSA is also able to supply both genuine and aftermar ket parts to support full steer ing systems from the steering wheel down to the front axle, including all components in between.

As a well-respected commer cial power steering company CSA can professionally assist

with complete steering system design, steering gears, pitman arms, steering conversions, power steering pumps, linkage and steering column rebuilds.

CSA’s power steering FUN facts #1 –Alignment is everything But it is not just about stopping tyre wear and keeping your wheels both pointing the same way. Every good wheel

alignment starts by first ensuring the steering gearbox is properly aligned in the centre position.

If the steering gear isn’t in the correct position, then nothing else in the steering will be correctly aligned. Everything else must be set off centre, if the gear is off centre. This includes the steering wheel, the slip shaft phasing, the pitman arm, the draglink

and tie rods. They could all be incorrectly adjusted if the steering gear isn’t in the central position to start with.

Toe in out and castor and camber corrections can’t fix a steering gear that’s not set in the correct position!

@completesteeringaustralia and Facebook for more quick Tech Tuesdays coming soon.

The Laverton North location in Melbourne.

The Finkbeiner factory in Germany. Images: RUD Australia

Endurequip Portalift is the only Aussie-made mobile chain-driven heavy vehicle hoist.

CSA’s Stapylton location in Queensland. Images: CSA

ACM Bullbars: 30 years of strength through quality

IT’S an exciting time for ACM Bullbars.

The Melbourne-based bullbar and bumper bar specialists have invested in growth, almost doubling the size of their facilities – and over the next 12 months, the company will match its increase in size with output.

It’s great news for new and existing customers, with improved workflow and shorter lead times giving ACM Bullbars a competitive edge in the market.

General manager, Murray Stephen, told Big Rigs: “We’ve significantly expanded our facility to increase capacity and enhance manufacturing workflow that will allow us to improve our on-time, in-full performance.

“We’ve got a great relationship with our customers, and this will help us to become more customer focused.”

ACM Bullbars believes that the design of both their base components and bars are the reason they have one of the strongest bars on the market.

“We have developed special design parameters that

make our bars up to 25 per cent stronger than many of the other bullbars out there,” Murray said.

ACM’s bullbar tubing has also been shown to bend 80 per cent less than competitors, even after being exposed to triple the force of other products.

“All of our bars are rigorously tested using our own test rig and independent engineers. We make sure our Bars are FUPS (front underrun protection systems) compliant and can really take an impact – up to about eight tonnes.”

The strength of the bars means they can handle a truck hitting objects at high speed, protecting the driver, the load and the vehicle itself.

The strength of the bars also ensures minimal downtime for the truck, getting it back on the road faster – saving your operation time and money.

Although ACM Bullbars is already ahead of the curve when it comes to bullbar technology, its Research and Development team remains hard at work, on new and im

proved designs to suit most applications.

With almost 30 years of ex perience in the bullbar indus try, the company knows what the market wants, but also takes feedback from its cus tomers on board on a regular basis.

“We provide products suit able for all the major makes of trucks in the heavy vehicle sector,” Murray explained.

“As part of our design pro cess, we work with key indus try stakeholders to design and adapt our bullbars to suit their requirements.

“For example, the newer trucks all have radar, so we’ve made adjustments to our de signs to ensure the bullbar is capable of performing with radar on the chassis of the ve hicle.”

If a customer wants further customisation, ACM Bullbars can also accommodate this, where practical.

As the company’s output continues to grow, the business is also expanding geographically, supplying to customers in all Australian states and territories.

The ACM Bullbars team will work with you to provide the ultimate bullbars, designed for safety, strength, aesthetics and performance.

ACM Bullbars: Keeping you and Australia moving.

To find the ACM Bullbar that’s right for your truck, visit acmbullbars.com.au.

For sales enquiries call them on 0459 963 244, or email the sales team at sales@acmbullbars.com. au.

WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SUPPLYING TO THE HEAVY TRUCK AND BUS BULLBAR AND BUMPER BAR INDUSTRIES.

ACM can recommend a bumper or bullbar to suit your specific requirements. With a huge range on offer, we can match a product to your vehicle that will not only perform to the highest level but is backed by quality materials and manufacturing processes in the industry.

Jamesy Transport’s award-winning Mack proudly sports a bullbar from ACM Bullbars.

Great business opportunity located in rural Queensland

ESTABLISHED in October 2010, McMahon’s Truck and Trailer Parts has become a trusted name in the rural town of Charters Towers, Queensland. With the business now on the market, it represents an exciting opportunity to take over a trusted name within the truck and trailer space.

utes inland from Townsville, Charters Towers is a transport hub and a main thoroughfare for those travelling towards Mt Isa or Darwin. McMahon’s Truck and Trailer Parts was started by Phil and Vicki McMahon.

er, on and off, for most of my working life,” said Phil. “I mainly drove road trains, carting livestock. Then I moved into the workshop, doing general maintenance on trucks and trailers.”

Phil explained that he opened his own truck and trailer parts business after recognising a need for such a supplier within

“It was a big change, after going from driving and being in the workshop, but it’s been really good. The business is continuously growing. This has been a very good business for myself and my wife, with a big client base. We service companies throughout Charters Towers and the surrounding rural industries.”

While it wasn’t an easy decision to put the business he’s poured his heart and soul into over the past 14 years on the market, Phil said he knew the time was right.

“If I was younger, I would never think about selling this business, I’d definitely expand it.”

According to Phil, McMahon’s Truck and Trailer Parts makes for a perfect family business. “It would be an ideal business for a family. There is plenty of work here for at least three people,” he added.

Since first launching McMahon’s Truck and Trailer Parts, Phil says the range has grown substantially, with the business now stocking thousands of parts for trucks and trailers, as well as welding products and accessories,

and Air Liquide industrial gases.

“When we first started out, we had about two shelves of stuff and two pallets on the floor – and that was it. Now we have a 9 x 30 metre shed that is absolutely packed to the brim with parts,” said Phil, adding that he has developed a very loyal customer base.

“If anyone is searching for something for their transport needs, there’s a good chance we’ll have it here.”

McMahon’s Truck and

Trailer Parts stocks a full range of axles, suspensions and associated parts; hoses, tubes and fittings; Fireflex suspension parts; Donaldson filters; Gulf Western oils; Ultra Vision Lights; truck cleaning products; load restraint products; and more. McMahon’s Truck and Trailer Parts is located at 45 Millchester Road, Charters Towers, with Type 2 road train access. For more information, please call 07 4787 8120 or email mcmahon struckparts@bigpond.com.

The hidden health risks for long-haul drivers

LONG-HAUL truck drivers face more than just the challenges of navigating roads and managing schedules.

They are also contending with hidden health risks that have serious implications for their wellbeing.

Shannon McGurgan, who transitioned from a career as a circus performer to driving trucks during the Covid-19 crisis, has observed these risks firsthand.

“When the Covid crisis hit, live performance completely disappeared and I set about re-inventing myself,” he said.

Shannon obtained his HR truck licence, forklift licence, and white card, and drove a truck for six months during

the first of the Victorian lockdowns.

“It was during this time that I observed truck drivers as one of the most physically unhealthy groups I’d encountered,” he said.

His observation is supported by research indicating 40 per cent of long-distance truck drivers are likely to have undiagnosed sleep apnoea.

This is largely attributed to the sedentary nature of the job, irregular sleep patterns, and limited access to healthy food options.

“Sleep apnoea is not a minor concern; it has been linked to serious health risks including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,” Shannon said.

Discovering the Buteyko Method

Throughout his 30-year career as a circus performer, Shannon said the extent of the breath coaching he received amounted to little more than the idea of taking a nice long, deep breath.

“It wasn’t until I explored the mechanics, biochemical, and neurophysiological aspects of breathing that I realised the potential of breathwork,” he said.

This concept, which dates back to ancient times, was re-discovered in the 1950s by Russian Dr Konstantin Buteyko.

During his early career as a medical doctor, he observed

• Apnoea alert: 40 per cent of long-distance truck drivers are likely to have undiagnosed sleep apnoea.

• Hidden health risks: Sleep apnoea can lead to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

• Gender disparity: Sleep apnoea impacts nearly twice as many men as women.

• Effective solutions: The Buteyko Method can help manage and reduce symptoms of sleep apnoea.

• Daily practice: Breathwork can be incorporated into your daily routine for lasting health benefits.

that soldiers suffering from PTSD were also hyperventi lating or over-breathing.

He was able to reduce their PTSD symptoms by slowing down their breathing rate, applying this theory to many subsequent physiological con ditions.

This led to the develop ment of the Buteyko Method, which is still in use today.

“As an aging performer looking for ways to extend my career, I had explored various wellness modalities, many of them not in the mainstream health model,” he said.

“Some had a positive effect, others did nothing, and a few even had a negative impact on my body.”

Breathing techniques to master:

• Nose breathing (in and out)

Breathwork proved to be one of the most beneficial.

“I settled on becoming a Buteyko practitioner because of its proven therapeutic results,” he said.

“It’s a simple method that is highly effective and easy to integrate into your daily routine.

• Low but not deep breathing

• Longer out-breath than inbreath

• Six breaths per minute

Take charge of your health

Shannon said when you’re ready to take control of your health and wellbeing, you

should consider exploring breathwork techniques.

“My courses will teach you how to incorporate these simple yet powerful practices into your daily life,” he said.

“Your health is worth the investment.”

To find out more, contact Shannon 0457 388 137 or visit the website at shanon mcgurgan.net/breatheright-mbm.

The Buteyko Method is simple and highly effective.

Knorr-Bremse: Ready to drive your vehicles forward

OVER the past few years, the trucking industry has navigated through unprecedented challenges, testing the resilience of both operators and suppliers alike. The Covid-19 pandemic brought fluctuating order intakes and severe supply chain disruptions, impacting the momentum of fleet upgrades and new equipment acquisitions. As a leading provider of braking solutions for commercial vehicles worldwide, we at Knorr-Bremse have not only weathered these storms but have emerged stronger and more prepared than ever to support our valued customers.

The past few years have been a learning experience for us all. We understand the importance of reliability and performance in your vehicle’s braking systems. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in our production capabilities and supply chain logistics to ensure that we can meet your needs promptly and effectively. Today, we are pleased to announce that we are fully ramped up and ready to supply all our customers with the cutting-edge braking solu-

tions they require. During the height of the pandemic, many of you put fleet upgrades on hold. Now is the time to revisit those plans. Our retrofit kits are readily available, offering you the opportunity to equip your trucks and trailers with stateof-the-art braking technology. Whether you’re looking to enhance safety or improve braking performance, our retrofit solutions provide a cost-effective and practical way to meet the latest safety standards.

At the heart of our operations is a commitment to customer satisfaction. We’ve streamlined our order process to make it as seamless as possible, ensuring that you receive the support you need when you need it. Our dedicated customer service team stands ready to assist with any inquiries or concerns you may have. Moreover, our Australia wide service network, the TruckServices Expert Network, ensures that wherever you are operating, you have access to trusted support and maintenance.

Our retrofit solutions include the Trailer Electronic

Braking System (TEBS) and the Trailer Roadtrain Module (TRM), designed to bring your vehicles up to modern safety standards while optimising operational efficiency. TEBS provides enhanced braking control and reduced braking distances compared to conventional pneumatic systems, ensuring safer driving in all conditions. Meanwhile, TRM enables trucks without Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) to communicate seamlessly with TEBSequipped trailers, improving braking response times and reducing stopping distances.

Choosing Knorr-Bremse means choosing reliability, innovation, and a commitment to the highest safety standards. As the trucking industry continues to recover and adapt, we are here to support you every step of the way. Our retrofit kits are not just about upgrading your vehicles; they’re about future-proofing your operations and ensuring your vehicles meet the demands of today and tomorrow.

Now is the time to drive your vehicles forward. Whether

you operate a fleet or are an owner operator, our solutions are tailored to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you enhance the safety, performance, and reliability of your vehicles with our advanced braking systems.

Connect through your local Knorr-Bremse representative, a member of our expert network, or your local parts distributor. Together, let’s navigate the road ahead with confidence and reliability.

Knorr-Bremse is more than a supplier; we are your partner in ensuring the safety and success of your operations. Let’s embark on this journey together towards a safer and more efficient future for commercial vehicles everywhere. For more information, visit truck.knorr-bremse.com/ en/au.

Upgrade your braking system with our retrofit solutions

Unlock peak performance of your trucks & trailers with Knorr-Bremse‘s advanced retrofit solutions, designed to enhance safety and performance.

Our retrofit solutions, including the Trailer Electronic Braking System (TEBS) and Trailer Roadtrain Module (TRM), enable electronic braking, ensuring your vehicles meet modern standards with precise braking control and improved efficiency.

Visit our website or contact your local Knorr-Bremse representative, a member of our Expert Network, or your local parts distributor for more information.

| truck.knorr-bremse.com/en/au/ |

Knorr-Bremse supplies its customers with the cutting-edge braking solutions they require.

Image: Knorr-Bremse

Heavy vehicle law experts

HIGHWAY Advocates have carved a unique path in the legal landscape of heavy vehicle enforcement, a journey that began in Victoria, transitioned north to Queensland, and now finds its firm footing in the heart of New South Wales. With its registered office in Parramatta, Highway Advocates a re strategically positioned near the NHVR and Transport for NSW headquar-

ters. But its operational base is Goulburn, just down the road from the Marulan weighbridge. We are sure you all know where that is. The firm’s principal solicitor, Rodney Boyd, brings not only extensive experience but also invaluable local insight, having practiced a s a criminal solicitor in the Goulburn area since 2008. Rodney’s legal expertise, combined with Robert’s vi-

sion, has positioned Highway Advocates as a beacon of focused legal advocacy and representation. Robert Bell is the industry insider who came up with the idea for the firm back in 2021. He has always felt the firm should have some connection with Marulan. It turns out that Robert’s intuition was spot on. Roberts’s paternal grandfather, Cecil Roy Bell, was in the 12th

Light Horse Regiment and participated in the Charge of Beersheba with the 4th Light Horse in the First World War. He met Law rence of Arabia. Cecil was born in Marulan. This is where we are meant to be. With committed leader ship, Highway Advocates (Australia) are set to con tinue the focused legal ad vocacy it is renowned for a nd will continue to grow as the need for our service increases. It is important to remember that there is only one Highway Advocates, and those who seek to im itate us. That is not to say e do not welcome healthy competition. We are simply saying that you cannot anufacture or dream up the lived experience and knowledge we possess. We are not just another law firm. We represent a deep commitment to the road transport industry. It is a culmination of authentic road transport experience, passion for the law, and an unwavering dedication to the industry we represent. This commitment is what sets us apart and assures our clients of the best possible outcome.

month we have had over 40 charges finalised without conviction. These include fatigue management offences (yes, even critical risk), making a false or misleading entry in a work diary and even an offence of disobeying a low clearance sign at Sydney Harbour Tunnel. This means no fines, no demerit points, no penalty at all. We are proud of the service we provide and the court outcomes we fight so hard to achieve.

These outcomes speak for themselves. Just in the last

Recognising the growing need for proactive compliance, Robert has also estab-

lished Highway Advocates (Consultancy Service) Pty Ltd, offering cost-effective solutions to operators to enhance productivity and efficiency while safeguarding a gainst compliance risks. If you get caught in the enforcement net, can you afford to not contact Highway Advocates? A s the only law firm in Australia that is solely committed to helping the heavy vehicle industry, you know you can rely on us. Highway Advocates, keeping you on the road where you belong.

Wages watchdog finds rate and hours of work breaches

WAGE Inspectorate Victo -

ria has identified the main issues driving non-compliance with the state’s Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors Act 2005 in the last financial year – with one of the key breaches being failure to provide owner-drivers with a written contract stating the rates they will be paid and their minimum hours of work.

The requirements set out in the act aim to improve the position of owner-drivers who run small businesses transporting goods or harvesting or transporting forestry products.

The Victorian regulator audited over 650 engagements in 2023-24 to check compliance with the act, and more than one in five audits (23 per cent) discovered at least one breach.

These audits checked whether businesses engaging owner drivers and forest-

ry contractors for a total of 30 days or more, or 30 days within a 3-month period, were providing them with:

• t he prescribed information booklet

• the prescribed cost and rates schedule for their type of vehicle or equipment

• a written contract that includes minimum hours of work or income level, rates to be paid, and minimum notice to end the contract or payment in lieu.

The audits also checked whether the information booklet and cost and rates schedule were provided to prospective contractors at least three business days before they were engaged. Of those audits where breaches were identified:

• 38 per cent found a breach of the Information Booklet provision

• 38 per cent found a breach of the Rates and Cost Schedule provision

• 25 per cent found a non-compliant contract.

While the majority of audits were conducted on transport, postal and warehousing businesses, the Wage Inspectorate also audited engagements in the forestry, retail, manufacturing, mining, construction, agriculture and wholesale industries.

The maximum penalty for these offences is $4940 for body corporates and $988 for individuals.

Hirers and freight brokers should keep records that show they are meeting their obligations, because they may have to provide them to an authorised officer if they are chosen for an audit.

The commissioner of Wage Inspectorate Victoria, Robert Hortle, said: “We’ve seen a slight improvement on last year’s compliance rate, but obviously 23 per cent is still too high, so we’ll continue to work with industry to drive

that rate down.”

“Giving contractors the prescribed information enables them to accurately assess the proposed job and whether it’s

worth their time and resources. It helps foster a healthy industry and it is a legal requirement.

“Wage Inspectorate officers

will travel the length and breadth of the state again in 2024-25, inspecting Victorian workplaces and taking appropriate enforcement action.”

Termination Code must protect truck operators: NatRoad

THE National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has responded to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations on the Road Transport Industry Termination Code Discussion Paper, calling for the protection of trucking businesses and employees.

“We are calling for assurance that the Termination Code will protect truck operators through fair practices, providing them with the security nec-

essary to allow them to confidently invest and grow their businesses,” NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said.

“Truck operators are highly skilled professionals who form an essential part of the nation’s supply chain. The proposed Termination Code must reflect the operational realities of the road transport industry, ensuring flexibility and fairness while protecting drivers.”

The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loop-

holes No. 2) Act 2024 introduces new protections for regulated road transport contractors (RRTCs) against unfair termination, a move that NatRoad strongly supports.

Key Points of NatRoad’s Submission: Protection Against Unfair Termination:

• E stablishing clear criteria to differentiate between regular, systematic engagements and irregular or sporadic engagements.

• Ensuring that terminations are based on valid reasons such as conduct-related breaches, capacity-related issues, or genuine commercial reasons.

Secure Investments:

• Recognising the significant investments made by truck operators in their vehicles and equipment.

• Providing appropriate notice periods and flexibility in termination processes to reflect the nature of the

industry and protect operators from abrupt contract terminations, therefore keeping them on the road where they are needed.

Fair Commercial Practices:

• Developing a termination code that supports the unique structure and operational dynamics of the road transport industry.

• Ensuring that contracts are reliable and that operators can confidently invest in their businesses.

“We are already dealing with a truck driver shortage, and so if our operators are not able to be confident regarding the future of their contracts, this issue will only get worse,” Clark sa id.

“That’s why we want to emphasise the importance of a practical and effective Termination Code that balances the rights and obligations of road transport businesses and their contractors and sub-contractors.”

The entrance to the Marulan Heavy Vehicle Safety Station (HVSS).

Principal solicitor of Highway Advocates (Australia) Pty Ltd, Rodney Boyd. Images: Highway Advocates

The act aims to improve the position of owner-drivers transporting goods or harvesting or transporting forestry products. Image: stock.abobe.com/KRUTOPIMAGES

How taxi trucks can help

BY DSE TRANSPORT

HERE’S how taxi trucks can assist regional businesses with their deliveries.

The logistics of delivering goods can be a significant challenge, especially in regional areas across Australia.

Unlike the big urban centres like Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, regional based businesses face both limited choices and higher costs when it comes to transporting and delivering their products.

However, hope is not lost for these businesses. In fact, they are in luck – for there exists a solution that is the taxi trucks.

What are taxi trucks?

Taxi trucks are dedicated vehicles designed for transporting goods on an ad-hoc, point-to-point basis, at short notice.

They typically come in various sizes and configurations to accommodate different types of freight, from small parcels in vans to large shipments in semi-trailers – and are always tailored to a specific route.

Taxi trucks can focus solely on specific deliveries tailored for individual businesses including businesses located in regional areas.

Before reading further, make sure you review DSE’s guide to using taxi trucks in your supply chain at dsetransport.au/blog/guide-to-usingtaxi-trucks-in-your-supplychain.

How taxi trucks can help regional businesses

If you run a business in large regional centres, a taxi truck service might be ideal for your operations. Here’s a few reasons why.

Flexibility

Regional businesses often deal with fluctuating demand and varying delivery requirements. Taxi trucks, available on an ad-hoc basis, provide a scalable solution that can adapt to these changing needs. Whether it’s a small batch of products or a large shipment, taxi trucks can accommodate different loads efficiently. This ensures timely deliveries without the need for businesses to invest in their own fleet.

Great for costs

Taxi trucks offer cost-effective delivery solutions for regional businesses.

Operating a dedicated fleet of delivery vehicles can be prohibitively expensive for smaller enterprises.

But by outsourcing their delivery needs to taxi truck services, businesses can avoid the overhead costs associated with vehicle maintenance, insurance, and driver salaries.

This cost-saving measure allows businesses to allocate resources more efficiently, investing in other areas of growth and development.

Great for time-sensitive shipments

Taxi trucks are ideal for deliveries that need to be done at a moment’s notice. They can therefore provide a reliable and efficient delivery option for time-sensitive shipments.

In regional areas where traditional courier services may have limited coverage or longer delivery times, taxi trucks can offer expedited delivery services.

Taxi trucks provide businesses timely and secure transportation for urgent deliveries, ensuring that goods reach their destination promptly and intact.

Boost your reputation

Partnering with a taxi truck service can also enhance the reputation of regional businesses. Consistent and reliable delivery services contribute to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

If you’re a regional business and you’re leveraging taxi trucks to fulfill your delivery commitments, you are much more likely to build trust with their clientele, positioning yourself as dependable and customer-focused company within your community.

Looking for a reliable and efficient taxi truck service?

Taxi trucks are a valuable asset for regional businesses seeking to streamline their delivery operations and overcome logistical challenges.

With their flexibility, adapt-

ability, and cost-effectiveness, taxi trucks offer a tailored solution to meet the unique needs of businesses operating outside major urban centres.

For regional business owners seeking reliable and safe transport solutions, DSE Transport offers dedicated taxi truck services that align with the highest industry standards.

Partnering with us means you can trust that your goods will be transported efficiently and securely, no matter how far away your delivery locations are located. Contact the friendly team at DSE Transport today by visiting our website page, dsetransport.au/contacts, or by calling 1300 660 644 to learn more about how our specialised taxi truck service can meet your unique transport needs.

Isuzu tipper delivers Christmas in July in twin cities

SUMMER may be peak season for pool installation businesses across the country, but companies like Conquest Pools Albury Wodonga are taking bookings over six months in advance to ensure that pools are ready for the relatives to enjoy, come the Christmas holidays.

“Pools are a real social gathering point,” said Conquest Pools A lbury Wodonga manager, Peter Garratt.

“It’s good to see a smile on customer’s faces once the installation is finished, knowing they can bring all their friends and relatives around for barbecues come summertime.”

The memory of a good swim goes a long way and Conquest Pools Albury Wodonga is reliant on word of mouth to advertise—something they have had no issue with.

“We recently installed a pool for a customer who had fond memories of swimming in a

Conquest Pool in her childhood home, which I remember installing back in the day,” Peter recalled.

Before selling the Conquest Pools product in 2007, Peter and wife, Jenny, started small with their first fibreglass pool installation business; Peter on the tools and Jenny at the books.

Going further back, Peter began his career in the early 1980s with a single Isuzu tip truck and a bobcat, doing earthworks and landscaping as a subcontractor.

Peter and Jenny’s sons, Brendan and Peter Jr, have followed faithfully in their parents’ footsteps, and are now taking on the responsibility of managing the operation.

The brothers have a collective 36 years’ experience in the industry between them and have their sights firmly set on growing their parents’ legacy. It has been a busy year since

taking over,” commented Brendan.

“Our new Isuzu trucks are helping us meet the high demand we have seen with recent business growth.”

The newest editions to the Conquest Pools fleet include a pre-built Isuzu NQR 87-190 AMT Tipper and an FVZ 240300 Auto with a custom tipper body, acquired from Blacklocks Isuzu in Wodonga.

Their standing fleet also includes an older Isuzu FVR 950, two FRRs and two FVZ 1400s, all customised with tipper bodies which assist with pool installation.

An NLR 45-150 Traypack pulls duty as the ‘service truck’ making the rounds to clients for pool cleaning, refurbishing, and maintenance.

As a core part of their modern fleet, the NQR 87-190 AMT Tipper comes from Isuzu Trucks Ready-to-Work range, providing a turnkey solution that promotes better efficiency for the installation teams.

Built tough with an all-steel Japanese ShinMaywa-produced body, the durable NQR Tipper has a hydraulic hoist on the tray with 20-second raise and lower time.

It can be operated from the driver’s seat via a cab-mounted tipper control lever, saving considerable time and improving on-site safety as the driver doesn’t need to manually open the tailgate.

On the heavier side of the operation, Peter noted that the FVZ 240-300 with its custom-built tipper tray from Nixon’s Wagga has been a driver favourite, carrying the largest pools that the company has to offer.

Powering the FVZ 240-300 is the turbocharged Isuzu 6HK1TCS engine with 221 kW of power @ 2,400 rpm and 981 Nm of torque @ 1,450 rpm, which helps to haul the weight of those pools over the hilly terrain of Albury Wodonga.

“Everybody wants to get behind the wheel of our new FVZ 240-300 Auto tipper—you can

back up a steep hill without getting stuck,” said Peter.

“All our Isuzu trucks are comfortable to drive. We wouldn’t hesitate to jump in and drive them to Melbourne or Sydney to pick up materials.”

Albury and Wodonga are considered sibling cities, but a pool permit takes roughly four weeks to clear in Victoria for Wodonga residents, while taking up to six months in NSW for those in Albury, according to Peter.

This keeps the business ticking over the 12 months of the year, and for now, this means the two generations of Gar-

ratts will be working together, with Peter staying on to handle quotes as the ‘friendly face’ the community has come to know and cherish—especially when summer rolls around.

“My wife and I have taken this business as far as we could, and now it’s the boys’ turn to shine... we couldn’t be prouder of what they are achieving,” Peter said.

Brendan was quick to add his own thoughts: “It’s a privilege to take over the business from ‘the old man.’

“Dad has built it up to have a wonderful reputation and a big name in the region.”

NLR 45-150 Traypack.

Manager Peter with his sons, Peter Jr and Brendan who have recently become co-directors. Images: Isuzu Trucks

If you run a business in large regional centres, a taxi truck service might be ideal for your operations. Image: DSE Transport

Change immigration law to address critical shortages

AUSTRALIA is facing an escalating crisis in the transport and logistics sector—a chronic shortage of qualified heavy vehicle drivers.

As the backbone of our nation’s supply chain, these drivers are essential for the smooth operation of our economy, ensuring that goods reach businesses and consumers across the country.

However, the shortage is so severe that it threatens to disrupt supply chains, increase costs, and impact the broader economy.

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) believes that one of the most effective ways to address this critical issue is through a revision of Australia’s immigration laws and the Skilled Occupation List (SOL), specifically to prioritise qualified and trained heavy vehicle drivers.

The VTA has long advocated for policies that support and sustain the transport industry, which is the lifeblood of the Australian economy.

While there are many facets to addressing the driver shortage, including training, better working conditions, and industry support, the reality is that these measures will take time to have a significant impact.

In the interim, the most

THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT FILLING VACANCIES; IT’S ABOUT ENSURING THE CONTINUITY OF AUSTRALIA’S SUPPLY CHAINS AND SUPPORTING THE BROADER ECONOMY.”

PETER ANDERSON

immediate and effective solution is to revise the SOL to include heavy vehicle drivers as a priority occupation.

Australia’s transport industry is struggling to attract and retain qualified heavy vehicle drivers. The reasons for this shortage are manifold, including an aging workforce, the physically demanding nature of the job, and a perception that the industry does not offer long-term career prospects.

These challenges have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted driver training programs and worsened the already limited pool of available drivers.

According to industry estimates, Australia needs thousands of new drivers each year just to keep pace with demand.

The current shortage is placing immense pressure on existing drivers, leading to burnout, higher turnover, and ultimately, a risk of reduced safety on our roads.

Immigration has historically been a cornerstone of Australia’s economic growth, providing a steady stream of skilled workers across various industries.

However, the current immigration system does not adequately reflect the urgent needs of the transport sector.

Heavy vehicle drivers, despite their critical role, are not prioritised on the SOL. This omission ignores the reality that without a sufficient number of drivers, our economy cannot function efficiently.

Revising the SOL to prioritise heavy vehicle drivers would be a strategic move to address the immediate shortfall in the industry.

It would enable the transport sector to tap into a glob-

al pool of qualified drivers, bringing in experienced professionals who can hit the ground running.

This is not just about filling vacancies; it’s about ensuring the continuity of Australia’s supply chains and supporting the broader economy.

Prioritising heavy vehicle drivers on the Skilled Occupation List would provide several key benefits:

• E conomic stability and the efficient movement of goods, supporting businesses and preventing supply chain disruptions.

• Safety on the Roads and a more stable workforce.

• Long-term industry growth with skilled drivers from abroad contributing to a more resilient transport sector.

• Regional development and supporting local economies to keep rural communities connected.

The Victorian Transport Association calls on the Australian government to take decisive action by revising the Skilled Occupation List to include heavy vehicle drivers as a priority occupation.

This is not just a matter of filling vacancies—it is a strategic necessity to ensure the

continued functioning of our economy.

By recognising the critical role that these drivers play and facilitating their entry into Australia, we can address the current shortage, improve safety on our roads, and support the long-term growth of the transport industry.

The time for action is now. We must ensure that our immigration policies reflect the needs of our economy and our people.

The VTA stands ready to work with the government and industry stakeholders to make this vision a reality.

Toll review could fix unfair system for truck operators

THE recently released independent review of New South Wales’ toll road network, chaired by former ACCC head Allan Fels, is welcomed by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) as a potential remedy to an unfair and exploitative system that has continually taken advantage of owner-drivers and the transport industry.

The report outlines several recommendations aimed at addressing the inequities faced by these essential workers, with one of the most significant changes recommended being the implementation of a middle-class heavy vehicle classification.

The middle-class heavy vehicle classification is defined as a vehicle that is not a car or motorbike, measures 3.3 metres or less in height, and is 12.5 metres or less in length.

If this new tolling category is implemented, owner-operators of smaller heavy vehicles — already struggling amidst a cost-of-living crisis — will no longer be unfairly charged for performing their essential service of keeping Sydney moving.

Additionally, the TWU supports the recommendation to establish a government-owned special authority to improve outcomes and transparency for motorists and to enhance government accountability over the toll network.

This recommendation follows an independent review published in March, which revealed that motorists will pay $195 billion in tolls between now and 2060, with the finances of private companies being prioritised over the needs of drivers.

The Independent Toll Review highlights that over half of this revenue will be collected from WestConnex concessions, underscoring the urgent need for these reforms.

However, the potential introduction of heavy vehicle multipliers on Sydney’s harbour crossings would significantly increase costs for trucks and owner-operators using these critical gateways. The report proposes adopt-

This proposed classification aims to provide fairer pricing for heavy vehicles using Sydney’s toll network by lowering the toll multiplier for drivers from three times that of a car to two times.

CHANGE WOULD OFFER MUCHNEEDED FINANCIAL RELIEF TO OWNEROPERATORS ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH THE COST OF LIVING.”

RICHARD OLSEN

ing a declining distance-based pricing structure as the foun dation of network tolling, meaning the further a vehicle travels, the lower the tolling costs would become.

However, in the long term, declining prices for heavy ve hicles would only prove mar ginally effective and would not alleviate overall toll cost pressures. Given the frequen cy of usage, there should be a heavy vehicle toll cap.

Fels’ recommendations are a step toward fairness, and low ering the toll multiplier from three times to two times for middle-class heavy vehicles recognises the essential service these drivers provide.

This change would offer much-needed financial relief to owner-operators already struggling with the cost of living.

The review has laid bare the extent to which private company profits have been prior-

itised over motorists. With billions projected in tolls over the next 40 years, the need for reforms is clear. The fact that over half of this amount comes from WestConnex concessions highlights the urgency for a fairer system.

We call on the NSW Labor government to give further consideration to the needs of the road transport industry and heavy vehicles to create a more egalitarian toll network.

The TWU stands ready to work with the government to

implement these recommendations and ensure that owner-drivers and the transport industry are no longer subject to an unjust and exploitative tolling system. These reforms are not just necessary — they are overdue.

THE National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) remains committed to being as transparent as possible about our enforcement priorities under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

Transparency is vital in both ensuring the industry we regulate is well informed, and that the community who relies on it has confidence that there are consequences for serious offences.

We have published policies that we use in exercising our prosecution activities, including;

• W hat is investigated

• W hat response is appropriate

• W here prosecution is justified and when it is not

• Significant court outcomes as they occur (including follow up advisory material to communicate specific safety and compliance issues).

We have procedures in place to ensure anyone we interact with through our compliance and enforcement activities has an opportunity to understand and respond to our decisions. We do this by providing on-

line and in person resources to navigate the court process and by having review mechanisms in place to ensure we’re acting fairly and lawfully.

Our prosecution policy

Our priority is ensuring ev eryone who works with heavy vehicles, including the parties who contract with transport operators, is accountable for safety.

We understand that in some instances this has not trans lated into reported court out comes for off-road duty hold ers.

Most of our interactions with industry (on and offroad) occur through our in form and educate interven tion work streams. However, we do identify cases where prosecution is the most appro priate response. This is so a court can pass judgement on allegations in volving complex and serious offences.

Any compliance and en forcement activity we take outside of the inform and ed ucate streams must be lawful and capable of withstanding any challenges during the court process. This tends to translate into long lead times, meaning the matters we publish today may have resulted from events that occurred two or three years ago.

Off-road activities

Our enforcement response

to encourage operators to be open with us about the pressure they are put under.

The Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line is a

secure, national, confidential line for participants in the heavy vehicle industry and its supply chain to report safety

issues they have witnessed that might endanger the safety of heavy vehicle drivers or the community.

Show-stopping truck supports worthy cause

A flashy Kenworth T909 which had the words ‘support for breast cancer research’ printed on the trailers caught my eye when I saw it parked at a roadhouse.

So I stopped near it and walked over to the truck, signalling to the occupant who was sitting in the driver’s seat.

Neil McQuirk, 45, who drives the impressive rig for R&K Bulk Haulage, opened

the window and was happy to chat.

R&K is very passionate about making some of its trucks moving billboards to promote awareness for various causes. The company also has a purple epilepsy rig and a light blue prostate awareness truck.

“I have brought pallets up from Adelaide to Townsville and usually pick up a back-

load of fertiliser from Emerald,” added Neil.

Neil said his favourite roadhouse is the Ampol Charlton in Victoria for several reasons.

“They serve good food and my favourite meal is steak and eggs,” he said.

The roads he hates travelling on most are between Moree and Collarenebri and others out from Goondiwindi in Queensland.

Bringing joy to shows and events in big Volvo

IT was ironic that the Olym pic Games had just started in Paris when I met up with driver Adam Camseoloise, who is of French descent.

Adam, 52, drives a GH12 Volvo for Spry Amusements which is based at Brisbane.

“I am carrying an Orbiter ride for shows and have been to Townsville, Ingham, Inn isfail, Cairns and Tully and now we are heading south to Sarina,” he said.

A natural question to ask Adam of course was if he had been following the Olympic Games.

“I have looked at media re ports on the Games a little but I am a genuine Aussie even though my surname is French,” he said.

Adam said the Volvo is a comfortable truck to drive and is smooth on the high way.

He added that his favour ite roadhouse is Andy’s, just south of Ingham, where the owner Andy Barra is a legend in the road transport industry.

“I stopped there yesterday and had a great burger. Andy is always good to chat to when we are in the area,” he said.

Andy’s hobbies include fol-

Trucking, Transporting… The work never stops

lowing rival football codes.

He barracks for St George Dragons in the NRL and Carlton in the AFL.

He rates the worst roads as

between Goondiwindi and Inglewood.

“It is very rough and you have to travel at 60km/h on some sections,” he said.

Neil McQuirk with the pink Kenworth T909 and matching trailers. Images: Alf Wilson

Adam Camseoloise transports amusement rides for Spry Amusements.

Tribute to truckie dad

Parked outside a popular South Townsville watering hole for off-duty drivers was a white Hi Ace van with a sign “old truckie” facing outwards from the back windscreen.

Curiosity got the better of Spy so I walked inside to find out who was the owner and what the story was behind it.

After some minutes I gleaned the owner was Troy Vines who yarned to Spy about the sign.

“It belonged to my dad Ivan Vines who died aged 80 in March this year and I took possession of the van,” Troy said. Ivan had been a well-known truck driver for decades. He loved life on the highways and the road transport industry.

“Dad drove trucks around Weipa, Mackay, Cairns, Townsville and many other places,” Troy said.

Troy opened the driver’s seat door of the 2003 model van and inside was an Akubra hat which was worn by Ivan and had been his pride and joy. There were also a lot of his personal items stuck to the inside of the sunshade.

“A lot of his stuff is in here and it is a great memory of dad,” Troy said.

The van had 1,083,000 kilometres on the clock and will keep running for many years.

Troy said that many people who saw the sign ask him what it is all about.

“It happens all the time and dad’s memory lives on because of it,” Troy said.

Veteran truckie on rest area

WHEN Big Rigs saw owner-operator George Pailthorpe mid-afternoon, he had delivered machinery from southern Queensland to Towns-

Aged 50 and based at Monto, George has been a driver for 30 years and was beside his Western Star 4900.

“I have some railway carriages to pick up,” he said.

George said he didn’t feel there were enough rest areas suitable for truckies.

However I did ask him if there were any rest areas which suited truckies’ needs and he answered: “There are some along the Dingo to Duaringa road.”

But one he was not so keen on is around the Mackay area at Paget.

“There is only enough parking space for four trucks,” he said.

As a small operator, costs are a major concern so I asked George how rising prices affected him.

“They are a problem for the entire economy, any rate increase, because they are passed on to consumers everywhere,” he said.

Regarding hobbies outsides work, George said he enjoys restoring old tractors. “Especially International tractors!”

After his pic was snapped, George headed off to the BP

Cluden Roadhouse for a wellearned shower and break – a just reward after a hard day’s work.

Troy Vines and his dad Ivan, who drove trucks for decades.

George Pailthorpe

Truckies fed up with blitzes

Blitz on drivers questioned

Angry drivers from many parts of Australia have been contacting Spy having a whinge about current and looming truck driver blitzes.

The bush telegraph has been buzzing amongst drivers about an increase in such blitzes.

“Why do we get targeted when they should also be checking car and van drivers,” one told me. It was a similar response from many others.

Down in Tasmania I hear that trucks driving up the east coast have been the subject of scrutiny.

Between Orford and St Helen’s on the east coast has been of interest to authorities of late.

who pull up at a roadhouse within walking distance of a nearby shopping centre.

Especially when that centre has a supermarket of a major chain where drivers can make savings.

However Spy hears that many drivers who pull up at one big roadhouse on a weekend wander over just before closing time to purchase marked down items.

Spy would describe these lads as bargain hunters.

But most walk back with a trolley containing items such as food or drinks, which then end up in the driver’s fridge or cabin.

But leaving such trolleys at the parking areas has providing angst for the fellows who pick them up and take them

Come catch a barramundi

The Victoria River Roadhouse in the Northern Territory, which is a few hours drive from the WA border, may be “smack bang in the middle of nowhere” but nevertheless, it is a popular place for truckies to stop.

Over the past months, there have been 10 truckies I have spoken to who travel in the area who have told me the roadhouse is a great place to pull up to.

It is located 200 kilometres west of Katherine and 300 kilometres east of Kununurra, and has a 24 hour a day open ablution block which can be used by truckies.

The roadhouse is managed by Roley Bosma and his wife

here,” said Roley.

“Most are triples carrying cattle or freight which can park at the side and the drivers can have a hot shower and use the toilets in the block which is open all the time.”

Roley added that the most ordered meals by drivers were steak and big breakfasts.

“Many of the drivers park here for a break at night and wander over for breakfast. But we do also sell a lot of burgers and takeaways,” he said.

Two of the workers at the roadhouse are French and the other two are German.

Despite its remote location, Roley said that it can get very

“Just recently we had about 400 Defence personnel in trucks pull up here on the way to an exercise and they came in waves of 40 at a time. There is a military base about 100 kilometres away,” he said.

There is major attraction for drivers who stop off here as it is situated close to the picturesque Victoria River.

Roley added that many people – including truckies – go fishing in the river and land a barramundi.

Verbal exchange over parked van

A heated exchange occurred between the driver of a long haul truck who parked at a roadhouse next to a van.

The truckie told the van man his thoughts, in no uncertain terms, about motorhomes taking up vital space.

“A lot of times us truck drivers can’t find a space because of vans,” the truck driver said.

However the van man wasn’t taking a backward step, replying that he spent money there on fuel and food.

They agreed to disagree and then there was a twist to the incident as a witness told Spy.

“A truckie emerged from the roadhouse and started talking to the van driver. It turned out the van was a support vehicle for a carnival truck which was nearby,” he said.

It ended with a friendly chat between the trio.

Pull off area crackdown

Drivers who live around or travel through Deniliquin, located in the Riverina region of New South Wales and close to the Victorian border, have been getting pulled over in droves by law enforcement officers.

The drivers tell me it isn’t a heavy vehicle inspection station and doesn’t have an onsite weigh bridge.

“It is near the town and they have really been active in re-

Drivers hope the new Yambie rest area being built will have facilities like those at Frank Partridge VC facility on the Hume Highway. Images: Alf Wilson

cent weeks. They bring their own mobile weight system and book drivers for minor things,” one driver said.

A nice town, Deniliquin is situated at the intersection of the Riverina and Cobb Highway approximately 725km south west of Sydney and 285km north of Melbourne.

New rest area is welcome news

An upgrade to the Yambie Lagoon Rest Area, with work set to begin in early 2025, will be welcome news for heavy vehicles.

The stop is located roughly

60km east of Brewarrina on the Kamilaroi Highway but does not possess toilets or shower facilities.

Currently, there is a 120 kilometre stretch of road on the Kamilaroi Highway that does not possess any toilet or rest facilities, meaning drivers must travel roughly 75 minutes between potential stops.

The heavy vehicle industry was consulted in early 2020 to provide input into the proposed locations of future rest stops on the highway.

Former Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Carol Brown had said she

hoped the addition of the rest stop would help encourage drivers to take more breaks.

“Driver fatigue is one of the top three factors leading to fatal crashes on NSW roads, contributing to 21 per cent of heavy vehicle fatal crashes in regional NSW in the five years since December 2019,” she said.

Drivers Spy has spoken to are glad the rest area will get an upgrade.

Some tell me they wish it was like the Frank Partridge VC rest area situated on Remembrance Drive along the Hume Highway.

Doing your own maintenance and repairs

The often expensive costs of repairs and maintenance of trucks has a big impact on owner drivers and small fleet operators.

In recent weeks several longtime drivers have revealed that they save a lot of money annually by doing their own work.

“I generally spend a week at home doing a service and checking all the things such as bearings. It can really save you money and I try and do it during times when freight is slower,” a NSW driver said.

A South Australian driver said that every year he sets aside three weeks to ensure his truck is in good mechanical shape.

“Most years I do it over a week at three different times,” he said.

Most drivers have knowledge of how their trucks run and also possess mechanical skills.

Draft support from roadhouse

The Cloncurry Roadhouse in outback Queensland has supported the local and very popular campdraft meeting that occurs there.

There were 10 events on the program at Cloncurry, which is 150km from Mount Isa.

Hundreds of trucks travel-

ling along the Flinders Highway stop at the roadhouse daily.

The Juvenile Draft was sponsored by the roadhouse in a horse and rider sport which has many participants within the road transport and associated industries.

Tip proves a bonanza

A mystery man walked into a popular watering hole that is often frequented by off-duty truckies and plunged $1500 on a horse named Denman Star at a mid Newcastle gallop meeting.

It was at odds of 7-1 and a retired truckie named Cowboy saw the flutter and told other patrons in the packed bar.

This establishment is located near numerous road transport depots and usually a lot of truckies yarn there about various subjects, some menial and others of a serious nature.

Most of the people in the bar backed the horse and one chap named Bowie had $50 each way on it.

Another regular who is known as Railway Man had $10 each way, acting on the “good oil”.

Many others opened their wallets and had wagers and one told Cowboy in a joking manner: “If this wins you will be shouted beer by everybody but if it loses you should go home.”

The patrons were glued to the race on Sky Channel and the galloper came with a late run to win.

Some had backed it at fixed odds snaring as much as 8-1 whilst others’ wagers on the TAB had received just over $7 for the win and $2 for the place dividend. Happy hour had just commenced and that became even happier for the lucky punters as the bar erupted with cheers. Spy was there and witnessed all of the antics and was the only one who didn’t back the winner.

Raffle winner didn’t collect

Many of us purchase raffle tickets from time to time to support sporting clubs or charities and it is great on the odd occasion to win a prize such as a meat tray.

One Victorian truckie who is a community-minded lad received a call from the club which was the beneficiary to say he had won the major prize.

All good that would seem, but not on this occasion. The prize was a large hamper of various alcohol products which most of us would relish taking possession of.

But this fellow couldn’t because he is a member of the Salvation Army which discourages alcoholic consumption.

The Victoria River Roadhouse in the Northern Territory.

The popular Victoria River Roadhouse is named after the nearby Victoria River.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

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46 CAREERS AND TRAINING

Mentoring scheme supporting automotive apprentices

BY KAYLA WALSH

FEMALE apprentices in the heavy vehicle industry across Queensland now have the opportunity to access tailored mentoring and support, as part of the Motor Trades Association of Queensland’s new Women in Automotive Apprenticeships Mentoring Program.

First- and second-year female automotive apprentices are matched with an experienced mentor from BUSY Sisters, an organisation that specialises in supporting women in traditionally male-dominated industries.

With female apprentices still massively underrepresented throughout the heavy vehicle sector and the automotive industry as a whole, the program aims to attract and retain more women by helping them to build con-

fidence and overcome challenges, as well as providing an outlet they can turn to with any questions. Assistance will also be available for businesses, including resources and information to help them foster a positive workplace culture that promotes inclusion and diversity.

Michelle King, project manager for the new mentoring program, told Big Rigs: “There is just not enough female representation in the industry, and I think there are many different skills and ways of doing things that women can bring to the workplace.

“It’s a male-dominated space that has done pretty well for itself, but there is a skills shortage, and women can absolutely be the ones to fill that gap and do it well.”

King said the new program has received a great response

so far, with nearly 30 female apprentices signing up in the first two weeks.

Apprentice panel beater Kylah Stratford, who just turned 18, was one of the first to sign up and has already been matched with a mentor.

Stratford, who works for Graham Winter’s Smash Repairs in Dalby, is the only woman in the workshop.

“I’ve got a great team around me, but sometimes it can be isolating being the only woman - you become one of the boys,” she said.

“I wanted to sign up for the mentoring program because I think it helps to talk to girls that have been through the same thing. They know what to do in different situations, and if I ever feel down, they can help to pick me back up again.”

Stratford, who has always had an interest in trucks and

THERE IS A SKILLS SHORTAGE, AND WOMEN CAN ABSOLUTELY BE THE ONES TO FILL THAT GAP AND DO IT WELL.”

MICHELLE KING

cars, thinks the mentoring program is a fantastic way to encourage retention of female apprentices.

“It can be a stressful industry, and I know a bunch of female apprentices who have quit because they couldn’t handle it,” she said. “I think it’s a great idea to have this program, so if we are struggling we can just flick our mentor a message or pick up the phone.”

To learn more about the program, or enquire about connecting with a mentor, visit mtaq.com.au.

NSW commits $252m for new recruits in local government

THE NSW government has announced $252.2 million to employ an additional 1300 apprentices and trainees in the local government sector across the state.

Apprentices and trainees will be skilled up to fill new roles created by councils above their current workforce numbers.

These roles will be centred around in-demand trades including mechanics, electri-

cians, plumbers, engineers, civil construction workers, planning cadets and more.

“This is the biggest state government investment in directly hiring new apprentices in recent memory and will play a critical role in building better communities across NSW,” said NSW Premier Chris Minns. “This investment will also make a big difference in small-

er towns and regional communities where fewer pathways for formal training currently exist.”

The record spend will target trainees, apprentices and cadets, making up 15 per cent of local council workforces.

It follows various studies undertaken by the Australian Local Government Association that identified the critical need to boost these work-

force numbers.

Local government currently employs over 50,000 people across the state’s 128 councils and many trainees and apprentices who start their career at councils also go on to work in local industry.

Councils are also currently experiencing declining workforce numbers with serious sk ill gaps and a large portion of experienced professionals

who have worked in the sector for decades are also likely to retire within the next five years.

Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig added: “T his funding from the NSW Labor Government will provide a much-needed boost for our councils which are responsible for providing the services and facilities communities use every day.

“It is also great news for regional NSW. It will mean young people can pursue careers within their own communities, which will revitalise local training networks and importantly, keep people in our regions.”

Guidelines are being developed for councils with the first batch of apprentices and trainees to start their new careers ea rly next year.

Apprentice panel beater Kylah Stratford says the mentoring program is a fantastic idea. Image: Kylah Stratford

Young truckie on right path

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

THOUGH 20-year-old Clare Temby admits she grew up knowing absolutely nothing about trucks, her eagerness to learn has placed her in good stead for a long and fruitful career in the industry.

Based in Wodonga, Clare spent a great amount of time travelling – and learning –with her partner Jack Milthorpe, 24, in the Mack Superliner he drove for his grandfather’s business Milthorpe Transport.

Jack,” revealed Clare.

“I had always wanted to be a station worker – then I fell in love.

“When I started going out in the truck with Jack, I saw his passion and that rubbed off on me.

“He taught me everything including how to drive a Roadranger and how to tie down difficult loads.”

Shortly after securing her HC licence in April 2023, Clare began working with Milthorpe Transport and was

Corowa and Melbourne.

That was right up until May 2024, when the company’s owner and founder Greg Milthorpe, 74, decided to close the doors after 40 years in business, to move into retirement.

“I loved that job so much. It was the best job I’d ever had. There were a lot of tears when they closed,” added Clare.

However both Clare and Jack quickly found a new role, both driving at Dawson’s Haulage. Based at the Baranduda depot in Wodonga, they started at the company

“Jack had worked at Dawson’s previously for six months, and they were happy to take us both on,” said Clare, who has gone straight into a very familiar truck, an-

At Dawson’s, Clare transports general freight across Victoria – and has just started on some of the longer runs in-

“Dawson’s has been really good to work for and very supportive. I’m their youngest driver and they’ve said I can do any training I need and they’ll help me out,” said

“The bosses are also really approachable, so you can chat with them and it’s not all

the support she’s received from so many experienced drivers, who have always been willing to lend a hand.

friendly and helpful people have been when travelling into the more remote areas.

“Other drivers are always chatting to each other and will pull up and help if you’re stuck on the side of the road.”

However she’s also had to put up with others who haven’t been so welcoming.

“It’s probably at least once a

many years to come, Clare responded quickly: “Yes, this will probably be my forever job.

“I’d love to get my MC licence, which I’m planning on going for very soon. As I gain

more experience, I’d love to get into the longer interstate work, travelling as far as Perth and Darwin – and eventually, I’d love to get into triples too.” Clare hopes she can inspire

Her advice is simple: “Don’t ple think of you, get in there and prove them wrong! I hope I can inspire other girls to get into it. I know a few other women in the industry and it’s been really good, because we all support each other.”

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 are permanent full time and roster positions including paid leave entitlements and public holidays. Drivers will need to be available to be scheduled for work falling across the 7 days of the week.

The successful Applicant will:

• Hold a current MC licence (minimum two years) • Have knowledge of the HVNL and Load Restraint • Be professional • Be reliable

To apply for the Operations/Driver positions please contact Operations Manager or by emailing your resume to

WORKSHOP MECHANICS