Big Rigs 9 December 2022

EDITOR

Scrap metal operator faces

‘most serious’ HVNL charges

A heavy vehicle operated by a scrap metal company found to be substantially over mass has led to charges filed against the company and its three directors in Bayswater, Victoria.

After the vehicle was inter cepted, investigations into the company revealed that over a 27-month period there were 69 instances of heavy vehicles load ed and operated by the compa ny which exceeded mass limits.

In accordance with its own internal policy on such matters, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) didn’t re veal the name of the company charged in the media release it issued.

But the public listings for the date the matter is to be heard in the Ringwood Mag istrates’ Court, February 23, 2023, reveals that the accused is Melbourne Copper Scrap Pty Ltd, trading as Melbourne Cop per Scraps.

“The Victorian company has been charged with Category 1, 2 and 3 offences under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL),” confirmed Elim Chan, the regulator’s acting di rector of prosecutions.

“These are the most serious offences available under the HVNL.”

In addition, the three direc tors of the company have also

been charged with Category 2 and 3 offences, including charges for failing to comply with their due diligence obli gations as required under the HVNL.

Chan stated that the prima ry duties charges have been laid after repeated breaches of the HVNL were identified.

“These charges demon strate that the NHVR will al ways consider if executives are complying with their personal obligations to exercise due dil igence.”

Category 1 offences car ry a maximum penalty of $354,639 and up to five years imprisonment for an individu

al and $3,546,390 for a corpo ration.

Category 2 offences car ry a maximum penalty of $177,321 for an individual and $1,773,210 for a corporation.

Category 3 offences carry a

maximum penalty of $59,108 for an individual and $591,080 for a corporation.

For more information about NHVR prosecutions, please visit nhvr.gov.au/law-policies/ prosecutions.

Over 33,000 Covid fines have been cancelled

REVENUE NSW has con firmed it will withdraw 33,121 Covid-related infringements after a landmark Supreme Court ruling in Sydney.

The fines were revoked after government lawyers conceded that two test cases brought by the Redfern Legal Centre did not provide sufficient detail about the offence, a breach of the Fines Act.

A total of 62,128 Covid-re lated infringements were issued in the state throughout the pandemic.

“Where fines are with drawn, all sanctions, including drivers licence restrictions or garnishee order activity will be stopped,” said a written state ment from Revenue NSW.

“Where a fine has been withdrawn and a customer has made a payment – either in part or in full – Revenue NSW will make contact to arrange a refund or credit the payment towards other out standing debts.”

The agency also noted it did “not mean the offences

were not committed” and “the remaining 29,017 fines will still be required to be paid if not already resolved”.

Scott Johnston from Rev enue NSW said his decision was made in the interest of being “consistent and eq uitable”, and refunding the close to $10 million that has already being paid, will start immediately.

“We’ll be working through a process to contact everyone who’s either made payments to discuss getting a refund as

quickly as possible,” Johnston said.

“Or to those that haven’t resolved those fines, there’ll be nothing further for them to do, but we’ll advise them as such.”

ABC News reports that about one third of people have already settled their fines, with others making part-payments while about 8000 fines are overdue.

“We’ve got everyone’s details who’s paid, we’ll have to write to everyone to get their details so we can return the money to

the right bank account… we’ll also have a hotline.

“We’re ready to answer the calls that come, customer ser vice is important to us and do ing a good and fair job.”

Redfern Legal Centre’s act ing principal solicitor Saman tha Lee said the decision has the potential to invalidate all Covid-19 fines that were is sued during the 2020 and 2021 lockdown.

Justice Yehia is expected to make a formal judgement in early 2023.

cmihino.com.au

parts@cmihinomelbourne.com.au parts@cmihinoadelaide.com.au

The Victorian company faces serious HVNL charges in February.

LABOR is making good on its long-running promise to give truckies a seat at the table when it comes to decisions impacting their working lives.

Five spots for “long-haul” drivers are now open on a heavy vehicle rest areas steering committee which will decide how $140 million in new in vestment will be spent over the next 10 years.

Nominations for a place on the committee close on Friday, December 16, with the first of three meetings set for February, 2023.

Assistant Transport Minis ter Carol Brown will make the final decision on the line-up, which will also include four representatives from industry organisations and be chaired by WA Senator Glenn Sterle.

“As a former truck driver with over 40 years’ experience and who still drives trucks to raise money for charity, it is an honour to be invited to chair this committee,” said Sterle.

“The allocation of $140 million in the Albanese govern ment’s recent budget is an ex tremely important investment and will help to improve safety for our truck drivers as well as

productivity for our economy.

Sterle said a key aspect of the steering committee will be the membership of long-haul truckies whose input he says will be crucial.

“Never before have truck drivers been consulted like this, and I am very proud that the Albanese government has de livered on this commitment,” he said.

“The work of the commit

tee will be extremely important in making sure that we get the design and location of new rest areas right.

“I am looking forward to the establishment of this com mittee and getting to work as soon as possible.”

High-profile truckie Rod Hannifey welcomed the an nouncement and confirmed he will be throwing his name into the committee hat.

“It means that truckies still have the voting sway if it’s five and four others,” said Hannifey, who is also the president of the National Road Freighters Asso ciation.

“We certainly want people from different areas so we prob ably need one from heavy haul age, one from livestock, maybe a couple from general, and one other, that would be my initial thought.

“I’ll be interested to see what industry associations apply and what they think they can bring to the table because how many of them will ever be sleeping in those rest areas?”

According to the Expression of Interest (EOI) call-out from the Australian Government, the committee will be a space for members, including long-haul truck drivers and industry rep resentatives to share experience, analyse data and provide advice, as well as determine priorities for Heavy Vehicle Rest Area projects. The committee will set assessment criteria for applica tions for funding and assess ap plications against those criteria.

“The committee will share strategic advice and set prior ities for heavy vehicle rest area projects, as truck drivers them selves know more than most about the missing gaps in our rest area network,” said Brown.

To be considered for a com mittee role the EOI also recom mends that applicants have the below qualities:

• experience driving heavy vehicles on long-haul trips across a wide range of loca tions in Australia;

• an understanding of the is

sues facing drivers on long haul trips;

• the ability to work collabora tively with others to achieve a common goal; and

• the ability to analyse applica tions and provide advice on merit.

Applicants should note that there is no payment for partic ipation on the committee, but “reasonable” out-of-pocket ex penses will be reimbursed.

Before the first meeting, members will also be required to sign a Conflict of Interest declaration in addition to a Confidentiality Agreement.

In the interests of due dil igence, the department may undertake a general back ground check on applicants prior to being recommended to the Minister. “You are en couraged to disclose any sensi tivities you are aware of which might impact your selection,” said the EOI.

To make your application visit investment.infrastructure. gov.au/about/local-initiatives/ heavy-vehicle-safety-and-pro ductivity-program.aspx.

General enquiries regard ing the process can be made to hvspp@infrastructure.gov.au.

Senators Carol Brown and Glenn Sterle are looking forward to hearing from truckies.

BY JAMES GRAHAM

AS we were going to print with this issue, truckies were still up in the air about when the east bound lanes on the Toowoom ba Bypass would reopen.

The Department of Trans port and Main Roads told us that the reopening was set to occur at the end of November.

Shipping containers were installed at a problematic cut ting as planned on Friday, November 25, and contractor Nexus was working to restrain the containers using ground an chors and cables.

But then another setback, with a spokesperson telling us that the reopening of the $1.6 billion bypass to eastbound traffic had been delayed due to forecast storms over the coming week.

“Nexus will update its man agement plans once it has as sessed how the affected areas respond to heavy rainfall,” a TMR spokesperson told Big Rigs at issue deadline.

“Nexus will keep the east bound lanes closed until it has completed its assessments to ensure reopening is safe.

“The westbound lanes are

unaffected and operating as usual.”

TMR says it is satisfied with standard of work undertaken on the bypass.

“The contract required certi fication of the design and con struction by an independent reviewer, so no short cuts were taken.

“The issue arises from a combination of the complex geology in the area, and the on going wet weather.

“We apologise for any in convenience the closure has

caused however motorist safety remains our top priority.”

Local machinery operator Clem Wheatley, however, isn’t convinced that the bypass will be safe to use and refuses to drive on the eastern section.

He worked on the project from the start, and would rou tinely raise concerns to super visors about what he felt was inadequate compacting being done along the route.

“If we get the really heavy rain that is possible for this area, there are going to be failures

right across this site, not just in that one area that is causing the problems,” he believes.

“Once it gets into that it’s going to let go, it’s got to let go.”

Wheatley says that while he was working on the project there was a “major fail” in the high side of one of the cuttings.

“I’m not sure if this is the ex act one, but if it is not, it is close to the one that failed,” he said.

“It shifted a metre down the slope overnight, causing signifi cant delays, but like the rest of the project, there was obviously

safety

pressure to get it finished.

“I wonder if TMR and the government are going to start doing their job and properly oversee this mess.”

High-profile truckie Rod Hannifey says that “as per usu al”, the industry wasn’t consult ed before work started on the bypass and truckies are now the ones paying the price.

“It’s left us with something that we should be charging them for, not them charging us,” said Hannifey, who is also the president of the National Road Freighters Association.

“An engineer marvel they called it; I think they misled us.

“We are stuck with that for another 200 years, but if that had been done properly they

could have taken away anoth er kilometre of ascent and a kilometre of ascent. What sort of range do you have a dip in the middle where you have to climb back up again?”

Queensland Trucking Asso ciation CEO Gary Mahon says it’s unfortunate to see an invest ment of this scale undergoing this type of failure.

“We would expect that this would be remedied soon er rather than later – flooding rains in Queensland is not an unpredictable occurrence,” said Mahon.

Mahon says the resulting de tour through Toowoomba for many drivers unfamiliar with that route has only exacerbated the issues for industry.

TMR says heavy rain is causing the cracks on the bypass.

The eastbound section of the bypass was due to reopen at the end of November.

A veteran truckie also raised serious safety concerns about the impacts that the running repairs were having on truck movements in the region.

With the volume of traffic now on the old range, the driv er feared that it was going to “end up fatal” unless a solution was found soon.

“What’s going on at the mo ment is just insanity,” said the Brisbane-based truckie, who preferred to stay anonymous due to concerns about job se curity.

“These trucks are not made to go down that mountain [as much as] four times a day.”

The truckie says too many inexperienced drivers are going down the old range in loaded A-doubles at dangerous speeds, damaging diffs and gearboxes in the process.

“I’ve driven both the Ken worths and the Scanias and

they will hold in a lower gear.”

“The government needs to get off their arse and do some thing here. It’s also taking us 45 minutes to get through Toowoomba in these road trains. You can already see the ruts going through town. That’s a lot of weight going through town roads.”

The truckie also questioned why PBS vehicles are still being allowed on the bypass when other road trains are being forced to breakdown at Charl ton during the bypass closure.

“It isn’t suitable for any of us. This road is a rolling shit show. Why isn’t anyone look ing at the big picture?”

While the repairs drag on, the truckie says they’d also like to see an increased police pres ence on the old range to moni tor truck speeds.

“The police actually need to sit there somewhere, maybe

halfway down that range, in an unmarked car and just take down the truck numbers and the speeds that they’re doing.

“It’s only a matter of time, til you get a bit further down, someone’s broken down, all the cars have slowed up in a hurry, and one of these f**wits takes out six cars. That’s how it’s go ing to end. The truck will hold it at 50km/h? Mate, there is too much traffic on that hill to be f**king around doing it.”

TMR southern Queensland regional director Bill Lansbury said experts and engineers would continue to monitor the slope after it had been hit by significant wet weather.

“Finding a solution to the problem is proving extremely complex,” Lansbury said.

“Repairs need to be bal anced with safety consider ations for traffic and construc tion crews.”

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BRISBANE

Win for truckies’ advocate at busy Charlton facility

TRUCKIES’ campaigner Wes Walker was warned by drivers to expect the worst when he checked on the toilet facilities at the Charlton road train facility on Nass Road, near Toowoom ba.

But Walker admits that he was still taken aback by the un sanitary conditions that greeted him on a recent visit last week.

“I wouldn’t even let my dog go in those toilets, and that’s honest to God,” said Walker.

“They’re unusable, they’re disgusting.

Walker, whose campaigning resulted in two portable toilets finally being allowed at the Gat ton hook-ups, was so incensed by what he saw at Charlton that he immediately marched himself off to the office of local Condamine MP Pat Weir to lodge an official protest.

“Due to the closure of the Toowoomba Bypass Range Crossing to some road train

types there has been a resul tant increase in the use of the toilet facilities by drivers us ing the Charlton facility,” said Weir in a subsequent letter to Queensland’s Transport Minis ter Mark Bailey.

“This has resulted in very unsanitary conditions and the drivers are requesting daily cleaning of the toilet facilities to maintain hygiene workplace standards.”

Now, it seems Walker’s ad vocacy has had another win for the health and wellbeing of truckies using the busy freight route.

Just a couple of days later a spokesperson from the Depart ment of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), confirmed to Big Rigs that they will be step ping up the cleaning commit ments at Charlton.

“The toilets at the Charlton decoupling facility are usually cleaned weekly. But we have now arranged for daily cleaning while the bypass is closed,” a spokesperson said.

Walker said “that’s an un believable result”, but also committed to checking up on the site to ensure the increased cleaning commitment is being met while the issues on the Toowoomba Bypass drag on.

Meanwhile, the disability pensioner is still visiting the Gatton site daily to clean the two portable toilets there at his own expense.

TMR empties and cleans the toilets once a week, but Walker says that’s nowhere near enough: “It would be nice if some of the transport compa nies supported me with fuel vouchers,” said Walker.

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Seating - on a higher level.

Cleaning ramps up at Charlton.

Gatton campaigner Wes Walker says he’ll be making regular cleaning checks at Charlton to ensure standards are being met.

The damage cutting that required shipping containers to be craned in with ballast.

Our lives are at stake, says truckie

Campaign to give drivers say on vital road fixes

The only problem is that as he drives from Mackay to Melbourne in his job, Han nifey isn’t seeing any evidence that any of the designated money, in any of the jurisdic tions that he travels, is being well spent.

“It must be a bugger of a job going out there fixing the roads, but if they don’t do it properly, you may as well be throwing dollar bills on the road,” said Hannifey, who is also the president of the Na tional Road Freighters Associ ation (NRFA).

“They don’t pack it in [the bitumen] and don’t stamp it down and it ends up on your truck. We are talking about the worst state of roads I’ve ever seen in my life on the highway.

“We understand that some of that is flood-related, but some of it is due to the fact they don’t build the bloody things properly in the first place, and that they don’t

maintain them, or do proper repairs.

“They have that stupid ma chine that sprays bitumen on and that’s all gone by the time it’s got to the next pothole, and we’re just throwing good money after bad.

“It’s either got to be fixed properly, therefore has to be monitored and controlled to see if we’re getting value for money spent, because it’s our lives on the road.”

Hannifey says the three new passing lanes on the Newell Highway are a classic example of the questionable standards he is seeing right

across the roading network.

“None have lasted a month before they had pots in them. I can’t do my job to that level, then they complain to us that we damaged it.”

Hannifey believes that it’s imperative that there is more accountability for the repairs being done.

“If we don’t say something now and get some quality out of it, they’ll still be patching the roads up to the standard they are now in five years, and that scares the hell out of me.”

In Victoria the roading situation is just as serious for operators in the regions.

The Weekly Times reports that heavy trucks transporting agricultural produce to the Port of Melbourne are being diverted through the Shep parton CBD due to the poor state of a key Goulburn Valley road west of the city.

Mooroopna-based freight company Valley Pack’s general manager Taylor Hall said the Murchison-Tatura Road had deteriorated and “an extra 40 truck loads a day” were driv ing into Shepparton before heading south to Melbourne.

Issues with the Murchi son-Tatura Road, which is the responsibility of the Victoria government, predate major floods in the Goulburn Valley with $1.1 million spent on it last year as part of a statewide regional road maintenance blitz.

“It’s been in bad shape for many years,”Hall said.

“This road isn’t impacted by the floods, but is just in bad shape and really dangerous to drive on. The wet weather has just exacerbated things.

“By having to detour we’re being forced to damage oth er roads which impacts the broader community.”

TIRED of driving poorly maintained roads in your re gion? Then we want to hear from you.

Big Rigs has joined forces with the Australian Trucking Association to put pressure on state authorities to do better.

Send us a picture and a brief description of where it was tak en and why the road is such an issue, and we’ll send it on to the relevant state boss and federal Transport Minister Catherine King seeking an answer.

“Our members are send ing us a very clear signal that many of Australia’s roads are so damaged they’re dangerous and unpassable in parts,” said ATA chair David Smith.

“Of course, this has an effect on the supply chain because it’s harder than ever to get goods where they need to go. And then there’s the issue of safe ty which is paramount to our members.

“The situation raises the

question about whether the cur rent road maintenance system is fit for purpose. We would argue it clearly isn’t, especially when Australia is experiencing such challenging weather events.

“The current system doesn’t put much focus on mainte nance even in a good year, let alone when we are dealing with something like a major rain event.”

ATA member Tim Hayne got the campaign rolling with the picture above that he snapped on Clump Road, Bel lata, in northern NSW.

“The roads in Narrabri Shire are atrocious, partly because of the high rainfall we have had but a lot of the problems are because these roads haven’t been maintained or repaired to a reasonable standard for many years,” said Hayne.

Send your road pics and information to editor@bigrigs. com.au and/or to ata@truck. net.au.

The roads in Narrabri Shire are “atrocious”, says Tim Hayne.

NRFA president Rod Hannifey.

IT’S EITHER GOT TO BE FIXED PROPERLY, THEREFORE HAS TO BE MONITORED AND CONTROLLED TO SEE IF WE’RE GETTING VALUE FOR MONEY SPENT, BECAUSE IT’S OUR LIVES ON THE ROAD.”

ROD HANNIFEY

at Stage 2 of the Bruce Highway alternative

THE state government has released its preferred route for Stage 2 of the future Bruce Highway Western Alternative, which will connect the areas of Moorina and Narangba in Brisbane.

Selection of the 16km cor ridor follows extensive com munity consultation, with more than 1000 pieces of feed back received since July.

In its entirety, the Bruce Highway Western Alternative will be a 60km transport cor ridor extending from Steve Ir win Way at Beerburrum to the North Brisbane Area.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the Moreton Bay region was set to grow, so getting a corridor locked in early was vital.

“We expect more than 656,000 people to move to the Moreton Bay region by 2041,” Minister Bailey said.

“This western alternative to the Bruce Highway will be essential in supporting growth and to prevent gridlock be tween Brisbane and the Sun shine Coast.

“Planning ahead allows us to give certainty to local resi dents, and ensure we are deliv

ering something that meets the needs of the community in the long term.

“A big thank you to all those who have engaged in the con sultation and planning process so far – I encourage you to stay engaged as we progress to Stag es 3 and 4.”

The Bruce Highway West ern Alternative aims to take pressure off the Bruce High way, allowing it to service long-distance travel and freight movements.

Gazettal of the Stage 2 section will get underway in 2023, to outline the require ments for the area as a trans port corridor and ensure the route is protected from future development.

The community is invited to view the preferred align ment and provide feedback until February 12, 2023.

Queensland Trucking As sociation CEO Gary Mahon told Big Rigs that he’d like to see provision made for “left laning” for freight vehicles utilising the Bruce heading north.

“We informally undertook that during the Common wealth Games. It’s time for

the next step and to have that incorporated into the design,” said Mahon.

“There are efficiency and safety benefits that can be real ised by that type of design, and given the ever-increasing traffic to the north, this is the sort of freight strategy consideration that should be undertaken in this program.”

Mahon said that while he sees this project alleviating some of the traffic congestion in the area, there clearly needs to be continued investment in “multi-laning” further north.

Minister Bailey said half the corridor was now secured.

The 8km Stage 1 section, from Moodlu to Moorina, was confirmed in late 2021.

“The release of the pre ferred alignment for Stage 2 gives landholders and home owners more certainty around our future transport needs,” said Bailey.

“I acknowledge this is a dif ficult time for those directly impacted.

“Moreton Bay is one of the fastest growing regions in Aus tralia and we need to plan for that population growth.

“We all want to spend less

time in traffic and this road project is an important part of ensuring that residents have good access to community in frastructure and jobs.”

Bailey said early submissions and feedback on the next stages

are already being accepted, and he recommends that locals reg ister for email updates on the project and take every opportu nity to have their say.

Planning will start in 2023 for Stage 3 of the Bruce High

way Western Alternative, which runs from Narangba to Bald Hills, with Stage 4 to follow.

For more information on the project, visit tmr.qld.gov.au and search for Bruce Highway Western Alternative.

The new western alternative is seen as essential to prevent gridlock between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

Finishing on a high

EDITOR JAMES GRAHAM

LIKE a lot of you, I was more than a little dubious when I heard Labor promising to give truckies a say in how the $140m in federal budget funds would be spent on rest areas.

When have truckies ever been given a say, after all? But as our story on page 3 of this issue spells out, five of you are now being invited to do just that.

Let’s hope this is a harbinger to similar truckie-filled com mittees under Labor which has two of the most compassionate industry allies that trucking could hope for in Canberra in the form Senators Glenn Sterle and Carol Brown.

Rest assured, we’ll be keep ing close tabs on the make-up of the new steering committee and its plans for 2023.

Meanwhile, this is our last issue for 2022, but we’ll be back again at all the usual outlets from January 6, 2023.

Until then, on behalf of all the Big Rigs team, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, and safe, New Year.

HOT WEB TOPICS

Truck driver health concerns

WITH the results of a Monash University-led study into truck driver health showing worrying statistics (page 10), Big Rigs readers weighed in and shared their concerns about the current state of the industry.

In response to the story on Facebook, Richard Walk er wrote, “The industry is in tatters now. I’m surprised the supply chain is still managing to get anything anywhere. Thankfully this week there hasn’t been any fatals but that will end if real change isn’t implemented quickly.”

Jamie Levi said, “When you make roadhouses for tourism and not truck driv ers what do you expect. 99% all there is maccas, kfc, red rooster, subway, etc, no real home cooked meals any more. It’s all about the fast buck. Get them in, get them out.”

While Trevor Warner wrote, “Meanwhile town planners will continue to get away with forcing truck driv ers to stop out of town. There appears to be a concerted ef fort to “beautify” towns with landscaping and sidewalks and removing any possible parking spots for trucks.”

Signage trial gets mixed reviews

A ROAD train signage trial underway in WA has sparked plenty of discussion online. The trial involves signage that provides additional in formation to motorists about the length and type of road train that’s in front of them.

Here’s what our readers had to say.

Bob Harris wrote, “You only need 2 signs. Long ve hicle n wide load. If a driv er needs more information than that then they shouldn’t be overtaking.”

Shinade Whitehead sug gested, “No point just roll ing out the signs. Roll out

some ads on TV to educate the everyday motorist what these signs mean.”

Amber Wright added, “Companies with quads have been doing this for ages… It’s made no differ ence.”

While Matt Langley said, “How ridiculous, this means nothing to the average mo torist.”

Tony Sinfield agreed, “We’ve already had that sig nage on the roadside of the major routes for many years. Not sure how much differ ence it will make putting it on each truck.”

Centurion Transport and Qube Bulk have taken part in the road train signage.

The research says that if nothing is done to improve the health of Australia’s male truck drivers, 6067 lives could be lost over the next 10 years.

Queensland to close 23 of

Reviver sites

QUEENSLAND is to close 23 of its government-owned Driv er Reviver sites in 2023 due to the cost of repairs outweighing the benefits.

Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) re gional director Adam Ainsworth says all sites are being shuttered following a safety assessment last year.

“TMR made that difficult decision to close those sites be cause of the investment that was required to keep that network operating,” Ainsworth said.

“The volunteer cohort we know is ageing and we needed to take into consideration the accessibility of each of the sites and how easy it is for them to access and maintain.

“That assessment found a lot of the buildings required extensive renovations and were no longer safe for travellers or volunteers.”

Although not always set up for truck parking, our colum nist Alf Wilson says he knew of many truckies who used Driver Reviver sites when they could.

Ainsworth told ABC News that some of the sites, includ ing the Gin Gin stop on the

Bruce Highway near Bund aberg, would close as early as January 2.

He confirmed all other TMR-owned sites would close next year, but exact dates were yet to be decided.

“We’re working with the vol unteers and local community groups and we’re trying to look

at other sustainable options for volunteers to operate the Driver Reviver program,” he said.

“But the continuation of this program throughout the holi days won’t be happening at the TMR-located rest areas.”

In a statement to Big Rigs, Steve Minnikin, Queensland’s Shadow Transport and Main

“His decision is a hammer blow for the drivers who use these sites in cities and towns in regional Queensland,” said Minnikin.

“If Mark Bailey hadn’t blown his budget by billions of dollars then perhaps he’d have enough money to keep these road safety sites running.”

Minnikin added, “We’ve seen a major increase in the number of road fatalities in places like Central Queensland, where there has been a 50 per

cent increase in road deaths.”

He said highways from Far North Queensland to the South East will be inundated over the coming weeks.

“When the road toll is so high, closing down Driver Re viver sites raises serious ques tions about the priorities of this arrogant third term govern ment.

“I have driven from Cook town to Coolangatta in my capacity as LNP Shadow Trans port and Main Roads Minister and the condition of the roads and highways in some regions is appalling.

“I urge all drivers to take care and stay safe on the roads this holiday season.”

Coordinator for Gladfield Driver Reviver John Newley told Warwick Today that more than 35 disgruntled volunteers attended a recent meeting in Warwick about the closures.

“They were unanimously up set with the closure and couldn’t understand why the Minister [Mark Bailey] would want to do this,” said Newley.

“These rest areas are available for drivers to stop and recover. It’s all about road safety.”

$2.6bn in productivity could be lost over the next 10 years

THE results of a Monash University-led study into truck driver health paint a very worrying picture.

According to the research, if nothing is done to improve the health of Australia’s male truck drivers, 6067 lives and $2.6 billion in productivity could be lost over the next 10 years.

Inaction could also cost an estimated $485 mil lion in healthcare costs and 21,173 lost years of life due to

work-related diseases or injury in the truck driving industry.

This latest research is part of the multi-stage Driving Health project, which aims to profile the health and wellbe ing of Australian truck drivers.

In 2020, the industry em ployed about 380,000 workers and it contributed an estimat ed 7.4 per cent ($122.3 bil lion dollars) of gross domestic product (GDP) to Australia’s economy in 2015-16.

While the transport and

logistics industry contributes significantly to the Australian economy, researchers say that few studies have actually ex plored the economic and clin ical burden attributed to poor truck driver health.

Previous research has es tablished that transport and logistics workers have worse health outcomes than those in other industries, especial ly musculoskeletal and trau ma-related injuries.

They also have a high

prevalence of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and hyperten sion, which has been attribut ed to long working hours, poor access to healthcare, ex posure to physical and mental stress and other behaviours and occupational characteris tics which contribute to poor health.

Monash researchers have estimated the work-relat ed mortality burden among truck drivers, using model ling to simulate the Austra

lian male working-age pop ulation (aged 15-65) from 2021-2030.

The approach employed is believed to be the first to explore the economic impli cations of the current state of driver health and wellbeing.

Researchers used data from the Driving Health study and other published sources to es timate work-related mortality and associated productivity loss, hospital and medication costs. All outcomes were dis

counted by five per cent per annum.

Modelling showed that reducing the health burden by two per cent could result in savings of $10 million in healthcare costs and $53 mil lion in lost productivity.

“Despite the importance of the transport and logistics in dustry to the Australian econ omy, workers are at a greater risk of work-related injury or disease relative to other indus tries,” the researchers found.

Roads Minister, said Bailey must explain why he made this decision and what plans are in place to ensure road users have a safe place to stop and rest.

Sites like this popular rest stop in Innisfail are to be shuttered in 2023. Photo: Alf Wilson

Industry is collapsing and no one cares, says truckie

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

WITH over 40 years on the road, trucking veteran and owner operator Warren Acott says the industry is in dire straits. “We’re watching the industry self-destruct – there’s no other way to put it.”

Based near Bendigo in Victoria, 65-year-old Acott is a single truck owner operator, who has been working for himself for over 20 years.

“I grew up literally hang ing out the windows of an S-model Bedford, Commer Knockers, 10-series Dodges, C-lines and more – counting the wheel nuts going around and listening to them roar as my old man pushed them up the hill, thinking I can’t wait until I’m old enough to do this myself. I was driving trucks as a kid and it evolved from there,” said Acott.

“It’s breaking my heart that now truck drivers are just getting screwed over and rorted,” he said.

Acott believes the trouble started for drivers when Chain of Responsibility (CoR) and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator came in. He says the

problem has only been further exacerbated by the introduc tion of the Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme, due to its costs which are out of reach for many one-truck op erators like himself.

“I think it’s nothing but a stinking rort. The vehicle I have is a 2009 Kenworth T908. In the past 12 months, I’ve spent over $120,000 on it. They can pull me up any where I go and they won’t find anything wrong with it, but things like shockers continu ally need to be changed over.

“I have a B-double set of tippers, which I can convert into road trains with a dolly in the middle. I’m based in Victoria, but I’m in SA now using it as a road train. I can use it as a road train in five states, but I can’t in Victoria, unless I fork out thousands of dollars for permits. I’m 65 now, I’m not going to spend a million dollars on a new truck and trailer set-up to do some thing I can already do with this truck.

“I’m sick to death of put ting my hand in my pocket. Truck operators are continu ally parting with money and

getting absolutely rorted and nobody cares. If the banking industry or the housing indus try was doing what the trans port industry is doing, there’d be an uproar.

“And now companies are closing down because they can’t get drivers – why would you want to do it? I was speak ing to a young bloke here the other day and he asked if it was worth it. I said owner op erators are at the bottom of the food chain now.”

Acott says that the job took a toll on his family life too. “Being a single owner operator, it cost me my mar riage in the end. You work all

week, then all weekend you’re doing general repairs because things break down and wear out. That wears on your fam ily life too.”

But despite how tough the industry has become as an owner operator, Acott has no

plans of giving it away. “It’s in the blood. I still enjoy the free dom, the vehicles and I like my old truck, but it takes a bit longer to clean it these days as I’m getting older,” he said.

“I have nothing else to do and I still enjoy my truck. I

also have a V8 Superliner at home that I managed to get hold of and I’d love to get that rebuilt up from scratch. But it’s hard when as an own er operator you’re constantly having to pay for this and pay for that.”

Warren Acott says, “The industry is collapsing and nobody cares.”

IN BRIEF

Grant submissions open

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has opened submissions for Round 8 of the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) which funds new safety projects for the heavy vehicle industry. Project submissions must address the themes of safer drivers, safer vehicles or safer road use by investing in driver or supply chain skills and training, vehicle safety technologies and improvements, or heavy vehicle educational tools and resources.

Submissions are now open and close on February 20, 2023 at 5pm AEST.

For more information on the HVSI program, visit nhvr.gov. au/about-us/heavy-vehiclesafety-initiative.

Recall notice

Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific has issued a recall notice for 61 units in its Actros 963, Arocs 964, Atego 967 and eActros 983 truck range.

The notice says that due to a manufacturing defect, diodes may have been soldered to the printed circuit board, instead of transistors, in accelerator pedals during assembly.

The recall impacts models made in 2021 and 2022 only.

Owners of affected vehicles can contact their authorised Daimler Commercial Vehicle Dealership to have the work carried out, free of charge.

NRFA 2023 Conference

The National Road Freighters’ Association (NRFA) will assemble a topline up of speakers for its upcoming conference on February 11, 2023, at the Wagga Wagga RSL Club.

The NRFA represents drivers, owner operators, fleet operators and industry participants, with well known trucking safety advocate Rod Hannifey as its president. Those wishing to attend can RSVP their attendance by Friday January 27, 2023 to admin@nrfa.com.au or call Collette Forsyth on 0493 564 467.

Early bird tickets

Tickets are now on sale for the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) Trucking Australia 2023 (TA23) conference to be held at the Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, from March 29-31.

Early bird tickets are available until December 23 with a discount of $100 off the usual full conference pass ($850).

Other registration and social packages, including business-only sessions are also available. For more information about Trucking Australia 2023, and the various ticket options, go to truck.net.au/ta.

Exciting journey ahead for Skyroad Logistics

VICTORIAN based air car go road feeder service provid er Skyroad Logistics has re vealed a new agreement with a major overseas company, that will assist in growing the fleet, along with the develop ment of new products and services.

Luxembourg-based Wal lenborn, which is Europe’s largest road feeder service (RFS) provider, will acquire a major shareholding in Sky road Logistics. This will add Oceania to its fast-growing RFS network which already provides extensive coverage in Europe and the Middle East.

Skyroad Logistics will continue to operate from its head office in Melbourne, and service depots in Sydney and Brisbane. The agreement will cover the Air Cargo RFS, Express Transport and Project Transport service of ferings.

Peter Assel, who co-found ed the business, will remain as a major shareholder as well as managing director.

The news was announced during a Skyroad Logistics event in November, where Assel revealed the company had achieved its goal of mar ket leadership in RFS in Aus tralia within just seven years.

With strong growth and a strong future investment plan in place including re cord fleet orders from Ken worth, he said it was timely to seek further investment partners.

“Since

and our company vision,” Assel said.

“However, with our rapid expansion, it was obvious I

needed a partner and Wallen born ticks all the boxes with a similar customer profile, an ambitious business plan and

the expertise to scale up.”

By the end of 2023 As sel expects the business in Australia to have at least 34 trucks and 40 trailers. He is also working towards bring ing new products to market that will reduce their carbon footprint.

“We intend to rapidly leverage off the Wallenborn knowledge and quality man agement to bring even better services and capabilities to Australia and to extend our lead in service capability,” said Assel.

“Skyroad’s strengths will remain unchanged with our strong commitment to company owned fleet, great suppliers such as Kenworth, Cummins, and Thermo King, and of course our com mitment to sustainability.

“We’re very proud to have Wallenborn come a long way to join us in Australia.”

Wallenborn was found ed in 1920. It employs over 1100 drivers and controls more than 900 trucks.

“Skyroad is a perfect fit in our portfolio of quality-fo cused organisations providing a full spectrum of products and services,” said Frantz Wal lenborn, president and CEO at Wallenborn Transports.

“They’re pioneers in the Australian market – for ex ample the first TAPA TSR certified company in Austra lia – and their ‘can-do’ spir it has dramatically changed the air-cargo landscape since 2015.”

366-tonne megaload reaches its destination

IT’S taken four prime mov ers and around 6.5 hours to complete one of the biggest movements ever attempted on NSW’s roads.

A 366-tonne gas gener ator has been transported from Port Kembla to a new energy project in Yallah –EnergyAustralia’s new Talla warra B Project.

Temporary closures were put in place for sections of the Princes Motorway, Princes Highway, Five Is lands Road and Springhill Road during the move. The load also had to be lowered at sections along the M1 to fit under bridges.

The huge generator is roughly 13 metres long by 4.2 metres wide and 4.5m

high. It was transferred us ing two 16×8m trailers with beam sets, with muscle pro vided by four prime movers.

Heavy haulage specialist Lampson Australia was in volved with the move, which was coordinated together with Transport for NSW. It provided the lead trucks, two Kenworth T509s, to do the pulling. While a Mack Titan and Kenworth C501 were at the back, doing the pushing.

Overall, the monster combination measured 121 metres long, 5 metres wide and 5.7 metres high – with a total mass of 786 tonnes.

The move took place in late November, starting on a Saturday night and running

into the early hours of Sun day morning.

Along with the trucks re quired for the move, support vehicles included two me chanic vehicles, three pilot vehicles, three NSW Police vehicles, one TfNSW oper ational vehicle, one Traffic Control Truck Mounted At tenuator vehicle.

This is the third and final piece of the puzzle for En ergyAustralia’s Yallah proj ect, following the move of a 370-tonne turbine in May and a 250-tonne transform er in October.

Located on the shore of Lake Illawarra at Energ yAustralia’s existing Talla warra power station, Talla warra B will be Australia’s

first peaking power station to be powered by a blend of gas and green hydrogen with direct emissions offset.

In peak periods, the pow er station will deliver power to an additional 150,000 NSW homes.

Regulator seeks PBS feedback from industry

THE National Heavy Vehi cle Regulator (NHVR) has released a discussion paper seeking industry input with regards to the future of the Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccit to said the Performance Based Standards 2.0 Discussion Pa per focuses on opportunities to reduce regulatory, admin istrative and cost barriers for

industry and promote innova tive approaches to heavy vehi cle safety and productivity.

“The PBS scheme, which now has more than 15,400 combinations operating across the country, has played a sig nificant role in transforming road freight transport in Aus tralia,” Petroccitto said.

“As the freight task keeps growing and we continue to be challenged by driver short

ages, it is essential that we do everything we can to improve accessibility to safer and more productive heavy vehicles and encourage innovative ap proaches to move goods.”

Petroccitto added that the discussion paper has a strong focus on working with road managers to open up increased access for PBS vehicles, so they can operate on the same net works as their conventional

equivalents, provide certainty of access for these vehicles, and eliminate the need for permits.

“It also provides a pathway for PBS vehicles to exit the PBS scheme into the ‘as-ofright’ fleet, as we have recently delivered through the Nation al Class 3 20m Long 3-axle Truck and 4-axle Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemp tion Notice,” he said.

The NHVR will also hold a series of webinars in early 2023 that will provide another opportunity to provide PBS feedback.

To read the paper, register for a webinar or find out how to submit feedback visit nhvr. com.au and search for Perfor mance Based Standards 2.0 Discussion Paper.

Submissions close at 5pm Friday, February 17, 2023.

my co-founder Anthony Clark passed away from cancer early in 2020 my focus has been on our goals

It was one of the biggest movements ever attempted on NSW’s roads. Photo: Transport for NSW

From l-r: Wayne Taylor, managing director, Southern States Group; Peter Assel, managing director at Skyroad Logistics; Brad May, chief engineer, PACCAR Australia; and Ryan Hooper, marketing manager, PACCAR Australia.

Showstopping C510 has all the bells and whistles

Named Moby D, this flashy yellow 2005 Kenworth C510, owned by Slingshot Haulage in the NT, is a real head-turner.

BY ALF WILSON

A legend of the industry, Leigh has operated all over Aus tralia, but according to many of the truckies I’ve spoken to, he’s quite the private person and usually coy about publici ty. Thankfully though, when I tracked him down, this gentle man was glad to yarn about his pride and joy – his showstop ping C510.

This one-of-a-kind beast is a whopping 11 metres long, complete with a state-of-the-art shower and toilet inside, and is powered by a Caterpillar V12 engine.

“Kuchel Custom Trucks at Noorioopta SA, whose work manship and finish are second to none, did the work,” re vealed Leigh. “Whatever con cept or modification I came up

with, they made it work.”

Originally white when Leigh got his hands on it, I asked what inspired him to paint it yellow.

“I purchased a new Mack in 1975 when I was younger and painted it yellow and white, and I liked it. I have kept the colour scheme since then. The truck is registered in the NT, just not for everyday use, as I don’t want to wear it out.”

Slingshot Haulage has sev en working trucks in its fleet, including six Kenworths and a Western Star.

As with many transport companies at the moment, Slingshot Haulage is finding it hard to get enough bums on seats. “About 80 per cent of our work is heavy haulage, lo cal and Australia wide. At the moment there is a shortage of drivers, so we do the best we can,” Leigh said.

Over the past 10 years, the day-to-day running of the

company has been taken on by Leigh’s 41-year-old son, Chad Dehne. Though Leigh says he is in “good health” and hopes to continue playing a role in his company.

“Chad grew up around trucks and is doing a good job,” he said, adding that rising fuel prices have forced costs up, as it has done to most businesses. “We just have to pass the price rises and diesel cost on.”

Known as the place where the outback meets the tropics, Katherine and its surround ing areas have a population of about 12,000 people – it’s the fourth largest settlement in the NT.

Katherine is also the cen tral hub of the great Savannah Way, a 3700-kilometre route that stretches from Cairns in Queensland to Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The Dehne family owns a cattle station near Mataranka,

about 100 kilometres south of Katherine.

“The cattle are mostly live exported from Darwin to over seas destinations,” Leigh said.

Growing up, life was all about trucks for Leigh and his siblings, with their father being involved in transport and in life on the farm.

When Leigh bought his first truck at the age of 19 and began doing local work, trans porting wood, hay and live stock, it seemed like a natural thing to do.

He went on to do the Mel bourne to Townsville run and also worked for North Qld Express.

It was during his time at North Qld Express that he saw some freight sitting in the corner under a Darwin Express sign. Upon enquiry, he learnt the freight would go from Mel bourne to Brisbane and then Brisbane to Darwin.

He asked the question, why

not direct? And so began one of the first direct transport services from Melbourne to Darwin.

At 24 years of age, Leigh or dered a new R600 model Mack road train rated truck and the transport business got busier.

He also bought Central Salt Supply Pty Ltd, a company just outside of Kerang in Victoria, and after five years he sold it, but kept the business name, with plans to continue in the salt industry down the track.

Leigh was soon in the driv er’s seat again with a move to Alice Springs. He was working for NTFS (Northern Territory Freight Services) towing fridge vans, etc from off the rail at Alice Springs to Darwin. Back then, there was no rail line from Alice Springs to Darwin.

Then Leigh bought another new truck, this time a Series 2 Mack Super-Liner. While he was the first to own this beau ty, it was sold to Neville Dobbs soon after.

Going further north, saw Leigh and his family move to Darwin.

Here he went back into the salt game, starting up NT Salt Supply Pty Ltd in 1987.

This involved transporting top-quality salt from Port Hed land to Darwin and supplying local businesses, stations and abattoirs with their salt needs.

With the majority of salt being supplied to the Kather ine area, it made sense to relo cate the business there.

And so NT Salt Supply set up its operation in Katherine and it has remained there ever since.

As the salt transport task got busier and interest for oth er transport needs grew, Leigh made the decision to establish Slingshot Haulage.

The company has grown from strength to strength throughout the years and has completed some truly historic transport moves, including the specialised transport of rail for the Alice Springs to Darwin rail line between 2001 and 2003.

There were 145,000 tonnes of 27.5 metre long rail trans ported for this project, which resulted in the construction of the rail line between the two major cities of the Northern Territory.

Recently Slingshot Haul age also transported the largest bridge beams produced in the Northern Territory, at 35 me tres long and 80 tonnes. They were carried approximately 850 kilometres from Darwin to just west of Kununurra in WA for the Keep River Project.

Always at the forefront of development in the indus try, Leigh remains passionate about the transport industry and its importance in Aus tralia. He is also enthusiastic about the future of road trans port in the NT.

BASED in Katherine in the Northern Territory, Slingshot Haulage was started by Leigh Dehne in 1996.

The rebuild includes a state-of-the-art shower and toilet.

The workmanship by Kuchel Custom Trucks is second to none.

Leigh has been a driving force at Slingshot since 1996.

Leigh Dehne with his pride and joy, which is powered by a Caterpillar V12 engine.

Usually coy when it comes to publicity, Leigh Dehne was happy to make an exception for his C510. Main photos: Voss Photography

A whale of a time building

BY ALF WILSON

From page 16

THE Slingshot build was certainly their biggest one yet for South Australian company Kuchel Custom Trucks taking approximate ly four years to complete.

Leigh Dehne of Sling shot Haulage knew what he wanted, and the task was handed to Kuchel Custom Trucks to make it happen.

Kuchel Custom Trucks has a fully equipped work shop at their Barossa Val ley transport depot, has a workshop crew including mechanics, a fabricator and a handful of other skilled members.

Upholstery is outsourced to Steve and Heather of Stateside Trim, a local Baros sa Valley business.

Kuchel Custom Trucks spokesman Jacob Kuchel said the Kenworth chassis was extended to create room for the new living quarters at Slingshot’s home base prior to making its journey down south to Kuchels as a day cab where the build became serious.

“A custom 85-inch bunk was planned, designed and fabricated specifically to meet the requirements that Leigh had in mind,” said Jacob.

“One of which was to give the driver the ability

to be as far from civilisation imaginable without having to sacrifice the comfort and the amenities of a mod ern highway truck stop.”

Kuchel’s fabricator, Darren

Stewart, was the man for the job, thinking five steps ahead during the design process ensuring that ev erything had a home and performed its necessary task

keeping durability and ser viceability in mind,” Jacob said.

Jacob said the build pro vided a multitude of tasks and challenges for the team

at Kuchels.

“The Fitment of a V12 CAT came with a list of its own - including a oneoff fan hub and auxiliary component drive assembly which included an alterna tor, a Horton fan and two air conditioning compressors, re-location of the turbos, a custom intake manifold and all the pipe work necessary to get all that air to where it needed to go, in and out.

“The idea was to give the appearance of something that could have come out of the Kenworth factory, and this was achieved with many factory components being modified, relocated and re purposed in various ways.”

This didn’t stop on the outside of the truck, how ever.

“It wouldn’t have been complete without match ing upholstery in true Ken worth style, diamonds, and a lot of them,” Jacob said.

Jacob said the truck was

JACOB KUCHEL

built with tough conditions in mind.

“Up the back of the sleeper cab between the two smoke stacks, two snorkels force cool air down and past the oil coolers mount ed within to ensure those SISU’s keep cool, the cus tom-built cabin subframe rides on air to give the driver and occupants the much-needed comfort along the harsh Australian roads, two individual air condi tioning units were fitted for in the event of a compo nent failure, driver comfort would not be compromised.

THE IDEA WAS TO GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE COME OUT OF THE KENWORTH FACTORY.”

The massive build provided a multitude of tasks and challenges for the team at Kuchels.

Leigh Dehne, pictured centre in green shirt, with the team from Kuchel Custom Trucks. Photo: Supplied

Moby D over four years

and had received responses from around the world.

“We had some people from Spain who contacted us and they are coming to Kath erine in the New Year to snap some photos,” Leigh said.

I have also received nu merous calls or emails from

truckies around Australia I have spoke to after they saw the yellow Kenworth at Katherine.

They have all been highly impressed.

Kuchel Custom Trucks was a vision of the late Tony Kuchel, who had been build

ing hot rods and painting trucks and cars since a young teenager.

Tony then built a 1954 Ford COE motorhome for him and his wife Anne to travel throughout Australia, visiting customers of their bulk transport business, plus

many friends. This then led to their first custom build, an Inter national Loadstar built in 2016 from the ground-up, for truck driver and friend, Phil Ellbourn. From there, the business has evolved to what it is today.

“With a hair short of 3000 lb ft of torque and 780 hp growling away from under the hood, this thing is rightly named ‘Moby D’ and would sure swallow anything in its way.”

Jacob said that with bright yellow and white liv ery, it’s hard to miss a Sling shot Haulage outfit when in range but this one takes it to

another level.

Leigh Dehne was glow ing in his praise of Kuchel Custom Trucks and said the end result was magnificent.

“We requested modifica tions during the rebuild and they always did them as I wanted,” Leigh said.

Leigh said that Sling shot had placed some pics of Moby D on social media

The massive

cab

Young gun truckie breaking barriers and kicking goals

Inspired by her father and grandfather, for profoundly deaf HC truckie Taylor Stegman, 23, it’s always been about the trucks.

more and more women join ing the industry as truck driv ers too. “My honest advice to any female wanting to get into trucking is to just bite the bullet. It’ll be the best thing you’ll ever do. Yes, there’ll be challenges but you’ll find an amazing team of women and men around you, ready to offer advice and assistance.”

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

BORN into a trucking family, Stegman found her passion for trucking early on. She recalls cruising in the truck from an early age with her dad Tony Johnston and pop Noel John ston – and hoping to one day follow in their footsteps and make them proud.

“When I was about seven, dad picked me up from school in the truck one day due to the floods. I felt like the coolest kid on the planet,” she said.

Based in Port Kembla in NSW, Stegman has been driv ing trucks since she was 18 and says that being in the truck cabin is her “happy place”.

By 19, she upgraded from her MR to HR, and then at 20, she got her HC licence.

“Fresh out of school, I spent ten months working with race horses until I was old enough to get my MR licence. While my school mates were doing their HSC, I was out earning a living,” Stegman explained.

“My parents were never the type to wrap me up in cotton wool, so for as long as I can

remember, I’d jump at every opportunity to spend the day with pop or dad in their trucks.

“Because of that, I’ve known from a very young age that I wanted to be a truck driver and I’ve never changed my mind.”

Upon securing her MR licence, Stegman began work ing in the family businesses Worldwide Demolitions and Worldwide Skip Bins, learning to drive the trucks and operate the machinery.

“The first time you drive a truck can be daunting as hell but each day it gets easier as you build your confidence and experience,” she said.

Through her time in the family business, Stegman was able to hone her HC driving skills, before recently taking on a role at Ross Transport in early November.

As she continues her train ing with Ross Transport, Steg man has been steering a West ern Star with a live bottom trailer, and a Kenworth truck and dog tipper.

“I’m still very new and have lots to learn – not only about the type of work I’m doing and

the different trucks I’m driv ing, but also finding my way around in busy Sydney traffic. I absolutely love driving, meet ing new people and going to new places.

“Each day brings new chal lenges and adventures; and overcoming the daily issues truckies face only adds to the enjoyment and excitement in my job.

Stegman is currently in training to be a truck and dog driver, carting sand, gravel and more across the Illawar ra, Southern Highlands and Sydney.

“Ross Transport has been extremely supportive and un derstanding of everything –checking in daily to see how the day was and if I’m enjoying it. And if I’m not comfortable with something, they will re move me from that situation,” Stegman said.

“I’d like to thank Ross Transport for their understand ing, their will to train people and for being such a supportive and great company to work for – and also for giving women a go and giving them a chance to

get a head-start in trucking.”

She says that being pro foundly deaf has added ad ditional challenges to her trucking career. “But to have conquered so many barriers to realise my dream feels incred ible.”

Stegman wears a cochlear implant, which allows her to hear like a hearing person.

“Aside from the challenges of learning to drive the truck, I had to get used to talking on the radio and understanding people on it. I faced challenges with people trying to tell me how to do my job and felt I had to prove myself by show ing them I knew what I was doing,” she said.

For Stegman, having a great support network has been a blessing. “I’ve been extremely fortunate to have this support both at my old job and now at Ross Transport. I hope my sto ry gives other hard-of-hearing or profoundly deaf people the courage to follow their dreams.

“If a profoundly deaf per son has the will and wants to drive trucks, then I say go for it. If myself and profoundly

Stegman also hopes to see

While Stegman hopes to one day progress to her MC licence down the track, for now she’s content with where she’s at. “I’ve always dreamed of driving road trains in the outback, but first I want to work my way up to that. For now I’m living my two-year dream of getting the opportu nity to work at a company I have been eyeing off for a long time,” she said.

deaf MC driver Candice Lure man can do it, we all can. We have amazing support teams to back us and guide us.”

Stegman wears a cochlear implant, which allows her to hear like a hearing person.

She got her start in trucks at the family business, Worldwide Demolitions and Worldwide Skip Bins, before securing her current role at Ross Transport.

Taylor Stegman joined Ross Transport last month and says the team there has been extremely supportive and understanding.

BY DANIELLE GULLACI

BASED in the small town of Jondaryan in Queensland, R & K Bulk Haulage sure does run an impressive look ing fleet. Starting out with just one truck in 2005, it now runs 33 prime movers, with all but three wearing the Kenworth badge – and there are plenty more to come, with another 18 on order across the next three years.

But it’s the latest rig that marks a special milestone. The new Kenworth T909, paired with a PBS-approved A-double set of tippers, is the 50th brand new Kenworth to be welcomed through R & K Bulk Haulage’s gates. It’s the third identical combination, sporting a bright yellow colour theme across the prime mover itself and the Hercules-built trailers. The only indication of its milestone status is the personalised plate, which reads RKS 050.

Since it was started by hus band-and-wife team Russell

R & K) in 2005, the busi ness has grown quickly.

Along with its own fleet of trucks, R & K Bulk Haulage employs many sub-contractors too, with up to 80 trucks on the road at peak times. Operating from two depots (Jondaryan and Clermont), the business moves 2500-3000 tonnes of

grain product every day, trans porting across Queensland, and into NSW, South Austra lia and the Northern Territory. Russell, 67, has spent a life time in the transport game and wouldn’t have it any other way. His company’s motto is ‘Lovin it all’ – it’s written across each of the trucks and it’s what he lives by too.

“I just love trucks and I love doing what I’m doing – they’re in my blood and I can’t give it up. I love sorting all the trucks out each day. It’s a nightmare to organise but when it comes together, it’s brilliant. These trucks are like my babies,” he said.

Karen, 52, added, “I think he’ll be doing this until the day he dies. He’ll keep going on and on. I hope it’s a legacy that can be carried on.”

The son of a truckie, Rus sell says he grew up surround

ed by trucks. “Dad had Blitzs, Commer Knockers, Dodges, Internationals, and we carted cattle. One day Dad told me to get in the truck and off I went. I was driving a cattle truck on my own when I was 15 – that was two years be fore I even had a licence,” he laughed. “So I started driving trucks in 1970 and I bought my first truck when I was 17. It was a Ford Louisville LTL.”

Russell grew up in Glamor gan Vale, a small rural town in Queensland’s south-east. He

drove livestock trucks for over 10 years, until tragedy struck in 1981. As he explained, “My eldest brother got killed in the truck in a bad head-on and I saw it happen. Another truck came around the corner on the wrong side of the road. He was only 33 and he had a young family. That’s when I gave cattle away. I threw the stock crates off and started doing flat top work instead, running Gatton to Melbourne, carting produce.”

page 24

and Karen Strasburg (hence the

(l-r): Brown & Hurley Toowoomba salesman Richard Lilburne, Karen Strasburg, Russell Strasburg and Brown & Hurley Toowoomba dealer principal Brian Bennetts.

The 50th Kenworth is this T909, paired with a PBS-approved A-double set of tippers, handed over in late November. Photo: Lucy RC Photography

There

eclectic mix of Kenworths in the fleet, which stand out on the highway. Photo: Lucy RC Photography

From page 22 OVER the years, Russell ran several transport business es, before starting up R & K Bulk Haulage 17 years ago. “We started R&K Bulk with one tipper. Then we bought a quarry business which had two truck and dogs. A neighbour out the back wanted us to cart mushroom compost for him, so we bought another truck, and it’s just kept growing from there,” explained Karen. “Word of mouth has helped us get to where we are today.”

And Russell agreed, “It’s all about service – and having

good drivers and doing the work on time. It’s got nothing to do with what you’re charging because if we don’t provide the service, the customers won’t be coming back.”

Thirty trucks in the fleet are set up as PBS A-doubles, which achieve payloads of between 55 to 58 tonne. As for the trucks, they’re mostly Kenworth T909s.

“The 909s are just perfect for the job and you can get them all specced up. All of our 909s are set up with TVs, fridges, microwaves and 50-inch bunks, so the drivers have a lot of com fort. A lot of drivers take their

food with them so they can cook it every night. These trucks are a home away from home. They have all the luxuries – all the works and jerks, everything that opens and shuts. No won der why our drivers love them,” said Russell.

Russell and Karen also pur chased two Legend SARs. One has been on the road for about four months and the other is due to arrive in February. They’ll both be painted in blue and gold, matching the company’s original livery. “This one stands out because of the great paint work and the second one will be exactly the same,” Russell added.

The latest iteration of Leg ends joins an existing Legend 900 in the fleet, which Karen says is a “family truck”. It’s one in a series of eye-catching R & K Bulk Haulage trucks sport ing intricate murals crafted by PJ’s Custom Spray Painting and Truck Mechanical in Bris bane. Russell’s late brother is featured on the back, Russell and Karen are on the drivers’ side, and his parents are on the passenger side.

There are also three 2014 Kenworth Director Series T909s with incredible artwork too. One features impressive murals of country music legend

Slim Dusty, while the other two feature murals of horses and cattle.

“We’ve got Kenworths on order for the next few years and plan to keep growing the fleet,” said Russell. “I original ly ordered six trucks this year and ended up getting eight new ones. I’ve also got six new ones on order for 2023, another six for 2024 and another six for 2025 – by then I’ll be 70. Then after that I’ve got no idea. I’ve got six kids and I’m hopeful that the kids will take it on. I’ve got my son Jay sitting beside me now, and he is already doing one hell of a job.”

The only indication of this truck’s milestone status is the personalised plate, which reads RKS 050.

Photo: Lucy RC Photography

Clean sweep on the Murray

BY DAVID VILE

IN the last 12 years or so that I have been writing for Big Rigs, it would be fair to say that the Scarab street sweeper owned by the Wills family would be the ‘littlest’ rig that I come across in my travels. But the specialised little truck is part of a big fu ture for the Echuca-based fam ily business as they build on a steady foundation which com menced in early 2021.

Born and bred in Echuca, Justin Wills has been behind the wheel of either a truck or heavy equipment since the age of 20, operating everything from B-doubles on linehaul through to truck and dog tip pers and all manner of earth moving and agricultural gear.

The recent project involv ing the construction of the

Echuca-Moama Bridge over the Murray River was the cat alyst for Justin, in partnership with his wife Jeanette to take the plunge into what is a niche market in the popular tourist town.

As a result, the ‘Sweeping the Murray’ operation was launched, which now has two sweeper units in constant de mand.

“We saw a bit of a gap in the market, every man and his dog has bobcats and excavators up here chasing a piece of the pie with everything going on,” Jus tin explained.

“We got the little Scarab unit first, and the bigger machine came about with the bridge project. We started picking up a lot of work with earthmoving and civil construction cleanups around the bridge con

struction, along with the new BP fuel outlet and Woolworths supermarket here in town. It’s a very niche market, there are lot of companies in Melbourne doing this sort of work, but not in these rural areas.”

Made in the United King dom, the 2015 Scarab was pur chased with 9000 hours on the clock and whilst the VM Moto ri engine only puts out around 78 horsepower, it performs a variety of sweeping and surface cleaning functions.

Its larger brother in the fleet is also a Scarab unit which is mounted on a 2010-model UD, which had been initially built for the Launceston City Council. Despite the size dif ference, both units are identical in their specification and oper ation.

“The little Scarab is Euro-5

spec so it meets all the emis sion requirements, whilst the UD is dual-control and will run along on 1200 revs all day. Both are specc’ed the same for ‘dry’ or ‘wet’ operation, with the high-pressure water func tion, you can use it with a lance to clean machines or to sweep and wash paths and other hard surfaces.

“You can use the high-pres sure wash bars on the front to wash all the mud down and then use the vacuum to pick it all up,” Justin explained.

While the little left-hand drive Scrab is road-registered, it only has a maximum road speed of around 65km/h.

One of the first jobs done by the Sweeping the Murray team was 300km west of Echuca, so a Fuso with a beavertail tray was added to the fleet to carry the Scarab about.

“The first job for it was out

at Ouyen after some railway works, the Fuso doesn’t do big k’s, but we have done a fair bit of work as far afield as Bendigo and Yarroweyah” he said.

The Scarab has also proved to be a success in many of the caravan parks and tourist areas around the Echuca-Moama which are hugely popular with holiday makers: “The smaller machine really earns its keep in the caravan parks and camping areas.

“From an OHS perspective, it’s a safety hazard with all the leaf fall from the gum trees- the little machine works in amongst everyone without being disrup tive,” he continued.

Being mechanically minded, Justin undertakes the majori ty of maintenance and service himself working out of a yard in the Echuca industrial area.

Both sweeper units are painted in the blue and white

company colours and feature the Murray River paddle steam ers that the Echuca township is famous for.

“I am pretty particular about how things look and run. Ros mech, the Scarab dealers in Adelaide, have been a huge support to us as there is a bit to them, you can’t just get in them and push a button. I pride my self on how they look and they quality of work we leave behind as well,” he said.

With Jeanette using her ac counting background to keep the financials in order, the couple’s 11-year-old son Ben is keen to have a role to play in the family business in the future as Justin said with a smile.

“Yes, we have talked succes sion planning. He’s gotta learn some mechanical skills first but anything practical, anything to do with these sweepers he’s right on the ball with it all.”

For Justin and Jeanette, the business is in a good place, and he has an eye on the future and looking at evolving as new in frastructure projects occur and require specialised services such as his.

“With this business you can do all the advertising you like but word of mouth and relationships is what builds the work.

“For a business going only 12 months I am confident there will be some good things in the pipeline, but for a little family company we are pretty happy with how we are travelling.”

The Scarab Sweeper unit is a highly specialised piece of equipment.

The two sweeper units looking sharp on the banks of the Murray River in Echuca. Photos: David Vile

For assignments out of town the Fuso with its beavertail and ramps swings into action.

finance a

IN equipment-intensive businesses, having fast and convenient access to finance provides flexibility that can improve business results.

It’s a fact that Andrew Halloran, owner of EMM Group, which supplies quarry, soil, garden and construction materials, as well as bulk transport ser vices, knows well.

EMM Group, based in Echuca in northern Victo ria, has an extensive fleet of Kenworth trucks and other machinery.

“We keep the trucks for five years and at the end of that period, we turn them over and bring on new ones,” said Halloran.

“Generally, after five years, the lease payments are still less than repairs and maintenance on a longterm plan.”

Ongoing delays in inter national supply chains have meant Halloran has had to order trucks and equipment 18 to 24 months in advance of when he needs them. He has some trucks on or der that are due to arrive in 2023.

So, when the Kenworth dealer in local Shepparton

called with a cancelled order that would allow Halloran to replace two of his trucks immediately, he was keen to consider.

Halloran knew that if he hesitated, the dealer would have no trouble in selling the vehicles to another cus tomer and he would lose the opportunity.

His first step after receiv ing the dealer’s offer was to contact NAB Equipment Finance Specialist Craig Taylor. Halloran has been using NAB for equipment finance for about 12 years, having been introduced to the bank by his business ac countant.

“Andy picked up the phone to me and said, ‘I need some advice here. What do you think Craig?’” said Taylor.

As an equipment finance specialist, Taylor’s role is to provide guidance on struc turing terms for equipment finance that suit the equip ment’s type and expected lifespan.

“We went through the truck dealer’s offer over about a 20-minute conver sation and we couldn’t see any negatives,” said Taylor.

[l-r] NAB Business Banking Manager, Martin Kearney, NAB Equipment Finance Specialist Craig Taylor, and Andrew Halloran.

was within the preapproved limits for EMM Group, he could be confident that he would have finance available to cover the purchase when he needed it – without hav ing to reapply and provide additional paperwork.

Involving NAB bankers in the planning process over the years – along with the managers and business ac countant – has consistently helped EMM Group to get great outcomes, Halloran said.

“We all know how to

push forward and to make it work. If it wasn’t for the in sight that NAB has into my business, it would be a lot more difficult,” he says.

“Craig has been excep tional because of his experi ence in the transport indus try, but also having a firm understanding of our busi ness, our requirements, and the best way to structure the finance for the plant and equipment.”

Taylor says it’s the close relationship between NAB and EMM Group, built on mutual trust and under standing, that allows the bank to provide the best deal to the customer on fi nance.

Kearney agrees: “It’s making sure everyone is on the same page, so we know what’s coming up and when the customer does want something, we can jump on it straight away.”

“I emailed Andrew some funding options following our due diligence checks as to what repayments would look like. He went away and had a chat to his accountant to work out whether the numbers stacked up.”

Within 24 hours, Hallo ran had made a decision and secured the trucks.

“It was a major win for us at the time and put us in a good position with the workload we had,” Halloran said.

“It means we can use our own internal trucks and not have to be subbing work out. We can keep control of our incoming work and keep our revenue internal.”

Keeping the wheels turning: the benefits of pre-approval

What allowed the deal to proceed so quickly was that EMM Group had finance pre-approval in place with NAB.

Businesses like EMM Group can apply for pre-ap proval on funding to buy or lease vehicles and equip

ment up to an agreed master limit each year.

NAB Business Banking Manager, Martin Kearney – who also helps EMM Group with its banking needs – says best practice is for businesses to sit down each year with their accoun tant and banker to map out their capital expenditure for the year, along with the tim ing any equipment purchas es and disposals to identify peaks and troughs for the finance facility.

They can then determine a limit that would cover the expected purchases and a buffer to provide flexibility.

“The beauty of having those preapproved limits is that you can make the most of opportunities that come up. It doesn’t matter if it’s trucks, mobile crush ing plant and equipment, or earth moving plant – if you see an opportunity, you’re ready to go. You don’t have to sit around and wait for approval,” Kearney said.

As the vehicle Halloran was looking to purchase

Andrew Halloran, owner of EMM Group, based in Echuca in northern Victoria.

EMM Group supplies quarry, soil, garden and construction materials, as well as bulk transport services.

IT WAS A MAJOR WIN FOR US AT THE TIME AND PUT US IN A GOOD POSITION WITH THE WORKLOAD WE HAD.”

ANDREW HALLORAN

The NZ trucking industry delivers impressive show

BY MIKE WILLIAMS

JUST like everything else there’s been a pause on events over the last few years.

The TMC Trailers Truck ing Industry Show 2022 in Christchurch, New Zealand, was no exception but came back in style over November 25-26.

It is without doubt the largest truck and trade event in New Zealand with thou sands of visitors through the gates at Canterbury Ag Park, which was packed with all things trucking from all over the country.

Australian suppliers also joined in on the action begin ning with trade day on Friday and then opening to the pub lic on Saturday. A large area was set aside to host the driv ing championships with priz es including cash and trips to the next Brisbane Truck Show for the best of the best.

More than the expected 400 trucks turned out for the Show n Shine on the Saturday with over 40 prizes awarded in so many catego ries I lost track. There were some pretty spectacular rigs with passionate owners and drivers on the field.

The BP classic truck show case brought a lot of true bits of trucking history out of hid ing with many looking like they would be still up to earn ing their keep on the road. As usual when you get a bunch of old trucks and drivers togeth er the stories come out and many miles were covered rem iniscing about when the kings of the road were at their peak.

I was honoured to get a drive in Solly’s magnificent W Model ‘Rocky’ while it was being transported down to the show. No pressure at all as Solly’s MD Ed was sitting beside me in the cab while I polished up a few cogs in the 15-speed!

Showing off hundreds of New Zealand’s best working trucks, embracing the history and heritage of trucking while

inspiring the next generation and industry competitions, this event is a trucking carni val that has managed to attract exhibitors, truck drivers and visitors from around the coun try and Australia.

Walking around it was hard to not be impressed by the quality of the displays, products and just plain fun trucking stuff like the ra dio-controlled model trucks which were a smash hit. Even big kids got caught having a go. My old mate Yogi Kendall had some fun driving around a few of the models.

For me the most impressive thing about the whole show is the way the NZ trucking com munity seems to have come together to support the event.

Trade day was very well attended and visitors weren’t afraid to get their cheque books out to take advantage of opportunities. I was intrigued looking at the differences in equipment configuration and set-ups compared to what we run on Australian roads. The twin steer bogie drive with a five-axle trailer is extremely popular across most of the

fleet. The TMC display held my attention for quite a while.

I spent several hours talking to visitors at what I considered to be a most important display at the show on the public open day. That was the NZ Truck ing Association’s safety educa tion trailer and the Pro-Active Drive driver simulator trailer right beside it, where getting into tough situations behind the wheel is done in a safe way.

A constant stream of vis itors experienced the virtual reality SafeT360 demo and I’ve got to say when I had a seat in the chair for my turn I was surprised at just how real it looked.

There was also a long queue to have a go at the driver sim ulator. Fortunately, I managed to have a turn after-hours so as not to disrupt the display on the day.

The instructor ran a dis traction simulation for me. Now I’ve done a few k’s over the years and honestly regard myself as a pretty good driver, so I thought I’d manage to do alright.

Simply put, the simulator allowed me to drive for a few

minutes while it measured my ability to maintain my speed and position within the lane and graph that data. Then just off to the left of the screen a simulated ‘phone text’ appears.

You have to press a button on the wheel to say you’ve seen it and then read the words.

Once you’ve done that you press the button again. All the while you’re traveling down the road at 80km/h. This goes on for nine messages that vary in complexity from a couple of words to over seven.

When you reach the end of the simulation you pull over and the thing crunches the

numbers. Unsurprisingly, like many before me, I discovered my absolute inability to text and drive! I’d crossed to the wrong side of the white line twice, my speed varied by 8 per cent and my lane position was affected by 30 per cent.

The instructor running the simulation told me more than 80 per cent of people have a collision with road furniture or another vehicle.

The only reason I didn’t have a simulated crash was there was nothing to hit where I crossed the lines, luck was the only thing that saved me. We can’t leave it to luck in reality.

Trucking industry shows, show n shines and other truck ing events are an important link to the community. They give the public an opportunity to see us up close and meet us in person. I had a great time meeting with new friends and a few old ones at the TMC Trucking Industry Show. Now I’m looking forward to Bris bane.

You can contact me via @ theoztrucker on twitter, On The Road Podcast (@otrpod castaus) on Facebook or email me at mike@ontheroadpod cast.com.au.

The BP classic truck showcase brought a lot of true bits of trucking history out of hiding. Photos: Mike Williams

The NZ Trucking Association’s safety education trailer and the Pro-Active Drive driver simulator trailer.

Brisbane Truck Show returns bigger and better

WITH the big truck and trail er brands again under the one roof, plus further expansion of activations and entertainment in the nearby South Bank Park lands, the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show is shaping up as the big gest and best in the event’s sto ried 55-year history.

And with just five months until the doors open for the four-day trucking extravaganza, to be staged May 18-21, 2023 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), you can now secure your tickets to the event at brisbanetruck show.com.au.

Buoyed by record demand for new trucks in the lead up, key brands including Volvo,

Mack, UD, Hino and Isuzu are all set to return for next year’s show, joining stalwarts Ken worth, DAF, Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Fuso, Western Star, MAN and Iveco.

And the big brands will have a slew of new products on show, some publicly for the first time, including Kenworth’s new K220, MAN’s new TGL, TGM, TGS and TGX mod els, the Fuso Shogun 510, and Western Star’s new X-Series models.

Arguably the biggest show case of electric trucks will also be on display, including the full range of Volvo’s all-new Volvo FL and FE Electric medi um-duty models, SEA Electric’s

300 and 500 Series, and poten tially Mercedes-Benz’s eActros, which is set to begin local trials in early 2023.

Not to be left behind, Aus tralia’s world-class local trailer manufacturers are also set to showcase the latest innovations in trailer design – including new product reveals from the likes of CIMC/Marshall Leth lean and Robuk Engineering.

Connecting it all together, a record number of parts and ac cessories suppliers, and technol ogy providers, are readying to unveil a raft of product advanc es that are playing an increasing role in delivering on the 2023 show’s key themes of innova tion, safety, sustainability and

PACCAR will have its new Kenworth K220 on show at the 2023 event.

knowledge.

Continuing the show’s evo lution into a week-long festival of all things trucking, the event will once more extend well be yond the walls of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) into the near by South Bank Parklands and beyond.

With the support of Tour ism and Events Queensland, the Brisbane City Council and South Bank Corporation, Lit tle Stanley Street and Stanley Street Plaza again will be closed to traffic to showcase an ev er-expanding line up of innova tive trucks and trailers.

Following its success in 2019 and 2021, there’ll also be an abundance of activities and entertainment in the Parklands, supported by the precinct’s re tailers waiting to welcome vis itors with a plethora of great drinking and dining options (look out for our upcoming guides to the best places, bars and restaurants to visit while in Brisbane).

Also at South Bank, the industry Careers Centre and National Apprentice Challenge will maintain their new home in the Piazza, where the wider community will be able to see for themselves the high level of skills and diverse range of rewarding career paths on of fer in Australia’s heavy vehicle industry.

And in a return to its roots,

the big yellow machines will re turn to Brisbane’s iconic Ekka showgrounds – where prior to 2011 they were a key part of the Queensland Truck, Trail er and Equipment Show, with the 2023 Heavy Equipment and Machinery Show (HEMS) again running alongside the Truck Show from Thursday to Sunday. The show is held in conjunction with Civil Con tractors Federation Queensland (CCFQ).

HVIA Chief Executive Todd Hacking says the response to the show’s strategic expansion has been “fantastic” – as has the support of Platinum Part ners NTI and TruckAssist, Gold Partners BP and Wurth, Diamond Partners carsales and trucksales, Supporting Partners Energy Australia and Morris Finance, and Heavy Vehicle Industry Week Partners Bris

bane City Council and the Queensland Government.

“All of that success is a reflec tion on the leadership shown by so many of our exhibitors who did such an amazing job of showcasing the values of their companies and our industry to the broader community,” said Hacking.

“The opportunity to show case our industry in this spec tacular location provides the perfect opportunity to share our story with the community in a tangible and lasting way. We are extremely grateful to the Queensland Government and the City of Brisbane for coming on board to enable this initia tive to come to life.

“They recognise that the Brisbane Truck Show is a vital Queensland business, tourism and cultural asset, recognised internationally amongst the

world’s leading industry busi ness events.”

Now ranking among the world’s leading transport indus try events, the Brisbane Truck Show has come a long way from its humble beginnings back in 1968 when 21 truck, trailer and component man ufacturers and suppliers came together at Haulmark Trailers’ premises in Rocklea.

These days, it is, by far, the biggest business event the road transport industry holds in the Southern Hemisphere – and recognised among the best, with the 2019 event named ‘Australia’s Best Corporate Event and Best Exhibition, Trade or Consumer Show’ in the Australian Event Awards; while the 2021 show took out the ‘Best Live or Hybrid Con gress, Conference or Exhibi tion’ gong in the 2021 awards.

Those accolades have only served to inspire more energy to further improve the show for both exhibitors and visi tors, he says.

“Our industry exhibitors do an extraordinary job raising the bar every show and 2023 will be no different,” Hacking says.

“On display is a fantastic ar ray of products, from the very latest trucks and innovative trailer designs, to components, equipment, accessories and ground-breaking technology solutions.”

Sunny the koala flying the flag

WITH Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympics, the Brisbane Truck Show is emulating the iconic torch relay – but with a unique twist

Sunny the koala earned its name from the Brisbane Truck Show logo.

The crest has been part of the logo for two decades and is instantly recognisable to most folks from the trucking indus try no matter where you might hail from across Australia.

So, settling on a name for the new Truck Show mascot was not an arduous or conten tious task.

“Given Brisbane was recent ly announced as the host city for the 2032 Olympic Games, we were inspired to follow its lead and emulate the iconic

torch relay – with a twist,” said organisers.

“In the lead-up to the 2023 show, Sunny will be dropping through to visit as many of the near-300 exhibitors as possible.

“We will be tracking Sun ny’s progress as he goes, check ing out what unusual forms of transport he might be subjected to, and what interesting activi ties he gets up to.”

Exhibitors have been enthu siastic in putting their hands up to host Sunny. Their ideas for giving Sunny an experience that is unique to their brands are irresistibly novel.

“However, we can’t give too much away – you’ll have to fol low his journey on the show website, through our newslet ters, and social media.”

HVIA’s Steve Power and Kay Marco with Sunny at IAA Transportation in Hanover.

Changing landscape on show in Brisbane in 2023

A LOT has changed in the 55 years since this first show, then known as the Queensland Truck Show, and as we move towards the upcoming event, it could be just as defining as that first show back in 1968.

Five months out from the 2023 show, we are knocking at the door of the next generation of the truck, where automation rules, electricity and hydrogen replace diesel, and safety and other technology smarts reign supreme.

The 2023 show will un doubtedly be an important next step in this evolution, says show organisers Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia.

Penske Australia’s Executive General Manager of On-High way, and HVIA board member, Craig Lee, agrees.

He believes truck manufac turers and importers are on the cusp of the most fundamental shifts in heavy vehicle automo tive technology ever.

“The next 10 to 15 years are going to change the trucking landscape in a way that has nev er happened before,” Lee said.

“Major changes are occur ring across the fleet in how tech nology is applied to improve

fleet performance, for greatly improved safety outcomes and to improve our environmental impact.”

As you walk the halls of the 2023 event and check out the latest trucks on show – from those powered by traditional in ternal combustion engines, like the Mack Anthem, Kenworth K220 and Freightliner Cas cadia, to the greatest array of electric and hydrogen powered vehicles ever on show – think to yourself what will the trucks evolve to by Truck Show 2025?

To highlight how far trucks have come here are some of the new models expected to be on display in 2023.

KENWORTH

While the anniversary Leg end SAR on display in 2021 stepped back in time to pay homage to an icon, the future of Kenworth trucks is certainly to be found in the recently re leased Kenworth K220.

The K220 is the brand’s most technologically advanced truck and will sit front and centre of its stand at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.

The most noticeable change to its predecessor, the K200,

is the operating environment. Stepping inside the K220 cab, you’ll find a more modern in terior fitted with a 15-inch high-definition display as well as a new eight-inch audio-visual navigation unit that has smart phone integration. However, it still feels and looks like a Ken worth inside.

PACCAR Australia has also updated the automatic trans mission, with the new K220 swapping out its previous Ea ton Ultrashift for the new Ea ton 18-speed Endurant XD Pro automated transmission. An 18-speed Road Ranger box is still available.

Safety-wise, the company says the K220 has the largest range of active and passive safe ty options ever offered by Ken worth Australia and includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings, side object detection and collision mitiga tion.

This is by far the most mod ern Kenworth truck ever and brings the brand in line with what its competitors are doing. Like most things Kenworth, the K220 will be hugely popular.

WESTERN STAR

Thanks to its historical link with Brisbane, Western Star has had a long connection with the Brisbane Show.

Last show, Western Star paid tribute to the first-ever West ern Star released in Australia in 1983 by painting one of its lat est 4800 models with a special tribute livery with a blue cabin, red chassis, and heritage pearl white highlights.

The nod to history was special and had countless Star groupies flocking for photos.

Fast forward to the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show, and we will see a new Western Star released, and arguably just as important as that original 1983 Star unveiled all those years ago.

The new Western Star 47X, 48X and 49X series trucks are on their way Down Under, and the people of Brisbane are set to get a glimpse of the ‘modern’ Star.

The new X-Series from Western Star will be the first all-new Star for quite some time and will come with the latest Detroit DD13 through to DD16 engines as well as a new lighter cabin design with a modern interior.

With a menacing new de sign, and an appetite to suc ceed like the Western Stars that have come before, it’s safe to

say the eventual launch of the new X-Series trucks from West ern Star will have the Brisbane Truck Show buzzing.

MAN

As a brand, MAN can claim it is one of the oldest in the game. The German trucking giant has been making trucks since 1915, and with the recent release of its new TG (Truck Generation) range – the first newly-devel oped MAN truck in two de cades, it’s ready to push the en velope on the next generation of trucks just like it did more than 100 years ago.

The new TG range – head

The TG range is just what MAN was looking for; an efficient, innovative and good-looking range of trucks to compete in the competitive Euro truck market in Australia.

The MAN brand, through its local distributor Penske Aus tralia, is trying to reconnect with the Australian market by offering that ‘next-gen’ truck that’s more tool than toy.

Fuel economy is the TG range’s bread and butter, with the option of engines ranging from the 250hp D08 to the 640hp D38 Euro 6e engine (with various options in be tween).

The TG’s Tipmatic gearbox shift system also uses software to determine the optimum moving off and gearshift strat egy in all situations in conjunc tion with load and inclination detection. MAN was a part of the first generation of trucks and with the TG series, it seems it’s ready for the next generation of commercial vehicles.

ed up by the recently crowned ‘International Truck of the Year 2021’ TGX model – will make its first big Australian-event de but at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.

The new X-Series range from Western Star.

The K220 will be front and centre at the popular PACCAR stand in the main hall.

Penske will also have the award-winning MAN line-up on show.

A huge step in innovation and technology at BTS23

The Cascadia is a huge step in innovation and technolo gy in comparison to previous Argosy and Coronado truck models. It’s shaken the stereo typical buff, yank truck ap pearance and instead opts for a modern, sleek, aerodynamic design like its sibling Mer cedes-Benz and its impressive Actros range.

Under the bonnet, the Cas cadia offers the 13- or 16-litre Detroit Diesel engines, which are reportedly good on fuel, and inside the Cascadia you’ll find a cabin filled with lush, soft-touch materials that re semble the interior of premi um car brands.

sions to ensure effective oper ation in extreme temperature conditions.

Freightliner, together with other Daimler Truck Aus tralia brands Fuso and Mer cedes-Benz, make some of the most modern, technologically advanced trucks in the world, and has demanded from itself the need to keep evolving the ‘truck’ for the future – the results of which will be on display at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.

MACK

Continued from 34

FREIGHTLINER

After many years of success in the US and many years of additional testing here Down

Under, the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show was where Daim ler Truck Australia finally lift ed the curtain on its impres

sive Freightliner Cascadia. The camouflaged “winter soldier” test unit Cascadia proudly stood on the stand, giving Australians their first glimpse of what is now the flagship Freightliner. Two years later at the 2021 Bris bane Truck Show, punters could put in an order.

Freightliner left no stone unturned to make sure the Cascadia was right for the Australian market, and re portedly built numerous prototypes to test new com ponents and systems locally, while also simulating millions of road kilometres with cold chamber and hot room ses

Collaborations don’t get much better than rock legend Jimmy Barnes, Mack Trucks and Ro tary Australia. Together, the three combined in 2019 to create the inspiring ‘Working Class Mack’, a special limit ed-edition Mack Super-Liner that was auctioned off to raise funds for drought-affected farmers.

It wasn’t just any old Su perliner though, the Work

ing Class Mack was specially painted to represent album artwork from Barnes’ iconic 1985 album, Working Class Man.

The Super-Liner featured had the MP10 16-litre engine under the bonnet as well as the Mack mDrive 12-speed

Brisbane

automated manual box and 58

Truck Show at tendees were lucky enough to see the Mack on display at Volvo Group Australia’s acti vation in the Brisbane CBD, bringing that rock-and-roll edge to the extravaganza.

The next-generation Bulldog is here.

The new Cascadia has been extensively tested in Australia.

By far one of the most im portant trucks ever to grace the Truck Show, the Mack was auctioned off by Pickles, with $80,000 from the proceeds going to the Rotary Australia drought relief program.

While the Mack Super liner may be the most iconic Mack truck to ride the roads in Australia, it’s the compa ny’s new Anthem model that will set its future course.

The next-generation Bull dog is here and the Anthem is that for Mack. Just take a look at its sleeker, more aero dynamic design in compari son to the big, and muscular, Macks that have come before it.

After years in the US, the Anthem finally arrived in Australia in 2021 – had it not been for Covid, the Anthem would have been on display in full at the previous truck show but will now have its first major Australian outing at the 2023 event.

The Anthem has a keen focus on safety and comes loaded with the Bendix Wingman Fusion safety sys tem as standard.

It is also one of the most fuel-efficient Macks ever, thanks to tweaks to the MP8 engine and the mDrive transmission, which now talk more seamlessly to each oth er, and its new aerodynamic cabin.

Speaking of cabins, you’ll find plenty of room inside the Anthem. In fact, the new stand-up sleeper has 35 per cent more space than previ ous cabins with the intention to provide the operator with a more comfortable rest ex perience.

The Anthem is still ‘Mack’ enough to appeal to rust ed-on Bulldog lovers but will also provide the luxuries that come with modernisation.

With Mack’s parent company Volvo Group leading the way with the latest technologies, it’s safe to say that Mack is in safe hands for the future.

ISUZU The year 2022 marks 50 years of operation for the Isuzu brand here in Australia, and it’s because of trucks like the classic SBR model that the

company has fared so well.

Speaking of SBRs, do you remember when Isuzu found one of its old classic 1979 SBR 422 with 1.3 million kilometres on the clock and decided to restore it? The process took Isuzu Austra lia’s Product Development Department two years to complete and the results were pretty spectacular.

The interior and exterior were fully restored. All rust, dents and blemishes were removed, a fresh coat of white paint was applied and a custom-built body with a Tasmanian oak floor fitted, leaving the 43-year Isuzu in a near-original state.

It’s trucks like the SBR that have made Isuzu one of Australia’s top-selling truck brands, however, when com pared to the latest N-Series

trucks, the poor old SBR is now a museum piece.

The latest N-Series light truck range is by far the most sophisticated and advanced Isuzu to date. Inside you get a 10.1-inch infotainment screen with Apple and An droid connectivity, trans forming that standard bleak light interior into something a bit more user-friendly.

Safety is key with the new N-Series, with the range adopting Isuzu’s new est safety technology ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems).

Autonomous emergency braking that can detect pe destrians comes as standard, as does lane-departure warn ing, traffic movement warn ing, distance warning and stability control.

Head-to-head with the SBR, the N-Series has 149190hp from its four-cylinder engine compared to 132hp from its 5.8-litre six-cylinder diesel.

As mentioned before, the N-Series has a suite of safe ty features and technology compared to the SBR’s sim ple seatbelts. Let’s not make a habit of poking fun at iconic old trucks, but it certainly proves a point, the new N-se ries – which we suspect will be front and centre at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show – is a next-generation truck.

Win a double pass to the show

Organisers are giving 10 Big Rigs readers a chance to win a VIP double pass to this year’s show.

To be in the draw, all you have to do is email us at editor@bigrigs.com. au before midnight on December 31, and tell us what you’re looking forward to seeing most at this year’s show and why.

The VIP passes are valid for any one day but also includes entry to the Heavy Vehicle & Equipment Show on the same day and a seat on the free shuttles between venues.

If you really want to impress that special truck fan in your life, splash out on ‘the golden ticket’, entry to Club BTS 2023, a new initiative for the Brisbane Truck Show’s biggest fans.

Event Manager Noelene Bradley says the strictly limited intake comes with a range of special benefits.

“This is the gold pass version of entry to the show with only 100

memberships on offer,” said Bradley.

“We’ve had enquiries from regular attendees whose pilgrimage to the show is one of the highlights on their calendars. With Christmas coming up we know that these memberships will go like hotcakes.”

Club BTS 2023 membership includes a multi-day pass to the show along with unique merchandise, gifts from exhibitors and vouchers for use around the show. To secure your membership jump on www.truckshow.com.au/ clubbts.

HEAVY VEHICLE SAFETY INITIATIVE (HVSI)

Safety is the key with the top-selling new N-Series from Isuzu.

BRISBANE CONVENTION

Club BTS 2023 tickets are expected to sell quicky.

Brisbane Truck Show: Will it be different to Hanover?

BY GRAHAM HARSANT

HVIA is going full steam to make the 2023 event bigger and better than ever. The truck manufacturers - apart from Sca nia I’m told – will be back dis playing their wares to convince you that their product is where you should place your backside.

I was lucky enough to visit the Hanover Truck Show in Germany earlier this year, so one man’s comparison as to how they do things in Europe may be of interest.

Hanover, or IAA Transpor tation as its termed, is the big gest truck show in the world with one pavilion taking up close to the same footprint as the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. And there are 21 of them at Hanover! If you think that your tired after a day walking around the Bris bane Truck Show then don’t go to Germany.

Based on past Brisbane shows – and probably the up coming one – the difference in the two was stark for one major reason. Electricity! (There was another which I’ll come to)

The European truck market is dominated by six compa nies and eight brands: Daim ler Truck (Mercedes, Fuso),

PACCAR (DAF), Volvo, Tra ton (Scania, MAN), Stellantis (Iveco) and Renault. Ford also still has a presence on the conti nent. All these companies, and a strong Chinese contingent at the IAA concentrated on battery powered trucks from last-mile delivery through to Mercedes’ new Actros prime mover capable of a (fully load ed) 500km range – enough to satisfy over 60 per cent of Eu rope’s requirements.

How dominant was elec tricity at Hanover? 80 per cent dominant. Mercedes for exam ple had only two diesel powered trucks on their massive display. The Ford stand had only two trucks on show – both electric. If memory serves me correctly the entire Chinese contingent was electric. All other manu facturers went mainly electric as well, and I’m not talking Can ter/Sea Electric-sized vehicles. These were all Big Bangers. Hanover was also awash with electric powered trailers to go with those electric prime movers – a logical progression in spreading the power load. I’d love to see some of those at Brisbane

We will of course see some electric power in Brisbane. Fuso will no doubt be there with

their electric Canter – hopefully the 2nd generation which is a massive leap forward in design, range and type of drive line. Daimler Truck – like all OEM’s I tried to speak to - are playing their cards close to their chests, but the word is they have an electric Actros (rigid) here for

evaluation.

If so, expect it to make an appearance at Brisbane. I drove this truck in Europe and it was amazing – for its size alone apart from anything else. Daimler also have a couple of eEconic re fuse trucks running around for evaluation with the latest elec

tric drive system which houses motors and diff in one unit.

Garbage trucks are an ideal re cipient of electric power with their slow speeds and constant stopping. Expect to see them there. Otherwise I have no doubt there will be a healthy display of good old diesel prod uct on their stand.

What the Europeans call ‘long distance’, we’d call a run down to the corner shop and whilst electric will certainly find its place for last mile delivery, it’s got problems with the miles needed to be covered here (Ja nus is of course developing their variation on the theme with plug in batteries).

There were a bunch of com panies at Hanover displaying the alternative to electric. I refer to hydrogen. The development in this arena is gathering pace at breakneck speed with mul tiple fuel-cell designs on show. I’ve no doubt this is Australia’s answer for long distance driving

in the absence of diesel, and it would be great to see some of these products on display. Guess we’ll have to wait until May to find out. It would be an educa tion if Cummins brought their hydrogen display here from Europe.

The other difference I re ferred to earlier between Ha nover and here is the absence of bonneted trucks over there (two drive axles is also a rarity). Auss ies love the bonnet but I’m pre dicting that the hero truck on the Kenworth stand will be the new high-tech K220 cab over.

Hino refused to divulge any details of their show plans, so I’m figuring they’re planning something. Other companies are also staying mum. Whatev er turns up at Brisbane, I know there’ll be something for every one, that there’ll be more than one surprise, and that I’ll not have to walk near as far as I did at Hanover to see everything. Bring it on!

DAF’s hydrogen truck at Hanover.

Two of these will pump out big kilowatts and massive torque.

The Cummins motor runs on compressed hydrogen gas.

A 500km battery electric prime mover - and hydrogen power is coming to Mercedes.

The 2nd-Gen Fuso Canter interior is a big step forward.

PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMY

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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.

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.

Heritage haulers return to Rocklea

COOL classic trucks will again be a feature of the Brisbane Truck Show, with the Heritage Truck Association Australia (HTAA) planning to stage its big annual event on the week end of May 20-21, 2023 at Rocklea Showgrounds.

HTAA’s Michelle Wilkie says the association is hoping to once again see the showground at capacity, filled with all dif ferent makes and models of trucks, tractors, cars, utes and machines. The showgrounds are just 15 minutes’ drive from the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC).

The return to the Rocklea Showgrounds follows the com mittee’s difficult decision to cancel HTAA’s annual show in 2021 for the second year run ning due to COVID restric tions – but one that ultimately had a silver lining with a “oncein-a-lifetime” offer to display a number of its members’ vehi cles in a prominent location on the ground floor of the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show.

In what turned out to be among the most popular exhi bitions at the event, members displayed 12 classics: a 1946 Ford Jailbar ‘Roxanne’ pains takingly restored by show partner NTI, a 1948 Chev rolet Loadmaster, a 1954 In ternational AR110, a 1962 Mack H673 ST, a 1970 In ternational Loadstar, a 1971 Mercedes Benz 1418 LS, a 1972 AEC Marshal, a 1973 Kenworth W924, a 1975 Bedford KMR/XT5, a 1975 International D1310, a 1978 International 3070B, and a 1986 Kenworth W925 SAR.

“It was certainly a once-ina-lifetime opportunity for our club to be an exhibitor at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show. The amount of interest from other exhibitors and the pub lic in the heritage truck dis play was wonderful to see and gave another dimension to the show,” Wilkie says.

“Being a first-time exhibi tor, the process was daunting at first but all went smoothly,

from bump in to bump out and everything in between.”

Wilkie says the exception al response to the exhibition reflects an increase in interest in historic trucks in recent years, a trend also mirrored by steady growth in the number of trucks on show at its events as well as HTAA membership.

“These historic trucks are a piece of our history and if not

restored, we will lose those pieces of history,” she says.

“There is a passion to keep the past alive for the men and women who started the trans port industry, along with those wonderful hard-working old trucks that worked on not-sogood roads. Many travelled ex traordinary distances on high ways throughout Australia.

“Some of these vehicles

Big yellow machines back at the Ekka

THE big yellow machines will return to the former long-time home of the Brisbane Truck Show in 2023 at Brisbane’s Ekka Showgrounds.

Previously the Civil Con struction Field Days, the new and improved show will be presented by Civil Contractors Federation Queensland (CCF QLD) at the Royal Interna tional Convention Centre and Showgrounds from May 18-21, showcasing the latest innova tions for the civil construction and infrastructure sector thanks to naming sponsor Pickles In dustrial.

Its new ‘forever home’ sees the big yellow machines return to the Ekka, where from 1983 to 2009 they were a key part of

the Queensland Truck, Trail er and Equipment Show. The event was renamed the Brisbane Truck Show when it shifted to the Brisbane Convention & Ex hibition Centre in 2011.

CCF QLD CEO Damian Long says the new venue de livers a platform for a bigger and better show in 2023 and beyond.

Presented alongside the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show, the event is expected to attract more than 6000 attendees and in excess of 80 exhibitors over the four-day showcase.

The 2021 show – which ran over three days at Hamilton Northshore – featured around 60 of the industry’s most wellknown companies and drew

some 3500 attendees, signifi cantly up on the first Civil Con struction Field Days created by CCF QLD in 2019, a two-day event which was hosted at the Pickles Industrial site at Archer field with approximately 40 ex hibitors and 900 attendees.

Following the success of its official partnership with Bris bane Truck Show, including reciprocal ticketing and free shuttle buses, Long says he an ticipates significant growth in the show again in 2023.

“There are great synergies between the Heavy Equipment and Machinery Show and the Brisbane Truck Show, so we are thrilled to partner with them again for 2023 to pro vide Australians with access to

both heavy equipment, trucks and everything in between by just purchasing one ticket,” he said.

Positioned on the doorstep of the show’s official hotel, the 4.5-star Rydges Fortitude Valley, the new site is also con veniently placed in the lively and stunning heritage of the world-class Royal Interna tional Convention Centre and the Brisbane Showgrounds Precinct, with access to The Tivoli music venue and the city’s newest and most exciting restaurant and bar precinct, King Street, and on the fringes of Fortitude Valley, Brisbane’s entertainment quarter.

As well as free shuttle buses from the Brisbane

have been lovingly restored to their original glory and create a spectacular display. There is a pride and passion by all mem bers in their vehicles.”

Held on the third weekend in May every year at Rock lea Showgrounds, the annual event has experienced strong growth in the volume of exhib itors showcasing their trucks, tractors, machinery and sta tionary engines.

At the last show in 2019, more than 200 trucks were on display and the showground was at full capacity, Wilkie says.

“On average we would see approximately 1500 attendees through the gates each day,” she adds.

With a motto ‘Keeping Old Wheels Turning’, the HTAA was founded in 2002 when an ad was placed in The Courier Mail seeking interested parties to attend an inaugural meeting where the idea was floated to form a new club to promote the preservation of heritage trucks

and associated memorabilia.

The club kicked off with 13 foundation members and membership now sits at an im pressive 470 financial members.

The first HTAA show was held on July 26, 2003 at Mt Gravatt Showgrounds, before moving to Beenleigh Show grounds in 2006, and on to Rocklea Showgrounds in 2013. This year’s rescheduled 2022 show was held on October 1516 at Beaudesert Showgrounds.

The HTAA also stages club runs every month plus mem bers attend other clubs’ events, including the Yesteryear Truck & Machinery Club at Wau chope, the Kingaroy & District Vintage Machinery Club, and Toowoomba & District Old Machinery Society.

Most recently, in August HTAA’s members attended the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, where trucks parked alongside old aircraft in the grounds, providing a rare treat for old machinery buffs!

every 30 minutes, the new ven ue offers plentiful parking onsite. It’s also less than a 10-min ute walk from Bowen Hills and Fortitude Valley train stations

and close to numerous other public transport options.

For more information on the show visit heavyequipment show.com.au.

Truck Show

The 2023 show will be held in conjunction with BTS23 and promises to be bigger and better.

The oldest truck on display in 2021 was a 1946 Ford Jailbar ‘Roxanne’ painstakingly restored by show partner NTI.

BY QUEENSLAND TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

THE future of the industry is dependent upon policy de cision makers challenging or thodox thinking to create real

step changes. This is what the industry needs now. It is no co incidence that in the last three decades the highest for labour productivity growth was the nineties. This was the decade of persistent and significant road transport reform.

At the recent QTA Road Freight Industry Awards, we were fortunate to have Dr Craig Challen SC OAM as guest speaker. He is well known around the world for his role in the rescue of 13 young Thai soccer players. He openly said if risks weren’t taken to chal lenge normal rescue protocols and practices, all those trapped would have perished. There was no question as to whether they were going to be rescued, it was just a matter of how that was going to be achieved. The challenge for government and regulators is embracing reform that genuinely shifts the dial on the safety and efficiency of the industry.

Our members challenge us

to deliver relevant and practi cal services that make a differ ence to their businesses. Our membership investment sup ports our leading advocacy role which ultimately benefits the entire road freight indus try. Our appreciation for our operator and sponsor mem bers who support the QTA is greatly valued.

In 2023, we are excited to be delivering our leading truck driver training program funded by the NHVR Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative. This innova tive program will inject drivers with an existing HR licence into employment and be put through 160 hours of on-road driving with a driving mentor. Combined with theory on es sential safety and compliance awareness, this program will prepare job ready drivers to a standard set by employers. This is an ideal path to set these driv ers to complete a Heavy Vehicle Driving Apprenticeship which was approved in Queensland

in October. We must also in crease awareness of the career opportunities in the industry. To tackle this, we will roll out the first of our Get in2 Trans port and Logistics industry tours in 2023. Kicking off in North Queensland, school ca reer guidance officers and stu dents will come together with industry to engage more young people in the industry. These two initiatives form the basis of our Workforce Strategy and specifically our Heavy Vehicle Driver Pathways Plan.

We will also commence

our First on Scene Incident Response training around Queensland funded by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission. With an over whelming expression of inter est response, this course will provide valuable training and awareness for truck drivers who are often the first person on the scene of road accidents in regional and remote areas. This is a progressive collabo ration between the industry, Queensland Police Service and Queensland Ambulance.

We will also continue the

Livestock Handling Work shops in Queensland with the next course to be held in Char ters Towers in February.

With other significant issues such as establishing all-weath er national freight lanes, in creased investment in the Inland Freight Route among other road investments, pro gression to a low carbon en vironment, and the ongoing issue of labour shortages, road user charges and the industrial environment, the year ahead provides plenty of challenges for us to tackle.

Dr Craig Challen SC OAM was guest speaker at the recent Road Freight Industry Awards.

The QTA will roll out the first of its Get in2 Transport and Logistics industry tours in 2023.

A STAGGERING total of $2,078,718.95 is the official figure raised from this year’s i98FM Illawarra Convoy, proving that the convoy spir it is still thriving in the Illa warra community.

i98FM Illawarra Con voy manager, Mark Rigby, announced the final figure raised from the event live on the Breakfast Show with Marty, Christian and Bella.

Following a busy week of activities, a total of $1,358,584.36 was raised before the NSW event had even begun – with the Lead Motorbike Auction raising a total of $405,527.36.

A $230,000 donation from Coles Illawarra saw them take the Lead Bike position on Wednesday fol lowed by the Lead Truck Auction (which raised a to

tal of $953,057) where Me nai Haulage and Gear Shift donated $152,500 to secure the top spot, on behalf of six-year-old Nate Deushain, who has recently relapsed with leukaemia.

“The generosity from the Illawarra continues to amaze me each and every year,” said Rigby.

“While so many families are doing it tough at the mo ment, they still manage to

give generously to help those who are going through the unimaginable.

“It is why we continue to do what we do, and it’s won derful to see the smiling faces on our convoy families, who treat this day as their Christ mas each year.”

It was an emotional day for organisers, with the free Family Fun Day having to be cancelled on Sunday due to severe winds of nearly

90km/h

“It was an extremely diffi cult decision to make, how ever the health and safety of the public, our convoy families, artists, staff and vol unteers is paramount,” said i98FM’s Marty Hayes.

“Our goal has always been for convoy to be an event that helps others, and we pride ourselves on that.

“Under the circumstanc

es we found ourselves in on Sunday, our values of putting the community first ulti mately dictated the decision to call the Fun Day off. We will be back bigger and bet ter in 2023 and are so proud of the generosity of our amazing community.”

Despite this, the convoy itself ran seamlessly with thousands of people lining the streets of the Illawarra and saw 671 motorbikes and 707 trucks take part in the event, the biggest one of its kind in the southern hemi sphere.

Since 2005, the con voy has raised a total of $22,341,616.95.

All funds raised will go di rectly to the Illawarra Com munity Foundation which helps families affected by life threatening illnesses.

Since the establishment of the Illawarra Commu nity Foundation in 2016, financial assistance has been provided to over 400 fami lies throughout the Illawarra and South Coast. The foun dation has also contributed over $4.3 million to the re development of the Wollon gong Hospital’s Children’s Ward. Visit illawarraconvoy. com.au to donate.

hitting Shellharbour Airport.

for Ross Transport.

Hundreds of truckies turned out for the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

Ross Transport has donated over $1m over the last 18 years. Truckies paid tribute to loved ones. Photo: Grahame Logg

Nate Deushain had the best seat in the house.

Photo: Grahame Logg

Reader Rigs proudly supported by

Month

Share your truck pics to win with Shell Rimula

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

Each month, the Big Rigs team will choose a #PicOfT heMonth, with the lucky winner receiving a $500 Shell Coles Express Gift Card. Keep an eye out for our reg ular posts on the Big Rigs Na tional Road Transport News paper Facebook page, calling

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

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

Wayne Rogerson enjoys the sunrise at Yamba SA, while piloting Schumann Transport’s K200 across from Sydney to Perth.

Tyson Staben captured this shot of the T909 he drives for Morgan Sawmills, while travelling the Worlds End Highway, near Burra, SA.

David Garnett snapped this shot at Adelaide River, heading to Katherine with the triple.

Jack Leeson prepares dinner by the roadside, while watching the sunset.

James Aaron and this oversize load have a play in the sand near Moomba.

That sky – Dean Trounson snapped this ripper recently at Port Hedland.

Congratulations to Tom Charlton, who has won a $500 Shell Coles Express Gift Card for this great shot, snapped at Benaraby, Queensland.

Yet another great shot from Filip Schubert, this time of a glorious Melbourne sunrise.

Paul OD loads mangoes from Gilbert River in north Queensland for the markets in Sydney.

Toby Darrell Shingles waits for pre-load at Hillston, NSW.

Barry Scholz snapped this great shot along the Nullarbor, while running from Adelaide to Perth.

Liz Armstrong was enjoying the stunning scenery of the Nullarbor, on her first trip to Perth.

“Red dirt, the quickest way to make a clean truck dirty.” Robert Blackwell snapped this photo while heading out to a station to unload at Sturt Plateau, NT.

Jamie Neville heads to Lyndhurst via the Strzelecki Track, as lightning strikes.

When the going gets tough, truckies keep everyone going

Truckies gather to pay tribute to

Ballinger

AFTER a nervous few days watching the wild weather in the region, organisers were re lieved to see clear skies and a bumper turnout for the Dane Ballinger Memorial Truck Show in Bathurst at the week end.

More than 130 trucks were on display for the event which is now an annual gathering to

pay tribute to former show organiser and highly-regarded local operator, Dane Ballinger, and to help foster camaraderie in the community and indus try.

“We were very lucky with the weather. We even had snow and flooding in the week leading up to it,” said co-event manager Haylie Osborne,

from Designer Events.

“It was a bumper crowd and everything went the way you would hope.”

Osborne says it’s important to have an event of this kind at Bathurst, a hub in the region for transport.

“It’s just an enjoyable day for everyone to get together, more so than the trophies, and to re

member now, unfortunately.”

The stunning T909 from Haran Haulage was the winner of the Sam’s Choice Award this year.

Osborne says it’s hard to single out a highlight on such an emotional day, but she al ways loves seeing Dane’s young son Sam award his favourite truck the Sam’s Choice Trophy,

which this year went to the Kenworth T909 from Haran Haulage.

“That’s pretty special, and I think it’s probably the favourite for everyone to win too,” said Osborne.

Freightlinx’s 100 Year Mack Super-Liner, ‘Lest We’ – a trib ute to our ANZAC soldiers, was crowned Truck of Show.

The Dane Ballinger show will be held again next year on the third weekend of No vember. Visit the event web sitbathursttruckshow.com.au for more information. For a complete set of the category winners from the show, see bi grigs.com.au. Big Rigs would also like to thank Brett Pozza for sharing his event pictures.

Winner of Best Old Working (‘87-’96) from Lawrence Transport. Freightlinx’s Super-Liner was crowned Truck of the Show. The Dane Ballinger fleet is always a crowd-pleaser.

The T909 from Haran Haulage won the Sam’s Choice Award.

This classic International won the Best Old Non-Working Over Two Tonne Tare category.

Award-winning tipper from Raygal.

Ball Haulage also caught the eye, winning Best Fleet.

The silly season is coming, but at what cost to drivers?

BY BORED NEUROTIC HOUSEWIVES

SILLY season is nearly here for another year, so we want to take the opportunity to wish all the trucking families a very Merry Christmas and to thank our drivers for all that they do.

This season brings on many added pressures for drivers and in this current economic climate the pres sures are many and varied.

• Customer expectation

• Management expectations

• Enforcement

• Road conditions

• Weather constraints

• Work Diary constraints

• Mechanical issues

• Financial pressures

• Family expectations

• Industrial action of other industries

Let’s look at the extra en forcement that is around at the moment, especially in NSW. NHVR started op erating in NSW this year but NSW Police have not stopped their enforcement operations... in fact they ap pear to have stepped it up in many locations.

Almost daily we see posts like the below on Facebook. Is it because of revenue tar gets? Is it about safety? Is it about asserting their author ity? What is it about?

Apart from more enforce ment operations in NSW

with either NHVR, NSW Po lice or both agencies together, the amount of enforcement has increased. Why, and what is it achieving?

From a drivers’ partners perspective, it’s achieving in creased incidences of depres sion, stress, violence, chem ical dependence (prescribed or illicit) and many other ‘un intended consequences’.

Again, from our perspec tive, it is decreasing safety as our partner is often more

focussed on whether or not they’ve got all their paper work right instead of actually concentrating on the task of driving safely.

They’re struggling to find adequate parking to take the mandated rest breaks, irre spective of whether or not they need one.

They’re hoping they haven’t forgotten to circle the day of the week on their work diary page, either today or any day previous in their work diary.

They’re worrying about how much money it might cost them if they did forget a minor legislative requirement, irrespective of whether or not is impacts safety for them selves or others they interact with.

Psychosocial is the trend ing term for mental health issues and forms part of WHS requirements. Do you feel the extra pressure? Do you feel like you’re not being listened to? Do you feel like your treatment in the workplace is affecting your mental health?

Businesses have a duty of

care to ensure this doesn’t happen, not only the com pany a driver works for, but ALL parties in the Chain of Responsibility. Many large and medium-sized compa nies have an Employee Assis tance Program (EAP) and/or have engaged Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds and their peer support program, or OzHelp Foundation with their call centre manned by non-industry first tier sup port.

By employers having any of the above in place it allows them to have superficially ‘ticked the box’ thus cover ing their proverbial backside should any driver wish to lodge a WHS claim for psy chosocial impairment.

What these people don’t seem to understand is that drivers don’t trust colleagues, or others paid by their em ployer, when discussing their health for fear of loosing their licence - their only means of supporting their family.

The industry pundits don’t make it any easier when

they want to step up the medicals to include mental health checks but don’t create an environment that fosters openness or a means of ad dressing the reasons for their declining mental health.

Don’t get us wrong, the mental health of our drivers is more important to us than anyone else. What we see however, is our partner being inundated with addition al pressures to perform for everyone else and receiving the greatest attention from law enforcement agencies for petty errors.

One incident that we are aware of was a driver of 30plus years, currently an own er-driver, who couldn’t get his licence renewed until he had a mental health assess ment.

He’s been treated and medicated for depression for quite a number of years due to someone else’s choice of using his truck as their weap on of choice in their suicide. His mental health has been stable and monitored, but

now there’s more bureaucra cy that negatively impacts... you guessed it... his mental health!

Sorry, we forgot to men tion, the first available ap pointment with a mental health practitioner to sign his licence form was four months after his licence expired.

Is it any wonder good, qualified, experienced drivers are leaving the industry?

Work diaries, enforce ment, mental health...can’t those making the decisions for drivers see what they are doing?

We guess a new blinged up tar jockey in a 9’0 must be safer than those leav ing due to over-regulation, over-enforcement, being over-worked, underpaid, un derestimated, but most of all under appreciated!

Thank you drivers! You keep your family going and the country stocked with whatever you carry.

We appreciate you, even if we sometimes forget to say it often enough.

Facebook posts like this are increasingly common.

The busy Christmas period brings many added pressures for truckies. Photo: James Graham

IN

JACQUELENE BROTHERTON Chair of Transport Women Australia

ON my trip to celebrate Thanksgiving with family in the US I caught up with Ellen Voie the president, CEO and founder of Women in Truck ing USA.

Ellen founded WiT in 2004 and is due to retire from the CEO role later this year.

In the intervening 18 years, she has built an incred ible legacy.

Mostly we spoke about the recent Accelerate! conference in Dallas with 1750 delegates,

on a project.

I recommended she attend the WiT conference and as a first time attendee she assured me that it was great advice with wonderful connections made and with many new things learned about the trucking industry.

I also got to chat with Deb ora Babin-Katz, VP of Truc Brush, director of the Snow and Ice Management Asso ciation, an executive board member and secretary of the Massachusetts Trucking Asso ciation and who will be rati fied on January 1, 2023 as the first female chair of the Rhode Island Trucking Association in its 91 year history.

Debora was formerly chair of the board of the Women in Trucking Foundation and

Garth Brooks.

This is my first Thanksgiv ing I ate too much turkey and ham, no pumpkin pie but lots of stuffing; joined the debate which is apparently held year ly whether the stuffing should be inside or outside the turkey (inside) and generally had a great week, especially with my 14-year-old nephew who I ha ven’t seen since May 2019 and who is now taller than I am.

On the home front, we held our EOY dinner in Perth presented Driving the Dif ference scholarship winner Brooke Tran with her certif icate and finalised the details for the remainder of the EOY events around the country.

We have a few surprises for our loyal members and will present the remaining five

Vice chair Coralie Chapman presents Brooke Tran with her Driving the Difference certificate in Perth.

WOMEN

TRANSPORT

State government must repair roads and licensing

to achieve policy and regula tion that creates positive pro ductivity, sustainability, and safety outcomes.

THE Victorian state election has been won, and we congrat ulate Daniel Andrews and his team on their success.

The VTA works with po litical parties of all persuasion, and we look forward to con tinuing our constructive rela tionship with the new ministry

Now that caretaker conven tions are no longer in place, it is imperative that the govern ment rapidly accelerate plans to repair the state’s battered road and rail transport net works, which have been devas tated by recent floods.

While it is encouraging that Regional Roads Victoria has announced the start of works, additional funds announced by the Premier before election writs were issued will not be enough to fully reinstate dam aged roads, bridges, and other

infrastructure.

Given the financial enor mity of the task plans should include consultation with the Commonwealth about joint federal-state state funding to fast-track what will be a mam moth infrastructure repair and re-instatement program.

Over the coming term of government there will be many priorities other than infrastruc ture we will be strongly advo cating for given the impacts of high inflation and rising fuels costs on freight operators’ bot tom lines. At the top of our list is heavy vehicle licencing re form to produce safer and bet ter trained drivers – and lots of them to correct chronic labour shortages.

Truck driver training in Victoria is nowhere near the standard the industry or com munity expects and deserves. Through no fault of their own, Victorian heavy vehicle driv ers have generally not received professional training and have had to learn ‘on the job’, with this experiential learning slow

ly making them safer.

We contend the next Victo rian government must rectify this unacceptable and danger ous situation.

For this we need provision of minimum training stan dards for drivers to be licenced and enter the industry. This can only be achieved through genuine reform because the issue does not sit with the reg istration and licencing bureau cracy.

What we do not want is reform being forced by an avoidable catastrophe, as hap pened in Saskatchewan, Cana da when 16 people were killed and 13 injured in 2018 when a coach carrying a junior ice hockey team collided with a semi-trailer.

One outcome of this trage dy was a review of the meth odology for training heavy ve hicle drivers in Saskatchewan. Their industry standards were turned upside down and a sys tem developed based upon a graduated time of training and experience behind the wheel to

progress through the licencing process.

This contrasts with the anti quated system we have in Vic toria, where you can get a rigid heavy vehicle licence after just five hours training, paying a fee and sitting a test.

Victoria’s heavy vehicle li cencing system has reached a tipping point and we cannot wait for a Saskatchewan-type catastrophe before we intro duce reforms.

Training, not experience, must be at the heart of the transport industry and only the state government can man date change.

The Andrews Labor govern ment deserves credit for back ing higher standards through its support of VTA training inspired by the minimum stan dards introduced in Canada.

Our Driver Delivery pro gram has graduated 275 Vic torians since 2018, who were licenced after spending eight days under instruction behind the wheel of a heavy vehicle. To our knowledge, none have

been involved in an accident whilst working.

The Premier likes to talk about Victoria being the most progressive state in Australia. What better way to demon strate this than by introduc ing progressive heavy vehicle licencing reform that would attract younger and better trained drivers to our industry.

Change is never easy, but the VTA stands ready to sup port the next Victorian govern ment’s road safety initiatives which should include a pilot program for mandatory heavy vehicle driver training. Victoria doesn’t have to lead the world, but we should lead Australia on improving safety outcomes for the transport industry and Victorian community.

It’s been a privilege to have this forum to communicate with drivers and other indus try stakeholders and I look forward to contributing to ro bust debate on these pages next year. Until then, stay safe and have an enjoyable Christmas and New Year.

It is imperative that the government rapidly accelerate plans to repair the state’s battered road networks.

VTA COMMENT PETER ANDERSON CEO, Victorian Transport Association

Securing the future for drivers

allow a level playing field, that makes sure companies at the top of the supply chain pay their fair share, and allow drivers a seat at the decision-making table.

RICHARD OLSEN TWU NSW State Secretary

NEWS RICHARD OLSEN TWU NSW/QLD State Secretary

2022 has just about passed under the wheels, and there is plenty to look forward to for the New Year. To all of those who took up the fight this past year, con gratulations. The transport industry has come together and is firmly heading down the road towards a safer and fairer future for all transport workers.

We can celebrate the achievement of a major win following the announcement from the federal government of their plan to empower the Fair Work Commission to set fair standards for the en tire transport industry.

It is a major triumph for the TWU members who took part in lobbying, na tional convoys and an indus try supported roundtable.

The setting of minimum standards for all workers will

In 2022, members made their voices heard, from the national convoys to mem bers lobbying in Parliament House or in their yards; we are closer than ever to real, lifesaving reform for all road transport workers.

ROWAN KING Principal Lawyer RK Law

We have contributed to the relief valve on the fi nancial pressure faced by drivers through our win in the courts with a fuel levy added to the General Carri ers Contract Determination. Change is still needed for the industry regarding the finan cial pressure operators face.

There is genuine fear in small business transport companies as to how their future looks. The industry is struggling to survive.

The TWU will continue to provide a powerful voice on behalf of our owner-driv er members because for them the madness continues around the financial choke hold caused by ever increas ing on road-operating costs.

The NSW Government and Transurban are ripping off drivers every day, contrib uting to the near impossible task of sustainably running a business.

Toll roads are current ly government-sanctioned highway robbery.

Under the agreement with the current NSW gov ernment, Transurban price increases on our toll roads

have become just as much a part of Sydney’s New Year’s ritual as the fireworks on the Harbour Bridge.

It is a form of financial oppression and an indication of the scant regard held for heavy vehicle operators. The NSW Premier and Roads Minister could fix this, but they have said very little about how they are planning to do so.

As 2023 rolls in, the TWU will continue to take the issues to those in power for all transport workers. We cannot let them forget the vital nature of transport and the workers in our industry.

Have you considered how you can be part of the fight for our industry’s future? In volve yourself and those in your yard, help us to main tain the campaigns we have

started and build the ones yet to start. We need every one on board to continue the fight for a safer and fairer industry.

The TWU is looking forward to 2023 as a year to continue the fight for change that sees every driv er get home safely, properly remunerated and in the end, this will lead to industry change for the better.

TWU

TRANSPORT

JAMES GRAHAM

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

TWU NEWS

LEGAL EAGLE

Toll roads are currently government-sanctioned highway robbery, says the TWU.

ATA SENIOR ADVISOR SAMUEL MARKS Infrastructure and

THERE are plenty of cliches around Australian trucking but the reality is very different.

Shipping Australia recently wheeled out the tired and out dated idea that trucking is one of the worst environmental of fenders. In fact, the Australian trucking industry is actually an environmental leader.

Let’s look at the evidence. Over the past three decades, Australia’s truck fleets have grown and there’s been a big jump in the number of kilome tres trucks travel. However, over the same time period, there’s been a significant reduction in the air pollution from heavy vehicles.

This has been achieved by industry investing in new er, cleaner trucks – often well ahead of government regula tion.

The trucking industry has

proven we can grow our econ omy and improve our environ ment at the same time. Now we need government to do its bit so that Australia can embrace the benefits of net zero emission heavy vehicles.

Increasing the use of zero emission trucks would enable the trucking industry to drive down emissions, grow the econ omy, take advantage of lower running costs and reduce our

reliance on volatile diesel costs – replaced with Aussie-made renewable energy.

But we’re falling behind and Australia is running out of ex cuses for our go-slow approach to zero emission trucks.

At COP27, the United States has signed the Global Memorandum of Understand ing for zero emission trucks and buses.

The MoU sets a clear ambi

tion to achieve 30 per cent zero emission truck sales by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2040.

This is a major development. It’s one thing for a small coun try to embrace zero emission heavy vehicles but it’s a whole other thing when a country as big as the US gets on board.

Like Australia, the US is a huge country with vast distanc es that pose challenges for zero emission vehicles.

However, with the stroke of a pen, the US has shown Aus tralia the way.

The US is the world’s largest economy, with significant truck manufacturing, so this is a huge shift.

It’s worth remembering that despite Australia’s image as the ‘wide brown land’, not every Australian truck is carrying heavy loads across long distanc es.

In fact, over half our trucks operate in urban regions.

Electric trucks are ready to enter Australia’s urban supply chains today, but we’re not adopting them at the same rate as other comparable countries.

Of course, it will be chal lenging for zero emission heavy vehicles to travel longer distanc es across Australia and that’s where hydrogen fuel cell elec tric trucks will be critical.

Our trucking industry is well positioned to be global leaders for the use of hydrogen.

The recent federal budget has delivered much needed commitments to the Driving the Nation Fund and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

The Albanese government has also taken the critical and

necessary decision to mandate Euro VI and equivalent emis sion standards for trucks.

However, we need a plan to enable the trucking industry to adopt zero emission vehicles where it makes sense.

Our slow transition to zero emission trucks – with limit ed trucks, limited models, and limited market volume – is a re sult of regulatory, financial and infrastructure barriers.

These barriers are entirely fixable.

Solutions include reforms to vehicle design rules, in vestments in electric truck re charging and hydrogen truck refuelling infrastructure and implementing a purchase price incentive.

A clear statement of ambi tion on zero emission trucks would send a bold message of action to both bureaucrats and industry.

Zero emission trucks will enable our economy to con tinue to grow while we drive down carbon emissions from transport.

Australia must get in the fast lane and sign the global mem orandum or risk being left be hind.

THE Australian shipping lines association – Shipping Aus tralia Limited – has published a nasty, vindictive series of statements from an unknown author in an article that sinks to new lows for a so-called pro fessional association.

After globally gouging the supply chain through Covid and beyond, the shipping lines aren’t satisfied with their astro nomical profits and power.

They have directed their ire at the weakest part of the sup ply chain. The whipping boy: the trucking industry.

Shipping Australia Limited appear to have stopped just short of accusing the trucking industry of manslaughter in the article [click here to read].

The truth is that, like any reasonable person, the Produc tivity Commission has seen through the smoke and mirrors at Australia’s Ports and propose a hammer blow to the cartel ar rangements for shipping lines who unfairly have exemptions from laws other Australian businesses don’t.

Shipping lines servicing our entire container trade are com mercial, foreign-owned busi nesses that are profit-driven, but what’s extremely evident is Australia’s national interest is very much a secondary consid eration.

The freight industry wants to deal with this attack in a ma ture manner.

Here are the facts:

• Terminal access fee’s at ports are not justified and don’t deliver a scintilla of extra productivity.

• Trucking in Australia kept the Australian community fed and alive through Covid.

• Without trucks, Australia stops.

• The freight industry is safety conscious and spends bil lions improving safety.

• Trucking isn’t subsidised. Just ask the small family businesses that make up 70 per cent of the industry.

• There is no widespread, available and viable alterna tive option to diesel trucks in 2022.

• The Productivity Commis sion has identified and ex posed numerous inequities that Shipping Australia Lim ited don’t like.

• Shipping lines have exploited the stevedores ‘competition’ for portside business.

• Australian trucking employs Australian workers; Ship

ping Lines employ the cheap labour across the world to work on their foreign owned and foreign flagged contain er vessels of convenience.

• Now that the spotlight has been shone across the whole supply chain the shippers are worried. Many of the same arguments they are propos ing will happen to them are already happening to the trucking industry.

• The days of port charges being simply to recover ste vedores landside operating

costs for trucks are long gone.

• Road Freight NSW actively works with our partner bp on green initiatives like bp pulse for electric charging which went live six days ago in Australia.

• And if the shipping lines are concerned about the damage our “polluting” trucks are causing to everyone, then maybe they could sort out their role in the MT con tainer situation and the ex cessive detention fees they

charge.

• Any chance for a truck car rier to expand their access to the VBS system is limited by a complicated matrix of slot utilisation which may be in terpreted as a restriction of trade if a carrier wanted to grow their operations.

And, how do the shipping lines propose that cargo own ers get their cargo to and from their members ships going for ward?

In attacking our industry the shipping lines offer no real

istic solutions or acknowledge the significant improvements our industry and our partners have made to improve our en vironmental and safety creden tials.

Unfortunately, and as a re sult, the shipping lines have lost the plot.

RFNSW invites the key board warrior and Shipping Australia Limited to our con ference on March 2, 2023, in Sydney to put their case to the NSW freight industry in per son.

In attacking our industry the shipping lines offer no realistic solutions.

SIMON O’HARA

New radio station launched for the trucking industry

PRIME CREATIVE MEDIA has relaunched its recently ac quired digital radio station as Australian Truck Radio: The Voice of Australian Trucking.

As the country’s only radio station dedicated to long haul truck drivers, Prime Creative Media has made significant investment into Australian Truck Radio.

Listeners can stream the radio station via its new mo bile-optimised website, found at australiantruckradio.com. au. A new app is also available on Google Play, with an Ap ple store app to follow soon.

Producer Simon Smith has started working with Prime Creative Media’s team of transport journalists to provide updates on the latest news, equipment and more.

Prime Creative Media is also dedicated to increasing the station’s resources and has brought in business develop ment manager Melissa Beutel who is focused on growing cli ents through Australian Truck Radio.

This is all in addition to a $1 million print and digi tal marketing campaign that Prime Creative Media has placed across its titles includ

ing Big Rigs, Deals on Wheels, Owner Driver, PowerTorque, Prime Mover, Trailer Maga zine and Fully Loaded, rep resenting close to half a mil lion print and digital readers. The campaign also includes editorial coverage, such as interviews with producer Si mon Smith, as well as leading voices in the trucking indus try such as Senator Glenn Sterle and National Road Freighters Association’s Rod Hannifey.

Prime Creative Media has also brought on board major partnerships with NatRoad and the Transport Women’s association, to further engage with the greater transport community.

Industry legends to be celebrated at upcoming reunion

FROM Friday March 31 to Sunday April 2, 2023, the Sto ries From the Road Museum in South Australia will host its third annual reunion.

Located in the small re gional town of Port Pirie, just over 220 kilometres north of Adelaide, the museum is com prised of three sheds, housing trucks, cars and buses; along with a vast array of collectibles including everything from Bar bie dolls and model cars and trucks, to tobacco, vintage toys and teapots.

The annual reunion event is open to anybody involved in trucks, buses or the road; and attracts people from near and far, including drivers, mechan ics and truck owners past and

present. With more than 300 people already registered at the end of November, organisers are expecting great numbers.

A highlight of the three-day event is the Legends of the Road Transport Industry induction.

For 2023, approximately 150 “legends” will be celebrated, with nominations still open.

“We have about 300 names on that wall already, from all over Australia, and are look ing to add another 150 more. There is still time to register someone for the Legend’s Wall, with nominations closing in late January,” explained Liz Martin, road transport histo rian at Stories From the Road Museum.

To nominate, simply send

through some photos and in formation about the nominee and their contribution to the industry. “We need to know that person’s story and can help them put the words together if needed,” Martin added.

Another popular part of the weekend are the convoys that run through town. “They all set off from the museum and it’s about a 10-kilometre run and we have different groups of trucks taking different routes, into different areas. People can register for the convoy on the Friday (March 31) and it sets off on the Saturday morning after our breakfast,” she ex plained.

An event for the whole fam ily, there will be a barbeque,

bar, guest speakers and great entertainment including local country music singer Cactus, a belly dancing group from Port Pirie, guest speakers, the Remote Truck Club will bring their miniature trucks and there will be a WWII tribute band, as there are many military vehicles taking part in the convoy too.

Along with new displays at the museum, there will be 10 new plaques unveiled in the Memorial Garden.

For more information or to register your attendance or par ticipation in the convoys, email liz@storiesfromtheroadmu seum.com.au or get in touch through the Stories From the Road Museum Australia Face book page.

Already, the number of lis teners in a 24-hour period has increased to a record 15,000+ daily, making it one of the largest targeted digital radio

stations in the country. With the upcoming release of the Apple app, and the ongoing attention from the current advertising campaign, Prime

Creative Media expects listen ership to more than double by 2023. A number of limited part nerships are still available.

For expressions of interest, please contact: Melissa Beu tel on 0422 103 119 or send an email to Melissa.Beutel@ primecreative.com.au.

The event attracts people from right across the country.

The campaign includes interviews with leading voices in the trucking industry such as National Road Freighters Association’s Rod Hannifey.

dynaCERT Inc. manufac tures and distributes carbon emission reduction technolo gy along with its proprietary HydraLytica Telematics, a

means of monitoring fuel consumption and calculating GHG emissions savings de signed for the tracking of pos sible future carbon credits, for

use with internal combustion engines.

dynaCERT’s Hydrogen Injection System creates hy drogen and oxygen on-de

mand through a unique elec trolysis system and supplies these gases through the air in take to enhance combustion, which has shown to lower car bon emissions and improve fuel efficiency. It is designed for use with many types and sizes of diesel engines used in on-road vehicles, reefer trail ers, off-road construction, power generation, mining and forestry equipment.

Open Energy Systems (OES) is the authorised dis tributor for dynaCERT in Australia. As dynaCERT has achieved major access in the mining sector, receiving ex cellent documented results in both fuel economy and ESG

In recent news, OES has established trials on Ken worth C509s with 400 tonne loads in quad trail ers. dynaCERT is currently working on a new product which will have the benefit of two units in one system, and an extended range wa ter system of up to 20 days. They are also working on an optional cooling system that will extend operations in hot climates, enclosed spac

ada. The funds from this will be allocated to research

viously announced AEM Electroliser innovations, drogen economy with high pressure, high volume green

OES recently began trials of the system on Kenworth C509s with 400 tonne loads in quad trailers.

dynaCERT’s Hydrogen Injection System helps lower carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

Open Energy Systems (OES) is the authorised distributor for dynaCERT in Australia.

Steamy Aussie Pumps deals

BIG rig owner operators, fleet owners and truckies gener ally have a problem keeping their equipment clean and well maintained. It’s a chal lenge that Australian Pump Industries, Australia’s leading manufacturer of high-pressure cleaning equipment, under stands very well. It’s not just about cosmetics but rather has a direct impact on mainte nance and consequently oper ating costs.

Many truck operators are reluctant to acquire steam cleaners, despite their obvious advantages in cleaning road grime, and melting grease and oil. Part of the reluctance to move into hot water instead of cold pressure cleaning is to do with cost. But Aussie Pumps has solved that prob lem with the introduction of its new Aussie Sizzler hot wash machine. It represents a price breakthrough but without compromising quality.

Available in a heavy-duty configuration, with no con cessions, the Sizzler has made a huge impact on the Austra lian market, replacing Europe an designed units – many with high-speed triplex pumps and poly chassis and plastic covers – with the Aussie Sizzler.

“What makes the machine so appealing is its heavy-duty components. We put a slow speed four pole motor, driv

ing a slow speed triplex first world pump into a system with a diesel fired burner. It operates up to a maximum of 80°C and pushes out a pres sure at 1800 psi,” said Aussie Pumps chief engineer John Hales.

The Sizzler as a hot wash uses less fuel than steam cleaners and is being adopted not only by truck operators

but by earthmoving contrac tors and even hire companies for general washdown duties.

4000-psi steam

The top end of Aussie’s prod uct range is a 4000-psi high pressure steam cleaner that will deliver temperatures up to 130°C. That’s a powerful machine! It’s used by compa nies with big fleets who have

a lot of cleaning to do and not much time to do it in.

Called the Admiral 4000, the big machine is claimed by Aussie to be the only genuine 4000-psi production steam cleaner on the Australian market.

“That extra 1000-psi over and above the usual steamers represents a significant reduc tion in cleaning time with

consequent savings in water and electricity, as well as man hours,” Hales added.

Mobile cleaning made easy

For those applications where three-phase power isn’t avail able to run the bigger ma chines, Aussie has produced the Aussie Heatwave. The Heatwave generates 4000-psi pressure but can run at up to 130°C steam, powered by a Honda 13hp electric start engine.

The ignition system is from the engine’s 12 volt starting system, with the whole unit encapsulated in a robust stainless-steel frame, mounted on four wheels.

The four wheels mean the machine can be pushed around the yard easily and all the machine needs is a reli able water supply to become completely independent. The company claims the Heat wave is a real winner and can even be mounted on the back of a ute, with a water tank providing a mobile steam cleaner that can go anywhere, and carry out field service cleaning of trucks and plant in situ.

Free operator safety train ing

Since the new Safety Standards came out, requiring opera tor certification for machines

of a certain size, Australian Pump Industries has focused on Class A units which don’t require operator certification.

That doesn’t mean opera tors don’t need to be trained but rather that the fairly onerous requirements of the Standards Association don’t apply to these Class A ma chines.

“We have a great FREE safety training program avail able to everyone who pulls a trigger of a pressure cleaner,” said Hales.

Called the Aussie Safe Op erator Training Program, the course has received extreme ly positive comments from truck operators and earth moving contractors, from all corners of the world. Scan the QR code to access the course.

For further information on Aussie’s answer to truck wash problems, contact Aus tralian Pump Industries.

Visit aussiepumps.com.au for more information.

Aussie’s Admiral 4000 psi steam cleaner does a terrific job cleaning off grease, dirt and road grime, leaving the vehicle looking pristine.

Not just a parts supplier

MORE than a parts supplier, Hydrosteer offers full in-house manufacturing capability.

As the heavy vehicle trans port fleet in Australia ages, it can become increasingly difficult to source many of the spare parts that keep these rigs in service. Many otherwise reliable work horses have been consigned to a premature retirement due to vital parts no longer be ing available or if they can be sourced, they’re often prohib itively expensive.

Fortunately, economical solutions still exist for steering components through the Hy drosteer network.

Our facility in Bayswater has full in-house ISO accred ited manufacturing capability to produce high quality OEM equivalent and aftermarket replacement mitre gears, drag links and steering slip shafts within short lead times. Being produced in-house also means we have full control of the process.

At Hydrosteer, we ensure that all parts are easy to fit yourself or if required you can take advantage of the expertise of our economical specialist fitting services.

Naturally, all parts come with a full 12-month Hydro steer warranty and access to the technical support available through our national network.

Wherever possible, all man

ufacturing is proudly undertak en using Australian made com ponents that are sourced from local suppliers, which enables quick turnaround times. We specialise in the custom man ufacturing of steering compo nents and welcome enquiries to

produce one-off requirements or hard to source parts.

The Hydrosteer range of Australian made mitre gears have been developed after ex tensive research and are pro duced utilising high quality locally sourced components

which are assembled by us to ensure precision performance at all times.

Mitre gears for use in left hand to right hand drive con versions are specifically designed to maintain the integrity of ex isting steering geometry and are

a technically superior solution for this application.

We are able to manufacture replacement drag links too and the Hydrosteer branded range comes with our unique replace able rod ends, making them far more economical than their

competitors, which require re placement of the entire drag link unit. In addition, to assist in the easy removal of rod ends we have service tools available.

Hydrosteer has a range of lo cally manufactured steering slip shafts which are equivalent to the OEM product, enabling us to supply product within short lead times.

All product leaving our manufacturing facility is pre sented to a high standard and is suitable for immediate use or resale.

Hydrosteer was established in 1981 and is now recognised as the leader in heavy vehicle steering technology, becoming the focal point and vital link between Australia’s heavy vehi cle manufacturing and mainte nance industries.

Hydrosteer carries Australia’s largest range of heavy vehicle power steering products, cov ering most models in major makes.

The range covers new and re-manufactured steering gears, steering pumps, steering wheels, steering slip shafts, mitre boxes, oil coolers and drag link assem blies, all made to OEM strin gent quality specifications.

Hydrosteer offers a quick turnaround service focussed on minimising down time for all customers, leveraging off our four branches and Queensland warehouse.

Hydrosteer manufactures using locally sourced components, which are then assembled in-house.

The company manufactures drag links too and the Hydrosteer branded range comes with its unique replaceable rod ends.

The Hydrosteer range of Australian made mitre gears have been developed after extensive research.

New

a change of pace for

BASED in the Queensland suburb of Virginia, Brisbane Semi Trailer Rentals is a new business started by Jeff Baker, who has been in the transport industry for over 20 years.

Starting out with one tipper, then another, before moving into linehaul, Bak er grew his fleet to around a dozen trucks, running all across Australia – before recently taking a change of direction.

“I was struggling to find good drivers, the price of fuel was going up and wages were increasing, so I decid ed to downsize my business. Our fuel bill had gone up by $90,000 a month when we had all our trucks, so from 12-14 prime movers, I’m now only running five,” explained Baker. “We’ll con tinue to service our primary contracts with our core fleet of prime movers, and con tinue to build our subcon tractor and tow-haul fleet for ad-hoc work, but I need ed to do something with our excess trailer assets.”

With a diverse fleet of late model trailers, he saw an

opportunity to start a new business of a different kind – a semi trailer hire business.

“I had a fair few trailers sit

saying, ‘Why don’t you hire them out?’ I was paying reg istration and insurance on them, but they weren’t get ting used. You don’t want

to leave a set of trailers just sitting in the yard. And I’m getting a bit long in the tooth now and am trying to work smarter, not harder. So I saw a business opportuni ty and Brisbane Semi Trailer Rentals was born.

“With trailers, there is less that can go wrong than with trucks, so I’m selling some prime movers and renting out my surplus trailers.

“There is a fairly long wait now for new-build trailers, with waits of approximate ly 12-18 months to two years from many of the ma jor trailer manufacturers. But transport operators are needing the equipment now – and these trailers are avail able for hire straight away.”

JEFF BAKER

MAJORITY

Trailers and Freighter.

“The majority are newer sets. I’ve picked up three new B-double sets of taut liners in the past 12 months – the most recent only just arrived. In the fleet, we have a mixture of drop decks with ramps, fridge vans, open flat tops, drop deck mezzanine and flat tautlin ers, and more, across both A and B trailers,” explained Baker.

For hire are a mixture of high quality, late model trail ers that range from 2015 to just a few weeks old. There are approximately 35 piec es of equipment available, manufactured by the likes of Vawdrey Australia, Barker

Brisbane Semi Trailer Rentals offers short and long term hire, with great rates. “Come and lock in a two-year deal. It’s a capped weekly fee and is not charged per kilometre. We have even better rates avail able for long-term hire.”

Jeff Baker has now launched Brisbane Semi Trailer Rentals, with 35 pieces of equipment available for hire.

THE

ARE NEWER SETS. I’VE PICKED UP THREE NEW B-DOUBLE SETS OF TAUTLINERS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS – THE MOST RECENT ONLY JUST ARRIVED.”

Western Truck Group opens its new dealership

VOLVO Group Austra lia’s dealer partner Western Truck Group (WTG) has opened a brand-new facility at 24-26 Empire Crescent, Chevallum, on the Sunshine Coast.

The new dealership offers Volvo, UD and Mack truck customers on the Sunshine Coast with upgraded facili ties and services.

The new, large and modern dealership is West ern Truck Group’s tenth site, with operations now stretching through region al Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory, from Dubbo to Darwin.

The old WTG Sunshine Coast site at 6 Dual Avenue, Warana, closed in early No vember, with trading mov ing over to the new site.

Western Truck Group has

made this investment in its dealer network with the goal to ultimately provide better services for customers.

In addition to the new 14-bay state-of-the-art workshop, this 9000 square metre site has a full drivethrough wash bay and will operate from Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm and Saturday mornings by ap pointment. Truck sales will also be managed out of the new dealership, in addition to parts and service.

“We have outgrown our current, ageing facilities, with access now difficult as a result of change of indus try in our current location. With the appointment of truck sales, we required a larger, more accessible retail offer,” said Russell Edwards, WTG general manager busi ness services.

“As part of our commit ment to providing high lev els of service for our custom ers, we are investing heavily

in our dealer network. We will be recruiting for a num ber of roles with the opening of the new Chevallum site, including technicians, parts interpreters, sales cadets, auto electricians, apprentices and yard hands.”

Volvo Group Australia is thoroughly supportive of WTG’s move. “The pur pose-built facility aims to provide better services for

Volvo, UD and Mack truck customers, as well as more opportunities and more local jobs for Queenslanders,” said Richard Singer, vice presi dent of services and retail at Volvo Group Australia.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the WTG team, who have invested heavily in their network over the past several years and are com mitted to providing excellent

customer service.”

WTG was established in 2018 after the pur chase of what was formerly Queensland Truck Centre. WTG has established itself as a vital network partner, look ing after the transport needs of customers right across Australia.

For more information and to see all jobs available, please visit wtg.com.au/careers.

The new dealership will service Volvo, UD and Mack truck customers on the Sunshine Coast.

Keeping clients looked after, from start to finish

SPECIALISING in machin ery and military equipment movements across Austra lia, MK Trucking was start ed around seven years ago by brothers Mark and Mick Kaandorp.

As Mark explained: “Mick was doing the same sort of work, transporting equip ment for someone else but he was having to find his own freight. I’m a fitter and ma chinist by trade and I was do ing work building gas plants in Queensland. That’s when Mick approached me and said, why don’t we go halves and buy our own equipment.”

And with that MK Truck ing was born. Based in Wau chope, NSW, and starting out with just one truck – a Freightliner Argosy – and a drop deck trailer, the duo has since grown their fleet to in clude 10 trucks and a variety of trailers.

There are also two brand new Kenworths ready to join the fleet before the year’s end – a new T909 and a Legend SAR, bringing the fleet up to 12.

Plans are for the T909 to do most of the company’s road

train work. “We normally pass along much of our freight for Perth and Darwin because we’ve just been too busy. But with the new 909, we’re hop ing to take on more of that road train work ourselves,” said Mark.

“We do a fair bit of work around Sydney with the small er tilt trays, but the rest of the fleet mainly travels to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Ad elaide. There are a lot of runs into Cairns and Townsville too. Mick and I typically don’t

drive, but we keep one tilt tray in the yard so we can jump in it whenever we need to. I’m actually heading through the Sunshine Coast now.

“We’re not the cheapest at what we do but we are very good at what we do. We take extra care in not damaging the machinery during transport and have a lot of customers who’ll only use us because they know we’ll protect their equipment. We take a lot of pride in what we do.”

MK Trucking began using

Finlease for its finance needs about five years ago, dealing with equipment finance bro ker Brady Talbot.

“I had a few loans prior to getting Brady onto our stuff. All I did was show him some loans we had, and he’s looked after me ever since,” said Mark.

“When I spoke to him, he said, ‘Do yourself a favour and get a quote from me for the next one.’ He’s looked after me from the start and so he can look after me to the finish.”

Mark says he’s a “numbers and cents kind of guy”, so making the switch to Finlease was a no brainer.

“If I’m saving money, it makes sense for me to change. He also put me onto an insurance broker too. When I changed insurance brokers, my fleet was half the size of what it is now and I saved about $60,000 straight off the bat.”

Along with the two new prime movers, there’s also an other 48ft ramp trailer set to

be added to the fleet.

While Mark and Mick are busy keeping their business running, Finlease looks after their finance needs. “They’ve always provided the finance, I haven’t had any knockbacks on any finance I’ve request ed. All I have to do is text through a photo of some thing and tell Brady what I want, and he says leave it with me, and gets back to me within the day. Dealing with Finlease is always very easy,” added Mark.

Another Kenworth Legend SAR will join the fleet before the year’s end. Photos: Facebook

The two newest trucks to join the fleet will bring the total truck count up to 12.

Truckin’ In The Outback

Kyle Nicholas-Benney

GROWING up on an SA dairy farm, 26-year-old Kyle Nicholas-Benney be came fascinated with trucks, tractors and machines at a young age.

“I didn’t know anybody that drove trucks, so I just went out on a whim and de cided this is what I wanted to do,” he said.

Based in Mount Mcin tyre, Nicholas-Benney has been in the driver’s seat since he was 19. For the past four months or so, he’s been working as an interstate live

stock driver for Edmonds Transport. From behind the wheel of a Kenworth T909, he pulls B-double stock crates, carrying sheep, cattle and pigs, throughout South Australia, western Victo ria and southern NSW. It’s mainly travelling from farms to abattoirs.

Edmond’s Transport is a small family-run operation, based in Naracoorte, near Mt Gambier, with a fleet of about half a dozen trucks and a few sub-contractors.

“When I first got my

truck licence, I got my start with a feedlot. First it was tipper work and then I moved onto carting sheep in and out of the feedlot, and then started heading out further. I was there for a bit over two years, then I started doing livestock full-time,” he explained.

Wanting to broaden his horizons and try other things, Nicholas-Benney moved into general freight for about 12 months, but it wasn’t for him. That was followed by a stint work

ing on a farm, but the road was calling, so it wasn’t long before he was back carting livestock.

When asked what he enjoys about the livestock work, he said: “With live stock, there’s no set run, so I’m always going somewhere different. I especially like going into the outback. And it actually keeps you physi cally fit too, especially with carting sheep. I love work ing with my dogs as well. I have two kelpies, Ben and Sadie, and they come every

Kyle Nicholas-Benney, 26, has been driving trucks since he was 19.

He has two kelpies who travel with him, named Ben and Sadie.

Truckin’ In The Outback

where with me.”

When he chatted with Big Rigs, he was travelling through Broken Hill, with a load of cattle on. Though with the recent rain and floods impacting the east, he had deviated from the usual route.

At the time he said, “We’ve had to make some significant detours lately to get the livestock to their des tinations. Normally, I would

be going over the Newell to day, but instead I’m going through the Barrier High way, across Broken Hill and then south through Mildu ra. That’s added about three hours to the trip.

“That has been happen ing a lot lately. It depends where you go. Up around Tamworth and Gunnedah, which was shut due to flood ing, is all better now. But in Kerang and Swan Hill in

northern Victoria, there is still a heap of water laying around on some of the main roads that we take.”

The T909 is Nicho las-Benney’s home away from home. “Normally I’m away from home for a week at a time, but every now and then, I’ll do 12 days at a time. But now I just fin ished a two-week lot last week and now I’m halfway through another two-week

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lot. Spring is our busiest time of year, especially with the suckling lambs,” he ex plained.

When asked what he en joys most about the work, he said, “It’s the people that you meet and the places you get to go. Nothing is ever the same, it’s always something different. You get to travel to farms that your normal av erage person wouldn’t get to see. And there’s the friends you meet too – I’ve made a lot of friends in this indus try.”

For those considering a career in trucking, Nicho las-Benney’s advice is simple and straight to the point,

“Give it a go and take on as much advice as you can. That’s how I’ve learnt, I’ve had awesome mentors. Listen, do the right thing and try and have a com mon-sense approach about what you do and you’ll find it’s very easy to get along with people, and people will want to work with you too.”

While he’s loving life as a livestock transporter, Nich olas-Benney says he’d like to experience other parts of the transport industry one day too. “I’d like to broaden my horizons eventually, and maybe one day try some heavy haulage or oversize work.”

SMART DASHCAM

He’s snapped some ripper shots during his travels.

Nicholas-Benney married Brittany in October, with the Kenworth T909 he drives involved in the day’s proceedings too.

KAYLA Trainor was checking the trailers on her triple road train when I saw her parked along the Townsville Port Ac cess Road recently.

The 165cm tall 36-year-old Trainor was driving a Ken worth T659 powered by a 650hp motor and with an 18 speed road ranger gearbox.

“I am carrying molasses bound for Dalby and really love the job,” Trainor said, adding that she currently mainly carts molasses and feedlot supplements.

Trainor has been a truckie for the past 18 months and has always liked driving.

“I was an office worker in Toowoomba for 17 years be fore this,” she said. “My most rewarding moment so far is

getting a brand new Kenworth 659 truck.”

Quietly spoken Trainor is based at Pittsworth and said she gets treated well by other drivers.

“Especially the crew where I work, they are great,” she said.

She likes stopping at the Injune Roadhouse because they have a shower for female drivers.

“We do need more rest ar eas with facilities for female drivers as well,” she said.

Outside work, Trainor en joys motorbike riding around Dalby.

The first truck she drove was a Volvo 540 and Trainor said she used to drive the Bris bane to Perth run for a differ

ent company.

Trainor might be small in stature to drive triple road trains but she wants to go one better. “My aim is to drive quads which are even longer,” she said.

If Trainor could give any advice to a female who wants to get into trucking it would be: “Don’t let size worry you. Get a good rattle gun, tyre lever and a steel bar, and you will be right.

“I’m actually surprised the amount of support from the men I get in the industry, most have been really sup portive.

“My team, my employer and boss have been amaz ing. I would recommend any female to join Mort & Co,”

Trainor said.

“Our customers are really surprised to see a chick get out of the truck. They offer to help with the hoses, I’m like I’m all good thanks,” she said.

Although, Trainor said she does struggle with the lack of amenities and cleanliness for truckies, be it male or female.

“I’m happy to share, but we need sanitary bins. So many showers/toilets don’t have them. I love Injune Roadhouse. It has a clean lady’s shower, great feed and room for parking my triple,” she said.

I found Trainor a pleasure to yarn to. And it was great to see that she had found happi ness and contentment in the job.

Jamie Jansen Phill Blake

thinks I am around that time,” he said.

Jansen works for CNQ Freight Services and was parked up in Townsville when I saw Jansen at about 4pm one November afternoon.

“I have picked up a load of watermelons from Cairns for the Brisbane markets,” he said.

Jansen reckons drivers need more rest areas which are big ger and with suitable facilities; and rates the worst road he travels on as being part of the Bruce Highway.

“I have to travel it from Cairns to Townsville but dodge it most times and go the back way,” he said.

FRIENDLY driver Phill Blake had just fuelled up at a road house when he stopped for a chat.

The 66-year-old drives a UD for Border Express which has its Townsville depot at the Bohle.

“I mainly do local runs around here and have been with this company for six months,” he said.

Originally from Berowra Waters in NSW, Blake arrived in Townsville back in 1976 and loves life in the tropics.

I saw him recently leaving a boat company in a nearby suburb after he had made a delivery.

his impressive beard, truckie Jamie Jansen would be an ideal Santa Claus over the fast looming Christmas peri od.

But the 52-year-old, who was driving a Western Star

4800 when Big Rigs saw him recently, can’t see that happen ing.

“I have taken a few years to grow the beard but have nev er been a Santa. Although my seven-year-old granddaughter

When off work Jansen en joys spending time at his small farm located at Wallaville be tween Gin Gin and Childers.

Wallaville is a rural town and locality in the Bundaberg Region and is 372km north of Brisbane.

Jansen says his New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight.

Noticing his beard I had intended contacting the com pany to track him down for an interview.

Fate intervened and as I was leaving a roadhouse after smoko and saw Blake, who was happy to have a chin wag.

His beard is still growing and Blake said he had never been a

Santa Claus and didn’t think he ever would.

“I used to have a long white beard in the nineties and wasn’t asked,” he said.

With the same name as a former quality rugby league player in Phil Blake, I asked if there was any relation. “He is my cousin,” Blake said.

That Phil Blake played 261 top grade rugby league games for six clubs – Manly, South Sydney, North Sydney, Canber ra Raiders, Auckland Warriors and St George between 1992 and 1997.

“I barrack for the local team, the North Queensland Cow boys,” he said.

Kayla Trainor drives a Kenworth T659 for Mort & Co.

Phill Blake started with Border Express about six months ago.

Jamie Jansen drives

with Alf Wilson

The hypocrisy is getting out of hand, says angry truckie

on every major highway for at least 1000 kilometres.

ON THE ROAD WITH ALF WILSON

Queensland roads slammed Veteran owner-operator Chris Duncan has slammed the general road infrastructure in Queensland and challenged Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to travel on them for a day as a passenger in a truck.

“Queensland roads need a major reconstruction pro gramme and if the premier was in a truck she would experi ence it for herself,” he said.

Duncan runs Sensational Transport and has been driving since 1985. He drives a 2019 Coronado with a 2021/22 tri dolly and a road train set of belly dumpers, carting grain – and is currently busy doing harvest.

He says urgent work is needed west of Toowoomba,

“The potholes and failed infrastructure is only being band-aided. This procedure is only adding to the damage of vehicles. It also has the po tential to cause fatal accidents. People who travel these goat tracks everyday believe if it’s not in the greater Brisbane area we get no major allocation of funding,” Duncan added.

This angry driver wondered what it would take to have this rectified. “We have to have roadworthy vehicles to drive on unroadworthy roads. The hypocrisy of this anomaly is getting out of hand,” he said.

Duncan also slammed high registration and fuel costs for truckies.

“Not much is allocated to fix roads. Is there a procedure for fixing this? What is it?” he asked.

Healthy eating

When I asked numerous truckies what their New Year’s resolution was for 2023, many replied that their aim is to lose

weight and eat more healthily.

When I had a meal at a roadhouse frequented by hun dreds of drivers daily, I could see many were serious about it.

It was at a BP Roadhouse which is one of 29 around the country supporting an initia tive by the Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds Foundation.

This group promotes the prevention and understand ing of mental health issues that exist across the road transport and logistics indus tries in Australia.

Near the menu on the wall and fast food containers was a big sign offering discounts on Healthier Meals for Healthy Heads using an app.

Research from Monash University in 2021 showed that 70 per cent of truck drivers in Australia do not meet health and balanced diet guidelines.

Users of the Healthy Heads app will receive an instant $5 discount when purchasing from this menu for a limited time.

The Healthy Heads app is free to download on iOS and Android.

I saw instances of truckies at the sign with their mobile phones.

Several vowed they won’t break New Year’s resolutions this time after, like most of us, having failed in past years.

Some have told me they intend stopping at those fruit stalls in NSW which are lo cated at certain rest areas, as part of their plans to eat more healthily.

Shortage of women’s facil ities

There is no doubting that there is a general shortage of facilities for women truckies at roadhouses and rest areas

around Australia.

I would estimate that of 100 drivers I have inter viewed randomly during 2022, only about 3 per cent would be females.

However the ones I have spoken to in the past decade always make a call for “wom en only” toilets and showers at these places.

They claim it could be eas ier to find a needle in a hay stack.

One other interesting stat I have found is that a per centage of male drivers do take their lady with them on some trips.

It is uncomfortable for women to have to use a show er block for everybody.

They also would like to see more sanitary facilities for women.

Of course there are many roadhouses and rest areas with unisex toilets and show

ers.

Some roadhouses have separate toilets for men and women, but no separate showers for the ladies.

I have seen some also with a unisex shower for one per son and access is only by key which the roadhouse supplies on request.

That at least gives an add ed level of privacy.

Injune roadhouse

During the year scores of drivers have praised the In june Roadhouse as a nice place to stop.

They reckon it has good food, friendly staff and great facilities including showers and toilets for men, and sepa rate ones for women.

On November I spoke to Fiona Robinson who coowns the roadhouse with her husband Peter.

“We get a lot of drivers

SPY

Health-conscious truckies can enjoy an abundance of fruit at this NSW rest area.

A truck travels through Oatlands in Tasmania.

A woman at a rest area with a unisex toilet on the Gregory Development Road.

come here as we are near a heavy vehicle rest area,” Fiona said.

The couple have been at the roadhouse since April last year and Fiona says a favourite meal for drivers is homemade rissoles.

“They love them and also tuck into our desserts includ ing fresh trifles with custard,” she said.

Fiona added that whilst a minority of drivers who stopped there were female, many of the male truckies had partners with them.

“I would say about 20 per cent of the males have a wom an with them. In holidays some have children and they can use the separate toilets,” Fiona added.

Injune is a quiet town on the Carnarvon Highway with a population of about 400.

“It is a sleepy town out in the middle of nowhere,” Fio na said.

Fiona and her dad have had a long association with roadhouses and had previous ly been at Gin Gin, Gilgan dra, Cobar and Yass in NSW, and Port Augusta in SA.

Reverend’s Christmas message

There would be no better man for Spy to ask for a Christmas message than long-time road transport operator and Angli can minister Reverend Kevin Bailey.

Now aged 75, Rev. Bailey is based at Strahan in a remote part of Australia and got in volved with trucks through his dad when he was just 11.

Bailey runs K J & C Bailey Earthmoving and still has two trucks – an Isuzu Gigamax and a Ford LTA. He has been an ordained Anglican Minis ter since 2007.

“My prayer is that all mem bers of the road transport in dustry have a safe and joyous Christmas remembering that

we celebrate the birth of our saviour and to trust in the Lord for the future,” he told Spy.

Bailey works from the St Martin’s Anglican Church in Queenstown which is 40km from Strahan.

“The church distributes 65 food parcels weekly to the needy,” he said.

Super-fit Bailey is also a champion master wood chopper and axeman.

He also has nicknames for his trucks.

“The Isuzu is named Sad dle Boy after a Slim Dusty song and the Ford is Clancy after the character from Ban jo Paterson’s poem ‘Clancy of the Overflow’, he said.

Ned Kelly clone

There is a worker at a popu lar roadhouse whom many truckies have nicknamed

Ned Kelly.

Because they reckon he is a genuine lookalike of Austra lia’s most famous bushranger.

They have gleaned that opinion from looking at his torical pics of a wanted poster for Ned Kelly.

There is a huge monument of Ned Kelly at the Victorian town of Glenrowan where he was captured by police and members of his gang killed.

Born in 1855 Ned Kelly was hanged in 1880.

Anyway this Kelly clone is well liked by truckies and doesn’t mind in the least an swering to his nickname.

Grandchildren conversa tion

At another roadhouse there is a female worker who often talks to truckies while they’re having a meal about her 16 grandchildren.

Most of the drivers she yarns to love hearing about her grandkids.

A lot of them who live around Australia tell her about their own grandkids.

One told Spy she is a won derful person to talk to and their experiences with the youngsters are often similar.

Weather differences

In NSW there are severe floods which have affected the road transport industry whilst in the northern trop ics there has been a heatwave with temperatures reaching 40°C.

Down in Tasmania snow has fallen at various places in cluding at Oatlands and Bothwell.

Oatlands is a scenic little town off the Midlands High way which has a historic flour mill.

A driver sent Spy a pic

of snow falling on the road around Oatlands.

If you are a truck driver, you never know what weather you will run into.

Thanks to all

This is the last Spy column of the year and the time has gone so quickly.

I want to say a big thank you to everybody who has contributed information and pics.

Having written for Big Rigs for well over 20 years, I have spoken to thousands of drivers and everybody has been given a card.

Some drivers from more than two decades ago have found that card in their wallet and phoned me.

It has been great to com municate with you all.

I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – safe driving!

Strahan small fleet owner Kevin Bailey, who is a Anglican Reverend, delivers a Christmas message.

The Injune Roadhouse in Queensland.

Ned Kelly at the Glenrowan Museum.

DOWN 1 Whichchess piecesare mostnumerous? (5)

2 Whatbrightyellow powder is usedfor flavouring in Asian cookery?(7)

Whatare lengthwisethreads on a loom? (4)

Whatisthe capital ofLiberia? (8)

In 1982 who madethe firsttelevised147 break in snooker? (5,5)

Whichinventor (Thomas ____)tookout more than a thousandpatents in his lifetime? (6)

Whatis the lastword of“RuleBritannia”?(6)

one amends or alters one does what (7)

TheMisfits in1961 was the last film starring Marilyn Monroeand which otheractor? (5,5)

Native toCentral and South America, a tamandua is whattypeofanimal? (8)

What cloth isspreadover a coffin? (4)

Whatisaninformal word for “avery long time”? (5)

one teaches one does what (8)

What diseaseisalso known as lockjaw? (7)

is a list of persons with their periods of duty (6)

is a blood feud called (8)

deliver from danger is to do what (6)

term describes that which is uttered by the mouth (4)

device holds a boat in place (6)

is a cudgel also known as (4)

box is used for packing and transporting items (5)

Which hand-held computer device controls the cursor (5)

To have constructed is to have done what (7)

3 InearlyEngland,what was a smalllandholder between gentry and labourers? (6)

16

a theatre where 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 1 Feat, 6 Mug, 7 Ooze, 9 Scan, 10 Error, 11 Zebra, 12 Eve, 14 Alter, 17 Radar, 20 Use, 21 Poker, 23 Hired, 25 Reel, 26 Odes, 27 Age, 28 Onus.

Weighing machines are called what (6)

4 Whatbranch ofmedicine isconcerned with diseasesand abnormalities ofthe heart?(10)

18

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are shown (6) Down: 1 Foster, 2 Amazed, 3 Tune, 4 Tor, 5 Per, 7 Oral, 8 Zones, 10 Era, 13 Valid, 15 Tureen, 16 Realms, 18 Apes, 19 Rod, 22 Ergo, 23 Hoe, 24 Rep.

To call up is to do what (5)

5 A star that suddenly brightens then gradually fades is called what? (4)

19

6 Which film,1984’s BestPicture Oscar winner, was filmed inPrague? (7)

What is firmness of courage in trying circumstances (5)

Name one of the two bones of the forearm (4)

9 Where wasLouisArmstrong born? (3,7)

11 Whichwoman was married on 29April 1945, and died the followingday?(3,5)

When one consumes food one does what (4)

12 Whatis the widening channel of a river where saltwater mixes with freshwater?(7)

14 Inheraldry what is thecolour silver?(6)

16 Millionsof records from which US immigration entry island areaccessible onthe internet? (5)

a particular dodger (6) Down: 1 Oral, 2 Anchor, 3 Club, 4 Crate, 5 Nitwit, 6 Mouse, 9 Amazon, 10 Erected, 12 Spines, 14 Static, 16 Scales, 18 Evoke, 19 Nerve, 21 Ulna, 22 Eats.

suggests a composition of grains (8) GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Across: 4 Cinema, 7 Granular, 8 Artful, 9 Alphabet, 11 Revises, 13 Avarice, 15 Tension, 17 Neptune, 20 Educates, 23 Roster, 24 Vendetta, 25 Rescue.

BY ANDY HUGHES, HEAVY VEHICLE DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

BETTER driver training makes better drivers which in turn makes for safer roads and helps reduce injury and the associated road toll.

Pretty obvious isn’t it? However the idea of incorpo rating heavy vehicle defensive driver training into a healthy and progressive licencing sys tem for novice truck drivers is not a new one, it’s just diffi cult.

Here at Sutton Road Training Centre we prefer to prioritise knowledge and skills over simply achieving a certif icate of minimum standard to comply.

Truck combinations are getting larger, requiring even more specific skills.

In addition, we have a crit ical driver shortage.

Truck drivers are mostly older folks and they’re not getting any younger.

There is downward pres sure on wages and upward

pressures on the cost of living so drivers are moving into other industries and taking their years of experience with them.

And unlike VHS tapes, fax machines or landline phones, demand for road freight is only going to grow into the future, putting even more pressure on an already stretched workforce.

The result of all that is an increase in pressure to restruc ture the licencing system and streamline the process of in duction into the industry.

Call me Captain Obvious if you wish, but the road is a very risky place to work.

If you make a mistake, the risk of injury, or worse, to you and other road users, is in stant, and substantial.

A high-tech vehicle on a smooth road at a sensible speed is about as safe as you can make it.

However road safety is not only about technology, rest stops, public awareness or fa tigue policy and regulations.

Road safety is not just about machinery, engineering

or infrastructure.

The human factor is a big part of the business of road safety.

Attitude, competence and experience are relevant and subjective.

But as a mechanic friend once told me, “The most im portant piece of equipment is the nut behind the wheel.” Hopefully a well-educated nut.

Any money spent on driver training helps save lives.

It makes financial sense and road safety sense to pro vide novice truckies the skills to survive in a fast-moving and unpredictable environ ment.

It is great policy and wise investment.

Certain government repre sentatives and peak trucking groups have been advocating for some time for licencing reform, enhanced driver train ing and creating clear career pathways for young drivers entering the industry.

However, everyone is busy recovering after an extended period of uncertainty and up

heaval thanks to Covid.

Councils are scrambling to fix roads after long periods of wet weather and companies are chasing an ever-moving bottom line.

Governments, regulators and educators are trying to make sense of it all.

But let’s not streamline an already streamlined licencing system to help fill a skills gap.

Here at Sutton Road Train ing Centre we like to push our road safety wheelbarrow through better education and training.

We want to help shape a comprehensive and construc tive driver training and li cencing system to provide the transport sector with new op erators who are as “job-ready” as possible.

If you are reading this and you appreciate the argument, if you want to get off that dan gerous highway and get more work/life balance. If you want to apply those years of high way experience and explore an exciting new career as an ed ucator, give us a call. Just ask for Captain Obvious.

Centre training manager Clinton Ernst (foreground) believes that driver training is a road safety issue.

The Sutton Road Training Centre prioritises knowledge and skills over simply achieving a certificate of minimum standard to comply.

The training centre is pushing for greater road safety through better education and training.

Winners celebrated at HVIA National Awards

HEAVY Vehicle Industry Aus tralia (HVIA) has honoured the winners of its 2022 National Awards during a special gala dinner held at the Emporium Hotel in South Brisbane on No vember 25.

The evening signified a long-awaited return for the event, which hosted a full house and gave the heavy vehicle in dustry a chance to come togeth er and celebrate.

At the event, HVIA chief executive Todd Hacking said: “Tonight is about you – our members – it is an opportunity to celebrate your achievements, your innovations, your commit ment to community, your fo

cus on safety both within your workplaces and in terms of the equipment and technology you supply.

“It’s an opportunity for us to continue to reflect on the importance of our industry and the work that you do each day. This is not just about getting up and going to work each day, it is about ensuring that freight con tinues to be delivered.”

Several awards were present ed on the night. Taking the hon ours for the Product Innovation Award was Knorr-Bremse for its iMass product, a TCA Category B Certified SMART On Board Mass (OBM) System, which the company developed locally

in Australia.

Taking out the Safety In novation Award was Scania Australia for its Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) Safety Manage ment System (SMS). It’s de signed to ensure employees have a safe work system when inter acting with electric vehicles. Scania’s BEV safety structure details responsibilities against each staffing level within Scania Australia.

Penske Australia received the Community Leadership Award for Outback Futures, a notfor-profit organisation whose mission it is to nurture and em power the outback by renewing hope, building resilience and

strengthening community.

Outback Futures routinely deploys teams of qualified prac titioners to provide much-need ed mental health and allied ser vices to people living in remote western Queensland that would otherwise be inaccessible to these communities.

Brown and Hurley’s Hunter Tapping was named National Apprentice of the Year. From a young age, he liked working with his hands, so when the op portunity came up to work with Brown and Hurley, he jumped at the chance. His employer says he has been dedicated to being the best apprentice he can be throughout his apprenticeship.

Runner-up in the appren tice category was James Co hen-Campbell of MaxiTRANS. He was nominated by his em ployer for his outstanding atti tude, work ethic and high level of skill. “James is already a high ly valued member of our team, and once he has finished his ap prenticeship, he is someone we will encourage to progress in a leadership pathway,” they said.

While Thomas Baggaley of CMV Truck & Bus was hon oured with the Peter Langwor thy Future Leader Award. He joined the company in 2018 to begin his apprenticeship and

since completing it, has demon strated a passion and enthusi asm for mentoring other young people. He is now team leader of a CMV dealership, where he positively influences senior technicians and young appren tices.

“I’m so proud to be a small part of this industry as it is in deed the central nervous system for the entire economy,” said Hacking. “You are all celebrat ed because you are all demon strating through actions, what it means to be an effective, responsible participant in an effective, responsible industry.”

The Opportunity

Fulton Hogan Transport currently have a vacancy for a tanker owner driver to join our transport team based out of Dry Creek in South Australia. Reporting to the WA/SA Transport Manager, your primary duty will be the transportation of bitumen products to our plants and customers.

You will be Responsible for

• Adhering to all Safety procedures to operate the Tanker

• Ability to work efficiently and effectively to deadlines

• Accurate completion of all trip paperwork

• Work in accordance with all Fatigue Laws

• Ability to work as part of a small team

• Delivering hot bitumen to required sites and ensuring all safety regulations are adhered to during transportation

We Offer

• Continuous work

What we need from you?

• Dangerous Goods License

• MC Driver License

• Experience in the Asphalt industry an advantage

• Willingness to travel and work away when required

• White Prime Mover (Late Model) capable of towing a B-Double or Double Road Train

• Fulton Hogan Transport will provide training and all specialised PPE.

• Remuneration is paid twice monthly.

• If you are willing to work the opportunity is there to develop a very profitable and sustainable business for yourself.

Fulton Hogan Philosophy

Sound like you?

Craig Lee with Penske Australia’s HVIA Community Leadership Award.

Janelle Greene representing HVIA Product Innovation Award sponsor NTI with winner Knorr-Bremse.

National Apprentice of the Year Hunter Tapping, with award sponsor Wurth Australia managing director Serge Oppedisano, Brown and Hurley supervisor Cameron Behn (l), and dealer principal Bruce Barnes (r).

MP Scott Buchholz presents Scania Australia MD Manfred Streit with the HVIA Safety Innovation Award.

Winner of the 2022 Peter Langworthy Future Leader Award Thomas Baggaley with his wife Tullee.

A NEW joint initiative from the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Associa tion and PowerTorque Mag azine is looking for the next generation of top performers to take the rural trucking sec tor into a brighter future.

The search is on for Rural Transport Rising Stars, those young people who have come into the industry and are trying to make a difference. By highlighting these high achievers, others from the same generation will be given a beacon to follow into the rural trucking sector, which is struggling to attract enough high quality operators to de velop further.

“Young people today seem to regard the industry as not very attractive and a diffi cult place to work,” said Tim Giles, PowerTorque editor, at the initial launch of the new initiative. “As usual, it’s our fault, and we probably don’t help the situation with our war stories from the 70s and 80s about the sort of things we had to do and the risks we took. We are dealing with a generation who have a com pletely different outlook on

TIM GILES

life and expect very different things from their working life.”

As an industry publica tion, the small team at Pow erTorque have an ongoing collaborative relationship with the ALRTA and had been discussing the sort of positive initiatives they could get involved in, to improve these perceptions and create something that could help in a small way.

“We had seen the success of the young rural driver award schemes that are pre sented in Queensland and New South Wales,” said Giles. “So we thought it would be a good idea to create one for the rural trucking industry as a whole, nationally and com plement the existing awards.

“Something which would reward and encourage those people in the rural trucking sector, who show initiative, that enthusiasm, come up with really good ideas, and work hard to make both their lives and the trucking indus

try in rural areas, a better place to work.”

The concept of the Ru ral Transport Rising Star is simple, it’s open to anybody working in the rural trans port sector.

“We didn’t want to make

it too complicated,” said Giles. “If you know some body who you think is inspir ing or showing initiative then why not nominate them. The only qualification is that the nominated person has to be under 35 on December 31,

2022 and be nominated by someone in an industry asso ciation.”

The rules for entry also align closely to the criteria of the existing awards, so that entrants in those states can be forwarded across to the national award if they wish. A small judging panel will go through those nominations, coming up with a shortlist and make the award at the ALRTA Conference next year.

“At PowerTorque we will be able to provide a platform, we will bring those nominat ed to the attention of the in dustry, not only in our pub lication but in other industry titles, plus other rural based publications,” said Giles.

“The idea is to get the sto ries of these young people out as widely as possible, high lighting the positives.”

For more information, please visit the Rural Trans port Rising Star website, at powertorque.com.au/ introducing-the-rural-trans port-rising-star-award/.

Here you can also down load rules and nomination forms.

The Rural Transport Rising Star is open to anybody working in the rural transport sector, who is under 35 years of age.