FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020
ONLINE www.bigrigs.com.au
EMAIL info@bigrigs.com.au
PAY FIGHT RALLY CALL Pages 4-5
NHVR REVOKES FLEET NOTICES Pages 6-7
AMERICAN BEAUTY NSW FREIGHTLINER FAN SMITTEN WITH NEW CASCADIA: PAGE 12
2 NEWS CONTACT US Address: 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne, VIC 3205 Phone: 03 9690 8766 Email: editor@bigrigs.com.au Web: bigrigs.com.au Accounts: 03 9690 8766 Subscriptions: 03 9690 8766 Classifieds: 0403 626 353 Circulation and distribution queries: 03 9690 8766 info@bigrigs.com.au EDITOR James Graham: 0478 546 462 james.graham@primecreative.com.au REPORTER Danielle Gullaci danielle.gullaci@primecreative.com.au MANAGER Peter Hockings: 0410 334 371 peter.hockings@primecreative.com.au MEDIA SALES CONSULTANT Marie O’Reilly: 0403 626 353 marie.oreilly@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS Katharine Causer: 0423 055 787 katharine.causer@primecreative. com.au CONTRIBUTORS Tassie Truckin: Jon Wallis, 0414 797 513 Truckin in the Topics: Alf Wilson, 0408 009 301 David Meredith; Brent Davison; David Vile; Ian Lee. Big Rigs National Road Transport Newspaper is published by Prime Creative Media. All material is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or means. The opinions expressed in Big Rigs are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by, the publisher.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Freighters Hi Mix Concrete duo K&S faces charges over face manslaughter depot incident charge after crash HI MIX CONCRETE managing director Tony Charlie Romano, 61, and his son Daniel Charles Romano, 34, who also works at the company, have been arrested and charged with the manslaughter of employee Abraham Jabateh. The duo appeared in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court earlier this month. Both men were granted bail by Magistrate Gregory Fisher to live at addresses in Rosslyn Park and will face the Adelaide Magistrates Court in March. Truckie Jabateh died at the scene after rolling his concrete truck and crashing into a tree on Spring Gully Road at Piccadilly just before 1pm on October 13. South Australia Police alleged that a subsequent investigation by the Major Crime and Heavy Vehicle Enforcement branch into the crash and the concrete company’s truck fleet revealed significant deficiencies with 19 of Hi Mix Concrete’s 20 vehicles defected on the day of the collision at the Salisbury South premises.
NATIONAL transport and logistics company K&S Freighters has been charged with breaching federal work health and safety laws over an incident that severely injured a worker in Adelaide. Following a Comcare investigation, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions has filed two charges in the Adelaide Magistrates Court alleging K. & S. Freighters Pty. Ltd. failed in its duties under the Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Act 2011. It will be alleged the company failed to provide a safe system of work and adequate
training and supervision. The incident happened on November 25, 2018 at a freight depot in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. After delivering a load of steel coil, workers were raising the heavy interlocked gates on a truck trailer when the gates fell on a K&S worker, causing severe leg fractures. The charges are Category 2 offences under the Work Health and Safety Act, each carrying a maximum penalty of $1.5 million. The matter is listed for mention in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on January 15, 2021.
Truckie Abraham Jabateh was killed after rolling his concrete truck and crashing into a tree.
A report in Adelaide Now said the court heard the wife of Tony Romano had since placed letters on company vehicles, explaining what happened and also asking they co-operate fully with police and SafeWork SA. Lawyer for the accused Jane Powell added that Hi Mix employs about 25 people and the accused had been doing their “level best to keep this company afloat”. Outside court, Tony Romano offered his “condo-
lences” to the family of Jabateh. Jabateh was a respected member of Adelaide’s Liberian community and an entertainer who was known by the stage name Deep Black. Meanwhile, police said they would like to speak to any former employees of the company, or anyone with information that can assist the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or go online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au.
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K&S must answer two WHS charges after a workplace incident.
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
ATA calls for reduction in fines for truckies
BY JAMES GRAHAM
THE Australian Trucking Association has sent a clear message to the National Transport Commission for its comprehensive review of the HVNL – stop penalising drivers so harshly. In a suite of submissions in response to the release of a regulation impact statement (RIS) on potential charges, the ATA makes a strong case for a wide-ranging overhaul to deliver risk-based safety and productivity improvements. “The fines for prescriptive offences –such as failing to draw a line in the right place on a work diary page – should be dramatically reduced,” said ATA chair David Smith. “Warnings should be used more often, and there should be policies in place to withdraw infringement notices for matters already dealt with under an employer’s safety management system. “The current high penalties for minor paperwork errors do not increase safety. They are, instead, a frustrat-
The ATA said there should also be policies in place to withdraw infringement notices for matters already dealt with under an employer’s SMS.
ing maze of random hazards for drivers.” The ATA said there should also be policies in place to withdraw infringement notices for matters already dealt with under an employer’s SMS. Smith said that business-
es should also have more voluntary options to move away from paper record keeping. “Operators should also be notified electronically about defect notices and have online access to safety related driving infringements,”
he said. Smith said that research commissioned by the ATA showed the productivity of the transport, postal and warehousing sector had fallen steadily since the HVNL came into force in 2014. “That’s why we are pro-
posing bold initiatives to increase productivity without affecting safety,” he said. “For example, the productivity benefits of performance based standards should be unlocked by transferring some PBS vehicle designs to the prescriptive heavy vehicle fleet, so they can be used by any operator. “Governments also need to develop a modular high productivity freight vehicle framework and network.” Smith said the scope of the new law also needs to be expanded to cover any party with influence over heavy vehicle transport activities. “including online freight matching platforms, facility owners and operators, and truck repairers,” he said. “Many of the provisions of the law should be moved to the regulations so they can be changed more easily when required.” The NTC is now reviewing a total of 63 formal industry submissions in response to the RIS, which will help inform the final policy recommendations to present to ministers in May 2021.
NEWS 3
Truck tax idea blasted INCREASING taxes on trucks would tax jobs, consumers and Australia’s economic recovery, said Acting CEO of the Australian Trucking Association Bill McKinley. McKinley was responding to an opinion piece by Australia Institute Chief Economist Richard Denniss, who proposed that instead of taxing electric cars, there should be increased taxes on trucks. McKinley said the Australia Institute proposal to increase taxes on trucks was an outrage – and factually incorrect, too. “The claim that heavy vehicles pay 12.5 per cent of the cost of road expenditure is factually incorrect. On average, it is actually around 22 per cent,” McKinley said. “Trucks and buses make up less than 4 per cent of vehicles on our roads, compared to passenger cars which make up more than 74 per cent. This means the less than 4 per cent are paying 22 per cent of the cost of the road network.” McKinley said that operators already paid a fuel-based road user charge, among others. “The trucking operators who pay these charges are not the powerful interests that Richard Denniss imagines. They are typically small family businesses or owner drivers.”
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4 NEWS
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Loading and unloading
BY JAMES GRAHAM DRIVERS’ Advocate Trevor Warner is not letting a recent Fair Work Commission (FWC) decision derail him in his long-running fight to increase the loading and unloading allowance for long distance drivers. Warner and fellow driver Brenda McKay had their application to vary the Road Transport (Long Di+stance Operations) Award to more accurately reflect truckies’ workload knocked back by the full bench of the FWC on November 20. At the same hearing, the FWC also rejected their bid to have the travelling allowance paid, irrespective of whether or not the employer provides suitable accommodation away from the truck. But Warner, a longtime interstate truckie and Queensland delegate of the National Road Freighters’ Association, is already calling on more support from his fellow drivers to help with an appeal. “This decision shows the industry, and truck drivers, that the divide and conquer approach from employers and law enforcement has won out,” said Warner.
THIS DECISION SHOWS THE INDUSTRY, AND TRUCK DRIVERS, THAT THE DIVIDE AND CONQUER APPROACH FROM EMPLOYERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS WON OUT. TREVOR WARNER Drivers’ Advocate Trevor Warner.
“They [the FWC] have come back to us and basically said you’re just two whinging truck drivers; you don’t represent the wholesale argument of the industry. “One of the messages I want to get across to the industry is that this is a classic example of the ‘us and them’ situation. The sheer numbers that are voting and fighting against the truck driver outweighs us eight to one.” Warner estimates that the way the current award is structured, the average long-distance truckie is being shortchanged by as much as $200 per week. “If you want to break it down to nuts and bolts, all that we’re asking for is the equivalent of half of one cent per each bottle of Coke, but
the big end of town are denying us that money.” Warner and McKay’s bid drew opposing submissions from The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad), the Australia Road Transport Industrial Organisation, the South Australian Road Transport Association and the Transport Workers’ Union. Warner told Big Rigs he was “gobsmacked” by the TWU’s submission against his variation, particularly given the fact the union had tried to do the same thing in 2017, while its WA branch also locked horns with Linfox earlier this year in a similar battle. In its formal submission the TWU argued that the applications were afflicted by two related flaws; 1: the variations are too confined in their scope,
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine.
and 2: the variations must be coupled with supply chain accountability provisions. Big Rigs, however, understands that the TWU wholeheartedly supports the spirit behind Warner’s bid. It just didn’t agree with the way he
was going about it. “Award changes should look at the two awards governing drivers’ work and should cover owner-drivers,” said Michael Kaine, TWU National Secretary. “We also want to see
changes so that those customers engaging transport operators – the wealthy retailers, manufacturers and oil companies – are forced to cover the costs of award changes. “If we fail to get this right, we run the risk of the cost being shifted elsewhere, with drivers being ripped off in another guise and safety being cut in another way. Kaine added that it is clear transport is crying out for change and drivers know the stakes are high if it doesn’t come. “It makes the Federal Government lack of interest all the more disturbing. The Government tore down a system in the form of the tribunal designed to bring about the necessary reform and replaced it with nothing. “Now drivers get ripped off their wages and are forced into gruelling work with long hours. The number of drivers killed last year spiked. This is a direct result of the pressure on drivers and the mess our industry is in.” In its 18-page decision on Warner and McKay’s application, the FWC said that one of the major reasons for rejecting the submission was the lack of concrete evidence presented that would indicate a need to
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pay fight continues
NEWS 5
Warner is planning to gather more evidence to show the FWC why the award needs to be changed to better compensate drivers for the time they spend loading and unloading.
vary the current remuneration structure that has been in place since at least 1993. “These ‘trip rates’ strike a balance between the needs of employers and employees – giving employers a degree of certainty in tendering for work, and for employees in knowing what they will be paid,” writes the FWC. “There is no need to calcu-
late the exact number of kilometres driven, nor time taken, for each journey. In some cases, employees will be advantaged by the way the schedule operates; in other cases, there could be some advantage to the employer. “We do not consider that the proposed variations should be made without a thorough reassessment of the schedules
and the way in which they operate. No party sought such a wholesale reassessment and we do not have the evidence before us to conduct such an exercise. In these circumstances, we decline to make the proposed variations.” It’s statements like this that only fuel Warner’s commitment for a second crack at the commission.
“I can understand what they’re saying if you’re a Linfox or Ron Finemore driver, but I don’t think they actually understand what it’s like as a small fleet driver,” he said. “They say some you win, some you lose, but the employers have worked out that they can use the long-distance driver to their maximum capacity without employing a
local driver and that’s what we’re trying to prevent because that puts pressure on fatigue, the logbook, and the driver. “While that loophole is there, we believe the drivers will still be exploited to the magnitude that they are.” Warner said the next step is to produce a short video of a day in the life of a driver to support an appeal, along with
canvassing for more drivers to help the cause. “We need to demonstrate to truck drivers that we need to get our heads together and provide evidence to a central location. We’re not letting this go,” he promised. “This particular case highlights that membership to an association, or union, is actually a vote.”
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6 NEWS
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Consultant saves the day for Sidhu Just 11 days after being issued with a prohibition notice, Auswide Linehaul Services was back on the road. Here’s how they did it. BY JAMES GRAHAM WORK Health and Safety expert Morgan O’Rance was pleasantly surprised by what he discovered when he received the call to help the grounded Auswide Linehaul Services fleet back on the road last month. O’Rance, a consultant with the Newcastle-based Serene Workplace Safety, said the safety issues he needed to fix were nowhere near as challenging as the prohibition notice issued by the NHVR on November 13 may have first indicated.
“They already had 90% of the things the NHVR wanted, they just didn’t know they wanted them,” said O’Rance, a former truckie who now specialises in helping transport companies stay compliant. With every hour off the road impacting on the bottom line of owner Sidhu Investments, the most stressful part for O’Rance and a colleague drafted in to assist was organising the entire fleet for a full roadworthy inspection. “We went on a rampage of phoning every mechanic we could find within a 50km radius of where the trucks were
Switching to an EWD?
The NHVR was satisfied with the corrective actions taken at Auswide Linehaul Services.
located and booked them in that way,” said O’Rance. “Out of the 130 trucks and trailers, they had six defects, and none were what were considered major.” O’Rance said Sidhu’s insistence on investing heavily in safety measures was a key fac-
tor in helping the company rescind the grounding notice in just 11 days. He said the company has spent in the vicinity of $350,000 on Seeing Machines’ in-cab monitoring technology, and on electronic work diaries for the large fleet which plies
general freight routes to WA, Brisbane and Sydney from its Melbourne hub. Serene also undertook an exhaustive audit of company documents, procedures, policies and the management of working with the NHVR. “One of the main issues was
working out exactly who was doing what in each role,” said O’Rance. “What the task for the schedulers are, the maintenance manager….just putting in place a position procedure for all of those. “We went through and re-
Ensure your system is approved before replacing your Written Work Diary visit www.nhvr.gov.au/ewd
NEWS 7
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
Serene consultant Morgan O’Rance, a former truckie.
viewed all of them and added or removed what we needed to.” Although not a requirement of the prohibition notice annulment, Serene has also installed software that tracks and analyses fatigue events to help identify and correct any issues before they can escalate. “We’ve also introduced smarter scheduling so if a trip is going to take 20 hours, there’s no point in doing 12 hours one day and eight the next. You may as well do two 10-hour days so you are mitigating the high risk times between the 10 and 12 hour mark.” Other safeguards include software on staff phones and tablets so everyone has company inductions, toolbox talks, policies and procedures always at their fingertips. Although also not a requirement of the NHVR, O’Rance has also instigated a change in
recruitment policy for drivers to include minimum levels of experience. “On successful recruitment they have to do a trial period with a current employee that’s been there for a certain period of time so they do understand the role and what’s required of them.” In a statement issued on the day of the prohibition notice being rescinded, Sidhu Investments said it also had made the decision to change names in coming weeks. “So no future negative publicity from these social media pages is linked to Sidhu Investments (QLD) Pty Ltd due to the similarities of trading names,” said the statement. O’Rance told us that he’s also keen to see that happen
but the company directors have told him they haven’t yet picked a new name and when they do it will be a slow transition. Meanwhile, O’Rance said he’s looking forward to working closely with the company over the contracted 12 months to oversee the new systems he’s put in place. He also had a cautionary message for the wider industry. “I strongly suspect that NHVR is going to be issuing a lot more of these notices in the coming few months, so I’d suggest everyone look at their systems and what they’ve got in place. “I don’t think there could be a more stressful thing for a company than to have this happen.”
Serene organised a speedy nationwide mechanical check of the entire fleet.
Safety focused transporter takes all the right steps
Auswide Transport Solutions took just four days to have its prohibition notice revoked by the NHVR.
SHORTLY after we went to print with our last issue, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator repealed the prohibition notice issued to Melbourne-based Punjab Roadtrains Pty Ltd, trading as Auswide Transport Solutions, and associated company Southern Cross Freight Lines Pty Ltd. NHVR Executive Director Statutory Compliance Ray Hassall said on November 20 that Punjab had entered into an undertaking with the regulator after providing evidence of improvements to practices. “The undertaking includes regular milestones that Punjab has committed to meeting to provide evidence of its compliance with the regulator’s requirements,” said Hassall. A legal representative of Punjab Roadtrains also asked
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us to stress that Auswide Transport Solutions is in no way associated with Auswide Linehaul Services. An Auswide Transport Solutions spokesperson said the actions by the NHVR caused great economic harm to the business which has a fleet of over 130 trucks and 450 trailers and depots in all mainland states. In a written statement, Auswide Transport Solutions also said the surprise notice issued on November 16 had caused a great deal of disruption to its clients. “For this we are deeply sorry. Our business challenged the prohibition notice and during negotiations about that challenge the NHVR decided to revoke the notice upon Auswide making certain undertakings.
“No enforcement action has been taken by the NHVR against our business as part of this prohibition notice and both parties have agreed to work together into the future.” Auswide Transport Solutions said it still retains all its accreditations with the NHVR and takes safety and fatigue management very seriously. “Our business has invested heavily on reducing driver fatigue by installing across all its fleet the latest “seeing eyes” technology that monitors driver fatigue and monitors driving pattern. “We are one of the few companies in the transport industry to install this latest technology in our trucks to mitigate driver error and fatigue related incidents.”
08 OPINION
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Thanks for all your support
EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM
I just want to round out this most challenging of years by throwing out a couple of big thank you’s. Firstly to our new owners, Prime Creative Media, of course, but also to you, our loyal readers and advertisers for being so incredibly supportive. I’ve never had the pleasure to serve such a passionate, and engaged readership as this one. Without a doubt, being tasked with helping to resurrect this esteemed title is easily a career highlight. Here’s to building on the fantastic start with Prime Creative Media in 2021, a year I’m sure we’re all looking forward to after the one we’ve just had. We’ll be back with the first edition of the New Year on January 8, with plenty of news and features to tide you over at bigrigs.com.au. Until then, on behalf of all the team, I wish you a very safe and Merry Christmas.
HOT WEB TOPICS Record safety program funding ROUND 6 of the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) has been launched, with a record $5.55 million on the table. Those after funding or support for a project, program or campaign that will increase safety awareness and compliance could receive the funding to make it happen – with applications open until February 12, 2021. But when we posted the piece online, some of our readers came back with some of their own suggestions:
“Wow give me 5 million and I’ll tell you how to improve safety on the road… Actually listen to the people driving the trucks, doing the job, not the pencil pushers and peak industry nobodies that have never done the job,” wrote Tim Montague. While Matthew Canty’s suggestion was kept brief, “Ya can start by fixing the roads, that’s just a start,” he said. “What will $5 million get? Maybe a band-aid on a pothole for an hour or so,” added Stuart Leach.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO READER CORNER? EMAIL US AT EDITOR@BIGRIGS.COM.AU
ALC blasted for idea of national standard RECENTLY, the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) called on Australian Governments to consider the development of a national operator standard for heavy vehicle operators as part of the review of the HVNL. Days later, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) slammed the proposal, labelling it a “$3.6 billion tax on freight and jobs”. Our readers also weighed in: “Unless the rates paid to subbies is increased to the point where we can make enough money to abide with
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all these new rules and make some profit, it appears this body had either no idea or it’s run by the big carriers, just like the NHVR,” commented Mark Eddy. “Just more proof that these industry bodies have absolutely no idea about the real transport world,” wrote Klinger Klingsporn. “What about a standard hourly or load rate that the customer pays? Some are pushing rates that their own truck can’t comply with and yet expect operators to,” said Frank Farries.
Tassie takes steps to fix driver shortage NEW reports by the Tasmanian Transport Association (TTA) reveal that there’s a shortage of drivers in the state; and the industry would struggle to attract, recruit, develop and retain the workforce needed to meet current and future freight demands. The TTA is looking to partner with the education and training sector and is already working with the University of Tasmania on programs. When we shared the story on Facebook, readers high-
lighted some of the issues with recruitment. “Stop over regulating the industry for starters. The fines for drivers are unrealistic. What other job is there where a mistake in your work diary can cost you at best a week’s pay? How do you get new drivers or retain drivers with current laws?” said Gavin Orr. “Why would you work in an industry where you get flogged by police and wannabe transport inspectors?” added Steven Crisp.
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
IN BRIEF New outback rest area A new heavy vehicle rest area will be constructed in the outback town of Richmond, Queensland, directly opposite a new roadhouse that’s been designed with triple road trains in mind. It is being jointly funded by the Richmond Shire Council and the Federal Government, who will each commit nearly $140K. “Half our streets are road train routes, we made them that way so trucks can get around,” said Mayor of Richmond Shire Council, Cr John Warton. “We need our truckies to be alert, we need them to be healthy, we need them to be rested.” A lucky escape A truck driver escaped serious injury when the car carrier he was driving – and the five new utes it was carrying – were engulfed in flames after his truck crashed into a bridge railing on the Pacific Highway on the Mid North Coast. Emergency services were called to Curreeki Creek Bridge at Coolongolook, 50km south of Taree, after the southbound prime mover hit and destroyed the side of the concrete bridge. The 28-year-old driver told police he saw flames coming from the engine hood immediately before the crash. Luckily he escaped before the entire rig caught alight. He suffered a fracture to his right lower leg. The best MAN Top marks in comfort, safety, innovation, fuel efficiency and more have helped the new MAN TGX take out the prestigious title of International Truck of the Year 2021. During a virtual ceremony, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, Andreas Tostmann, was thrilled to accept the award. “The title ‘International Truck of the Year’ is tremendous recognition for the outstanding work put in by our team at MAN,” he said. The annual International Truck of the Year award is presented to a truck released in the last 12 months that has made the greatest contribution to the sustainable development of road haulage. VTA cements its team The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has formally elected Murphy Transport Solutions CEO Cameron Murphy to the council and re-elected President Mike Lean and Vice President Dennis Ryan for further terms, during its recent Annual General Meeting late last month. Murphy was invited to join the Council in June following longstanding Councillor and former VTA President Brendan Hopley’s decision to step down from the role. He hails from a renowned and proud transport family and is well-known in the industry and among the VTA membership as a respected business leader.
A number of ROSI upgrades have already been approved, with more on the way.
Consultations to create wish list for $1.07 billion roads initiative WITH $1.07 billion committed towards the Roads of Strategic Importance (ROSI) initiative in Queensland, consultations were recently held in Toowoomba to create a funding wish list for the next corridor priorities. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the $1.07 billion of Australian Government funding will go towards ensuring key freight roads efficiently connect agricultural and mining regions to ports, airports and other transport hubs. Projects will include road sealing, flood immunity, strengthening and widening, pavement rehabilitation, bridge and culvert upgrades and road realignments. “These projects will provide improved access and
will deliver substantial social and economic benefits, including opportunities for greater regional employment and business growth,” McCormack said. Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz added that consultation with industry and stakeholders was productive and provided a great opportunity for local representatives to be involved, have their say and put ideas forward for funding consideration. “It is an important part of the process that we engage with and consult local stakeholders about the next priorities for upgrades,” Buchholz said. The Australian Government’s contribution to southern sections of the ROSI initiative in Queensland include the
Townsville to Roma Corridor ($100 million), the Mount Isa to Rockhampton Corridor ($190 million), the Toowoomba to Seymour Corridor ($50 million), and the Toowoomba to Ipswich Corridor ($60 million). “While we are already getting on with the job of delivering ROSI upgrades and have approved a number of early works projects, we want to make sure that the next projects to be delivered address some of the concerns raised,” added Buchholz. “Now that we have a good understanding about where the communities want the funding to go, in consultation with the Queensland Government, this wish list will inform the projects to be delivered with the remaining available ROSI funding.”
Findings of new crash investigation study released THE Enhanced Crash Investigation Study (ECIS), conducted by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) and funded by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), has revealed the major causes of serious injuries on Victorian roads. Impact speed was shown to play a significant factor in injury severity, with serious injuries more common in crashes that occurred on lower quality roads with higher posted speed limits. Crashes were drawn from across the state and occurred between August 2014 and December 2016.
Each crash was examined in forensic detail, with research nurses interviewing the drivers or their families following admission to The Alfred or Royal Melbourne Hospital. Crash investigation teams also inspected the scene of each crash and the vehicles involved. “This is the start of a different and life-changing journey for many, with extended time off work being common and being unable to do the things we take for granted no longer being possible,” said MUARC chief investigator Associate Professor Michael Fitzharris.
“Our research team saw first-hand the effects of highspeed crashes. The research also shows the limits and inability of vehicles to protect drivers from serious injury in high-speed crashes. The need to create safe roads by matching speed limits to the road infrastructure is critical.” Exceeding the speed limit was the most common non-compliant behaviour from drivers in ECIS crashes (26.2%), followed by the presence of alcohol or drugs (19.1%) and the disregarding of instructions including stop signs and traffic lights (13.7%).
Caravan industry spruiks the message of sharing the road safely AHEAD of the busy holiday period, the Caravan Industry Association of Australia is working hard to promote the road safety message to holidaymakers, with a targeted campaign focusing on topics such as sharing the road with trucks, and the appropriate use of rest stops – including truck rest areas. But is the message getting across? The peak national body for the caravanning and camping industry in Australia has developed a suite of free info in partnership with other state caravan associations, professional service providers, as well as trucking bodies like the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the Queensland Trucking Association. This follows a recent crackdown in Queensland, with new laws now in place around heavy vehicle rest area use by other motorists, including caravanners – a move that was welcomed by many in the industry. Among these was NatRoad, which also called on all state and territory governments to follow Queensland’s lead, to help ensure heavy vehicle rest areas are available to the truckies that need them. “Safety is always important but with an expected surge in travel this summer with over 741,000 registered RVs in Australia and additional interest from ‘first timers’ due to COVID preventing international holidaying, now is a crucial time to put this messaging front of mind,” said Keelan Howard, GM of Marketing & Communications, Caravan Industry Association of Australia.
The Association’s CEO, Stuart Lamont, agreed. “We can expect a huge uplift in the number of people redirecting their international and cruise intentions and hitting the open road – with or without a caravan in tow. “We have over 400,000 active consumers on our database alone which are regularly being fed safety messages, headlined by the current Road Safety campaign – Caravan RV Road Safety Month where for 30 days leading into the summer break, we will be providing a safety message a day ranging from fatigue management and proper weight loading, through to road etiquette and tyre maintenance.” Spreading the message about trucks and caravans safely sharing the road is undoubtedly important – so how well is this working? “This is something which needs constant work, from both sides of the argument,” said Lamont. “Importantly we are keen for consumers to understand how best to communicate with a truck which is close by on the road, but also to respect the designated fatigue management areas which are allocated for truckies’ exclusive use. Caravan Industry Association of Australia is working hard through a Co-Exist program funded by the Federal Government to have a better understanding of rest area signage, and to take away unnecessary angst between truck drivers and caravanners.” The Co-Exist website can be found at coexist.org.au.
The Caravan Industry Association of Australia is running a road safety campaign from November and through December.
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Prices within this promotion are recommended maximum selling prices including GST, excluding labour and fitment costs from a participating dealer. Prices will be valid from 1st December 2020 to 28th February 2021. The offers presented are subject to stock availability during the promotion period and are available at Mercedes-Benz Truck participating dealerships only. Participation can be determined by calling 1800 033 557 or by calling your nearest dealership. Parts listed may be VIN specific, parts advertised have been identified to suit the majority of the models specified. Part numbers should be checked against the VIN to ensure suitability. For assistance, please contact your nearest participating Mercedes-Benz Truck dealership prior to purchase. All items have been included in good faith on the basis that they will be available during the promotion period. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only and may not represent actual products. We reserve the right to correct all printing errors. Mercedes-Benz and TruckParts by Mercedes-Benz are registered trademarks of Daimler AG, and Stuttgart Germany, all distributed by Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Pty Ltd. ABN 86 618 413 282.
12 COVER STORY
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Stunning rolling billboard delivers on every level
A NSW Freightliner fan is thrilled to report that his eye-catching new Cascadia 126 has the performance to match the looks.
The truck hauls either grain or fertiliser as a hard-working B-double but still returns amazing fuel economy numbers.
Truckie Jason Olive said the Cascadia is a lot less tiring to drive because it does so much of the work thanks to adaptive cruise control and an automated transmission.
THE Wants Transport Cascadia 126 is a truck version of a burger with the lot. It has the biggest engine you can get in a Cascadia; a 16-litre Detroit, the biggest and tallest sleeper; a 60-inch villa and lots of upgrades; including a system that uses radar to look out for obstacles down the left side of the truck. Wants Transport boss Matthew Want even decided to tick the box for a factory paint scheme, which meant the truck turned a brilliant shade of blue on the line at Freightliner’s factory in Cleveland, North Carolina. “I wanted to move away from our traditional white truck with blue and red stripes,”
Want said on the phone from the company HQ in Lismore, northern New South Wales. “The arrival of this truck was the perfect opportunity to make a change, so we went with the factory blue paint and then added a new logo and branding,” he adds. The result is a stunning rolling billboard that will certainly make people remember the Wants Transport name. Want came up with the new branding and logo with Ben Daley Signs and the result is a rig that you might expect to see cruising along a Californian freeway. He has spent quite a bit of time in the US and across the border from Detroit in Canada,
The sleeper is so big that even a big bloke could hold a dance in this thing.
Want decided against the optional sunvisor, which creates drag, choosing a dark tint at the top of the windscreen instead, and it works well.
where his wife Giselle is from, so he was no stranger to the truck that is by far and away the best-selling truck in the Land of the Free. “I had seen a lot of Cascadias on the road over there and so I took a closer look when they introduced them here,” said Want. He did his homework and determined that the Cascadia looked like a winner. After a run in a demonstrator, Want decided to place an order with the team at Murwillumbah Truck Centre and get back into a Freightliner after many years. He placed his order in April, which turned out to be just about the worst time ever to order a truck. COVID-19 chaos had disrupted production at the factory that builds the engine and transmission in Detroit and the assembly line down south, before a huge drop-off in international shipping meant it took longer to get here when it was ready to roll. Finally, about a month ago, the truck was ready to hit the road. “It took a while to get here, but it really was worth the wait,” Want said. “We are so happy with it. I think I’m going to get another one.” That’s a big call seeing Want hasn’t even driven the truck yet and only saw it briefly before it hit the road, but he has two solid reasons. Firstly, his driver, Jason Olive loves the truck. Secondly, it is saving him money on every single trip. The truck is hauling either grain or fertiliser as a B-double and it is full almost all the time on its way up to Townsville and back and is up on its weights at 68.5 tonnes.
Even so, it is returning a fuel economy figure of between 1.9and 2km per litre. “We are just blown away by the fuel economy,” Want said. “Those numbers, when it is full almost all the time, are just amazing. We have a great driver, Jason, who is embracing the technology the truck brings and I’m sure the fuel figures may improve in time.” The fact that the Cascadia also had tech such as Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning and Side Guard Assist, attracted Wants Transport. “Safety is very important to us, not just the active safety, but also managing fatigue,” Want said. Driver Jason Olive stepped out of a 2013 rival conventional truck and explains how the Cascadia compares. “I reckon I am feeling about 80 per cent less fatigued driving this truck, it is crazy,” he said in a hands-free call on the road. Olive said the Cascadia is a lot less tiring to drive because it does so much of the work thanks to adaptive cruise control and an automated transmission, but is also smoother and far quieter. Then there is the improved rest he gets. “The sleeper is so big that even a big bloke could hold a dance in this thing,” he said. “It’s got a big bed, but I can stand up to use the microwave or get changed and I can walk around.” Olive said that he has only
spent a couple of nights at home in the last month, but he still feels fresh. “Living in this is easy,” he said. The battery-powered climate control system gets a big thumbs-up, cooling the truck in the northern heat for eight hours straight over night. On one recent 40 degree day, Olive was watching TV in the sleeper with a blanket on. The only thing not optioned was the built-in fridge, so Olive just brought his plug-in unit. Want ticked the box for the optional bonnet-mounted mirrors that are extremely popular in the United States and provide excellent visibility. He also chose a double bunk option for the cab, which he thinks could appeal to the next owner. Want purchased the Cascadia using the Agility finance option, which offers him a guaranteed buyback price if he wants to return it after four years, or allows him to keep it or sell it himself. “It’s a good way to hedge our bets,” explains Want. Another assurance is the standard manufacturer warranty of four years or 800,000km (whichever comes first) for the truck and the engine and the five years/500,000km of free Best Basic servicing. The Cascadia’s DD16 engine pumps out 600hp and 2050lb-ft of torque, so there is no shortage of pulling power. It is also extremely efficient thanks to the continuous focus
the Americans put on saving fuel. This fuel obsession is part of the reason Freightliner has its own full-size wind tunnel in Portland, which means they can come up with the slipperiest design possible. With economy in mind, Want decided against the optional sunvisor, which creates drag, choosing a dark tint at the top of the windscreen instead and it works well. It also helps that Daimler owns Detroit, so the Detroit-made engine and Detroit transmission are developed to work with each other and the truck right from the start. The truck even uses a GPS-based system to help it save fuel. This is called Intelligent Powertrain Management, which means the truck can read topographic route data and combine it with the truck’s precise location to advise it how to behave. For example, it knows exactly when to hold on to a gear (and not change up just before the crest of a hill), when to use the engine brake and when to save fuel and just coast (by selecting neutral). Want’s parents, John and Janice, who started the business with Want back in 1993, have seen a lot of change. They think the new truck makes a proud statement of about a small family company that has shown resilience in the face of turbulent times. John grumbles, “It may be a little too flash for a working truck,” but Janice reminds him to trust his son’s judgement and the result speaks for itself.
Want came up with the new branding and logo with Ben Daley Signs and the result is a rig that you might expect to see cruising along a Californian freeway.
PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMY no compromise
Detroit’s DD16 delivers all the power you need. With up to 600 horsepower and 2,050 lb-ft of torque, the big bore workhorse provides efficient and dependable power and performance without compromise. Detroit’s advanced technology also means GHG17 requirements are met through innovative fuel efficiency resulting in lower emissions. This power, performance and efficiency prowess is backed by our industry-leading warranty and extended coverage packages that ensures the highest level of support for our customers.
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Combined with superior fuel economy and the absence of a midlife change out, the DD16 delivers an enviably low total cost of ownership and maximum uptime. This is all backed by our well-established and extensive national service and support network which, together with our highly skilled factory-trained technicians, means you can count on getting the right advice when you need it. With Detroit, there’s no compromise.
14 FEATURE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Workshop whiz humbled by the top honour at TMC
BY BRENT DAVISON A transport industry stalwart who started his climb through the ranks more than 25 years ago as an apprentice heavy vehicle mechanic has been named the Craig Roseneder Award winner in the 2020 Castrol Vecton Industry Awards. Dennis Roohan, who took an early release from his apprenticeship, established himself as a skilled mechanic and is now General Manager of Beresfield, NSW-based AJM Transport, is the proud recipient of the esteemed prize which recognises technical and maintenance excellence in the road transport industry. In an industry that is time-critical and cost-sensitive Roohan, 42, has used his fleet management skills to lift the company’s monthly uptime rate to an impressive 99 per cent with a corresponding 73 per cent fall in vehicle defect numbers. Despite those dual achievements he is quite modest about that success. “They go hand-in-hand. If you’re doing your preventative maintenance right and you have a great team that understands the goal then the rest of it falls into place,” he said. “AJM has equipment that does in excess of 12,000 kilometres per week, 52 weeks of the year (600,000km annually) and when you do these sorts of kilometres there’s nowhere to hide. You learn quick about what breaks and how to prevent it occurring again.”
AJM HAS EQUIPMENT THAT DOES IN EXCESS OF 12,000 KILOMETRES PER WEEK, 52 WEEKS OF THE YEAR (600,000KM ANNUALLY) AND WHEN YOU DO THESE SORTS OF KILOMETRES THERE’S NOWHERE TO HIDE. YOU LEARN QUICK ABOUT WHAT BREAKS AND HOW TO PREVENT IT OCCURRING AGAIN. DENNIS ROOHAN
Roohan has also led the charge for AJM to venture into Performance-Based Standards (PBS), a scheme that lets heavy vehicle operators use innovative, optimised vehicle designs to achieve greater productivity and improved safety while having minimal environmental and infrastructure impact. “We have used this platform at AJM Transport to allow our customers better productivity with fewer movements through a variety of different tautliner combinations.” He is also rolling-out the new and unique Teletrac Navman GPS system capable of tracking both truck and trailers, for the AJM fleet. “I spent months researching and ensuring we had a package that could do all the business required from one tablet in the truck, allowing our drivers to do all the re-
Dennis Roohan is well-known for his expert technical knowledge and hands-on approach to workshop management.
quired COR from one unit and, more importantly, was user-friendly. This provided real benefits for the business,” he said. Roohan also introduced the specialised Gearbox workshop software package in 2017. Effectively a preventative maintenance
system, it captures whole-oflife costs for each unit. As well, the business is currently in the process of fitting the Guardian Seeing Machines system, using face and eye-tracking algorithms to measure driver head position and eye movements, across its fleet.
If safety parameters are exceeded an audio alarm is activated and the seat vibrates. At the same time, data and footage are relayed to the 24/7 Guardian Centre for review. This piece of equipment has already proven to be an extremely valuable safety initiative protect-
ing lives and equipment. The man who started in the industry as an apprentice is well-known for his expert technical knowledge and hands-on approach to workshop management. Roohan, who has given some 20 apprentices a start, is adamant that proper training and quality mentoring are the secrets to turning out highly skilled technicians. And he works hard at developing those skills. “If my workshop cannot give them the necessary skills they need to be competent then I send them to one of our suppliers for extensive training to ensure they finish their apprenticeship in the best possible position,” he said. Commenting on the award win, announced during the ATA’s recent online Technology & Maintenance Conference, ATA Chair David Smith described Roohan as a proactive industry member who demonstrates outstanding knowledge, ability and leadership qualities. “He currently serves as the ITC Vice-chair and chairs the council’s Productivity working group,” said Smith. Roohan’s prize includes an all-expenses paid trip to to the US Technology and Maintenance Council’s Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition with full registration, partners’ program, return airfares and accommodation, $1500 spending money and complimentary registration to the next in-person ATA TMC.
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TECH NEWS 15
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
Iveco Telematics system hits Australia and NZ
DESIGNED and manufactured in Australia, the new Iveco Telematics system is now being fitted as standard to all Iveco heavy duty Euro6 ACCO, Euro6 X-Way and Euro5 Stralis models built from September 2020. “As a standard package, Iveco Telematics provides logistics operators and other road transport businesses with a comprehensive, full suite of services that many other manufacturers charge additional for,” said Iveco Australia Product Manager – Telematics, Marco Stiffler.
the requirements of our local markets, both in Australia and New Zealand,” said Stiffler. The system is designed and manufactured in Australia, with system components fitted to the trucks at Iveco’s Melbourne manufacturing facility and connected to the vehicle CANBUS interface via a secure, standardised and data-rich FMS (Fleet Management System) output, and the ignition. Tracking and routing provides live GPS tracking, geo-fencing of operating areas
Iveco Telematics can also mitigate the risk of vehicle theft through tracking and providing notification if a breaching of geo-fenced areas occurs, or if the vehicle is moved without the ignition being actuated. To assist in minimising vehicle downtime and to better schedule maintenance work, Iveco Telematics provides detailed insights into vehicle operating data including odometer and engine hour readings, scheduled maintenance reporting, ‘tell-tale’ activity reporting, battery voltage level and
The telematics system is being fitted as standard on various Iveco models built from September 2020.
In addition to being fitted as standard on some new Iveco trucks, selected existing heavy duty models can also have the system retrofitted through Iveco dealerships – with some variances in the program features, depending on the vehicle model. Once the system is linked and activated for the customer, it can transmit information via the high-speed Telstra Machine-to-Machine (M2M) 4G network, to the database server, which is Data from Iveco Telematics is accessed through a secure portal, and also accessible through a mobile app.
With up to 70 channels, it’s been designed to provide information-rich data to fleet operators to assist with efficiency, and reduce running costs and unforeseen downtime. They can access info on areas including tracking, driver monitoring, safety, theft, maintenance and vehicle performance data. “In developing the program, we consulted the industry and designed features and functionality to best suit
and/or restricted zones, and trip information including trip details and trip reports. The system’s driver monitoring capabilities include harsh braking and acceleration alerts, moving and stationary over-revving alerts, over-speed limit and over-idling alerts. From here, the software can provide driver scorecard and productivity reports to help improve driving techniques and overall efficiency.
engine coolant, engine oil and transmission fluid alerts. “As well as providing extremely useful information to the end user to increase their efficiency, buyers who allow their Iveco dealer to have some visibility into their data can enjoy a range of servicing, maintenance and preventative maintenance benefits that will minimise downtime by ensuring correct parts are in stock prior to servicing,” added Stiffler.
housed in Australia, with data accessible 24 hours a day. All data from Iveco Telematics is accessed through a secure portal, where a profile page and dashboard allows users to customise their account details and settings, manage users and access information covering map page and areas, asset trails, live tracking, management of vehicles, groups, drivers and services, alerts, reporting, vehicle transfer and help. The data
can then be organised via on-demand and scheduled customisable reports and downloaded in a variety of formats. This information is also accessible through a mobile app which is available for both Apple and Android devices. For transport companies and fleet operators using their own telemetry programs, Iveco Telematics can be integrated with their current portal via the Applicable Program Interface (API).
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Prices herein are recommended selling prices, inclusive of GST. Recommended selling prices are a guide only and there is no obligation for Dealers to comply with these recommendations. Freight charges may apply. All items have been included in good faith on the basis that goods will be available at the time of sale. Prices and promotions are available at participating Dealers from 1 November to 30 December 2020 or while stocks last.
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18 FEATURE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Truck driving is like heaven on earth for trailblazer
Suzette is pictured with one of the first female loader drivers at Dawson Mine and the Volvo she drove for S and K Enterprises.
Driving trucks from the age of 23, she quickly upgraded to road trains.
Meet the inspiring road train pioneer Suzette O’Reilly, who at 73 is still behind the wheel today – or barrel racing on horses – every chance that she gets. BY DANIELLE GULLACI FLASH back to the late 1960s. Trucking was very much a man’s world and women in the industry were few and far between. But that didn’t stop Suzette Byrnes Statham O’Reilly from following her dream. Her story was a little different to many women working in the industry all those years ago. She didn’t come from a trucking background, nobody in her family drove a truck and she didn’t ‘marry into the industry’ either. “There were hardly any women who were truck driv-
ers, at least not out in the open workplace, if you know what I mean. There were a few women drivers driving with husbands or for husbands, but I put my hand up that I was one of the first female drivers to go it alone,” said 73-yearold O’Reilly proudly. So how and why did she decide to get into trucking? “I don’t know really, I guess I just fell into it. My mother couldn’t drive and never sat behind the steering wheel of any vehicle in her life. And my father was a shocking driver. He drove mostly in the middle of the wrong side of the road, with one foot on the clutch all the time,” she chuckled.
Along with trucks, horses are Suzette’s other passion.
“No one in my family was interested in trucks but I’ve loved trucks all my life, not any other type of machinery, it’s always been purely and simply trucks. I’ve been lucky with all the work I’ve done. “In this day and age, it’s not so much of a drama for women wanting to get into truck driving. Back in my day, there was never any glamour or romance attached to it, it was all grease, guts and hard work. But I survived it and I loved it – I still love it today as much as I ever did,” said O’Reilly, adding that she doesn’t have much in common with a lot of other women. “When I was young, you didn’t even make it to 73 and the fact that I still drive trucks and still do my barrel racing with my horses is absolutely incredible. When I was young, by 73 you were done and dusted. “There have been heaps of things that have happened in my lifetime, there’s a lot I can repeat and a lot I can’t,” she laughed, as she spoke of the joy of being behind the wheel late at night, while the tyres and motor were cool, and so were the roads. “It felt like heaven on earth to me. It must’ve just been the freedom of it.” O’Reilly became a truck driver when she was 23, and before long was driving road trains along the rough roads of outback Queensland. She was born in Walgett in northern NSW and now lives in central Queensland. “I started with a body truck licence, then my lifestyle changed and I wanted a semi licence. When I when got my semi licence, it was actually an articulated licence, so I could drive any articulated vehicle – except for an omnibus it said. “Licencing was very differ-
ent back then.” When she first moved to the town of Mitchell with her first husband, she was driving a Volvo G88 and carting kangaroo carcases from Charleville to Roma. Once she moved to Central Queensland with her current husband Anthony O’Reilly, she began transporting weaners to homestead cattle stations. They eventually purchased some livestock trucks of their own and through the 1990s carted cattle and pigs. “Then in 2000 I was running night shuttle down the Bruce Highway,” she recalled. “I also did a lot of side tipper work on mine sites in central Queensland. My husband and I did a lot of driving from Toowoomba carting gas pipes. Then I was driving on the Barkly Highway upgrade between Mt Isa and Camoolweal, and then working for a contractor at Moomba. While I did that, my husband bought his own prime mover. The job I was doing was ready to be phased out anyway because the pipelines had all been built up around there.” Though she drives much less these days, trucking is very much a big part of her life. “I don’t drive much now because the lifestyle that I enjoy dictates that I can’t. We have small acreage with a few cows, horses, cats and dogs. “It’s much to my disgust that I don’t do a lot of driving now. It’s not due to a lack of opportunity, but if I want my horses, it means I have to sacrifice being out on the road. I’ve been very fortunate that my husband Anthony has allowed me the privilege of him getting the work and letting me be home to do my thing with my horses. Though I do sometimes help my husband if he wants a bit of relief driving.”
Here, she’s pictured with the 1972 Kenworth W model she drove for Eyers Brothers, carting gas pipes.
Just a few months ago, Anthony bought a 2003 Kenworth T904, which he uses to cart general freight into Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. “It’s been a hard slog out there but that’s how I wanted it. Back in the day, you had to be perfect and I had to be able to do things all on my own. I didn’t have to do all that much maintenance, but I had to be able to diagnose what was wrong with my truck so I could tell them when I got back to the yard. I can still read the old motors but diagnostics is not so easy now with the new trucks. I started out when the roads were so much harder and the trucks weren’t computerised. “It was very hard to get a start unless they saw you oper-
‘my truck’ and they said ‘what do you mean your truck?’ I told them they should be happy that I call it my truck because I look after it. It was an old Kenworth W model and I thought I was queen of the road – they were a really good truck. We didn’t have to contend with computers and all that.” O’Reilly gave up her last permanent truck driving gig in 2007, after she finished up working west of Moomba. “That was probably one of the best jobs of my life – I loved the people, loved the place and loved the job. I was very fortunate.” Her love for trucks has also rubbed off on her son Gregory Statham, who is also a truck driver, living in the Northern Territory. “My first
Suzette loves the freedom of the open road.
ating. That was always my biggest challenge, to be accepted on equal footing as a male driver. Almost always a male would get the job ahead of any woman. I was one of the first women to have a Dangerous Goods ticket, but many businesses wouldn’t even look at me. “Once I got my foot in the door, they saw I could drive a truck and that I looked after the truck. There was one place I worked at where I called it
husband can’t believe it – he thinks we’re both insane,” she laughed. O’Reilly also has two grandchildren and two great grandchildren, Jed (6) and Ayla (8). “I try and see them as often as I can, but since COVID that’s gone out the window. My great grandkids love going in the truck with my son. It’s mind boggling to think that my son is a grandfather. I still think I’m 25 – but then I look in the mirror!”
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20 OPINION
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
It’s starting to feel a lot like Groundhog Day
This long-time truckie, columnist and podcast host reckons the biggest issues in trucking today have an all-too familiar ring to them.
ON THE ROAD PODCAST HOST Mike Williams
HERE we go again! Time to take a serious look at some indisputable facts. Time to consider why we continue to find ourselves in the same place over and over as an industry. I’ve said more than once, pick up any old trucking mag from Razorback to now and the same issues are chewed over again and again. Anyone with an ounce of common sense can see the issues and the solutions. But the solutions can’t happen because the real problem is the disparity in motivations of the players and their goals. I’m afraid we’re not all on the same page! So where are we right now? The NHVR grounded a couple of trucking companies due to fatigue and safety concerns [Ed’s note: these were quickly rescinded]. We’ve now seen the approval of Electronic Work Diary systems. Don’t doubt this will become mandatory. We’re witnessing an increased push for all telematics from customers and others as if that will fix everything. We’re seeing more imported drivers and yet driver shortages continue. We’re seeing recruitment
and retention issues in the long-distance sector because the day goes on but the pay doesn’t. Austroads is kicking the can down the road yet again dragging the chain on its review. Another two years! When I read the quotes from Austroads all I see are weasel words, spin and delay. There’s a national driver shortage. There’s been a shortage for years. There will continue to be a shortage. We have an ageing workforce in road transport, it’s not getting better. The freight task is growing year on year. Sooner or later common sense has to prevail. I’ve pointed out over and over the difference in motivations and goals of the various groups involved in our industry. At the risk of appearing to be a broken record I’ll point out yet again the broad, brush motivations. The customers want the best rate possible and their freight, no matter what it is, moved in a way and at a time that suits them. The public want all this done in the safest way and with the least possible disruption to their life. The authorities have to respond to the wants of the public and be seen to act when things go wrong. Knee jerk public raids and blitzes follow every well publicised incident. Then regulation screws down ever further so they can say “look we did something”. The industry bodies lobby to influence the regulators for change beneficial to
their members, but that may not benefit the industry as a whole. The major transport companies try to comply with all this while trying to carve out some sort of profit. Meanwhile, the poor owner-driver and company drivers who make it all happen at the end of the day, have no power and no say but remain the low-hanging fruit getting abused by the customers by being forced to endure poor time management, being abused by the public for being in the traffic (while moving all the wants and needs!) abused by the councils who don’t provide adequate facilities, abused by the authorities with ridiculous laws and then financially smashed with outrageous fines. Exploited by the likes of Transurban with excessive tolls while being stuck in car parks called motorways with the assistance of state governments who mandate use of this infrastructure or get fined! Finally getting blamed by everyone for everything while having no power to correct any of it! I’ve taken an interest in the NHVR’s approach to the current situation grounding fleets with prohibition orders because it clearly demonstrates the point that motivations matter. I’ve looked at the bile and hate that’s been spewed on social media at those involved and their drivers. Some private groups, and other not so private groups, where vile threats and stupid calls to interfere with trucks
The poor owner-drivers and company drivers who make it happen remain the low-hanging fruit.
The authorities have to respond to the wants of the public and be seen to act when things go wrong.
on the road have been made. I’m left to wonder if those posting this rubbish would do so if their family could see it? I’ve spoken to drivers employed in these fleets. I contacted these fleets and offered them the opportunity to come on my On The Road podcast and talk about their situation on the show and to contribute to this piece. They declined the invitation and said they had no comment to make. I surmise that given the current situation they see no value in talking, they don’t appear to believe anyone will listen. So what do we know? Looking at one of these businesses they have more than 100 prime movers and many more trailers. We know they have millions of dollars’ worth of new and near new gear. They have a maintenance program. There’s certainly nothing old or shabby I’ve seen out on the road. They’re employing properly licensed drivers. They have depots to keep their equipment in. They have operations systems and oversight. What more can they do? Then let’s have an educated guess about what they do. If they move 100 long distance trucks a night, then that’s 700 movements a week and that’s 36,000+ movements a year. If we extend that and estimate they do 800 kilometres per movement then that’s a whopping 29 million kilometres per year. How many incidents have they had? I think if you think about the numbers and compare that with the number of actual incidents is someone
Hundreds of truckies were left jobless after the Redstar collapse.
making a mountain out of a molehill? These fleets are just the current iteration of a trend that’s been going on in our industry for some time now. Think about the history. Anyone whose been around for a while remembers the names Bunkers, Ruttley, Silk Logistics, Redstar, X Trans, to name but a few. The business model seems to be we don’t have our own freight and we don’t tender for work. We buy or lease large numbers of prime movers and trailers. We employ what drivers we can and fill out the numbers with agency drivers as the need arises. We then do whatever we need to operationally to meet the demands of the prime contractors. These fleets are truck and driver providers. Nothing more. The key thing to remember in all this is that these fleets, and those like them, exist because the freight is there to be moved. Because there’s profit to be made by doing this. They don’t exist in isolation. As they grow, they get tied to relationships that they need to continue to meet their operating costs.
It’s an endless circle of dependency. It’s a great deal for the prime contractors. They have no responsibilities for the equipment, no responsibility for driver recruiting, retention or pay rates. They’ve secured an arm’s length relationship with all that. Then when it goes sideways it’s all “we only ask for a truck. It’s their responsibility to make sure it’s all legal”. Of course this works for a while until it all sours because it goes wrong one too many times. The prime contractors don’t even have to pay to clean the mess up on the side of the road. That’s all covered by insurance. They do stand there and look gravely concerned and I suppose they apologise to their customer that owned the freight. The history is there if people care to look. I invite anyone to contact me via my social media @theoztrucker on twitter, On The Road Podcast on Facebook or go to www.ontheroadpodcast.com.au to leave a comment, email me directly mike@ontheroadpodcast.com. au or call me on 0450314398.
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22 FEATURE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
B-quins deliver five times the charm in the west
MLG Oz purchased Australia’s first B-quins.
BY DANIELLE GULLACI A road train with five trailers attached isn’t something you see every day, so when Big Rigs got word that Australia’s first-ever B-quins had recently hit the road, we of course wanted to know more. WA based outfit MLG Oz purchased the two sets of B-quins to bolster productivity for a particular client contract that involves lighter weight container-loads. Though the maximum allowable payload in a 20ft container is 27.5 tonne GCM, these containers can only be loaded to 21 tonne due to the nature of the product being carried. “We challenged our guys internally and workshopped a multitude of combinations and did some engineering trials to get to the B-quin model, where we’re able to get 21 net tonne per container and have five fully laden boxes,” explained Murray Leahy, Managing Director at MLG Oz. Privately owned and operated, the business is headquartered in Kalgoorlie, WA. It was started in 2002 as a small contractor to BHP Billiton. Since then, MLG Oz has come a long way. It now operates from 21 locations across Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland; and employs around 700 staff. As for the fleet, that’s pretty impressive too. There are approximately 130 trucks, a mixture of Macks and Kenworths branded in MLG Oz’s signature blue and white, and 500 or so trailers – mostly
running as triples and quads. Bruce Rock Engineering is the manufacturer of choice for on-road trailers, including the B-quins, while Mick Murray Trailers is the go-to for the company’s off-road needs. “MLG Oz is an integrated service business, built around logistics. We move raw materials in and out of mine sites so cater predominantly to the mining sector, but also transport bulk materials for the construction industry as well. The fleet is all higher GCM equipment. Our smallest onroad truck is 147 tonne, and we go right up to 350 tonne for our off-road equipment,” said Leahy. The innovative B-quins are towed by tri-drive Mack Titans and run around the clock on a PBS Level 3B road network. Their core duty is to transport powdered nickel concentrate between Esperance on the southern WA coast (which is where they are based) and Ravensthorpe, around 540km south-east of Perth. But you’ll also occasionally find them running from Esperance to Wiluna in Mid West WA too, stopping at three or four mine sites along the way. “Historically this route was serviced by 36 metre B-double and dog combinations, which allowed a maximum of three containers, so they were very much underloaded. At 42 metres in length, the B-quins are no longer than a standard triple road train – the difference is in the axle spacings,” Leahy added. And it seems the new combinations have paid off, with a
The new B-quins are saving the business 100 trips a month.
“The B-quins are no longer than a standard triple road train – the difference is in the axle spacings,” said Managing Director of MLG Oz, Murray Leahy.
massive reduction in the number of trips required to service their client’s needs. When we asked Leahy about the difference the B-quins made to productivity, the figures spoke for themselves. “On a monthly basis, we’ve gone from 140 trips, down to just 90 trips – that’s per B-quin, so it’s saved a total of 100 trips each month, which has made a huge difference economically.” MLG Oz is certainly no stranger to seeking out higher productivity solutions that
boost the fleet’s overall efficiency. Back when PBS was still in its infancy in WA, Leahy revealed MLG Oz was among the first operators in the state to take advantage of the scheme. “Out of that, we’ve built a knowledge base and understanding of how things work. So when it came to the B-quins, we sat down and worked out what would be achievable.” Leahy added that about 20 per cent of the fleet now runs under PBS. Though the permit process for the B-quins took a little longer this time round. “It did take a fair while. We had strong support out of Main Roads and the network access guys were pro-active but there was a stringent requirement for it to hit every engineering hurdle. The approvals took around 10 months from the final PBS modelling, then making appropriate changes to meet PBS requirements. “The advent of this sort of equipment comes from everyone coming together. You have to have clients and manufacturers that are open to change. We’re fortunate that we have such a strong relationship with
both Bruce Rock and our client. Bruce Rock has been on the journey with us, so we’ve grown together. We workshop with our trailer builders on a regular basis and worked together to come up with this B-quin solution.” All up, there are six road train operators that get to steer these units across WA, and they’ve taken to the new trailer combinations like ducks to water. “We’ve been running 42 metre road trains out of Esperance for a long time, so there was no apprehension with our operators wanting to get behind the wheel of our new B-quins. There is a really strong skillset among our team and the on-road performance of the B-quins has been great,” said Leahy, adding that the combinations did turn some heads when they first hit the road. “The first time they were driven through town with five containers, they did get a lot of attention, particularly from competitors,” Leahy laughed. “Here we operate in arduous conditions, but we still pride ourselves on the way our equipment looks. It’s hard
to keep them looking as fresh as they would running up and down a national highway, but we push pretty hard to make sure we maintain a strong aesthetic presence – so when you have a blue and white truck like these going down the road that’s clean and shiny, it does generate a lot of interest.” So are we likely to see an influx of B-quins running up and down WA’s highways? That might be a little ambitious. “These B-quins are kind of a unique scenario. They are very specialised to lighter container work. Where the opportunity exists for this sort of configuration is actually in some of the regional intermodal hubs where they are doing a lot of container freight,” added Leahy, hinting that there could very well be more of these B-quins added into the MLG Oz fleet when the time is right. “It’s all about customer demand. Our current client is looking at ramping up production further and we also have some other customers who are exporting lighter products that are looking at it as a potential solution.”
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24 READER RIGS
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
With only 300,000km on the clock and still in tip top shape, this 1987 Ford Louisville LTL 9000 doesn’t show her age at all – thanks for sharing Deegan Watkins.
Claire McGillivery shared this awesome pic of one of Trevor Sadler / T.A Sadler Transport’s Western Stars, travelling through the town of Garvoc in Victoria’s west.
Share your truck pics THE trucking game is as diverse as the terrain on which our truckies travel. If there’s one thing we know many of you love, it’s a good looking rig – and sometimes life on the open road brings some golden photo opportunities. The Big Rigs #PicOfTheDay competition is a chance
to share your best snaps through our Facebook page (@BigRigs). We’ll choose a weekly winning shot to feature as our Facebook cover photo and a selection of the best pics will be featured in the next edition of Big Rigs Newspaper. So get snapping and keep those great pics coming!
Truckie Aaron Dike shared some great shots of the Kenworth T610SAR he drives for Bobbins.
Robert Stein hauls grain down south for T&M Road Haulage.
Dion Petherick got this great pic, while loaded with canola for CBH Albany.
Des Hunter took this pic at a rest area between Boggabri and Gunnedah, NSW, on his way back from delivering machinery parts for the cotton industry.
Ashley Townsend got this great shot of his 2009 Mack Superliner while harvesting in Ballidu, a town in WA’s Wheatbelt region.
Owen Weir got this great shot in the Cudgen Tunnel, just south of Chinderah, NSW.
READER RIGS 25
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
Jakob Batchelor captured this great shot at the Ewen Clough rest area, about 5km north of Stuarts Well, NT.
Ann-Marie Hicks shared this shot of a Dawson of Wagga truck, heading out of northern Adelaide.
Driving for LJM Produce, Mark Hammerling was on his way to the Canning Vale markets and Fremantle Port when he stopped to get this great shot.
Transedel Livestock driver Kane Pentland captured this great shot of his Kenworth C509 on the Eyre Highway, travelling between Port Augusta and Iron Knob in SA .
Wayne Agius was heading back from Jack’s Hill, on his way to Cue, WA.
David John Hobbs’ 2006 Western Star 4900 was looking the goods in this shot.
This ‘Little Big Trucker’ lit up the road in Bellata, NSW, while working on the grain harvest. Thanks for sharing Kyle Koina.
Harold Services driver David Krajnc got this shot during last year’s harvest, near Pinnaroo, SA.
Rick Phillips shared this impressive shot of Don Watson Transport’s 200th truck at the company’s Derrimut depot.
26 FEATURE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
SA truckie calls time after 50 years behind the wheel
Meet John Furler, the long-time interstate driver who swaps the cab for a caravan at the end of this year, signing off on a career that has taken him all over Australia. BY ALF WILSON VETERAN South Australian truckie John Furler has been driving the highways and byways around Australia for the past 50 years and has a wealth of knowledge about the road transport industry. I caught up with the quietly spoken owner-operator, who is retiring at the end of this year, to find out a bit more about his history, and what he plans to do next. Aged 66, Furler is based at Clare which is located in a wine producing region about 120km from Adelaide. For the past three and a half years Furler has driven a Mercedes Benz Actros 6258 with a 580hp motor and a 12-speed
automatic gearbox. “Every Monday I load up timber at Mt Gambier and take it to Brisbane and then have a backload of steel to bring back to Adelaide. It is a 4600km round trip and takes five days,” Furler said. Furler who has been an owner-operator since 1984, said he has been to all states and the NT as a truckie, except Tasmania. “I have had a Kenworth, a Mack and a Freightliner before the Mercedes and all were purchased brand new. When I sold my previous truck, a Century Class Freightliner it had 2.5 million kilometres on the clock,” he said. Furler was glowing in his praise of the Mercedes which had travelled 570,000km
when I spoke to him. “It is a great truck and gets regular services. All it has needed has been a set of front shockers and wiper blades,” he said. The first one Furler had was a Morris 4-cylinder petrol driven vehicle with single back wheels, which was used for selling potatoes. It was a far cry from the comforts of the state-of-theart Mercedes. I asked Furler if he thought there were enough rest areas for truckies. “No there isn’t. But I pick the rest areas I want to stop at and try and stay away from ones where fridge vans and stock crates are parked. Between Narrabri and Gilgandra really needs more. But there
Every Monday Furler makes the 4600km round trip from Adelaide to Brisbane in his beloved Benz.
is a great one at Lillyvale between Cobar and Wilcannia where there are toilets on both sides of the road where you can wash the hands. And shaded seats and tables where you can get out of the sun,” he said. This long-time truckie has driven some of the worst roads in the country including the notorious Strzelecki Track. “I would have to say the roughest now is between Goondiwindi and Yelarbon in Queensland. Many years ago I got stuck for three weeks on a bad road,” he said. As for camaraderie between drivers today when compared with previous eras, Furler was quick to offer his opinion. “It is buggered and not the same as it used to be. Before they would stop and help if you broke down but now most drive past. Lots of the old-timers who are my mates have retired,” he said. The subject about if there is enough young drivers is often raised by truckies and also how many female drivers are active. “I don’t see that many young fellas and maybe might see one or at the most two female drivers a week on average,” he said. During his long career, Furler bought a fruit shop for about six years but still used to truck it into Adelaide regularly to buy supplies. His loyal wife Helen does the books and administration side of the business and the couple have been married since 1977.
John and his wife Helen who does the book work.
They have three children, a son and two daughters and nine grandchildren. “One of my grandsons is aged 15 and is 193cm tall and is a ruckman in a footy team down this way,” said Furler who is an Adelaide Crows supporter in the AFL. When he does get time off and that is not often, Furler enjoys fishing, camping and sailing and catches some whiting around Port Lincoln. Early next year there will be lots more recreation time as Furler has sold his truck to
a Clare company which will take it over at the year’s end. “I will be hooking up my caravan and going around Australia,” he said. On those journeys, Furler and Helen are sure to be listening to songs by his favourite performers Elvis Presley and Furlerny Cash. “I like most country and western music and songs,” he said in conclusion. I look forward to meeting Furler and Helen next year when they travel to my neck of the woods in their van.
Furler was a subbie for Titan Transport carting cement to Moomba.
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28 FEATURE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Helping customers to invest in new equipment
MaxiTRANS has a large range of new and pre-owned trailers in stock and ready for purchase across its brands.
AUSTRALIAN trailer manufacturer MaxiTRANS has voiced its support for the Federal Government’s latest tax incentives, which aim to assist Australian businesses to invest, grow and create more jobs. MaxiTRANS explained that the introduction of the temporary full expensing and access to previous year losses will enable more customers in the industry to access and invest in new and safer transport equipment. Businesses with a turnover of up to $5 billion will be able to write off the full value of any new eligible asset they purchase for their business. For small and medium businesses, with a turnover of up to $50 million, this will also include second-hand assets. “This announcement is a positive for Australian business and the transportation
industry as a whole and a great step towards recovery of the Australian economy,” said Dean Jenkins, MaxiTRANS Managing Director and CEO. “The introduction of temporary full expensing will drive transport business investment and encourage the purchase of new and safer transport equipment for the industry.” The new support announced recently has been extended to 30 June 2022. “This is a terrific show of support from the Government who see the value in transport companies investing in upgraded transport equipment, which includes new trucks and trailers,” added Jenkins. “The increase in the size of eligible businesses from the previous instant asset writeoff incentive, means more of our customers are now able to access the Government incentive. This, combined with the
ability to carry-back tax losses from previous years, will give our larger customers more certainty for the future to move ahead with medium term plans for fleet replacement during what will be a short term effect of COVID-19.” The budget announcement also sets out the Government’s $110 billion infrastructure pipeline, including $14 billion in new and accelerated infrastructure. “In conjunction with our industry partners, MaxiTRANS has been a driving voice pushing for a safer and more efficient road network. The additional $2 billion into targeted road safety is a huge leap forward towards achieving a safer road network for all road users,” said Jenkins. MaxiTRANS bulk transport brands, which include Hamelex White, Lusty EMS, Trout River and AZMEB, are well known within the indus-
try and respective segments in which they specialise. MaxiTRANS has a large range of both new and pre-owned
trailers already in stock and available to purchase now across its brands ready to assist with urgent infrastructure projects. This also extends to its other brands Freighter, MaxiCUBE and Peki, which also fit within the temporary full expensing capital purchase rules. MaxiTRANS’ understanding is that the temporary full expensing incentive is available on all new capital purchases, not just a one-off purchase. It also extends to capital upgrades to existing equipment which customers may wish to take advantage of. This includes axle and suspension replacements, new curtains or tarps and replacement fridge plants, in addition to many other upgrades accessible through MaxiTRANS service and parts. “For our customers looking to invest and take full ad-
vantage of the Government’s announcement, we encourage you to contact your accountant or financial adviser to discuss how you could benefit. All while knowing you are investing in high quality Australian-made products and supporting the Australian economy,” said Jenkins. MaxiTRANS is currently running a promotion on its Maxi-CUBE range of temperature-controlled trailer solutions in partnership with Valiant Finance, with a ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ campaign currently in place until December 31, 2020. The promotion means eligible customers can purchase a new Maxi-CUBE trailer and pay nothing for the first three months. Visit www.maxitrans. com/buy-now-pay-later for more information and to view terms and conditions.
MaxiTRANS has backed the Federal Government’s latest targeted tax incentives.
NEWS 29
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
MaxiTRANS reveals its new heavy-duty trailer plant
The existing 70-strong workforce at the facility is expected to double over the next five years.
THIS new purpose-built, heavy-duty trailer manufacturing facility in Carole Park, Queensland, is set to provide an added boost to the manufacturing capabilities of MaxiTRANS. At over 14,000 square metres, the new facility replaces an existing site in Richlands, and adds to the company’s existing Australian manufacturing footprint across metropolitan and regional Victoria. “The new Carole Park facility is an exciting expansion for MaxiTRANS which will provide greater safety, flexibility, efficiency and quality outcomes for our business and our customers,” said Dean Jenkins, MaxiTRANS Managing Director and CEO. “Designed to match the equipment levels and stan-
dard processes available at Ballarat, Carole Park will provide greater capacity to the MaxiTRANS Group and will allow us to continue to better serve our customers with the ability to cover any total market growth.” Though the existing manufacturing site in Richlands was used primarily to produce bulk transport trailers, the new site at Carole Park will also be able to manufacture Freighter trailers too. The existing workforce is anticipated to double, with 70 current staff moving to the new facility and up to 70 new operational jobs expected to be created over the next five years. There will also be opportunities for local TAFEs and universities to work with
THE NEW CAROLE PARK FACILITY IS AN EXCITING EXPANSION FOR MAXITRANS WHICH WILL PROVIDE GREATER SAFETY, FLEXIBILITY, EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY OUTCOMES FOR OUR BUSINESS AND OUR CUSTOMERS. DEAN JENKINS
MaxiTRANS to provide specialised in-house training and skills development programs. Production at the new Carole Park facility has commenced, with the first trailer produced there last month.
Recognition of community leadership at national awards AT the recent 2020 National Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) Awards, MaxiTRANS received the Community Leadership award, for its support of local communities during the extended drought and bushfires, as well as driving mental health awareness within the road transport industry through the support of RUOK. After a challenging year of drought, floods, bushfires and a global pandemic, MaxiTRANS Managing Director & CEO Dean Jenkins said, “To say the past year has been a challenge for everyone would most definitely be an
understatement. During this time, it has been fantastic to see the resilience of people and communities who have come together in show of support for each other. At MaxiTRANS, our team is always looking at ways to help support those in need where we can.” “We are extremely grateful to have been recognised by our industry for the work that we have done. More importantly though, it goes a long way to helping create further awareness of the need to continue to support those around us during these tough times.”
Last summer, MaxiTRANS donated much needed supplies to a drought affected community in central-west NSW, and in conjunction with the Australian Trucking Association, it also supplied semi-trailers to transport stockfeed and hay to affected towns during the aftermath of the 2019-2020 bushfires. MaxiTRANS was also recognised for its ongoing support of mental health awareness and suicide prevention. To date, it has raised almost $60,000 for RUOK through its ‘RUOK? Day’ campaigns.
(l-r): Felix Karaparambil, Norman De Wet, Kevin Manfield, Trevor Wease and Matthew Spark.
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Truckzone pops up in new location in Queensland
TRUCK and trailer parts business Truckzone has opened its 11th branch in Rockhampton, building on its plans to extend its nationwide network of stores. “We are excited about our new branch opening. It is important for us to grow the Truckzone family and expand our national footprint. Rockhampton was one of the priorities for us as our customer base is growing in this area, so we made sure to find a central convenient location for our customers,” said Mick Hen-
derson, CEO of SMP Group. Specialising in parts for American and Japanese truck manufacturers, Truckzone is the new trading name for Coburg Truck Parts, Gleeman Truck Parts and Partspeek Japanese Parts – three businesses owned by the SMP Group that have joined forces and now operate as one united entity. “We have recently consolidated three of our six businesses, Gleeman, Coburg and Partspeek, all in truck parts and accessories, to create one
The branch features a showroom and fully-stocked warehouse.
strong entity helping us to deliver the best customer experience. Our goal is to pass on the benefits of our new developments to our customers. This is only the start of our national commitment with more exciting announcements to come,” Henderson explained. Centrally located, the new Rockhampton branch features a showroom and warehouse fully stocked with truck and trailer parts and accessories of the well-known brands in Australia. Rockhampton – the beef capital – is a major regional centre. It has experienced extensive development over the last 15 years, and is set to expand even further with the current construction of a bypass that will ease the traffic between urban areas, starting at the West Rockhampton connection through to the Parkhurst connection, which is a future growth area. “The opening of the new branch was required to meet the growing local customer demand and I’m very pleased that some of the most experienced part interpreters in North Queensland have
[l-r] Mark Hill, Lloyd Laycock, Matthew Bell, and Alan Olive (State Manager QLD, NSW, NT).
joined our Rockhampton branch to support our customers,” added Henderson. “It’s just another way we can deliver on the values at the heart of Truckzone: providing customers with the products they need and trust, when and where they need them, at
a competitive price, with industry leading advice and support. We have a catalogue of 30,000 competitively priced lines and our stock levels keep growing in all our stores, including Rockhampton. “We hope to see lots of our customers and local com-
munity members soon in the Rockhampton store and look forward to showing off our new branch.” The Truckzone Rockhampton branch is located at 113 Gladstone Road, Allenstown, Queensland. Ph: 07 3320 7290.
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Good vibrations easy for vacuum tanker operators
When used on a vacuum tanker, a Flow-Easy vibrator lowers the tipping elevation and results in less waste build up.
FLOW-EASY vibrators are delivering multiple benefits to vacuum tanker operators. Whether you’re carting dry, dusty material or sticky, wet slurry, a Flow-Easy vibrator speeds up the vacuum tanker unloading process, providing an efficient, safe and controlled load discharge. Flow-Easy vibrators are distributed by Melbourne-based Enmin, an Australian market
leader in the areas of materials handling systems and vibratory equipment. Flow-Easy vibrators were previously marketed under the Enmin brand but have recently been re-branded Flow-Easy. For many years Flow-Easy vibrators were used extensively in the bulk transport industry, speeding up the unloading process of bulk products such as fertiliser, manure, stock
feed, grains and sands. FlowEasy vibrators provide numerous benefits that improve productivity, driver and truck safety, lower fuel and maintenance costs and reduce wear and tear on both the truck and trailer. When used on a vacuum tanker, operators can enjoy the same benefits, including lower tipping elevation and less waste build up, in turn
lowering fuel and clean out costs. “The vibrators also offer some exclusive advantages to vacuum tanker operators including some significant safety benefits,” said Enmin General Manager, Anthony Gallaher. A vibrator will minimise the risk of exposure. More often than not, waste products are contaminated and can present significant health and biological risks to an operator and the environment. A FlowEasy vibrator breaks up and aids discharge in a safe and controlled manner, thereby reducing operator exposure. A reduction in confined space access is another safety benefit. As with any accessible waste tank, a vacuum truck tank is classed as a confined space. A flow Easy vibrator breaks down and fluidises compacted material, discharging a full load each cycle, therefore eliminating the need for regular confined space entry. With 12 or 24 Volt DC and hydraulic models available, a Flow-Easy vibrator is easy to install with minimal modifications required. Pneumatically powered options are
also available for use on filtration and dust collection units. “Under normal operating conditions the vibrator will outlast a vacuum tank and can be retrofitted onto new or existing assets as required,” Gallaher added. “No matter what you’re carting, a Flow-Easy vibrator will ensure you spend less time unloading and more time making money whilst mini-
mising WHS risks.” In addition to the truck vibrators, Enmin also has an extensive range of industrial vibrators to suit any industry that handles bulk material. The range is specifically designed to suit Australia’s environment and covers a multitude of industries such as agriculture, mining, quarrying, recycling, ports and terminals.
A Flow-Easy vibrator speeds up the unloading process.
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SOUTHERN SNIPPETS 33
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
Optimism for the year ahead SNIPPETS FROM THE SOUTH With JONATHAN WALLIS
Out with the old, and in with the new Where did 2020 go? With this the last edition before Christmas, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have assisted with my column though the year. A strange year indeed with the advent of the ‘final’ edition of Big Rigs, bushfires and the Coronavirus pandemic. But happily, it seems to be ending on a more upbeat note with the return of a bigger, better and widely welcomed Big Rigs, borders reopening and a sense of some normality returning – and certainly in Tasmania, where welcome rains spell out the prospect of the best harvest for some years. So please take care over the holiday period. Wishing you all a safe, happy, healthy and productive New Year! Taking football too far It seems that one of our well known old mates and log
truck drivers, and a staunch North Melbourne fan, from the Colac area, recently tried to make a point with his Richmond mates by dressing for the day as one of North’s favourite sons, who had notoriously undergone a gender transition. Well we can only say that, happily, Richmond did win the Grand Final, and that his mate had a good sense of humour as well. And he was able to reassure the boss that he wasn’t suffering from any mental illnesses – it was all in good fun. We’re glad that this was a once off, as that was not a good look at all mate! Playing bridge It was sad to see an interstate DAF CF recently playing ‘bridge’ on City Road in South Melbourne. A big low clearance sign stated that the bridge was just 3.8m high, but with Melbourne traffic being what it is, maybe he thought he’d give it a go and try his luck. Sadly it wasn’t high enough for his truck and this attempt to go under the bridge caused a bit of a dramatic traffic snarl – and mate this was not a good way to get on television. From experience, those bridges are indeed low, so watch out
This truckie from the Colac area was all dressed up in the name of fun.
when driving around South Melbourne. Wishing Rick Foote well We were sorry to hear that Rick Foote from Clinton in
South Australia has run into a patch of bad health issues requiring lots of surgery and unpleasantness. He is one of the legends of the Northern Territory/South Australia run,
which he did for many years, driving two-up with his wife Vicki with such well known Territory runners like Gilberts Transport, Darwin Linehaul, etc. Rick recently retired
and moved to Clinton. Happily, we heard from Vicki that he is on the mend, and we would like to join their many friends in wishing him a complete and rapid recovery.
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34 EXPERT ADVICE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Marine transit insurance is not just essential for boats
Marine Transit insurance has differing types of cover, so it is important that you understand the differences between each type of Marine Insurance.
INSURANCE GURU. MANAGER, TBI INSURANCE SERVICES Mark Brown
INSURANCE is said to have been around since the Romans and Greeks in the form of what was called a “Mutuum Loan”. It is believed that the Roman and Greek villagers used to pool their money (or goods) to enable them to pay for burials of their deceased family members, among other things which included the goods they traded by sea. Basically, they all put money (goods) into a “pot” and if you needed some money (or goods), you took some out of the pot and paid for the burial. Marine insurance had been around since those times, albeit in a very primitive form,
until the late 1680’s, when a Coffee House was opened on Tower St in London. This Coffee House was named Lloyds Coffee House after the owner Edward Lloyd. Due to its location it soon became a popular meeting place for ship owners, merchants, and ships’ captains, and thereby a reliable source of the latest shipping news. The coffee shop was where groups of traders, shipowners, brokers and investors would meet to discuss and negotiate with each other for each shipment of goods. Each investor would assume a portion of the cost of the goods and the ship itself if it was lost at sea, in return each investor would be provided a portion of the traded goods sometimes in lieu of money. From this little coffee shop in the middle of London grew the largest diverse insurance market place in the world, now known as Lloyds of London. In modern times Marine
Insurance has become very much more sophisticated, but the basic premise of sharing the risk among many, remains the same. Today Marine insurance has evolved and covers various different types of risk, which includes Marine Transit of which most transport operators would be more familiar with. Marine Transit insurance has differing types of cover, so it is important that you understand the differences between each type of Marine Insurance. Below we have provided a brief generalised description of just some of the types of Marine Insurance that are most related to the road transport industry within Australia. After you have read what each of the below types of marine insurance cover, check your own marine policy and if you are still not confident of what you have, speak with your broker, before it is too late. Marine Hull: that’s the one you need for your tinny, ski
boat, yacht or ship, etc. Annual Marine Cargo: usually for the larger manufacturers/suppliers of goods that are carried by others via sea, air and land. Single Marine Cargo: for importers and exporters or suppliers of goods to import/ export goods and can include the land transit leg of the journey in Australia. Single Marine Transit: for “one off” movement of goods within Australia Home Removals: an individual one-off policy for a house removalist, usually taken out for each individual removal job. Own Goods in Transit: usually for farmers, smaller manufacturers, and wholesalers etc who carry/deliver their own goods. Carriers Goods in Transit: for road transport operators whom carry goods for others. (It does not cover you for goods owned by yourself) Couriers Transit: for “couriers” who usually deliver small-
er individual packages. Many large courier companies have their own employee/contractor schemes for the couriers that work for them, however it may not cover the courier should they also do work outside of the company. Cargo Carriers Liability: For carriers operating under approved consignment notes or other contracts to protect themselves against liability. This policy also extends to cover delay, loss of market or consequential loss caused solely by loss or damage to the insured goods. Beneficial should you wish to defend a claim against you using your Terms & Conditions as a defence under you consignment note. It is also important to also understand that marine policies offer either Comprehensive or Defined Events cover. Generally speaking the main differences between the two, is that Comprehensive will cover “Accidental Damage”
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automatically, whereas Defined Events will only provide limited cover and only cover for the “Events” that you have selected to be covered for. Be careful of the type of cover you select and make sure you understand the policy you are paying for, as always, cheapest is not always best. Important: All answers and information contained within this article should be considered as General Advice Only. This advice should only be considered as General in Nature and its intent is only to prompt the readers to investigate their own individual insurances. It has been prepared without taking into account the readers own individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of that, before acting on the above advice, the client or any persons should consider its appropriateness (having regard to their objectives, needs and financial situation) and seek further independent advice from their own financial advisor.
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FEATURE 35
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
Bushfires keep Brett busy
BY DAVID VILE
BRETT Macklin is doing the rounds of his B-double with an iron bar in his hands, checking all the tyres on his 19-metre log trailers after a run down Dunstan’s Road to Nariel in the upper reaches of north-eastern Victoria. Running as a subbie to ANC Forestry Group, Macklin is part of the efforts in salvaging the stands of native timber which were burnt in the January fires, with the Upper Murray area a hub of activity as the timber is harvested and hauled out of the mountains. The truck of choice for Macklin is a 2015 Kenworth T909, which has a Cummins ISX under the bonnet and has been set up with all the gear required for the hard hauling out of the bush. Macklin took the plunge into owner-driving three years ago, purchasing the truck from McConachy Logging. Working in the bush has been his sole career path. “I started at 16, straight out of school and into the bush, I couldn’t wait to do it. I did a lot of bush work including working on all the harvesting gear then the truck side came along for a number of years,” he explained. “We made the decision to have a go at it ourselves as the opportunity was there three years ago and as its unfolding it hasn’t worked out too bad.” The trailers are set up for hardwood cartage, with the rear trailer folding up to ride
Daryl Hutton unloads the Macklin Kenworth at the Nariel log dump.
on the back of the Kennedy A-trailer and the Kenworth is kitted out with Air-CTI to regulate the tyre pressures on the windy and unsealed mountain roads. With 450,000 kilometres on the clock, Macklin has had a good run out of the T909 so far having spent his time on log haulage behind the wheel of a few different trucks. “I started out about 15 years ago driving a Kenworth T401, along the way we went through a few Western Stars and in later years we had a Mack so there’s been a bit of variety over the years,” he said. Having spent the winter months working in the bush on the other side of the
Great Diving Range, Macklin was on his first day working in the north-east having travelled up from his home at Newborough in Gippsland. His daily run during the week on the current contract sees him head up to the higher elevations and load out back down to the holding yard in the Nariel Valley with each trip up and down the range taking about three and a half hours. The majority of the timber being harvested is being stockpiled at Nariel with loads also going to mills in Gippsland giving the drivers a bit of variety. With the nature of the work in the bush areas the truck operators and crews need to be flexible and work
out of a wide geographical area, Macklin is one of many who have made their livelihood working in the forested areas of the state and unfortunately the timber industry in Victoria has come under both unwelcome and unwarranted agitation from environmental groups. “We go where the work is - there is a lot of heat on the timber industry and we try and do the right thing by the industry - it is such a renewable resource and it employs so many people with families and businesses all employed along the supply chain, so we just try and do our bit to keep it ticking. “The fires through Victoria last summer weren’t good for anybody but it is good
Brett Macklin with his Kenworth T909 in the Upper Murray.
The Kenworth and B-double is well set up for timber haulage.
that they have opened the bush up to recover some of the burnt timber rather than letting it go to waste.” With all the load restraints removed from his load, Macklin watched on as Daryl Hutton of ANC Forestry fired up the Komatsu excavator and started unloading the logs off his truck with the grapple on the excavator grabbing the
timber and swinging them over onto the growing pile of logs. “Well it’s the first day back for a while, this job will probably keep us going until May next year so we will just keep up with the work and keep ticking along…..and hopefully Daryl will give me a load back down the highway home on Friday,” he said with a smile.
36 DRIVER PROFILES
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Truckin’ In The Tropics
with Alf Wilson
Hugh Macdonald CATCHING giant mud crabs, hunting feral pigs, tending to his horses and riding his trusty Harley Davidson flat top bike are off duty interests for busy veteran truckie Hugh “Maca” Macdonald. It’s also beginning to look a lot like Christmas and Maca as he is known may soon make his debut as a Santa Claus. I met up with the 68-yearold Maca outside the Calcium Puma Roadhouse beside the Flinders Highway located 50km west of Townsville. The temperature was a burning 38 degrees and Maca who works for MGN was driving a 2007 Freightliner Aerodyne. “I cart rock from Ravenswood to Townsville Port and love the job,” he said.
The northern MGN team have been delivering armour rock to the Port of Townsville for four months destined for the new seawall. “The big rock is hard on the gear but fitters and mechanics maintain the trucks to keep them moving,” Maca said. Maca has been a truckie for decades having travelled extensively around Australia. It was great talking to Maca who lives on a property at Cleveland Bay which is south of Townsville with access through the Australian Institute of Marine (AIMS) road. “There is a creek just near my place and I am lucky to be able to catch fish and crabs but there are also many wild pigs on the property and as soon as you
get rid of some more turn up,” he said. Maca also has two pet horses and said they enjoy eating mangoes. “They can get drunk if they eat too many mangoes,” he said. When Maca does get time off he loves riding his Harley and often gets to Ravenswood. “It is a great place to go to and catch up with mates and others who ride bikes,” he said. Maca is a passionate Cowboys supporter in the NRL and has many impressive tattoos on his arms. This genuine Aussie character is a massive fan of Big Rigs and said we recently profiled one of his truckie mates named Simmo. “I get Big Rigs often from
roadhouses and love it as you never know which drivers whom we know may be in it,” he said. I mentioned his impressive looking white beard which looked like it could mature into one worthy of him being a Santa. “I have been asked many times in the past to be a Santa and we’ll see what happens this year. I am the right age as they usually like old blokes as Santa,” he said. The experienced truckie doesn’t stop at many rest areas, but he does have a favourite roadhouse, the Calcium Puma. “You can park up the side or out front, the tucker is really good and the staff are great,” he said.
Lenny Beckett
Lee Wells
VERSATILE owner-operator Lenny Beckett, pictured below, has travelled around Australia in his 1998 Mercedes and is also a qualified chef, disc jockey and a security officer. The 52-year-old Lenny’s
WHEN Big Rigs saw driver Lee Wells he was carting mangoes from Giru in north Queensland for the Brisbane markets and the temperatures was in the mid-thirties. Wells was parked at a pulled off area near the United Greenacres Roadhouse which is along the Bruce Highway between Townsville and Ayr. Ironically his Freightliner Argosy Bdouble was beside a crop of mango trees. Based at Mackay, Wells works for Alpine Fresh and enjoys life on the road. “I had been a driver for six years then gave it away for a few
business is Ubjammin Indigenous Dj Hire and Lenny said the Mercedes had never let him down. “I have been to every Australian mainland state in it and also to remote Queensland communities
such as Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Pormpuraaw, Bamaga, Seisia and Cherbourg. Also to Palm Island and we went over the ocean by barge,” he said. Lenny started his DJ business in 2003 and purchased the Mercedes second hand locally. “My truck and I are well known around the country and I have travelled in it as a DJ,” he said. The multi purpose Mercedes was being used to deliver food on November 7 when he opened his new café Lenny’s KuppMurrie at Townsville’s Vincent Village shopping centre. “I have lived in Townsville for 25 years and my café
will employ 12 people. That includes two chefs and other support workers,” he said. He gained his qualification as a chef many years ago and the cafe will serve up culinary delights such as sticky pork, vermicelli chicken and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dishes as well as coffee, cakes and other café food. Lenny also has a van in which he delivers food for the mobile side of his café and catering business which has a motto of “hot meals on wheels.” The first customer was Eddie Savage who told Big Rigs that it was wonderful to have such an eatery in the North Queensland capital.
but got itchy feet when I saw a shiny truck go past. I’m glad I did,” he said. Lee likes stopping at the Golden Nugget Roadhouse near Gympie and doesn’t have an electronic log diary. The first truck he drove was a A6 Leader and overall he has been driving for around 30 years. Outside work Wells enjoys all forms of motor sport with drag racing his absolute favourite. Lee feels that sections of the Bruce Highway need more work and has a New Year’s Resolution. “Just to poke along,” he said.
“Truckies working for Truckies”
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DRIVER PROFILES 37
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
Tassie Truckin’
with Jonathan Wallis
Luke Williams
Andrew Arnold
PASSING through Epping Forest the other day our eye was instantly taken by this outstanding 2015 Western Star which we have seen often but never caught up with before, rolling in to the Caltex there. And after a long absence it was good to catch up with Luke Williams again, from the Derwent Valley as well, and he told us: “The Star, a Constellation, powered by a 550 ISX E5 belongs to the family. “I am on my return leg from Scottsdale homewards to the Valley today, but we are being kept flat out at the moment. “I’ve had the Star for two years now, and it’s a great truck, comfortable and economical and ideal for the work, which is pretty varied, from our staple which is carrying round bales of hay, silage, fresh cherries up to the boat and also apples likewise, pretty well anything that’s going. “For example, I took a load of machinery up to Scottsdale
IT is is always good to catch up with old friends, and so it was the other day when we met up with owner-driver Andrew Arnold from Bridport, as he rolled in to the Caltex at Epping Forest for a cuppa and a refreshment break. He was driving his “always busy working” Dorset Transport 2016 5800 Western Star and towing a refrigerated Tautliner loaded with fresh produce, and he was on his way from Scottsdale to Hobart and then hopefully return at the time. He told us: “I’ve been out on the road now for 16 years, this year, and so far it has been a good and satisfactory way to earn a living, plus I enjoy the driving and looking around the state. “We now have three trucks and a van on the go and we are happily keeping them all busy just now. The outlook is good at the moment with all the rain, and
today, and we work Tassie wide, so I have the benefit of seeing some interesting country as well. And it certainly looks good just now, a very pleasing green all over, and that should mean we are in for a bumper year for a welcome change.
Luke has been on the road for about three years all up, but started out driving tractors and farm machinery, and it just progressed from there. “And I am loving it, and couldn’t be happier with my decision to get out on the road.”
after a few really tough years that is certainly welcome. No, I am happy with things and really like the Star, nice unit and ideal for the job.” We asked him about how
Roger Neal
Matthew Daley
WE first saw this impressive Norton Transport 500 Hp Scania as the demo pulling a B-double, and it was good to catch up with Roger Neal from Burnie driving it, the other day at the Epping Forest Caltex, as he pulled out on his return to Burnie from Hobart and after he had grabbed a quick refreshment break there. Towing a B-double loaded with general freight at the time he told us: “I’m officially only a Casual driver here but at the moment we are so busy just now that it seems to be pretty well full time. “I have been with Norton’s now for four good months. They are certainly a top outfit and really look after us, and run good, well maintained gear, I mean, look at this Scania. “I reckon I’ve been on the road for about 40 years
“I’VE been driving for Muskett’s now for four months, but they run great gear, and look after us, and so far it is turning out to be a top job, and giving me a great change of scenery, and I’m loving it.” Matthew Daley from Hobart told us the other day when we caught up with him at the Caltex at Epping Forest grabbing a quick bite to eat and a cuppa. He was driving a Muskett’s 2015 K-200 with a quad dog loaded with plantation timber from Koonya and was on his way to Long Reach at the time at the time and he told us: “I have been on the road for about eight years now, and I am really happy with the job and no regrets at all for taking it up as a career. “I started life with a trade as a builder, but I really enjoy getting out on the road
now, and 25 of those years was spent driving fuel tankers, and basically, I have no regrets, it’s been a good life, still is.
“When I do get a bit of time off, I enjoy looking around and caravanning and fishing and generally taking it easy.”
and all the variety and ever-changing scenery, and all the interesting people you meet along the way as well.”
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he spent his time off, and that drew a chuckle, as he replied: “Time off? When not doing maintenance etc, I try to spend as much as possible with the wife and kids.”
We asked him about his time off, and he said “When I get a bit of time off, it is spent with the kids and the family.”
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38 SPY ON THE ROAD
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Remember that the reviver sites are for truckies too
Our man with his ear to the ground dishes up the hottest gossip from the roadhouses and truckies he meets travelling the busy roads of Australia.
SPY ON THE ROAD WITH ALF WILSON
Driver reviver importance THE Driver Reviver sites which will be operate at rest areas around the country over the holiday period play an important role in fatigue management and road safety. But Spy hopes that the volunteers who are on hand to provide motorists with a free cuppa and a biscuit also welcome truckies. In past years many reports have come to Spy from some drivers who have been told by volunteers at these important sites that
they for car and caravan occupants. These volunteers do a magnificent job but surely truck drivers should be welcomed with open arms. Of course there are many rest areas hosting driver revivers where there is not enough parking space for heavy vehicles. However Spy has seen lots of trucks parked across the highway from the driver revivers in numerous States. Light trucks mostly can fit in the majority of driver reviver rest areas. You will often see the light rigs pull up for a light refreshment and drivers have a call of nature at a public toilet. The Driver Reviver Program is a community initiative which was set up to address fatigue related road trauma.
A popular Driver Reviver stop in Innisfail, North Queensland.
We all have a stake in road safety, including truckies who keep Australia supplied. So a message to all driver reviver volunteers: Give any truckie who lobs up a welcoming smile – and a drink and snack. Remember, it is the Christmas season, and it may just help save a life. Tassie driver revivers ON the subject of driver revivers, it seems that at such Tasmanian sites there is no suitable and safe access for trucks to stop. “It would be quite dangerous for trucks to do so,” a veteran driver told Spy giving his overall summary. He nominated the locations as being at Parramatta Creek between Latrobe and Deloraine, just past Sassafras heading to Launceston
A list of the NSW Driver Reviver sites at a busy rest area.
off Conservatory Road and St Peter’s pass. Parramatta Creek is at the bottom of a hill in a 110km speed zone (100 for trucks) on the northern busy Bass Highway. “When cars enter or exit this site it can pose some serious issues for loaded trucks, as there are no markings to help cars exit or enter safely. If this site was able to be entered by trucks it is only suitable for north bound traffic, traffic southbound have to cross oncoming traffic to enter,” he said. The well-known road transport identity said the other main one is near Oatlands at St Peters Pass on the Midlands Highway which for south bound traffic is on the left on an uphill section. “Any traffic northbound has to cross oncoming traffic to enter. Again in a truck 100km zone. Both these sites are not really suitable for driver revivers due to the
highway not having suitable access for vehicle leaving or entering. There are no off, or entry access lanes at either site. “They have to enter into 100km traffic without on ramps or merging lanes. For that reason most likely truckies would not consider supporting these driver reviver sites when they are operating,” he said. Our man said there were other sites around the Apple Isle with lesser truck traffic where driver revivers operate. “I have no feedback on whether any trucks have tried to use them. My belief is none would be suitable for a truck to stop safely anyway. Television ads here indicate all road users can use these road safety driver reviver sites. But any truck driver with common sense does not enter mainly due to the possible issue when re-entering traffic,” he said.
Is justice being served? OFTEN owner-operators or small feet bosses will tell Spy they have been breached for what they consider minor offences when they may be not guilty. My question to these has been “why don’t you decline to pay the fine and let the matter be decided in court by a magistrate”. Most time the answer comes swiftly that they can’t risk paying expensive legal fees to front up to a magistrate. On occasions they may win and have the breach thrown out and court costs awarded against the Crown. But is it worth the risk considering the state of the economy and everything else our mates on the road are faced with? But whilst it comes down to a personal decision by the person who was breached the overall question one must ask. Is justice being served on all occasions? Probably not.
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SPY ON THE ROAD 39
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
This Liebherr mobile slew crane turned heads as it travelled along the Flinders Highway.
Fuel price opinions DURING the past few months numerous truckies have spoken to Spy about often vastly varying fuel prices at different outlets. There has been a spate of new Liberty roadhouses or service stations in the region where Spy lives. Generally diesel and fuel prices at these and United outlets have been cheaper than at nearby big establishments. However truckies have told Spy that often at the bargain price outlets there is often no access for B-doubles and even single trailer trucks. It can be 10 cents per litre cheaper at these but only light trucks can gain access. On the flip side other truckies have told me that even though bigger outlets may be more expensive that is not the whole story. “By the time truckies who have a fuel card get a discount per litre it can be around the same price,” one veteran told me. Pardon the pun. But that provides food (oops FUEL) for thought. Batman Bridge blitz IF you are travelling along the Batman Highway in Tasmania over the festive season make sure you abide by the road rules. Spy hears from Tassie drivers that there seems to be an increased police and NHVR officer presence es-
pecially on both sides of the Batman Bridge. The road connects with the West Tamar Highway and the East Tamar Highway and can be very busy with traffic. Scenery on each side of the Tamar River is breathtaking and drivers can be easily distracted. The bridge is 432m long and took five years to construct with work finishing in 1968. One of my best Tasmanian road transport contacts confirmed the increased activity. “Officers have been seen on the Batman Bridge Road about three days out of five. This does seem to be an increase by normal standards. Batman Bridge being one of the last of that designer’s bridges left in use in the world out of about 18 he designed like it. The structure and design would have limits of weight allowed over it. Tasmanian Government have always done a high level of maintenance on the Batman Bridge and the allowed mass is still 68 tonne. Now there are higher than 68 tonne mass vehicles on Tasmanian roads, so is it possible officers are checking for any over the weight of the bridge who may be using it rather than go through Launceston with their higher mass,” he told Spy. He said in Tasmania there is in place a system of checking by electronics put into
the road surface like they use in the approaches to traffic lights. “Some of these actually check weights but not totally exactly but do give good indications of weights passing over. Have they put some of these each side of Batman Bridge and recorded weights which appear too high so the officers monitor that section to see who it may be,” he said. Spy doesn’t want any of our truckie mates to be fined and boost Government consolidated revenue in the lead up to Christmas when we all need every dollar we earn. Crane truck turns heads A Liebherr mobile slew crane turned heads as it travelled along the Flinders Highway. It passed the Puma Roadhouse at Calcium and Spy saw half a dozen people snap pics on their mobile phone. “Wonder what type of vehicle that is,” one asked. Spy saw the name of the company which owns it on the side which is NQ Mining services and Townsville Cranes based at the Bohle. “The crane was bought new by our company and has been an integral part of part of our fleet since 2006,” a company spokesperson advised. To be precise it is a LTM1220/5.1 – 220T Mobile slew crane and was heading to Torrens Creek for a truck roll over after an accident.
Torrens Creek is a small town between Charters Towers and Hughenden near the Burra Range section of the Flinders Highway. Promise kept AT Big Rigs we love truck drivers sending in pics especially when they travel to remote areas. Often Spy has been promised such pics by drivers but only on the odd occasion do they come through with the goods. One who did was enthusiastic owner-operator Phil McNamara who regularly delivers to remote Doomadgee which is on Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. The 54-year-old Phil told me he would be happy to snap a pic of his Western Star 6900 at Doomadgee and he did.
A truck travels the Batman Highway near the bridge.
Doomadgee is about 140km from the NT border and 95km west of Burketown. I enjoyed receiving the pic which is published here for readers. Year like no other IT has been a year like no other and the coronavirus pandemic has changed most of our lives in some way. But whilst truckies fall into that category one thing hasn’t changed since March when lockdowns started. Trucks have continued to keep Australia supplied albeit often with difficulties such
The Western Star parked near the sign at the entrance to remote Doomadgee.
as border closes and social distancing. Another thing that continued during the turmoil is that drivers from around the country have continued to contact me in some form with info for this column. It may have been after a yarn to them at a roadhouse or rest area, via a phone call, email or social media. I want to thank you all and consider it an honour and privilege to write about the road transport industry and the champions who make it click. For a few months it looked like Big Rigs would be in permanent lockdown when it closed from June 30 to early September. That is when it was taken over by the new owners Prime Creative Media and this will be the eighth edition since then. We go on a break now until mid-January when it all starts again. I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New year and hope you all get to spend time with family over the festive season. And most of all – SAFE DRIVING.
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40 COLUMN
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
Reflecting on trucking trials and achievements
Despite the challenges of 2020, the industry has achieved a great deal.
Acting Chief Executive Officer Australian Trucking Association Bill McKinley
FROM bushfires and a global pandemic to lockdowns and a national truck law review, 2020 has been a significant year for the trucking industry, which has been tried and tested but has come out on top. Boosted by the support of our members and industry, the ATA was able to deliver great achievements for trucking in the face of adversity. With our industry hit hard by the bushfires and the pandemic, it was our job to make sure industry members on the road, in the office and at the depot received the support and recognition they deserved. A big issue was maintaining driver access to facilities at truck stops, distribution centres and customer sites. Together with our members, we campaigned hard to keep facilities open and en-
gaged with governments to ensure these businesses adopted the national protocol to allow truck facilities and dining to remain open. It was also vital that freight was able to keep moving. We made it clear to governments that it was impractical to distinguish between essential and non-essential freight, as was tried in New Zealand. Despite red tape, confusion, interstate inconsistency and ambiguity, the inspirational efforts of ATA member associations meant our industry could continue to operate, along with truck and trailer manufacturers and repairers. Working collaboratively with our members, the ATA delivered many other strong achievements in 2020, especially when it came to advocating for our safety agenda. We pushed hard for mandating advanced emergency braking for new trucks, with the Australian Government now releasing draft Australian Design Rules for the technology. We also pushed hard for safety-focused crash investigation, with the Productivity Commission recommending
that the Government transition the Australian Transport Safety Bureau into heavy vehicle crash investigations. As the review into the national truck laws progressed, we advocated for risk-based and safety-focused reforms. Some of the ATA’s greatest achievements this year were in supporting new investment in trucks and trailers. Our efforts, and the efforts of many others, ultimately resulted in the Australian Government’s budget decision to allow businesses with a turnover of less than $5 billion to deduct the full cost of new depreciating assets, such as trucks and trailers. Small and medium sized businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million can also expense second-hand assets. This is a move that will support jobs and put newer, safer and greener trucks on the road. Collaboration and extended advocacy from the ATA and our members also resulted in new measures to improve Australia’s domestic fuel security, including $200 million for building new domestic fuel storage.
The ATA has pushed for safety-focused crash investigation.
The trucking industry depends on fuel. Without it, our supermarkets would be empty and deliveries brought to a standstill. The ATA’s member associations played an important role in advocating for this great win for industry and they deserve enormous credit for their work on this issue over many years. 2020 also saw Parliament pass new legislation to establish the Payment Times Re-
porting Scheme – a scheme that will require big businesses to report on their payment practices. Trucking is a small and family business industry. More than 98 per cent of trucking operators are owner-operators or small businesses. Trucking is also characterised by tight margins. Most costs, like wages and fuel, are incurred before operators can bill their customers.
Operators often have little capacity to negotiate with large customers. The ATA has long called for strong action to deliver fair payment times for operators and has called for penalties for big businesses who continue to pay their bills late. 2020 was a challenging year, but our industry has demonstrated resilience and strength. It will continue to lead the way to a safer and more productive future.
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BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
Plenty to celebrate in a very challenging year
COST CUTTER CHET CLINE
AT THE WHEEL DAVID MEREDITH
AIR CTI founder/owner
TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE
contributors@bigrigs.com.au
WOMEN IN TRANSPORT TRANSPORT WOMEN IN JACQUELENE BROTHERTON JACQUELENE BROTHERTON Chair of Transport WomenWomen Australia Chair of Transport
Australia
AMAZING as it may seem, we have much to celebrate as 2020 draws to a close. We are still standing, a little battered and beaten and sadly in some cases without members of our families. in the maTHEHowever, OZ TRUCKER jority,WILLIAMS the resilience of the MIKE contributors@bigrigs.com.au trucking industry has kept the country AT THE WHEEL moving and supplied with all the essenDAVID MEREDITH tials of life through the most contributors@bigrigs.com.au chaotic year most of us will ever experience in our lifetime. In helping the farmers through the horrific drought, then the soul-destroying bushfires, to the idiocy of the toilet paper hoarders, we have continLOBBYIST ued toSHEARER do our job; day after STEVE EDITOR SA Roadnight Transportafter Association day, night. JAMES GRAHAM Executive Director james.graham@bigrigs.com.au
contributors@bigrigs.com.au
We made great strides in being recognised as an essential industry, Queensland has set some laws for keeping truck rest areas for trucks and the Heavy VeEDITOR hicle National JAMES GRAHAMLaw is being james.graham@bigrigs.com.au reviewed. There has been much more progress, investment and research put into the mental health of our drivers and other workers with several national programmes being rolled out; The Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds being the one mostNEWS directed at trucking. TWU The SIRFOLSEN programme Men RICHARD TWU State Secretary – NSW Talking Men’s Mental Health and its webinars TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDERare great also. DAVID VILE Transport Women Auscontributors@bigrigs.com.au tralia Limited had several successful events before the onset of the coronavirus slowed us down considerably. However, we launched our Creating Connections Mentoring programme and also nominated several TRUCKIN’ members for awards TASSIE withWALLIS some success. Melissa JON
Strong won the Excellence in Transport Award at the Women in Industry Awards and Annastasia Denigan took out the Young Achiever Award at the Australian Freight Industry Awards. We awarded our Driving the Difference scholarships with our fabulous sponsor Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific for the second year, with four very varied and deserving winners. The Trish Pickering Memorial Award, which was established in 2019, was awarded in 2020 to Phyllis Jones OAM. This award is made possible by the generosity of Wes Pickering, to whom we are exceedingly grateful. I have joined the Board of the Australian Gender Equality Council and I hope to make a difference by expanding and sharing my knowledge; equality for all genders should be the ultimate goal for all of us. We are going ahead with our 2021 Conference to be
TASSIE TRUCKIN’ JON WALLIS contributors@bigrigs.com.au
LEGAL EAGLE ROWAN KING
Principal Lawyer RK Law
The Trish Pickering Memorial Award, which was established in 2019, was awarded in 2020 to Phyllis Jones OAM.
TWU NEWS
AS we finally take the exit ramp for this year, we acknowledge that 2020 has been a very tough year for transport workers and our industry has left no doubt that without the strength of the work that drivers do, Australia stops. We still have plenty of fight on our hands, we need to ensure that the attention of Government remains focused. Where are the rest
JACQUELENE BROTHERTON
held on 28-30 May, in Melbourne. Plans are well advanced, and we are excited about the programme we have in place, with more news to be released as it comes. The TWAL board and I would like to wish you a wonderful and safe Christmas and we will see you back here in January 2021. We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead.
contributors@bigrigs.com.au
Truckies are facing a growing list of expenses TWU NEWS RICHARDOLSEN OLSEN RICHARD TWU NSW State Secretary TWU NSW State Secretary
IN THE MAJORITY, THE RESILIENCE OF THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY HAS KEPT THE COUNTRY MOVING AND SUPPLIED WITH ALL THE ESSENTIALS OF LIFE THROUGH THE MOST CHAOTIC YEAR MOST OF US WILL EVER EXPERIENCE IN OUR LIFETIME.
WHERE ARE THE REST AREA IMPROVEMENTS, WHERE IS LEGAL EAGLE THE SUPPORT ROWAN KING FOR BETTER Principal Lawyer Law A NEW TRAININGRKFOR GENERATION OF DRIVERS AND WHERE IS THE LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT FOR MINIMUM PAYMENT TIMES THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO MAINTAIN VEHICLES AND ENSURE A DRIVER IS NOT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AFTER EVERY DOLLAR? RICHARD OLSEN
area improvements, where is the support for better training for a new generation of drivers and where is the legislative support for minimum payment times that will make it easier to maintain vehicles and ensure a driver is not driving down the road after every dollar? The devastating reflection on the year 2020 is the silence from Government on these issues. They are happy to put out new speed cameras for trucks, happy to assist corporations like Transurban who continue the gouge on the wallet through their toll roads. Yet the fact remains that heavy vehicle operators face a significant and growing
list of expenses which they are more often than not, unable to recover from their contractors. Fatigue management is another conversation that is still avoided by those in charge. Drivers still wait too many hours to load and unload after a long run. TWU members are still talking about the inadequacy of rest areas, for example: “In my opinion there are nowhere near enough rest areas in NSW country. They’re substandard. In 90% of the cases they might as well give ya a hole in the ground. That’s a better option.” For all the millions of dollars of Government road safety announcements, pre-
cious little of that money is set down for truck drivers to ensure they can rest safely. There are not enough rest areas, and many of those rest areas are not fit for purpose and full of caravans. There is no doubt that this problem will become more evident as the holiday season gets under way. As 2020 ends, where is the end to the pressure that a driver has to deal with? The inevitable outcome is an increase to transport industry deaths at work which are merely seen as road toll. The TWU is looking forward to 2021 as a year to continue the fight to change things in our industry for the better.
We want to bring rates and conditions to a standard that respects the critical nature of the work transport workers do. It ensures a safer future for the industry. It ensures you get home at the end of every shift and properly paid. The TWU salutes those drivers who will keep transport moving to make our holiday season run smoothly and happily. On behalf of all the members of TWU, I wish you and your family all the very best for this Christmas holiday season, and the happiest of New Years for 2021. Whatever you do, stay safe, stay strong, enjoy the time with your loved ones.
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42 COLUMN
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
AFIA honours industry’s finest
THE Victorian Transport Association and members of the Australian freight and logistics industry honoured the winners of the 2020 Australian Freight Industry Awards during a 90-minute virtual awards presentation broadcast from The Pullman Hotel in Melbourne on Sunday, 29 November. Venue capacity restrictions meant the annual event that typically sees upwards of 700 guests gathering for a black-tie extravaganza could not proceed in its usual form, so the VTA presented an online celebration that honoured seven individuals and organisations from a variety of categories. The winners were: • Peter Smith, SCT Logistics, Personality of the Year Award – sponsored by CMV Truck & Bus; • D ebra O’Donnell, Precise Pallet Management, Female Leadership Award – sponsored by Viva Energy Australia; • A nnastasia Denigan, Cement Australia, Young Achiever of the Year Award – sponsored by Daimler; • Alex Fraser Group, Sustainable Environment Award – sponsored by National Transport Insurance; • J OST Australia, Application of Technology Award – sponsored by Transport Certification Australia; • Delta Group, Best Practice Safety Award – sponsored by Gallagher; and • Nationwide Group, Investment in People Award – sponsored by Logical Staffing Solutions. Award winners were de-
Australian rock band Boom Crash Opera entertained during the virtual event.
pected to experience, but our ability to do so is a testament to how our industry just gets on with things, and supports our customers, suppliers and each other.
I couldn’t be prouder of the way transport operators have rallied to keep Australia moving throughout the pandemic, ensuring households and communities have
VTA CEO Peter Anderson with Personality of the Year Award winner Peter Smith and VTA President Mike Lean.
had ample supplies of food, medicine, fuel and other essential goods during the uncertainty of lockdowns. On behalf of the Australian freight industry, the many members of the assessment panels and the VTA Executive Council, I’d like to congratulate our finalists and winners and thank the more than 40 individuals and organisations that took time to prepare entries. In such tumultuous times, we never expected to receive a record number of nominations, and that we did is a credit to the passion our members have for these awards and recognising our industry’s many achievements and contributions. And of course, a big thanks to our major event supporters TWUSUPER and Viva Energy Australia for sponsoring tonight’s award presentation, which would not have been possible without their support. The Australian Freight Industry Awards presentation is renowned for the
phenomenal entertainment that has wowed guests for 31 years. A pandemic and gathering restrictions weren’t about to the stop the VTA from maintaining this tradition. Event organisers arranged for the hit Australian rock band Boom Crash Opera to play its hits ‘The Best Thing’ and ‘Get Out of the House’ live from the studio. Past AFIA entertainer Daryl Braithwaite also featured in the line-up with a special recording of his new hit ‘Love Songs’ broadcast during the production. Next year’s 32nd presentation of the awards will return to Melbourne’s Crown Palladium on 4 September 2021, where we look forward to delivering another AFIA extravaganza in person next year and the opportunity for our industry to get together to celebrate our remarkable achievements. For those that missed it, the livestream of the AFIAs can be viewed at https:// afia2020.web-stream.live/
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VTA COMMENT PETER ANDERSON CEO, Victorian Transport Association
cided by a judging panel that assessed the entries against several criteria. The entries, as usual, were of a fantastic calibre and showcased the excellence and high standards our industry constantly strives to exceed in servicing their customers and the community. I was pleased to gather with the representatives of event sponsors TWUSUPER and Viva Energy Australia, and our category sponsors, to announce the finalists and winners, who accepted their awards from the comfort of their own homes thanks to livestreaming technology that connected them to a studio set up at The Pullman to broadcast the production. This year’s awards have occurred against the backdrop of unprecedented circumstances, with coronavirus forcing businesses and communities to make huge sacrifices and adjustments to adapt to this strange, new COVID Normal. Presenting these awards in this virtual format is certainly something I never ex-
AU
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EXPERT ADVICE 43
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
I’m de-flated: All I hear is silence about tyre pressure COST CUTTER CHET CLINE AIR CTI founder/owner
SAFETY is supposed to be the most important issue for any business, especially transport. We are supposed to ‘do everything reasonably practical’ to improve safety, but, are we? Parts failure causes 4% of our truckINaccidents. Tyre failWOMEN TRANSPORT ure accounts for 80% of that JACQUELENE BROTHERTON figure, especially steer blow Chair of Transport Women Australia outs. But, what are we doing about this issue? Nothing. If we knew the pressures in our tyres, that would warn the driver, giving him enough time to pull over safely, but, almost no one has Tyre Pressure Monitoring. IfOZ ourTRUCKER steer tyres were inTHE flated correctly, MIKE WILLIAMS that would be a great benefit. One huncontributors@bigrigs.com.au
dred psi (7 bar) simply is not enough air pressure to support an axle load of 6 tonne, let alone 6.5 tonne. every steer tyre on our heavy trucks is 20% under-inflated, at the AT THE WHEEL best. DAVID MEREDITH John de Pont explained contributors@bigrigs.com.au this in black and white, in his PBS tyre review to the NHVR last year. Load to Inflation tables from the heavy truck tyre manufacturers recommend these pressures too. Almost all heavy truck steer tyres are under-inflated. How can this happen in 2020? As we all know, under-inflated EDITOR tyres run hot, and simply are JAMES GRAHAM not safe. Yet, transport conjames.graham@bigrigs.com.au tinues to use 100 psi in all the truck tyres. Why are the tyre manufacturers so quiet? Why is the NHVR so quiet. Is this difficult to fix? Where is the ‘duty of care,’ and the ‘chain of responsibility?’ Most truck people like racing, F1, motorcycles, Bathurst. Most of us are moTWU NEWS tor heads. If the tyre pressures RICHARD OLSEN are NSW notState spot on, you lose the TWU Secretary
TRUCKIN’ ON THE BORDER DAVID VILE contributors@bigrigs.com.au
TASSIE TRUCKIN’ race.WALLIS At Bathurst, a one psi JON
mistake makes you a loser. In Formula 1, a one tenth psi mistake loses the race. Yet, we put 100 psi in all of our tyres, with no concern. Safe handling and safe working conditions are blown away. Correct tyre pressure ‘depends upon the tyre size and the load’ (Michelin). When the load is heavy, we need LEGAL EAGLE high tyre pressure, and when ROWAN KING we’re Lawyer running Principal RK Law light, we need contributors@bigrigs.com.au
LOBBYIST STEVE SHEARER
SA Road Transport Association Executive Director
Our regulators know the importance of matching tyre pressure to the load.
much lower pressures. Almost every drive and trailer tyre on Aussie roads is significantly over inflated. Check out the PBS Tyre recommendations for the correct tyre pressures on Aussie roads. Drive tyres are at least 30% over inflated, while trailer tyres are 70% over inflated ’at maximum legal load.’ When lightly loaded, they are usually 300% over inflated! Does this make sense? Does over-inflation affect safety? Sure does. Way back in 2012, Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association (ARTSA) proved that a lightly loaded semi would stop at least 15% shorter, with the right pressures! That is two semi lengths at 80k’s. Stopping quickly is a vital safety issue. Yet nothing has happened since! Two years ago, AIR CTI financed ARRB to test tyre slip angles on their specialized test semi rig. The results proved that slip angles increase at least 15% when tyres are over inflated. Slip angle affects trailer tracking, emergency maneuverers, and jack knifes. This is another vital safety issue. We as an industry must do ‘everything reasonably practical’ to improve safety, or we can go to jail. Yet, we are still driving ‘blind,’ with no idea of our tyre pressure, especially on the critical steer tyres. Why are our steer tyres
20% under-inflated? We know under-inflation is dangerous. Our government regulators know our steer tyres are under-inflated. The tyre manufacturers know our steer tyres are under-inflated. Our tyre fitters should know and understand this too. Yet, all I see is silence. Why are the engineers and regulators so quiet? Are they not governed by ‘Chain of Responsibility’ laws? Our environment and greenhouse gases are supposed to be hugely important to our future, yet, no one cares about tyres. We could save at least 400,000 tyres per year, if we ran the right tyre pressures. Fuel use would decrease too. Yet, silence again. Drivers are the backbone of our industry. High vibration levels, from rough roads, amplified by over-inflated tyres are killing our drivers, our trucks, and our roads. Isn’t this important too? We have electronic aids galore on our trucks. EBS, ABS, ESC, all work by applying braking which is transmitted through the rubber to the road. That bit of rubber contact is vitally important. So our drivers drive blind, on under-inflated steers, and over-inflated drive and trailer tyres, risk- ing lives, damaging our drivers, our trucks, our roads, and our environment. Our industry is wasting billions of dollars, on something
ONE HUNDRED PSI (7 BAR) SIMPLY IS NOT ENOUGH AIR PRESSURE TO SUPPORT AN AXLE LOAD OF 6 TONNE, LET ALONE 6.5 TONNE. EVERY STEER TYRE ON OUR HEAVY TRUCKS IS 20% UNDER-INFLATED, AT THE BEST. CHET CLINE
so easily fixed. I am astounded by the silence. If I fail to adequately inform my employees, I can go to jail. If I operate a vehicle that is unsafe, I can go to jail. Our regulators know the importance of matching tyre pressure to the load. Tyre manufacturers know this too. Every racer knows that tyre pressures are vital if he wants to win. Tyre pres- sures are absolutely vital for every truck operator, if safety is important, if truck life is important, and if profits are important. My question is: How can our regulators and tyre suppliers sleep at night? How can they get by with their silence? Where is their ‘Chain of Responsibility?’ Ring me or email me for any reason. This is my passion and life. Chet Cline, 03 51276128 chetcline@hotmail.com
Optimizing Tyre Pressures is Essential if Profit is IMPORTANT AIR CTI WILL SAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON EVERY TRUCK ON EVERY ROAD. • 30% LONGER TYRE LIFE • Doubles Diff and Tranny Life • Doubles Suspension Life • 50% Longer Truck Life • Less Downtime
• More Uptime • Increased Profits • Safer • Greener
Optimize Your Tyre Pressures with AIR CTI Match Tyre Pressures to the Load and the Road 100 psi in all tyres is simply WRONG
AIR CTI 03 51276128 | www.aircti.com Ring now for more information. Aussie Made
40 PUZZLES PUZZLES 44
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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 8
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SUDOKU
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Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 21 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
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QUICK 1
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9
13 Which term indicates 12 dozen (5) 16 What are some British noblemen called (5) 18 What is unoccupied time called (7) 19 To expel from a place, is to do what (4) 20 What is herbal tea known as (6) 21 Name the natives of Baghdad (6) 22 W hich persons avoid traditional conventions DOUBLECROSS of behaviour (8) CROSSWORD 23 What 3 are 4 farewells5called (6) 6 7 Find a finished crossword by deleting one of 24 Who discovered X-rays in 1895, William ... (8) the two letters in each divided square. 8 25 How many players are there in a cricket team (6) 10
Down
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2 Which tooth is adapted for cutting (7) 12 3 What are circular bands of flowers left at graves (7) 4 Who deals in textiles and cloth goods (6)13 516 W hich musical direction suggests 17 moderately slowly and evenly (7)
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24 25
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Down 1. Jail (8) 2. Initially (5) 4. Paddle (3) 5. Abstinence (5,7) 6. Dare (7) 7. Informant (colloq) (4) 8. Feeling, atmosphere (12) 12. Happen (5) 13. Leans (8) 15. Free time (7) 19. Punctuation mark (5) 20. Competent (4) 22. Low (3)
Across 1. Uncertain (colloq) (4) 3. Absolved (8) 9. Associate (7) 10. From inside (5) 11. Over time (2,3,4,3) 14. Night bird (3) 16. Succulent plants (5) 17. Immeasurable period of time (3) 18. Arranged by rank (12) 21. Violent person (5) 22. Tearfully sentimental (7) 23. Poll (8) 24. Colony insects (4)
8
9
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15
HARD
3 24
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SOLUTIONS
5x5 R E E D S
ALPHAGRAMS: LEASE, MYRIAD, NEARING, ORGANIST, PATRONESS.
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GK CROSSWORD Across; 1 Pottery, 4 Conga, 7 Warp, 8 Monrovia, 10 Steve Davis, 12 Edison, 13 Slaves, 15 Clark Gable, 18 Anteater, 19 Pall, 20 Yonks, 21 Tetanus. Down: 1 Pawns, 2 Turmeric, 3 Yeoman, 4 Cardiology, 5 Nova, 6 Amadeus, 9 New Orleans, 11 Eva Braun, 12 Estuary, 14 Argent, 16 Ellis, 17 Eton.
24
HARD
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M I
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Y E S E N E TODAY: A L T A R R Good 13 B A N E X U Very Good P A T H18 C ExcellentN 24L I T E E L E E N N T I C M T R E S
R G Y T D E S A R E M I T
P M E L T E L I T T H E M E S F O G
5
6
5x5 A S
27
S K E E S
Across 1 Emphasise 4 Thick mist 7 Motif 8 Tempt 11 Ignited 12 Eager 11 13 Dissolve 15 Metal ALPHAGRAMS 16 Restrict 14 Solve the anagrams. Each solution is a one-word 20 Track anagram of the letters beside it, and the five solutions 23 five-letter Be concerned are sequential. For example, if the solution starts with J, the six-letter solution with K, and so 24starts Prohibit on. 25 Oozes out 26 Sacrificial table EASEL 27 Acceptance DIM RAY 17 18 19 28 Exerted power GRANNIE ROASTING Down 23 TRANSPOSE 1 Looks for
4
T
I R
G A S
G E
R E S
2 Distinguished Insert the missing letters to make3ten — support five reading words Slender across the grid and five reading 4 Tumbled down. 5
Leave out
Note: more than one solution Obtain may 6 be possible.
9 Meshed fabric 10 Golf mound 14 One of refined taste 17 Insane All puzzles © The Puzzle Company 18 Anger 19 Irritable 20 Wan 21 Insects 22 Hither 24 European laurel
SOLUTION QUICK CROSSWORD amir amrita aria arum atria atrium attar aura auric carat cart Across: 1 Stress, Fog, 7 Theme, 8 Entice, 11 Lit, 12 Keen, 13 Melt, 15 cram curt marc maria mart raita rata rimu tarmac tart 4 tiara tract trait tram trauma TRAUMATICSteel, trim 16 Limit, 20 Path, 23 Care, 24 Ban, 25 Exudes, 26 Altar, 27 Yes, 28 Energy. Down: 1 Seeks, 2 Eminent, 3 Stem, 4 Fell, 5 Omit, 6 Get, 9 Net, 10 Tee, 14 Epicure, 17 Mad, 18 Ire, 19 Testy, 20 Pale, 21 Ants, 22 Here, 24 Bay.
A T
21
DOUBLECROSS
QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 1. Iffy 3. Forgiven 9. Partner 10. Inner 11. In the long run 14. Owl 16. Cacti 17. Eon 18. Hierarchical 21. Brute 22. Maudlin 23. Election 24. Ants. Down: 1. Imprison 2. First 4. Oar 5. Going without 6. Venture 7. Nark 8. Undercurrent 12. Occur 13. Inclines 15. Leisure 19. Colon 20. Able 22. Moo.
C A
E G R E T
WORD GO ROUND
SUDOKU G E A R S
EASY
2
22
N I T R E
Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
19
A S S E T
SUDOKU
EASY
How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter. There is at least one nine-letter word. No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb.
6/6 DOWN 1 Which chess pieces are most numerous? (5) 2 What bright yellow powder is used for flavouring in Asian cookery? (7) 3 In early England, what was a small landholder between gentry and labourers? (6) 4 What branch of medicine is concerned with diseases and abnormalities of the heart? (10) 56 A star thatmental suddenly brightens gradually fades is W hich disorder isthen marked by alternating called what? (4) periods of excitation and depression (7) 6 Which film, 1984’s Best Picture Oscar winner, was 7N ame the US(7)film director known especially for the filmed in Prague? 9 Where was Louisfilms, Armstrong Pink Panther Blakeborn? ... (7)(3,7) 11 Which woman was married on 29 April 1945, and died 13following W ho collaborated the day? (3,5) with Sir Arthur Sullivan, 12 What is the widening Sir William ... (7) channel of a river where saltwater mixes with freshwater? (7) arewhat narcotics also known as (7) 1414 In What heraldry, is the colour silver? (6) 1615 Millions records have from which US (7) immigration entry Whichofpoems 14 lines island are accessible on the internet? (5) N ame an alternative term for insatiable greed 1717 Which English college was founded by Henry VI in 1440?for riches (7) (4)
A B E A I N B I R D D P W A R A B O L A N L R A F T A D E A R L S S T V E I R A Q I S R S K S A D I E U S C R E N E L E V E N
7
ACROSS 1 If you are a collector of Clarice Cliff, what do you collect? (7) 4 What Latin American dance is performed by several people in single file? (5) 7 What are lengthwise threads on a loom? (4) 8 What is the capital of Liberia? (8) 10 In 1982, who made the first televised 147 break in snooker? (5,5) Across 12 Which inventor (Thomas ____) took out more than a 1 Which horse won the 2009 Caulfield Cup (6) thousand patents in his lifetime? (6) 13 What is the lastthe word of “Rule Britannia”? (6)(8) 8 Which horse won 1945 Melbourne Cup 15 The Misfits in 1961 was the last film starring Marilyn 9 Name an inflammatory disease of the skin (6) Monroe and which other actor? (5,5) 10 W 18hich geometrical plane curve is formed by an is Native to Central and South America, a tamandua what type of (8) animal? (8) intersection 19 What cloth is spread over a coffin? (4) 11 Name a blood-sucking African (6)long time”? (5) 20 What is an informal word for “aflyvery 21 What is also known 12 What wasdisease the Kon-Tiki (4) as lockjaw? (7)
V I E W E D N R R E C Z E M A I A P T S E T S E O H R G R O S S P O U I L I N B E A T N I E T E R O E N T G T S S
2
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Across: 1 Viewed, 8 Rainbird, 9 Eczema, 10 Parabola, 11 Tsetse, 12 Raft, 13 Gross, 16 Earls, 19 Oust, 21 Iraqis, 22 Beatniks, 23 Adieus, 24 Roentgen, 25 Eleven.
1
Down: 2 Incisor, 3 Wreaths, 4 Draper, 5 Andante, 6 Bipolar, 7 Edwards, 13 Gilbert, 14 Opiates, 15 Sonnets, 17 Avarice, 18 Leisure, 20 Tisane.
G E N E R 1A 2 L K 9N O W L 11 E D G 13 E
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We have exciting opportunities for Owner Tow Operators & B Double Drivers to join our team. The drivers will be operating B Double tippers and road trains working interstate. The work is suited for drivers who are able to spend time away from home – live in truck position and are looking for high earning potential.
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0499 003 603 Or submit your resume to drivingjobsaust@gmail.com
46 CAREERS AND TRAINING
FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020 BIGRIGS.COM.AU
HVIA honours apprentices and future leaders at awards
DURING its recent National Awards Breakfast in Brisbane, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) honoured those who have displayed exceptional leadership and innovation in the heavy vehicle sector, through a suite of awards. Among those recognised was Joel Dunstan of The Brown & Hurley Group – Yatala, who took out the National Apprentice of the Year Award. With a rural/trucking background, Dunstan was brought up with a good work ethic, helping his father with running and maintaining their fleet of trucks. He joined Brown & Hurley as a first-year apprentice and was already able to carry out basic repairs and servicing. Now he is described as “a model technician with great diagnostic skills”. Dunstan has also started mentoring new apprentices and was first to put his hand up to help guide this year’s apprentices through the first stages of their journey. Also honoured in the apprentice category of the awards was Ashley Beeby from Cummins – Laverton North,
who was presented with the High Achievement Award. When Beeby was about to begin her VCE in 2015, she hadn’t considered pathways other than university, until speaking with a careers advisor. A thirst for knowledge, desire to learn new things and ability to push herself out of her comfort zone saw Beeby undertake two impressive periods of work experience in the Cummins Laverton workshop. Before graduating in the top 5% of Year 12 students in Victoria for her year, with an ATAR of 95, she had already accepted an apprenticeship position with Cummins. John Jackson from Brimarco, Ballarat, took out the Peter Langworthy Future Leader Award category. He joined the business when he was just 16 and completed his apprenticeship three years later as a qualified boilermaker. By 21, Jackson was Leading Hand, overseeing the manufacture of widening drop deck trailers. After a successful five-year stint with Jayco, he was back in Ballarat, initially returning to Brimarco’s factory floor as a welder; but before the year
National Apprentice of the Year Joel Dunstan (second from right) with his supervisor at Brown and Hurley Cameron Behn, award sponsor Doug Warby and HVIA CEO Todd Hacking.
was out, he became Leading Hand and the following year was promoted to Operations Supervisor for the division. Despite no previous sales experience Jackson has matched the previous two years’ sales volume in his first year. He has developed new channels to market and new sources of lead generation; and also came
Russell Transport is a privately owned business and market leader specialising in specialised heavy haulage and contract logistics. Based in South East QLD, we operate a diverse fleet and offer end to end project logistics.
HEAVY HAULAGE DRIVER
DUTIES & SKILLS:
About the Role: We are currently seeking an experienced Heavy Haulage Platform Operator to deliver over-dimensional and over-mass machinery and equipment to customer specified destinations with a safe and reliable approach. • MC drivers’ licence • Demonstrated experience in Heavy Haulage & Specialised Transport • Transporting machinery and equipment to and from destinations across Australia • Be highly experienced in transporting OSOM machinery & equipment • Have a detailed understanding of the heavy vehicle networks – including remote locations • Experience in operating a range of low loaders and platform trailers up to and including 10-row • Loading & unloading of various over-dimensional and over-mass machinery & equipment • Knowledge of the NTC load restraint guidelines to safely restrain OSOM items • Be responsible and accountable for your load, your vehicle and your work environment • Report all incidents, accidents and near misses
Successful applicants must have a strong work ethic, and be required to pass a TruckSafe Medical, including Drug & Alcohol testing. For further information, please contact Damien Pollock on 0428 444 466. Application can be submitted to damienpollock@russelltpt.com.au
up with an idea for a new model to complement the existing range. This has now been fully engineered, with a prototype in production. Other HVIA award winners are: • The Community Leadership Award: MaxiTRANS Industries – R U OK / Drought Aid
• P roduct Innovation Award: Tiger Spider – Hevi Spec/ Spider Path • S afety Innovation Award: Jost Australia – SK42ASW Pneumatically Operated Sensor Fifth-Wheel • And the Industry Recognition Award: Rob Perkins Speaking at the event, Assistant Minister for Road
Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz said, “I congratulate the entire heavy vehicle industry; transport operators, manufacturers, repairers and drivers on a job well done. Through your joint efforts you have ensured that our trucks and trailers have stayed on the road and freight kept moving.”
The GTS Group is a privately-owned business & market leader specialising in freight movement & warehousing. Based in Mildura & employing nationally, we run a fleet of modern Prime Movers & B-double Taut-liner trailers servicing a range of blue-chip customers. Due to ongoing expansion in freight movements we have the following positions available for experienced & diligent applicants with an immediate start.
Relief MC Interstate Drivers • Fatigue compliant. • 5 weeks leave. • Modern equipment & facilities. • Weekly pay cycle under Modern Drivers Award. • Large client base nationally. • Full-time position may be available. A current unrestricted MC Licence is essential. An Apply Fatigue Management Strategies accreditation would be an advantage, although not essential. Successful applicants are required to complete a Company Induction which also includes a Driver’s medical with drug & alcohol screen. For further information please contact Col Weeding on 03 5051 0152. Web based applications for this position can be submitted by visiting gtsfreight.com.au and clicking on the employment tab. Email: dmt@gtsfreight.com.au
CAREERS AND TRAINING 47
BIGRIGS.COM.AU FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2020
Council wins the right to recruit only QTA announces women drivers to reduce gender gap funding for short courses IT’S BEEN AN
The Ipswich City Council will target women to fill Waste Services truck driver roles.
THE Ipswich City Council has received an exemption under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (QLD) so it can target women to fill more of its truck driving positions and help reduce the gender gap. The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) granted this exemption, which will allow the council to target women in its attempts to hire Waste Services truck drivers and assist them in gaining their Heavy
Rigid (HR) licences. In seeking the exemption, the council submitted that should the exemption be granted, it would assist or advance women disadvantaged because of discrimination they have already faced. In support of this they identified that: • Women are recognised as being under-represented across the transport industry and, in the specific case of the Council, there were
only two female drivers from a cohort of just over 50 drivers; • Generally, only 17.5% of those working in the transport industry were women, and of those, only 6.5% were women in driving positions (from Working Women in Transport – A Snapshot The Follow Up); • The transport industry is rated as one of the lowest in Australia for gender diversity. 26.4% of the work-
MC/HC Drivers Goldstar Transport is an established provider of transport and logistics solutions to a broad spectrum of industries, including FMCG, steel and mining in Western Australia. Our key focus is providing a safe and efficient service to our customers and we require people with similar values to support our ongoing success. We're currently seeking professional MC/HC Drivers for metro and regional work, on either a permanent or casual basis. Successful candidates will possess: MC or HC Licence Relevant experience operating an MC or HC class vehicle Key benefits include: Competitive wages Stable and consistent work Relocation allowances Weekly service bonus after 12 months Flexible working hours (casual or permanent employment)
For more information or a confidential discussion, please forward your resume to: employment@goldstartransport.com.au or contact us at (08) 9353 5447.
force were women, far lower than the all industry average of 46.9% (from Driving Change: Transport Industry’s Gender Equality Gap Revealed). For businesses wanting to take their own steps in reducing the gender gap in their workplace, the Queensland Trucking Association is available to assist with submissions to the QIRC. Please email ezra@qta.com.au for more information.
THE Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) has announced funding for a two-year micro-credentialling initiative, under the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training Micro-credentialing Pilots Program. Starting next year, the Road Freight Resilience Program (RFRP) is designed specifically for transport and logistics operators and businesses, providing short online courses focused on improving safety, efficiency and productivity. It will cover three streams: Get on the Right Road, Keep on the Right Road and Explore New Roads. QTA CEO Gary Mahon said the funding would support road freight operators with practical and relevant courses which will increase their technical, digital and soft skill capability to improve business viability, productivity and efficiency. “Based on the needs of our industry we have selected ten course topics, from managing critical incidents to effective freight job costing through to utilising social media for business,” he said. “It’s been an extremely busy year for road freight operators and there has not been as much time for investment in training or upskilling. This project will cater to the needs
EXTREMELY BUSY YEAR FOR ROAD FREIGHT OPERATORS AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN AS MUCH TIME FOR INVESTMENT IN TRAINING OR UPSKILLING. THIS PROJECT WILL CATER TO THE NEEDS OF SMALL TO MEDIUM BUSINESS AND THE COURSE IS DESIGNED TO BE DELIVERED ONLINE AND ABLE TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN ONE-HOUR TIMEFRAMES. GARY MAHON
of small to medium business and the course is designed to be delivered online and able to be completed within one-hour timeframes.” There will also be a trial of a Digital Skills Passport, capturing evidence of any completed course into an online portal. “One thousand passports will be offered and will complement the RFRP to manage completed courses, acquired skills and training history,” added Mahon. Road Freight Resilience Program courses will be online from 1 February 2021, however pre-sale is now open. For more information, please visit roadfreight-resilience.thinkific.com.
General Freight & Bulk Drivers Rodney’s Transport Service is seeking experienced MC/B Double General Freight & Bulk Drivers to work out of Victoria and NSW • Permanent & Casual Roles • Great working conditions Working within fatigue management guidelines you will perform interstate line haul duties whilst adhering to all OH&S, legislative, site and contractual obligations. RTS requires professional drivers with – • Strong customer service experience • A safe driving record • Mature attitude • Minimum 2 years’ experience MC endorsed Reporting to the Manager Group Operations this is an exciting opportunity for highly motivated and experienced MC/B Double drivers who will be required to display a commitment to RTS safety and compliance standards and values whilst maintaining your equipment in good order. You will be required to provide a copy of a current Licence and meet RTS employment criteria which will include a medical with drug and alcohol test. Experienced drivers who can demonstrate: • Proficiency in all aspects of B Double truck operations • The ability to work within a team • A clear understanding of road transport legislation. • A clean history of driving ability If interested in applying for a position please complete the application form on our website www.rodneystransport.com.au or for further information please contact Anna on 03 9311 2300.
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