Owner Driver 337 February 2021 by Prime Creative Media

ownerdriver FEBRUARY 2021 #337

DEDICATED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PERSON BEHIND THE WHEEL

OWNERDRIVER.COM.AU

Truck drivers’ health shock Monash study reveals chronic disorders See page 14

Kenworth master class Exclusive interview with

Paccar boss Andrew Hadjikakou See page 58

TRIBUTE TO TOM

Mercedes-Benz Actros honours the late TNS Logistics’ co-owner

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Contents #337

FEBRUARY 2021

64 14 TRUCK DRIVER HEALTH ISSUES REVEALED

52 BUNT TAKES A PUNT

Already a Mack fan, Brian Bunt was on the lookout for a restoration project, eventually discovering an ex-Tasmanian Super-Liner logging truck on its last legs

Monash study reveals disturbing health problems emerging from Australia’s most demanding occupation

18 HIGHLANDERS ON RIGHT TRACK

58 KENWORTH MASTER CLASS

In a year like no other in living memory, Australia’s top truck maker quietly stamped its mastery on the heavy-duty market and in the process showed what it truly

From an upbringing on the land to a career as a builder, Luke Sheridan eventually found his happy place behind the wheel of a truck as an owner-driver

64 ANTHEM STANDS UP

The late Tom Norton is immortalised in the form of a top-of-the-line 2020 MercedesBenz Actros, the standout truck of the TNS Logistics fleet

A stand-up sleeper cab, redesigned interior and new transmission options are among the Mack Anthem’s selling points

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4 FEBRUARY 2021

“I’m pretty sure it was the first Louisville to roll off the ark.” takes to excel in tough times. A rare and revealing interview with Paccar Australia chief Andrew Hadjikakou

32 THIS TRUCK’S FOR TOM

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Prices herein are recommended selling prices, inclusive of GST. Recommended selling prices are a guide only & there is no obligation for Dealers to comply with these recommendations. Freight charges may apply. All items have been included in good faith on the basis that goods will be available at the time of sale. Prices & promotions are available at participating PACCAR Parts outlets & TRP Dealers from 1 February to 31 March 2021. For more details contact: Freecall* 1800 877 278 • Email: info@trpparts.com.au • www.trpparts.com.au

OWD 337.als - Base Edition 5

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ownerdriver EDITORIAL

Editor: Greg Bush Ph: 07 3101 6602 Fax: 07 3101 6619 E-mail: Greg.Bush@aremedia.com.au Senior Journalist/LCV Specialist: Cobey Bartels Ph: 0409 044 128 E-mail: Cobey.Bartels@aremedia.com.au Technical Editor: Steve Brooks E-mail: sbrooks.trucktalk@gmail.com Contributors: Warren Aitken, John Beer, Frank Black, Warren Caves, Warren Clark, Rod Hannifey, Michael Kaine, Sarah Marinovic, Ken Wilkie Cartoonist: John Allison

PRODUCTION Production Co-Ordinator: Cat Fitzpatrick Art Director: Bea Barthelson Print: IVE Print

ADVERTISING Industry Sales Manager: Adrian Christian Ph: 0423 761 784 E-mail: Adrian.Christian@aremedia.com.au Brand Sales Manager: Peter Gatti Ph: 0437 895 600 E-mail: Peter.Gatti@aremedia.com.au Sales Manager (Qld): Hollie Tinker Ph: 0466 466 945 E-mail: Hollie.Tinker@aremedia.com.au Sales Manager (Vic): Matt Alexander Ph: 0413 599 669 E-mail: Matt.Alexander@aremedia.com.au Sales Manager (NSW): Con Zarocostas Ph: 0457 594 238 E-mail: Con.Zarocostas@aremedia.com.au Sales Manager (SA/WA): Nick Lenthall Ph: 0439 485 835 E-mail: Nick.Lenthall@aremedia.com.au Agency Sales Manager (NSW): Max Kolomiiets Ph: 0415 869 176 E-mail: Max.Kolomiiets@aremedia.com.au

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BEHIND THE WHEEL Greg Bush

Trucks keep on rollin’

ROUND MARCH and April in 2020, things were looking grim for world economies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Australia we saw forced closures of businesses, laid-off employees and, apart from supermarkets and other essential outlets, a slow-down in public spending. As mentioned in these pages in previous issues, the trucking industry defied those trends, although there were concerns with some parts suppliers whose products were mostly sourced from overseas. Helping the industry move in the right direction was the Federal Government’s decision that the heavy vehicle industry be classed as an essential service. So the trucks kept rolling, apart from the odd hiccup at border crossings. As the lifeblood of our highways maintained its on-road presence, new truck sales began picking up. By year’s end total truck and heavy van sales had recovered to reach a total of 34,476 units. That’s a fair result, considering the bleak predictions earlier in the year. Sure, those figures fell short of the 2018 record of 41,628 trucks sold, and it’s below the average of 36,272 calculated over the past five years. Noticeably, light trucks and vans were behind the late sales upsurge, particularly in the 2020’s fourth quarter, with Isuzu again finishing on top overall with a 24 per cent market share. It was Isuzu’s 32nd consecutive years as top dog of sales, despite an expected drop-off the anticipated drop-off. As in previous years, Isuzu’s dominance came through

big figures in the light and medium duty markets, although it claimed third spot in the heavy duty category with 11.8 per cent. Its fierce light and medium duty competitor, Hino (pictured below) also suffered slightly in sales, but actually improved its market share to 15.1 per cent, up from 2019. Looking at medium duty specifically, Hino grabbed 34.1 per cent of the market behind Isuzu’s 40.5 per cent. With those two manufacturers improving market share despite less sales, there had to be casualties. Fellow Japanese manufacturer UD Trucks slumped to 1.7 per cent in medium duty, in contrast to Fuso which enjoyed an upsurge to a 16.3 per cent market share. UD’s poor showing was mirrored across the other makes and models in Volvo Group Australia’s stable. In the heavy duty sector, the Volvo trucks had moved from a major challenger to Kenworth’s supremacy to looking over its shoulder at Isuzu. The story was also disappointing for Mack Trucks, dropping from 1047 units in 2019 to 705 in 2020. However, with its new Anthem – boasting a host of safety features – now hitting dealerships, it could provide the impetus that the bulldog brand needs to regain its position, as well as reminding truck buyers of its “tough truck” reputation. With COVID-19 still lurking in the shadows, not to mention the variants of the virus sneaking into our shores, Australia looks set for another challenging year. Whether it continues along the lines of 2020 remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure – the trucks will keep rolling.

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An Australian Legend Reborn. Introducing the next evolution of Mack Trucks, the Mack Anthem. Born in America and refined for Australia, the Anthem comes standard with a bold aerodynamic design, comfortable new interior and spacious stand-up sleeper, to keep drivers well-rested and ready for the long haul. The mDRIVE’s additional deep reduction gears provides greater flexibility to help tackle demanding work and get you to the top. We are Mack. This is our Anthem.

Discover how Anthem is built to move your business forward. MackTrucks.com.au/Anthem

OWD 337.als - Base Edition 7

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The Goods

NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

Call for truckies to get first dibs at jabs Road Freight NSW says transport workers need to be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccination INDUSTRY BODY ROAD FREIGHT NSW (RFNSW) says truck drivers should be prioritised in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, given their crucial role in securing supply chains and ensuring the delivery of the country’s critical vaccination distribution program. RFNSW points out that truck drivers working on the frontline delivering freight across the community were exposed to high numbers of people as part of their daily operations – and needed to be protected from contracting the virus. “Whilst we rightfully acknowledge that healthcare workers, aged care residents and other vulnerable

members of the community will be among the first to receive the jab, the essential role that truckies will be playing in the national roll-out of the vaccine must also be taken into account,” chief executive Simon O’Hara says. “Our members will soon be called-upon to commence the delivery of the vaccine across the country and they’ll be an essential part of the national supply chain. “It’s therefore crucial that truckies have prioritised access to the vaccine so they can stay healthy and keep working, minimising potential disruptions to the national distribution program. “Ensuring that truckies remain

COVID-free will help secure supply chains and safeguard the community.” RFNSW says it is supporting calls from transport, freight and logistics bodies for the federal government to consult with industry over the national vaccination roll-out.

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) and Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) have already called for transport and logistics workers to be amongst the first to receive the vaccinations, given their strategic economic position and high social interactivity.

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THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

NTC seeks input on charges hike Transport ministers are proposing a 2.5 per cent increase in road user charges for heavy vehicles

THE NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMMISSION (NTC) is inviting public and industry views on the proposal to increase heavy vehicle registration and road user charges in 2021–22. In support of its effort, the commission has released its Heavy Vehicle Charges Consultation Report, which poses three questions for those affected: • Which costs are typically passed through to customers (and to end consumers) and which costs are absorbed by vehicle owners or operators? • Is the pump price of fuel a cost that is charged separately under typical hire-and-reward contracts (such that fuel price fluctuations do not impact profit margins)? • Does the answer depend on the size of the business and their contract bargaining power? “Any information provided on these questions will help inform Ministers about the broader context in which their final decision on heavy vehicle charges will be made,” the report states.

The public consultation is being carried out following the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting (ITMM) last month that proposed a 2.5 per cent increase be applied to the roads component of registration charges in 2021–22. This will increase the road user charge (RUC) to 26.4 cents per litre on July 1. The regulatory component of registration charges will be reset on a cost recovery basis for 2021–22, with minimal changes expected. This means that the overall increase in total registration charges including both regulatory and roads components is expected to be slightly below 2.5 per cent. The proposal comes in response to the end of a previous decision to freeze heavy vehicle charges that expires on June 30.

The NTC estimates that to ensure governments recover the amount spent on providing roads to heavy vehicles in 2019–20, current heavy vehicle charges would need to rise by 13.4 per cent for 2021–22. If no decision is taken by ITMM, heavy vehicle charges would be automatically increased by 13.4 per cent for 2021–22 under the annual adjustment formula contained in the Heavy Vehicle Charges Model Law. Heavy vehicle charges, which apply to all vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of above 4.5 tonnes, consist of RUC on diesel fuel and a yearly registration charge comprising roads and regulatory components. The NTC will accept submissions on this matter until March 12. The report can be found at www.ntc.gov.au.

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THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

From Paris to Canberra for ATA CEO role Seasoned operator Andrew McKellar counts senior domestic and international roles in his resume THE AUSTRALIAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATION (ATA) has appointed international association executive Andrew McKellar as its new CEO. McKellar was most recently the Paris-based secretary general for mobility at the International Automobile Federation (FIA). Before joining the FIA, he was CEO of the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI). In government, he was a senior adviser to successive Australian industry ministers from 1996 to 1998. He also worked as an economist and research officer in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the federal Treasury and the Queensland Treasury. ATA chair David Smith is confident McKellar will “lead the ATA to new levels of effectiveness and member service”.

“The board was very impressed by Andrew’s experience in international advocacy for road safety during his tenure at the FIA and his understanding of the emerging trends influencing safety, sustainability and competitiveness in road transport and mobility globally,” Smith says. “Andrew’s extensive skills and experience in public policy and advocacy will be indispensable as he makes the case for improving our industry’s productivity, and as he protects the interests of trucking businesses in the discussions about truck charges that are ahead. “The board was also impressed by Andrew’s knowledge of association strategic planning and his dedication to leading the ATA in the interests of its members.” McKellar says he is looking forward to working to represent a sector that is so crucial to the future strength of Australia’s economic performance.

“The trucking industry is part of the lifeblood of the Australian economy. I am dedicated to advancing the interests of those who rely on the industry for their livelihood and to promote the future vision of the industry,” he adds. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) welcomes the appointment, with CEO Sal Petroccitto observing McKellar’s diverse domestic and international experience would serve him well in his new role. “On behalf of the NHVR, I congratulate Mr McKellar on his appointment,” Petroccitto says. “Mr McKellar has significant experience across government and the automotive industry, both in Australia and internationally, which will stand him in good stead for this important role. “The NHVR has enjoyed a strong and positive working relationship with the ATA for many years to

{{{ SHIMMYING }}} OR PULLING

Above: New ATA CEO Andrew McKellar

deliver a safer, more productive heavy vehicle industry. “As we work to get our industry and our economy back on track, I look forward to working with Mr McKellar for the benefit of all road users.” McKellar recently returned to Australia to start work at the ATA in mid-February.

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THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

Truck driver health issues revealed Monash study reveals disturbing health problems emerging from Australia’s most demanding occupation

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THE FIRST MAJOR survey of truck driver health reveals shocking problems in Australia’s most common job for men, with over 80 per cent of drivers overweight or obese, one in five suffering from severe psychological distress, over 70 per cent living with chronic pain and almost a third with multiple chronic health conditions. The survey of almost 1,400 drivers is part of a three-year study by Monash University and outlines that poor health is not only bad for drivers – it is also linked to an increase in the chances of crashes and near-misses. The findings of the study were recently featured on ABC TV’s 7.30 Report. The study has shown that risk factors because of the job include: “long working hours, sedentary roles, poor nutrition, social isolation, shift work, time pressure, low levels of job control, and fatigue”. It points to a need for urgent reform to address and prevent poor mental and physical health among drivers who are under supply chain pressures. Other key findings include: • Truck drivers work long hours and this is linked to their poor physical and mental health. Half of those surveyed work 41-60 hours per week and 37.5 per cent working over 60 hours per week • 13 per cent of drivers reported having a crash in the past year with over 70 per cent stating they had a near miss on average once per week. Having three or more chronic conditions nearly doubles the odds of experiencing a crash • Over a third of drivers have a diagnosed back problem, double that of the average Australian male, and over a quarter have high blood pressure • Almost a third reported being diagnosed with three or more of the health conditions listed, compared to 7.8 per cent of the general population • One in two drivers reported some level of psychological distress. The proportion of truck drivers under 35 with severe psychological distress was almost double that of the average for Australian males for that age bracket. Nick McIntosh, assistant national secretary of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), which was involved in the study along with Linfox and the Centre for WHS, says the study should put pressure on the Federal Government to address problems in road transport which are linked to driver health. “This study is utterly shocking in revealing for the first time how

poor the health of our drivers is. Drivers are living with chronic pain, obesity, mental health problems, high blood pressure and back problems. It is bad enough that these poor health outcomes affect so many workers and their families but evidence linking them to truck crashes and near misses shows that the entire community is affected by the problems. “It is vital we improve the health of drivers, given that trucking is Australia’s most common job, employing one in every 33 men, or 200,000 drivers. We want to see this made a priority by the Federal Government and for the entire supply chain examined with a view to regulating the industry,” McIntosh adds. “The economics at the top of our industry is creating the dynamics which result in poor health for drivers at the bottom of the supply chain and high death rates of drivers and other road users. “The financial squeeze by major retailers, manufacturers and oil companies which continually demand lower cost contracts from transport operators, results in an industry continually under pressure and subsisting on tight margins. This is the reason for the long hours, the stress and the injuries that drivers experience. “Now that the evidence is abundantly clear just how badly this impacts drivers, we urge the Federal Government to act,” McIntosh says. A second report recently released involves in-depth interviews with drivers describing their health conditions. “Just last week, I had a driver say that he nearly pulled the wheel on the truck to head straight into a tree, because it was just crap; it was too overwhelming for him,” said one driver. “And he’s breaking down crying on the phone.” “Myself and my ex-wife separated... because I was away so much. So that’s probably one time where I lost everything,” says another. “My son’s been looking for my guidance and my love I suppose and it hasn’t been there because I’ve been too busy driving trucks and, you know, fighting my own battles,” another driver explains. Steering Healthy Minds, a project aimed at training transport workers to support colleagues with mental health problems, is being rolled out nationally. Supported by the TWU, the program involves encouraging work colleagues to discuss mental health issues or concerns and giving them the information and support they need.

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27/01/2021 1:51:01 PM

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operator profile

HIGHLANDERS

S MANY BORN into rural farm life observe throughout their formative years, the trials and tribulations of a farmer’s existence can easily deter younger generations from pursuing the same path. For Luke Sheridan, the farmer’s life on the land didn’t appeal to him, so an apprenticeship as a carpenter/builder was embarked upon. While the building game provided income and security, Luke still seemed to have an itch to be scratched. Deep down, Luke admits that he just always wanted to drive trucks. Perhaps driving around farms and gazing upon the big trucks passing through his New South Wales rural hometown of Coolah lit a fire in his vocational soul that could not easily be extinguished – by hammers, chisels and a tool belt. Leaving the building game behind, and pivoting into the direction of his ambitions, Luke took on a job as a labourer and then truck driver for a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) bridge crew in Bathurst, while his wife

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ON RIGHT TRACK

From an upbringing on the land to a career as a builder, Luke Sheridan eventually found his happy place behind the wheel of a truck as an owner-driver. Warren Caves chats with the NSW Southern Highlands-based co-owner of Southern Star Transport

Jacinta was attending university in the same town. When an employment opportunity for Jacinta arose in Tahmoor, the Sheridans looked at a tiny point on a map, showing the small rural location about an hour or so, southwest of Sydney, and decided to pack their bags to move to a place they had never been, and give it a go. With Jacinta employed, all that was left was for Luke to find a job, a task which would, for a time force him to take a step backwards from his driving ambitions and return to the building game. This lasted for around 12 months with Luke eventually realising that he still hated this line of work. To readjust his path, Luke took on a job driving concrete agitators for a large concrete company, which in a fortunate stroke of serendipity would eventually become a company he would have a long standing, ongoing business relationship with, sometime later in the evolution of Southern Star Transport. The agitator driving role eventually morphed into a batching and managerial role to which Luke was not comfortable: “It was not where I wanted to be, I just wanted to drive.” Moving on from there, Luke moved into driving concrete powder tankers for Pioneer Concrete, a job with such irregular hours that he confesses: “The hours broke me in six months.

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“We just had our first kid and I thought that working these hours was a mug’s game, so I returned to the agi work, but I still wasn’t happy,” Luke explains.

Leaky Louisville It would seem that the Sheridans were at a crossroads and a resolution was, unknowingly to them, just around the corner. It was just a matter of taking the right turn. “We had gotten a little money together and I had been looking around a bit, considering the owner-driver route, but I quickly realised that no one was going to even talk to you if you didn’t already have a truck,” Luke says. “So, through a friend, I was put onto a truck for sale, a Ford LTL 9000 Louisville, with a 444-Cummins engine and a 15-speed overdrive gearbox.” It was 1999; the Sheridans promptly bought the truck, a flattop trailer and became owner-drivers. “It was quite buggered,” Luke recalls. “But that truck got us going. “It had little in the way of comfort, leaked inside when it rained and prompted you to wear Ugg boots to drive in the winter, but it got the job done.” Ultimately, the LTL would prove to be a good earner as Southern Star’s first truck, which according to Luke, had two million kilometres on it when they took ownership. During

Opposite below: Luke Sheridan operates Southern Star Transport along with this wife Jacinta

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“No one was going to even talk to you if you didn’t already have a truck.”

Above: A Southern Star Kenworth T610, followed closely by a K200, loaded with concrete sleepers on their way to a train derailment site Below: Luke and Jacinta Sheridan’s first truck – the infamous Louisville

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the subsequent three years that they had the truck, Luke says all they had to do to it, apart from routine maintenance, was replace a turbo and water pump. However, the start for Southern Star Transport proved to be a little rocky. With the optimism of youth and lashings of naivety, Luke says he thought was going to set the world on fire carting bricks around Sydney. He was new to the job, and they were offering good dollars, a solid full-time contract and hourly pay. The world was at his feet, or so he thought. Riding high in his big new truck, flat-top trailer and sidemounted Moffett Mounty forklift, Luke kicked off with excitement in his inaugural owner-driver role, a role that would last all of two days.

“On the second day I was given a load of bricks to deliver to a back street somewhere in Earlwood. I was a boy from the bush and had little driving experience around the city in a semi-trailer. “I drove to the delivery site, which was on a hill and I set about unloading the forklift which quickly became jammed solid in its frame – it wouldn’t go in and wouldn’t come out due to the uneven incline. “I ended up having to reverse the trailer down the hill with the forklift hanging out from the side of the trailer suspended precariously over parked cars, until I could find some flat ground on which to unload it. “I then ended up breaking up three or four packs of bricks which I had to re-stack for delivery. I rang the company, told them this wasn’t for me, went home, removed the forklift and frame and placed them up for sale,” Luke laughs.

Beer backloads After the false start on the brick job, he secured some work subcontracting to Deegan’s Transport in Goulburn. Luke has a lot of praise for Kim Deegan, who gave him a go and showed him the ropes. “I was green as green and knew nothing,” he confesses. The early days for Southern Star Transport were spent accommodating a wool boom with Luke and his trusty Louisville carting the baled fleece into the Yennora wool stores in Sydney, and backloading beer from the Tooheys’ factory in Lidcombe. The work was hard, loading and tarping bales, but to Luke it seemed greatly preferable to the brick work. “We would load the wool in Goulburn and drive to Sydney and unload. That unloading could take up to six-hours, then, when we would go around to load the beer for the run back, it could take just as long to load there. “It was taking anything up to 20 hours to do a return run from Goulburn to Sydney.” Luke started carting bagged cement products into Sydney from Maldon, around the 2000 Olympics era, which saw steady demand for these products. Unbeknown to them at the time this work would eventually see Southern Star Transport running two semi-trailers consistently for many years. As demand ebbed and flowed the work fluctuated a bit but is still being done today by Southern Star Transport with its 10-wheeler DAF rigid. It’s interesting to observe how seemingly insignificant interactions over time can be so pivotally instrumental

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27/01/2021 1:41:19 PM

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“It had little in the way of comfort, leaked inside when it rained.” in the evolution of transport businesses. While carrying out those Goulburn to Sydney runs for Deegan’s, Luke would regularly drive past the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) yard in the town and look wistfully at the easily packed and loaded rail sleepers awaiting transport. “After busting my backside loading, unloading and tarping wool bales, I would think to myself, ah, they look easy!” One particular day, armed with nothing more than a little bit of pluck and the courage of his convictions, Luke went in and enquired about work carting the sleepers. He was directed to the person responsible for the job and secured the work. This ultimately led to a long and continuous working relationship with ARTC and, subsequently, additional companies affiliated with the rail network. Currently, Southern Star Transport operates a small fleet of five Kenworth trucks and trailers, the aforementioned DAF 10-wheeler and an older Kenworth K104 as a spare. A large portion of the company’s workload among other commitments such as hay cartage is made up of rail-related infrastructure movements around eastern Australia, all of which has stemmed from that bold walk into the ARTC yard in Goulburn years ago. “We are quite involved in transporting concrete sleepers for ARTC these days and have participated in many railway sleeper upgrades, replacing timber sleepers with the concrete alternatives. This work often yields two-way loading opportunities,” Luke explains. “When the railway was upgraded from Taree to Brisbane we would load timber from Bathurst for Brisbane then drive down to Grafton where the old timbers sleepers from the coast line were stockpiled. We would then backload them to Sydney for use by landscape yards and the like. “Over a four-year period on that job we carted half a million

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Above: Left to right: Luke Sheridan with two of his drivers – Ruskin and Scott

sleepers out of Grafton to Sydney, loading up to 10 to 12 trucks a day. It was full-on.” Luke says Southern Star Transport is a highly service-based company, with the Sheridans priding themselves on solving their clients’ transport movement requirements with a single phone call. “We have a really good working relationship with our clients; we work towards meeting their transport needs,” he says.

Weekends off To add to the company’s versatility, Southern Star Transport has its own telehandlers and loading equipment which it

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“It was taking anything up to 20 hours to do a return run from Goulburn to Sydney.” provides to access sites for loading and unloading sleepers. This removes the need to secure a third party operator and work around timing issues or restrictions that a third party may bring. Luke says this equipment also comes in handy as some of the rail side sleeper movements are not time critical, giving him a pool of work to draw from should there be a few quiet days. “All of our drivers are certified for rail side work and are

a reliable crew of long serving employees. A lot of their workload is interstate, which they carry out predominantly from Monday to Friday, giving them weekends off. “We always try to avoid committing our drivers to interstate locations for Monday mornings so they don’t have to leave on Sundays,” he adds. Luke says Southern Star Transport has a great team of drivers, with many of them being long-serving employees. “The drivers have played an invaluable role in the success of our company. Southern Star could not operate without good drivers. We appreciate all they do to help keep the show on the road.” As with most owner-drivers and small transport fleet operators, there is often that irreplaceable employee who works long, hard hours tirelessly in the background. Wives and partners are more often than not the backbone of these types of businesses. Luke says Southern Star Transport is no different. “I have a 50/50 working relationship with my wife Jacinta. She is in the office 40 to 50 hours a week handling all aspects of our operation from admin, invoicing, making sure everyone gets paid to compliance. “Jacinta has her own clients, which she looks after exclusively, and we bounce all of our business decisions off each other. “Jacinta is more than capable of running the entire business if I can manage to sneak a couple of weeks off during the year. Without her, there would be no Southern Star Transport in its current form,” he says. Happy with their current work structure, Luke and Jacinta, while open to new opportunities, are quietly content with the business at its current size. As Luke explains: “We have a really good customer base who are understanding and loyal. We are well placed and have the ability to service these customers, and service them well.”

Top: Another one of the company’s K200s, one of five Kenworths in the fleet

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EYES ON THE ROAD Rod Hannifey

Long neck of a load It was livestock freight of a different kind during a trip from Dubbo to a South Australian safari park

T HAS BEEN a busy Christmas for many and after such a turbulent year let us all hope things will improve and settle down. In the period up to Christmas I had a couple of different trips from normal. The first was transporting a giraffe from Dubbo Zoo to the Monarto Safari Park near Murray Bridge, South Australia. Animals travel between zoos for many reasons, but they too had been stopped from travelling with the virus and its implications, as often with bigger animals, keepers travel with them to help with the travel and transition. This was not a full-grown giraffe, but with an upcoming expansion at Monarto, this young fellow was needed to increase the herd. Big plans are in place for expansion there and if you are in the area, I certainly recommend a visit. It will be getting bigger and better over the next couple of years. They have a large crate to allow for safety of the animal and feeding by keepers from outside once loaded. We loaded late Wednesday afternoon and were on the road at daylight Thursday morning, no real issues except for a garbage truck that, without a passenger, nearly pulled out in front of us from an off-set side road. Daylight travel and a few stops to check the giraffe saw me arrive near on perfect time as planned that night. Sometimes things do go as you hope. It was a big day, but I was given the choice to do it in one or two days and agreed that for the animal as well, one was achievable and the best option. I was put up overnight; we unloaded the boy into a quarantine yard and for him to see his new mates without any risk of getting too close. A couple of drivers actually asked if I have a giraffe on. The height and setup of the cage may have given it away even though it was fully enclosed. Another of our drivers also took an elephant to Melbourne, so it was something completely different for him as well.

of weeks and initially I thought, if this goes pear-shaped I will not get home for Christmas. However, the first roadtrain trip to Mt Isa went well. We had a number of trains on the road that week going up there and the only real issue, other than the heat, was a tyre to be sorted on another trailer before I left to come back to Brissie. Once back, I went and loaded one trailer, ran it out to Oakey to pick up another that was needed in Brisbane, went back and had my break while the third one got loaded for me. The first was sitting in Roma waiting. I must thank young Damon Blinko for his help with a wiring problem. I had checked the trailer I took out, then I checked the trailer and dolly that was loaded for me before I left. But when I got to Oakey there were no lights to the second trailer. We changed two plugs and still had a problem, so in the end we bypassed the dolly and it all worked. I sent him the lead back and a TruckRight Industry Vehicle (TIV) cup as thanks. He certainly deserved it. Finally, I hooked up at Roma to the third trailer but where it had been parked was tight to get out. A final check and on the road, not even up to highway speed, there was a car overtaking me into the path of an oncoming car and caravan. The car went off the road – the driver simply did not look

ROD HANNIFEY, a transport safety advocate, has been involved in raising the profile of the industry, conducting highway truck audits, the Blue Reflector Trial for informal parking bays on the Newell, the ‘Truckies on Road Code’, the national 1800 number for road repairs proposal, and the Better Roadside Rest Areas Group. Contact Rod on 0428 120 560, e-mail rod.hannifey@bigpond. com or visit www.truckright.com.au

ABOVE: The passenger checks out his new friends after arriving at Monarto BELOW: In roadtrain mode for the Mt Isa trip BOTTOM (L TO R): Special trailer for special freight; The versatile Kenworth K200 can handle all types of freight

properly. It may not have actually involved me had they hit head on but could have. I thought, “what a good start”. The rest of the trip went well, apart from having to play with another plug and spread the pins at Blackall. It was good timing to have just done the intercooler, it was hot and heavy going with the three trailers on. Apart from me feeling the heat when unloading in the sun and then having to have a 24-hour break in the middle of nowhere with no facilities, there were no other real problems. I doubled one up at Winton, just beating the rain, dropped the dog at Gatton pads and got back out to pick up the second and go to bed at Rusty’s servo as there is a twohour limit at the Gatton pads. I will shortly leave for Port Hedland, so that will be a first for me. A good two weeks or more is planned for the round trip – and of course that’s subject to loading and getting there, all going well.

FACEBOOK NEGATIVITY As a short follow-up to my listing of issues re the Newell in my last column: you all see and travel on other roads to me and some of them are worse and some are better. I do not know or travel on every road in Australia and I have never said I know all the problems, nor can I fix them all. Yes, I am preaching to the converted, but the intent is to raise the issue to those who should be acting on the information and fixing our roads. They blame us for the damage, they charge us for the use, but surely we want both value for money and safety for all. To those who commented on the Owner//Driver Facebook page with smart-alec remarks, I ask the same thing here to any who wish to belittle my efforts. What are you doing to get one road fixed? If we do not raise the issues, even less will be done to improve our roads, our lives and our safety on those roads.

TRIPLE TREAT Next we had a big plan over a couple

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WILKIE’S WATCH Ken Wilkie

The slow-down scam There’s nothing more frustrating than being forced to slow down for dormant roadworks

HORTLY BEFORE Christmas, I again had the experience of traversing the Bruce Highway twice from the Burdekin Bridge south. It is pretty obvious that the public sector has found a forest of money trees somewhere. There were roadworks galore. On the face of it, any improvement in infrastructure has to be a good thing and the Bruce Highway is in need of many more passing lanes. Yes, there’s obviously an effort to provide more passing lanes but there’s also a considerable amount of window dressing. Beyond needing more overtaking opportunities, I consider it to be a reasonable thoroughfare. I’m still astounded at the numbers of derelict vehicles littering the roadside. A pointer to society’s inability to drive to a reasonable standard? I consider the constant criticism of the Bruce Highway a reflection of the general substandard driving ability. Again, I call on the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) to lobby for proper driver education as part of the Australian secondary school curriculum. I think the dramatic increase in the number of lives lost on Queensland roads this year enforces my argument that zero tolerance on speed, and ‘every K over is a killer’ and such idiotic catch cries are an absolute waste of time. Yes, roadworks galore. I think it’s time someone in the work place health and safety department read the story about the boy who called wolf unnecessarily. It is so frustrating to be expected to observe speed reduction directions when so far from the work site. And it is doubly frustrating to bring the speed down to the ‘safe’ worker-friendly speed when there’s no work taking place, such as on public holidays, weekends and at night. There are even considerable speed reductions for work being done off the roadway – building better roadside rest areas for example. When transporting dangerous goods, there are severe penalties for people who display DG placards when not transporting DG. And I should point out that that there is no single prosecution in relation to DG breaches. The driver, the owner and the loader are all in the frame when a misdemeanour is detected. The volume of unwarranted speed

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reduction signage is lowering the impact of any advice that is warranted. There seems to me to be an attitude of empire building within the workplace, health and safety sector. Is it any wonder that drivers become blasé about following the expectations? Again, one rule for private enterprise and a different one for the public sector! I also have a concern regarding the safe workplace story. Why is it considered OK to open up both road shoulders simultaneously? Should there be an incident, what are the escape options with both shoulders torn up? Talking of money trees, they must nearly be picked bare. Those detestable bollards must have come from a fire sale I’m sure. The bloody things are worse than fire ants – they are everywhere. The issue is that they are a metre-plus high and as a consequence wide loads cannot easily dodge them. I take no pleasure in knocking them over. For the uninformed, when transporting over dimensional loads, it is a struggle to reduce all dimensions to the smallest denominator. Width is totally dependent on the product. With length, the absence of a bonnet on the prime mover is about the only feature that the operator has any control over in that direction. Height? Again an operator has very limited options. Five metres is a magic figure when transporting high objects.

KEN WILKIE has been an owner-driver since 1974, after first getting behind the wheel at 11. He’s on his eighth truck, and is a long-time Owner//Driver contributor. He covers Rockhampton to Adelaide and any point in between. His current ambition is to see the world, and to see more respect for the nation’s truckies. Contact Ken at ken@rwstransport.com.au

“Those detestable bollards must have come from a fire sale.”

The only option is to lower the deck height to the lowest level possible. I can assure readers that there are many deck heights much lower than those bloody bollards. Queensland transport bureaucracy is calling for loads to be lifted above bollard height. For God’s sake! Bureaucracy is running this country for the benefit of bureaucracy. Is it any wonder we are internationally noncompetitive.

TECHNOLOGY INFATUATION One aspect of bureaucracy that constantly frustrates me is their determination to do it their way. As I’ve stated previously, industry drivers – virtually to a driver – has expressed a wish for flexibility for years. But no – bureaucracy are so infatuated with technology and uncaring of the need for flexibility that it has put its electronic diaries wish list first, which will enhance the income to government and show impressionable fringe dwellers that the industry is full of irresponsible people such as myself. The issue is simply that bureaucracy is determined to see its own picture first and forever. I blame the industry itself. We are made up of too many sucker uppers. I’ve said it before. Bureaucracy is supposed to serve politicians. Politicians are supposed to serve the electorate. If the electorate (industry drivers and operators in this instance) is too lazy and stupid to address issues to politicians, we get what we have got. An industry so overawed with ineffective and unwarranted regulations and overthe-top breach charges that at a time of high national unemployment it cannot attract drivers. I dare not wonder what the national unemployment situation would be like if the public sector had not plucked the money tree bare to increase its own numbers.

MONEY FOR NOTHING Another ‘Johnny-come-lately’ – and an ex-bureaucrat to boot – has landed on the ‘help drivers and owner-drivers association’ scene. Just what we wanted! As with bureaucracy in general, this brings a good dose of ignorance of the real world and ignorance of past efforts along with a standard bureaucratic attitude. Give me your money and I’ll talk to you. Same attitude as performancebased standards and industry accreditation: “Give me your money and we’ll let you do what was previously illegal.” And what is happening at the office of the ATA? Finally someone has made a public statement condemning the size of the rip offs for clerical errors in the wishful thinking book. But they still condone and encourage the implication of EWDs enforcing the very same excess and flaws. There will be no clerical errors in electronic work diaries. Are they totally morally bankrupt or just crazy? And in the next breath they’ll be whinging about the lack of desire for new people to join the industry driving ranks! My required reading for this month: Cruel Crossing – Escaping Hitler Across The Pyrenees by Edward Stourton. It’s a most educational and interesting read.

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for speaking out, of drivers not paid proper rates or super, of a lack of weighing systems to gauge if a truck was being overloaded, of flooded and badly lit loading docks, of blocked fire exits and rotten meat left lying around. When we went to Aldi stating there were problems in its supply chain, instead of sitting down and discussing how to make things safer, they went to court. For an industry with the highest workplace deaths and a disproportionate link to road deaths, this is simply not acceptable.

TWU Michael Kaine

Supply chain dangers Retailers are embracing the importance of safety in our industry, although one remains defiant

T HAS BEEN a long time in the making but after many years of pushing for standards in the retail supply chain we’ve achieved another big win. Coles has signed a charter with the Transport Workers Union (TWU), which will have far reaching implications for the sector with the ultimate aim of making the industry fairer and safer for drivers. The charter will see both sides working to ensure high standards on safety and fairness and will set up a formal consultation process to achieve this. Drivers will be able to help identify safety issues when they arise through the mechanisms set down in the charter. Importantly, the charter covers the entire Coles supply chain – not just the drivers it directly employs. This is a vital step towards ensuring that the top of the transport supply chain takes responsibility for what happens at all levels of operation. For drivers and logistics workers this charter means the bar has been set very high in terms of listening to their concerns and investigating issues. For road users it means a major retailer is putting in place mechanisms to make our roads safer. This is a major achievement for every driver, operator and employer association who has stood with us over the years. It moves us towards righting the wrongs of our industry and is a slap down for those who say that we have to accept our lot and put up with financial pressure from clients through low cost contracts. This is proof that when we stick together our industry can tackle the inherent problems of: financially stressed operators, high numbers of bankruptcies, drivers pushed to work long hours and speed, drivers ripped off their wages and super, deaths and injuries. The ground breaking charter allows for: • Transport and distribution operators to be paid adequately to support fair pay and safe conditions for transport workers • The TWU to communicate any supply chain safety concerns including breaches of safety or workplace laws so that the partners can address the issue • Investigation of industrial and safety systems of transport operators in the Coles supply chain • The promotion of workplace laws with all supply chain participants including freedom of association and lawful right of access • Promoting high workplace and safety standards among transport operators in the Coles supply chain as part of enforceable mechanisms • Enhanced driver education structures • The rollout of health and safety initiatives (including mental health) through the supply chain. The charter will also see Coles and the TWU working together to engage federal and state governments on transport industry safety and support safety research. Both parties will work on the international transport supply chain and labour standards to achieve the highest standards in Australia and globally. The charter importantly will promote safe and fair standards for workers in the gig economy, where the likes of Uber are creating some of the worst exploitation and abuse of workers currently.

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DRIVERS RIDICULED MICHAEL KAINE is the national secretary of the Transport Workers Union of Australia. Contact Michael at: NSW Transport Workers Union, Transport House, 188-390 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. twu@twu.com.au

While the TWU has previously signed a retail supply chain with Woolworths, Aldi continues to deny it has a role to play in keeping our roads safer. Late last year the wealthy retailer lost an appeal in a federal court case after a previous court case went against it to silence truck drivers speaking out about safety in its supply chain. The December judgment was an important victory for drivers and recognised their right to speak out on safety. The evidence we have received from drivers about the Aldi supply chain is shocking. We heard of drivers forced to work fatigued, of drivers being ridiculed and pushed out of their jobs

SAFETY THREATS Safe Work Australia statistics for 2019 showing a jump to 58 transport workers killed, up from 38 in 2018. In the 12 months to March last year, 176 people died in truck crashes, up from 167 deaths for the previous year, according to the Bureau for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. The TWU will continue our push for safety throughout the transport supply chain and to pressure other clients like Aldi to accept the role they have in making our roads safer. We will also continue to push the federal government to put back in place a mechanism to hold the top of the supply chain to account by investigating threats to safety in transport and setting federally binding orders. Make no mistake: we are achieving major victories with our partners and responsible employer groups, changing our industry for the better. It’s time to get on board and help secure the future of our industry. Get in touch today: www.twu.com.au.

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25/01/2021 9:44:53 AM

LIVESTOCK & RURAL John Beer

Raising our standards It has taken loss of lives for the issue of safer ramps and forcing yards to finally get recognition

HOPE EVERYONE had a good Christmas, perhaps even some time off with family and friends. It’s a really busy time of year so most of us have been working harder than ever. It was a nice surprise to get a present in the mail on Christmas Eve, a copy of the new ‘Safe Design of Livestock Ramps and Forcing Yards’ from Standards Australia. Many of you will know I have been on a committee for the last year or more; it’s been a hard slog. It’s only taken 20 years to get the fight to this stage. It’s also taken a very few dedicated people who sometimes get accused of destroying the industry; they stayed the distance to try and make all who work and load livestock safer. As is often sadly the case, it has taken deaths in the workplace to get enough attention to get things fixed. I personally would like to thank the Victorian Coroner for asking the pivotal question – why is there no ramp standard? Thanks to the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria (LRTAV), our national body the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) and the Australian Trucking Association for allowing three of us transporter advocates on this journey with Standards Australia. Farmers were very well represented by former Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock president Leonard Vallance, as well as saleyards, the RSPCA, Animal Angels and all interested parties that wanted to participate. We can actually say in this rare circumstance that all of us were in the room and we’ve got all the perspectives out in the open and managed to deliver something that will help keep people safer. As far as the future, hopefully this bloody virus will go away or get eradicated and we can get the WorkSafe and National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR)-type bodies to get out and about again to see what is really going on in our industry. We need visibility at the start and the destination as the common factor for all heavy vehicle operators is loading and unloading issues, whether that be distribution centres, saleyards, farms, warehouses or silos. It’s the conditions, delays and queues and lack of recognition of the person behind the wheel. The worst part of this virus is these issues haven’t been fixed, but they are more easily hidden from scrutiny.

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The idea of a ramps and yards standard is that all new facilities like saleyards, abattoirs and farmyards will need to be well constructed and safe, not cheap, dangerous imported crap that is allowed to be brought into our country and then allowed to be sold and used without any checks. The hard part is to get it into action. There is always another round of government grant money but often is seems to miss the mark. Farmers are getting amazing returns at this time for livestock, many are investing in multi-deck sheep and cattle ramps, but many are not and don’t see the value of safe equipment. It’s not just about people’s safety. Good infrastructure is undeniably more efficient and much more likely to meet animal welfare obligations. It’s also undeniable that a safe ramp benefits the farmer and animal as much or more than the transporter.

POSITIVE PROGRESS Some good news is the new effluent

JOHN BEER, with four decades as an owneroperator under his belt, is currently Immediate Past President of the LRTAV and ATA representative in the ALRTA. In addition, John is a past president and life member of both associations. He was the first recipient (2015) of the ALRTA McIver Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Livestock and Rural Transport Industry, and in 2016 was a finalist in the ATA Awards for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry. John sat on the ATA Council as the ownerdriver representative from 2017 to 2019.

disposal site at Horsham Livestock Exchange. Another is to be built at Mt Gambier and Warrnambool, with some funding coming from the NHVR, which is great. Mt Gambier is also building two new ramps and installing two more Crate PAL frames to suit road trains. The grapevine tells me there is a stack of new ramps planned for other sites. If the new standard is in any way the reason, then it’s all been worth it. I want to thank the NHVR for listening to many of us talking about off-route permits, so we can get to farms without getting a $678 fine. The farmers can now get the permit for any transporter that goes to their farm as long as they meet the constraints. It’s a much better option than waiting two months for a permit or risking the fine, which was usually the case for many. The other issue at the moment is the state of many truck stops and roadhouses. Many are pretty ordinary or closing early or closing off showers and toilets. With the numbers of stock going north from Victoria to places like Tamworth, it’s ridiculous that drivers cannot rely on big fuel providers to access a meal and a shower after they pay for thousands of dollars for fuel. Seemingly these places are happy to cater for tourists and the takeaway trade. Even with a National Freight Protocol, we need basic human amenities kept open for us or there will be no food or fuel for the tourists or anyone. We need those who make the protocols to ensure they are being met. I don’t know how we fix it but there are a lot of you out there doing the miles, so keep speaking out, sharing the feedback to anyone that will listen.

“It’s ridiculous that drivers cannot rely on big fuel providers to access a meal and a shower.”

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25/01/2021 9:46:48 AM

INFALLIBLE CAMERAS

The legal view Sarah Marinovic

Camera in the wrong Speed cameras are not always accurate but it can be an arduous task to prove it

PEED CAMERAS are one of the most prominent law enforcement tools on our roads. Last financial year they drew in over $100 million in fines in New South Wales alone. Most of the time, the ticket is a fair cop. But occasionally I receive a call from someone who is sure that the camera is wrong. In NSW, it’s very hard to dispute the accuracy of speed cameras. But it’s not impossible. Interestingly, I’ve found that heavy vehicle drivers can be at a unique advantage when it comes to disputing camera accuracy. The monitoring technology in many modern trucks means that drivers often have hard evidence to prove the camera is faulty. I recently represented a driver who found themselves in exactly this position. My client was a professional heavy vehicle driver. They received a speed camera fine alleging that they were almost 20km/h over the speed limit. Shocked, they were sure there had been a mistake. Luckily my client’s vehicle was fitted with GPS tracking and cameras. Their employer pulled the data for the moment of the alleged speeding offence. The video showed the exact moment that they drove past the camera and the GPS showed the

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speed they were travelling at the time. My client was right; they were below the speed limit. Armed with hard evidence we decided to dispute the fine in court. You would think that a case like this would be an easy guaranteed win. But as with many things associated with road transport law, it’s not as straight forward as people expect. The speed camera laws in NSW are extremely tightly written, and not in the favour of drivers. The law contains rules about how speed cameras need to be maintained and what information needs to be on the photos. So long as those requirements are met, the photos are proof of the alleged speed. The law does allow people to challenge the accuracy of the camera, but with a catch. The evidence contradicting the camera needs to be given by an ‘expert’. You can’t just show your video and GPS data to the Magistrate. Instead, you need to find and pay for an expert in speed cameras who can explain exactly why the camera was wrong in your case. This is not an easy or affordable task! Luckily in my client’s case, common sense prevailed. I negotiated with the prosecutors, showing why the camera reading was unreliable. To their credit, once they saw the evidence they acted fairly and the fine was withdrawn.

SARAH MARINOVIC is a principal solicitor at Ainsley Law – a firm dedicated to traffic and heavy vehicle law. She has focused on this expertise for over a decade, having started her career prosecuting for the RMS, and then using that experience as a defence lawyer helping professional drivers and truck owners. For more information email Sarah at sarah@ainsleylaw.com.au or phone 0416 224 601

My client’s situation is a good example of how sometimes the balance the law needs to find between making sure people are held accountable for offences and making sure they can have a fair chance to defend themselves can tip too far in one direction. I think speed cameras are important and I’m all for fair enforcement of the road rules to keep everyone safe. But it’s also important to acknowledge that, as with any technology, the cameras aren’t infallible. In a situation like this, it seems absurd that a person isn’t able to rely just on the hard evidence. So what should you do if you’ve received a speed camera fine that you are sure is wrong? The first thing is to gather your evidence to check it supports your case. The next thing to do is to contact a traffic lawyer. This is one of those situations where it really does help to have a lawyer guiding the process. The laws are extremely complicated and taking your fine to court can sometimes make the situation worse. You want to make sure you’re following the right track before you get started. As always, if you would like help my team at Ainsley Law are always happy to chat.

“The evidence contradicting the camera needs to be given by an ‘expert’.”

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As well as being involved in road transport media for the past 20 years, GREG BUSH has strong links to the music industry. A former Golden Guitar judge for the Country Music Awards of Australia, Greg also had a three-year stint as an ARIA Awards judge in the late 1990s and wrote for and edited several music magazines.

ROAD SOUNDS Greg Bush

The music lives on Fresh sounds, a couple of legends and a few tributes

Country Corner HOME TRUTHS Catherine Britt

Beverley Hillbillies/MGM www.catherinebritt.com

LIVE AT THE CONTINENTAL Chris Wilson

THE MODERN MEDIEVAL Something For Kate

MCCARTNEY III Paul McCartney

Cheersquad/Magnetic South www.cheersquad.com.au

EMI Music www.somethingforkate.com

Universal Music www.paulmccartney.com

Chris Wilson was one of the most respected bluesman in Australia, with a very strong following in Melbourne. To commemorate his passing in January 2018, Cheersquad Records & Tapes has re-released his 1994 album Live At The Continental. Originally containing nine tracks, this remastered 17-track edition is available as a double CD and on vinyl. It’s a sublime pared-back affair with Wilson’s harmonica playing and strong baritone vocals joined by guitarist Shane O’Mara and jazz pianist Jex Saarelaht. There’s a couple of tracks from his solo debut album Landlocked, namely the slow, moving title track and the fiery ‘Alimony Blues’. There’s two distinctly different versions of the old Elvis Presley hit ‘Mystery Train’, with Wilson hitting harmonica overdrive on the second take. The powerful ‘Hymn’ is a fitting finale.

With new releases generally scarce in the early months of the year, it’s an apt time to catchup on albums such as Something For Kate’s The Modern Medieval, which was due out in mid-2020 but delayed due to COVID. Recorded in Bernard Fanning’s Byron Bay studio with producer Nick DiDia (who has worked with Powderfinger, Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen), The Modern Medieval is the band's first album in over eight years. Lead singer Paul Dempsey is at the top of his game on ‘Waste Our Breath’, a mid-paced track about self-confessed imposters, while ‘Situation Room’ wouldn’t be out of place on a Crowded House album. ‘Supercomputer’ continues Something For Kate’s effective but restrained approach, ‘Inside Job’ features guest vocals from Fanning, and ‘Bluebird’ is a countryflavoured guitar-riff driven track.

Released shortly before Christmas 2020, McCartney III is a timely throwback to Paul McCartney’s first solo album in 1970, simply titled McCartney, and 1980’s McCartney II. He played every instrument on both albums, and he’s used the same formula for McCartney III, although COVID-19 forced his hand due to “rockdown”. The album opens with ‘Long Tailed Winter Bird’, a rockin’ mostly instrumental track, followed by rockers ‘Find My Way’ and ‘Lavatory Lil’ where he sings of a dodgy character. There’s thoughtfulness on the mostly piano-backed ‘Women and Wives’, he’s overcome with emotion on the slower ‘Deep Deep Feeling’ and delivers a poetic acoustic album closer on ‘Winter Bird/ When Winter Comes'. McCartney is getting on in years, and his vocals are showing some signs of wear and tear, but he can still deliver the goods.

One of Australia’s most talented artists, Catherine Britt has won multiple awards, lived in Nashville for many years and recorded albums – Home Truths being her eighth release. It’s also her first as an independent artist. Britt wrote or co-wrote every track on Home Truths, and her talent continues to shine on the descriptive ‘I’m A Country Song’, as well as the powerful country rock anthem ‘Me’. Lee Kernaghan makes a guest appearance on ‘Country Fan’, a song about the enduring passion of country music followers. US country artist Jim Lauderdale joins in for ‘Hard To Love’, however ‘New Dawn’ is an impressive departure from Britt’s usual style. Other standout tracks include ‘Fav’Rit’ Song, and the ballad ‘Mother’. Another classy Britt album.

F*** ART The Dirty Nil

GREENFIELDS Barry Gibb

SUCH PRETTY FORKS IN THE MIX Alanis Morissette

Dine Alone Records www.thedirtynil.com

Universal Music www.barrygibb.com

Thirty Tigers www.alanis.com

J.T. Steve Earle & The Dukes

Canadian trio The Dirty Nil are happy to deliver expletives in their lyrics and song titles, and for the first time, on an album title. With their music slotting in somewhere between punk and rock, the power trio have all guns blazing on this third album. Frontman Luke Bentham stretches his vocal chords as he screeches his way through ‘Doom Boy’, a fast-tempo garage rock track with machine gun-like guitar chords, while the equally punchy ‘Elvis 77’ has little to do with the late king of rock ’n roll. The band comes to their senses in the anti-substance abuse track on ‘Done With Drugs’, and are again reaching for the ‘one louder’ switch with ‘Blunt Force Concussion', on which they'll do anything to avoid romance. The Dirty Nil bring out their best riffs while taking a swipe at social media, especially political posts, on ‘One More And The Bill’, and Bentham sounds rightly peeved on ‘To The Guy Who Stole My Bike’.

Subtitled The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook, Vol. 1, this is Barry Gibb’s third solo album, although it’s listed as being performed by “Barry Gibb and Friends”. Recorded in Nashville, Greenfields features new versions of many of the Bee Gees’ hits plus a couple of rarities. There’s a wide mix of special guests taking part – Sheryl Crow sings a duet with Gibb on ‘How Can You Mend A Broken Heart’, and rocker Jay Buchanan tones it down for ‘To Love Somebody’. Buchanan returns for the dance track ‘Jive Talkin’, which also features vocals from country star Miranda Lambert. Folk-rocking singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile trades vocals with Gibb on ‘Run To Me’, and Keith Urban guests on ‘I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You’. Elsewhere, Tommy Emmanuel adds his distinctive guitar touches to the schmaltzy ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ with support vocals from country group Little Big Town. A smooth, easy listening album.

Although Such Pretty Forks In The Mix is being categorised as an EP in some quarters, it runs for almost 40 minutes and is a re-imagined take on her mid-2020 album Such Pretty Forks In The Road. As the title suggests, on this new release there’s remixed versions of selected tracks, including ‘Diagnosis’, with Morissette’s forthright attitude holding sway. ‘Reasons I Drink’ also appeared on the original studio album, and gets the treatment here twice, the second a previously unreleased version taken from an O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire concert in London. The fact that it’s live, together with the remix, has Morissette sounding extra desperate. The seven-minute ‘Reckoning’ is loaded with percussion with minimal vocals, while there’s two versions of ‘Smiling’, the second being another track successfully extracted from that same O2 concert mentioned previously. One of the best remix albums you’re likely to hear.

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New West Records www.steveearle.com

Steve Earle is well known for tribute albums to late musical friends. Unfortunately, J.T. is an album in memory of his son Justin Townes Earle who passed away from an accidental drug overdose in 2020. Ten of the 11 tracks are Justin Townes originals, the other a Steve Earle-penned song, ‘Last Words’, a poignant piece as Earle farewells his son. The originals are fine examples of Justin Townes’ songwriting talents, including the downhome ‘I Don’t Care’, the acoustic ballad ‘Turn Out My Lights’, and ‘The Saint Of Lost Causes’, a grungy prophetic track that was originally recorded on Justin Townes' final album. The tempo is lifted on ‘Harlem River Blues’, a positive track, and there’s a barroom dance vibe on ‘Champagne Corolla’.

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27/01/2021 1:21:55 PM

size and location should be part of a plan where the responsible government agency periodically checks current rest areas against future planning proposals and the projected increase in freight task along the route. This would involve assessing the capacity of the rest area and its capability to meet current and future demands with the investment of capital expenditure to ensure ongoing adequacy.

NatRoad Warren Clark

Rest areas inadequate

MILES APART

Rest areas and their facilities need more focus in infrastructure planning

NSUFFICIENT rest areas continue to be a critical concern for operators in the road freight industry. NatRoad commends the government’s commitment to greater investment in infrastructure as part of the COVID-19 recovery plan, but believes that integral to this investment in road safety works must be the construction of more rest areas with proper facilities. Frankly, too many rest areas are currently not fit for purpose and do not provide heavy vehicle drivers with proper facilities or even the ability to rest. In June 2020, the Australian government announced a $1.5 billion infrastructure stimulus package inclusive of $500 million for targeted road safety works to be delivered by states and territories and completed within 12 months. This funding forms part of the 10-year infrastructure pipeline and complements the government’s

commitment of $1.5 billion for local road and community infrastructure projects to be delivered by local governments. In NatRoad’s recent submission to the review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, we emphasised that the basic issue of the provision of proper rest areas had been given insufficient priority as a vital component of fatigue management. This important topic is integral to proper fatigue management and is open to quantification by government. We are calling for the compilation of rest areas by state or territory and what distance from the prior rest area they occur and how and when their construction is integrated with infrastructure spending. They should all be graded in accordance with the 2019 Austroads’ Guidelines for the Provision of Heavy Vehicle Rest Areas Facilities and a plan put in place by responsible government authorities for upgrading amenities and facilities. Rest area

WARREN CLARK, NatRoad’s chief executive officer, has more than 20 years’ experience leading and developing business for emerging companies. Warren has held the position of CEO at various companies and is a certified chartered accountant.

TWO NEW LOCATIONS NOW OPEN

The safety of drivers and the provision of rest areas are clearly linked. Research in this area is clear. An important US study shows that more frequently placed rest areas has a major, positive impact on fatigue-related accidents. That study found that commercial vehicle driver at-fault crashes involving sleepiness or fatigue were more likely to occur on roadways where the nearest rest areas/truck stops were located 20 miles (just over 32 kilometres) or more from the commercial vehicle crash site. The study showed a surge in the occurrence of roadway crashes once the distance between rest locations exceeds 20 miles, highlighting the need to consider the 20-mile distance as a hard upper limit for mapping rest locations for heavy vehicle drivers. That seems a very tall order given the current state of knowledge about locations of rest areas and reinforces that this distance, 32 kilometres for rest area placement, should be a goal which all participants in the road transport industry and government agencies should have, especially along major freight routes. Now is the time for all governments to embed consideration of heavy vehicle rest areas in all road planning as a priority to support road safety.

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North Brisbane 07 3268 4188 Rocklea 07 3275 3348 Sunshine Coast 07 5445 1705 Toowoomba 07 4634 1749 Townsville 07 4774 4236 Emerald 07 4987 6040 Logan 07 3445 5712

Tel: 1300 655 050 www.bigwheels.net.au

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Tel: 1300 655 050

www.bigwheels.net.au

AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR

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truck of the month

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27/01/2021 1:07:41 PM

THIS TRUCK’S FOR TOM The late Tom Norton is immortalised in the form of a top-of-the-line 2020 Mercedes-Benz Actros, the standout truck of the TNS Logistics fleet. Warren Aitken catches up with the Norton family

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“I’m pretty sure it was the first Louisville to roll off the ark.” Above: The 1989 Louisville got the ball rolling for Tom and Sharon Norton Below: The big Mercedes-Benz Benz Actros holds its own against the sharp Western Stars in the TNS fleet Opposite page: Matt, Sharon and Jack Norton stand proudly in front of the company’s flagship Benz

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‘T

his One’s For You’. If you look closely you’ll see that’s the name printed on the side of the TNS Logistics MercedesBenz, a shout out to the late Tom Norton, one half of the team that founded the business. Sadly I never had the privilege of knowing or working for Tom, but after spending time with his lovely family in the process of writing this story, I know I would have been honoured to have worked for the man. I get the impression he was a straight-up ‘no BS’ kind of guy that had earned the position and respect he attained. I went looking for a story on one of the coolest Mercedes-Benz trucks I’d seen and came away with a family tale of strength and perseverance. I also got to shoot some really cool trucks as well. So strap in and join me. Our story starts in one of the best-looking container yards in Brisbane, the home of the stunning silver and burgundy fleet of TNS Logistics. My main focus was to be the company’s flagship Benz, however I also managed a memory card full of the company’s other trucks while I waited. I had to be quick though, seriously quick. The yard was busier than a Vietnam roundabout during a scooter sale. There were Kenworths, Western Stars, Mercedes-Benz trucks and even an old Ford buzzing around like a live action, high-speed giant game of Tetris. Dropping off containers, picking up containers, repositioning containers – it was poetry in motion. Poetry with really pretty trucks. All of this was just the entrée for me though as I patiently awaited the arrival of the company’s flagship. The big 2020 Mercedes-Benz Actros sporting 580hp (433kW), a shiny bullbar and just enough

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“It was a European look Tom actually liked.” knowledge of the market, they scrapped together some coin and purchased a 1989 Ford Louisville and went out on their own. Sharon stayed in her previous job while Tom took his Louisville and a single customer and dug in. However, it wasn’t the first time the couple had ventured into the owner-driver market. Originally from New South Wales, Tom worked for a couple of his uncles straight out of school. He had one uncle he would spend his week working for who focussed on bulk products and another uncle who he’d work for on weekends carting livestock.

Work ethic

Above, L to R: Regular driver Shane Keith is the lucky man that gets to pilot the big Benz around – and he loves the comfort; Before TNS Logistics came into existence, Tom bought this International S-line, working out of the NSW town of Cootamundra Below: It’s not all containers at the TNS Yard, Tautliners and flattops get just as much use Opposite: The newest Kenworth in the fleet is one of the Aussie built T610s. This one can be seen with a swing lift in tow; The dedication says it all

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extras to turn the head of even the most anti-European trucker. When it pulled into the yard it not only surprised me with its imposing presence, it also surprised me with a curtainsider in tow. I honestly thought TNS Logistics was purely a container company. I had a lot to learn. As soon as the battery warning light on my Nikon indicated I’d been taking enough photos I headed upstairs to learn a bit more about TNS and its big Benz. TNS Logistics began back in 2006 when Tom Norton and his wife Sharon decided to cash in all their saving and go out on their own. Before we get to into it, let me clarify. TNS is an acronym for Tom ’n Sharon. Sharon does confess it also did the rounds as the ‘Tom Norton Show’ or even the ‘Tom Norton Sandpit’. Back on track, in 2006, both Tom and Sharon were working for other companies dealing with containers and container movements. After plenty of discussion, backed up by a sound

It was during these years that Tom met Sharon in a classic love story situation. Boy meets girl, girl spends countless hours in the confines of an old Louisville discussing all of the world’s problems, boy falls in love with girl and surprisingly girl tolerates the old Louis and falls for boy as well. I’m not joking either. “I’m pretty sure it was the first Louisville to roll off the ark,” Sharon jokingly informs me. “It’s where Tom and I gelled into mates,” she adds, recalling those early years. Back in those days you can just imagine Tom would have been doing some pretty big hours carting gypsum for his uncle, so Tom and Sharon had plenty of time together. “His work ethic was something I truly admired,” Sharon recalls. Tom was a very determined young man. It’s no surprise then that eventually Tom went into partnership with one of his uncles, buying three Scanias together and getting hard into bulk distribution. Within a few years, Tom had done exactly what Beyoncé recommends and ‘put a ring on it’. Married to Sharon and with their first kid running around, Tom broke away from the partnership,

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going back to a driving role for a short time before deciding to go out on his own and buy his very first solo truck. It was a trusty International S-line. With a young wife and new daughter it was a big step. They’d recently moved to Cootamundra and the S-line would go to work towing Scott’s trailers, but it was still a big gamble. Well, I consider it a big gamble, but Sharon explains the mentality that’s driven a lot of Tom and Sharon’s success. “Tom was a ‘I can do it’ guy, he was never a ‘I’ll give it a go’ kind of person. He was an ‘I’ll make it happen, I can do it’ guy,” she tells me with complete admiration. It wasn’t an easy time though; Tom was on the road a lot with big runs and big hours away from his family. Sharon was at home raising two kids now, in a tiny little town, away from family. Tom was definitely making a success of his first attempt at owner-driving, but it was hurting. The decision was made to return to the southern NSW town of Cooma where they had family and they would sell the International and Tom would go back on the pay sheets driving for someone else. By 1992, the Norton family had rung all the fun they could out of Cooma and another adventure was needed – a move up into the Sunshine State for a new challenge.

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“We came up here with a truck full of furniture, two kids, no jobs. We had $4,500 in our account, no debt and just started from scratch,” Sharon tells me.

Chipping away If this was a Hollywood movie we’d go straight into how they arrived and everything just fell into place, great jobs fantastic opportunities … all that ideal crap. It’s not Hollywood though and things weren’t the greatest. Tom struggled to find a job and Sharon went out to work, leaving Tom as a stay-at-home dad. I’m sure Tom’s ‘I can do it’ approach favoured him a little, though Sharon still laughs as she recalls an incident with cooked cucumber. No Tom, zucchini and cucumber are not the same thing. Eventually his enviable work ethic landed him at a chipping company of all places. No fear, an ‘I can do it’ attitude meant he soon succeeded there as well. Eventually though word got around and Tom was rightfully employed for his driving skills again. There was a bit of time spent doing changeovers for Scott’s before he got approached to try doing some container work off the Port of Brisbane. It was a great experience and Tom spent several years with his side loader honing his skills. It gave him the chance to experience all aspects of the container movement arena. There were a couple of different names on his payslips over the years, but Tom’s skills were getting noticed and the opportunity soon arose to move out from behind the steering wheel and in front of a computer screen. Never a man to shy away, Tom accepted the office position and started looking after a fleet of about 15 trucks. By the time Tom and Sharon decided to venture out on their own, Tom had a fleet over 100 strong at his fingertips. He may have had to use the company’s computer system, but Tom was one of those guys who could just as easily, and preferably for him, run things without a computer screen. His ability to recall and organise the fleet in his head is enough to shame the fastest sudoku expert. While time was increasing his knowledge base, Sharon had also moved upwards. With Tom’s cooking skills a major scare, Sharon was still a fulltime mum to three kids and had found herself in an office role as well. At one stage, Sharon was working under Tom (get your minds out of the gutter) before taking a job

for another container service where she too also learnt valuable lessons about the ins and outs of containers and wharf work.

Chalk and cheese It is here that we’ll re-join the beginning of the story. The year 2006 had rolled around and Tom was out of the office chair and into the seat of a 17-year-old secondhand Louisville. I’m pretty sure the office chair would have been more comfortable, but Tom and Sharon took the plunge anyway. They lined up one client, who was also a friend, and began carting his containers. The original workload took a sudden spike and TNS went very rapidly from a one-truck to a one-truck and seven-subbie outfit. As the situation allowed, the couple found themselves purchasing their own trucks to limit the number of subbies they needed. Truck number two for the company was their first brand new truck – a 2006 Kenworth SAR. Comparing that to an old Louisville, well it’s like chalk and cheese. Not just regular cheese but the cheese you forgot you’d bought, and left it in the trunk of your car in Queensland while you did a 10-day run. Like chalk and really bad cheese. From that point onwards it was just positive growth for TNS Logistics. The first couple of years the company was solely occupied with the movement of containers. Then they picked up another contract delivering project work throughout Australia. Container services also became a part of the business, not just delivering

FEBRUARY 2021 39

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The couple’s two boys, Jack and Matthew, entered the business. Jack has been involved in the company for many years now and has worked his way up to the role of transport manager. Matthew on the other hand went out on his own before joining TNS specialising in business development. It was the influence of his sons that steered Tom into a European representation in TNS colours. The boys tried him on a few options, Tom eventually succumbing to pressure when Mercedes-Benz released its new Actros range. It was a European look Tom actually liked. The company started with several of the smaller Actros models on their container work in and around Brisbane. They offered brilliant manoeuvrability and reliability as well as great fuel and maintenance costs. It was these factors that got TNS thinking when the time came to replace their main linehaul truck.

Tragedy strikes

Top: The TNS yard has its own cranes making the loading and unloading extremely efficient Below: One of the Norton’s original Mercedes-Benz trucks arrives in the TNS yard to drop off a container Opposite: Another tip of the hat to the late Tom Norton

40 FEBRUARY 2021

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direct to the customers but actually unloading the containers and delivering product directly to customers. As the company evolved the need for new trucks increased. The SAR was joined by a T408, then a K104 Aerodyne. Then came a change in direction to Western Stars. Here Sharon admits to me: “I think the only reason he went to Western Stars is because I favoured the look of them.” You know how the old saying goes guys, ‘If she’s not happy, you’re not happy and if she’s not happy long enough, you’re not happy with half your stuff’. So you can’t blame Tom for shifting to the Western Star badge. It also helped that the Western Stars were perfectly suited for the style of work TNS was doing. There has still been a few Kenworths added to the equipment list, but the majority of the fleet were carrying the ‘W’ emblem out front. The company now sits at 15 trucks, with around 30 different trailer options available. A-doubles, flat tops, side loaders, curtainsiders, B-doubles – they have them all. As mentioned before, the fleet is predominantly Western Star but in recent years there has been the introduction of more European rigs. This has not been an easy choice, especially as Tom was always a Kenworth and Western Star man, but he was also very much a family man. I say this because TNS is very much a family business.

With their project work, TNS always had one truck on linehaul, going anywhere and everywhere around Australia. Originally it was the company’s K108, and until the big Benz rolled around they were running a Kenworth K200. When it was due for replacement the choice was made to get the Mercedes-Benz top-of-the-line super spacious Actros. Unfortunately, around the same time these decisions were being made, tragedy struck the Norton family and the trucking industry in general. Tom Norton suffered a heart attack and passed away. In typical Tom fashion he was hard at work when it happened, cleaning out trailers. It was a Friday afternoon and in a display of steadfast resilience that would even have Tom tipping his hat, come Monday morning, Sharon, her boys and the entire TNS family were fronting up and hard at work to keep TNS functioning.

ownerdriver.com.au

27/01/2021 1:15:03 PM

“Sharon, Jack and Matthew decided they would dedicate the new Actros to Tom.” It must have been an extremely difficult time, yet after learning about Tom’s work ethic I can imagine him up there smirking ‘Damn right you’d better get back to work!’ With the events that had unfolded, Sharon, Jack and Matthew decided they would dedicate the new Actros to Tom. The name is a fair indication of that. Jack is quick to commend the team at Daimler Trucks in Brisbane who he says were excellent to deal with and went above and beyond, throwing in plenty of custom items to make the rig stand out even more. The big Benz is fully equipped to do any job required of it. When it’s not hauling the big loads around the country, TNS can throw a skel trailer on and it becomes a useful local rig. As I mentioned at the beginning, my original idea was to focus on the big 580 Mercedes, find out what the driver thinks of it and how it’s performing. I did that and found the driver had plenty of expletives to describe how impressed he was with the truck. Let’s just say ‘very impressed’ is a PG-rated understatement. The comfort, the room, the vision, the safety feature, all brought out rave reviews from Shane Keith, the regular man behind the wheel. So all that had been my original objective. As per normal though, my attention gets easily distracted and I found my real story was to focus on the successful company that is TNS Logistics. It was built on the backs of hard work and an ‘I can do it’ approach. Together, Tom and Sharon formed a formidable team with an unbeatable approach to life and business. That work ethic and thirst for perfection was instilled in their kids and when tragedy struck last year, the effect of those traits on the whole TNS family was evident in the way they all pitched in to keep the company not just afloat, but damn right flourishing. So full credit to all those at TNS Logistics. I’m glad I got the chance to celebrate a stunning Mercedes-Benz and a successful family business. This one’s for you.

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events news

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

A stream of announcements about the new products that will be on display at this year’s highly anticipated Brisbane Truck Show will be coming over the course of the next few weeks

ITH VISITS to showrooms and customers off the cards for significant parts of the last year, the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show presents the best opportunity to come together and reconnect with customers, peers and the entire industry. It also allows for these new products, models or innovations to be seen up close. That applies across the full range of trucks, trailers, components, technology, equipment, accessories and even merchandise. On the opening morning of the show, highly anticipated new models will be unveiled to an eager audience. Before the doors open the halls are busy with sales teams putting a final polish on every item and counter. It is a beautiful thing to see the lights come on, screens light up and the doors open. But first is the media tour. Each of the truck manufacturers has five minutes for each of their brands; the aim is to get the pack of industry journalists excited about the latest innovations. Each manufacturer has a different pitch based on its new model: is it packed with safety technology, will it be more productive than existing models, or will we see the spotlight on sustainability in 2021? Executives from each of the brands are on hand to pull the silks off and tell their stories. Their enthusiasm is infectious. It is hard not to imagine your own livery painted across cab doors and trailer curtains. This year will be a little bit different because the crowd will not be packed so tightly as we ensure a COVID-safe event. But we promise you will be able to get up close to the new models and innovations. We are lucky enough to be attending the Southern Hemisphere’s largest automotive event, in one of the world’s best convention centres. That means your experience has been carefully planned to ensure your safety and well-being are the highest of priorities.

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The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Brisbane City Council, the Queensland government, and the truck show’s organisers – Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia – are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations to ensure a COVID-Safe event. Likewise, the exhibitors are putting the same degree of care into the planning of their exhibits and following detailed guidelines that have been developed to give everyone confidence that the rebirth of major Australian business events is delivered successfully by every measure. Tickets are on sale now. It is hard to imagine better value for a full day’s entertainment and yet this year the show delivers. Not only is the Brisbane Truck Show accompanied by the South Bank Truck Festival with a huge display of trucks and trailers on display in the parklands, and all the free entertainment in the

area; this year your ticket will also get you into the new Civil Construction Field Days – the new heavy equipment and machinery show awash with everything you could ask for in excavators, graders, rollers and the like. All of that on one ticket! Then, add to that the chance to win the Ultimate VIP Experience Package just by registering your ticket. The BTS21 major promotion partner, Morris Finance, has put together a package of amazing experiences including a box at the AFL, V8 supercar hot laps, four Bathurst 1000 corporate suite tickets, and your own racing simulator. Add to that a large screen TV, SP Tools voucher, bar fridge, BBQ, Walkinshaw Sports golf buggy, a fire pit, dart board and more. It’s a hell of a prize and you will be in the running when you purchase and register your ticket to the show.

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The publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any losses incurred by a buyer responding to an advertisement in this magazine. Buyers are solely responsible for their own negotiations and transactions with advertisers. Bauer Trader Media advises buyers beware of negotiating by email only; of paying deposits to private advertisers for goods unseen; of transferring money (for example via Western Union) interstate or overseas. Buyers should contact Bauer Trader Media customer service on 1300 362 272 if they suspect an advertisement may be fraudulent. In the event that a buyer suffers financial loss as a result of responding to a private advertisement in this publication Bauer Media Ltd (The Publisher) shall not be held liable or responsible.

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OWD_337_048_NEWS.indd 48

Museum of Fire CEO Mark White passed away in May 2020. Photo by Greg Bush

THE 2021 Penrith Working Truck Show will be a virtual event following a decision by the Museum of Fire’s board of directors due to ongoing restrictions. Penrith’s Museum of Fire, the venue for the annual show, was also forced to cancel the 2020 event as well as the Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show. The pandemic has also had an impact on the museum’s ability to remain regularly open to the public during the past 10 months. The board had hoped to honour the memory of the museum’s late CEO, Mark White AFSM OAM, at the 2021 Penrith Working Truck Show. White passed away on May 19, 2020, after being at the forefront of the museum’s heritage works, leading the museum in all endeavours for well over 30 years. While serving as museum CEO and co-organiser of both the Penrith Working Truck Show and Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show, White remained an active firefighter and was committed to preserving the history of the brigade and serving the community. For his dedicated service to the community, he received the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) and the Order of Australia medal. White was also the longest service firefighter at St Mary’s Fire Station. New Museum of Fire CEO, Belinda McMartin, says the board had been holding off making a decision on whether the 2021 Penrith Working Truck Show (PWTS) would go ahead. It was scheduled to run on March 28. “Recent events have shown that things can change suddenly,” McMartin says. “The Museum lost approximately $30,000 in un-refundable expenditure from the last-minute cancellation of the 2020 show, which is why I’m sure you can understand our current

hesitation in proceeding with the 2021 show. “As such, the Museum’s board of directors have decided to hold a virtual PWTS 2021. Yes, things will be different but if the situation in NSW changes it will mean we can have a special PWTS Memorial Day in March 2021 when the winning trucks of each category will be invited to the Museum. “More information on this day will be circulated at a later date,” McMartin says. The board says it will attempt to assist the museum in recovering costs by utilising the items produced for the 2020 show. Therefore, the upcoming 2021 show is still being branded as the 33rd Penrith Working Truck Show.

“Recent events have shown that things can change suddenly.” Entries for the digital event opened on January 15. Entry price has been dropped to $20 per category, or $50 for three categories. Entries closed on February 8. Voting for the virtual show entries commences on February 22, closing on March 1. For further information and entry forms, see the website at www. museumoffire.net/penrith-workingtruck-show or the Facebook page. This Penrith Working Truck Show is owned and fully managed by the Museum of Fire, a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation.

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Volvo welcomes ScoMo to Wacol

Prime Minister eyes off new Mack and Volvo range at VGA headquarters VOLVO GROUP AUSTRALIA (VGA) president and CEO Martin Merrick welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison and a host of other politicians to VGA’s Wacol manufacturing facility in Queensland on January 22, with the emphasis on “made in Australia”. Joining the Prime Minister on the tour was assistant minister for road freight and safety, Scott Buchholz; minister for science, technology and industry, Karen Andrews; councillor Sarah Hutton; and Volvo Group Australia president and CEO, Martin Merrick. Against a backdrop of the new Volvo and Mack range, addressing the assembled crowd of VIP customers, factory staff and media, Merrick used the occasion to reiterate the importance of road transport, local manufacturing and the role that VGA plays in keeping Australia moving. “Clearly as you can see here, manufacturing in Australia is alive and well. We employ over 1,400 people locally with more to come and we are so proud to have made significant investments to build these new trucks here in Australia at this facility. “Because of this investment we are able to employ more than 1,400 people and are able to support 90 local suppliers. We spend more than 400 million dollars in the local supply chain every year. And our intention is to increase that local investment in the future. “Aside from the challenges that the world has faced in recent times, one thing that has been reinforced here in Australia has been the importance of both road transport and truckies. “Supply chains don’t just feed industry, they feed society,” Merrick says. Prime Minister Morrison also used the occasion to reiterate his support for local manufacturing and resilient supply chains. “We make things in Australia, and we make them well,” Morrison says of his tour of the plant. “At the Volvo and Mack factory in Wacol, southwest of Brisbane, they’ve been proudly making trucks for Australia and beyond for almost 50 years. “Our new tax incentive for new investment has meant a surge of new orders, which will be keeping these workers at this plant very busy this year. “Each and every truck that rolls off the assembly line proudly wears the Australian made logo and because of their continued investment they employ more than

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The Prime Minister gets a close-up view of a new Euro 6 Volvo

1,400 people and support 90 local manufacturing suppliers, some of whom I met today. “Our modern manufacturing strategy is all about supporting business to continue to invest in making things in Australia and ensuring there’s a big future for

manufacturing in this country.” At the conclusion of the press conference, the Prime Minister also took the opportunity to depart at the wheel of the Volvo FL Electric, which will be undergoing trials with Linfox in coming months.

“Manufacturing in Australia is alive and well.”

ATA director and executive director of Ron Crouch Transport, Geoff Crouch, said his father had an overall desire to give back. “Something Mum and Dad instilled in the company from day one was a passion to give back to society. Not just to the road transport industry but the wider community too,” Geoff Crouch says. “It all started from the huge risk they took commencing operations in 1978, with one truck carting hay and stock. That passion to give back was part of the company’s original DNA and continues now to the second and third generation involved with the company today.

Above: Ron Crouch OA. Photo courtesy of The Daily Advertiser

Crouch awarded AO medal on Australia Day The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has congratulated founder of Ron Crouch Transport, Ron Crouch, who has been honoured in the Australia Day 2021 Honours List. Recognised for his service to community and the road transport industry, Crouch has been awarded a medal of the Order of Australia. Crouch has a long history in the transport industry, establishing Ron Crouch Transport with his wife Beverly in 1978 – a business that has grown from a single client organisation to one that caters for more than 1,700 companies today and is recognised nation-wide. Recognised for his professionalism and passion, Crouch was a proactive member of industry associations and groups with a vision for improving industry safety. In the 1980s he played an integral role in forming the National Transport Federation, which later evolved into NatRoad.

“The entire company and our family are extremely proud of the work that Dad has done, and this honour is due recognition of the huge amount of volunteer work he has put in over many decades,” he adds. Having contributed greatly to the road transport industry, in his retirement Ron Crouch has been renowned for his strong community spirit, having been involved in many volunteer groups in his hometown of Wagga Wagga.

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NUMBERS YOU CAN TRUST ARE YOU MAXIMISING YOUR AUDIENCE REACH?

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sponsored content

LACK OF RESPECT SHOWN TO INDUSTRY VETERANS Wage theft and exploitation rife among older drivers, writes Matt Whitnall, director, Truck Moves Australia

• Drivers being paid as little as $10 per hour, with no overtime or weekend/public holiday rates • Drivers being pushed so hard they don’t fill in logbooks till half way to the destination, like Melbourne to Toowoomba, then getting huge fines and not being allowed to drive in certain states. I’m sitting on actual evidence of this exploitation and outright theft because these drivers didn’t know where else to turn. Many of them can’t get work in general freight transportation anymore, so they have turned to the truck moving industry to continue to contribute and earn a living. Some older drivers feel vulnerable and unable to get better pay and conditions, so they just keep quiet and put up with

ne of the best things about being in the truck moving business is having a crew of long term, reliable, older and experienced drivers as part of the team at Truck Moves Australia. These blokes have been around the industry a long time, or maybe they have retired and decided they still had plenty to offer; keeping their heavy vehicle licence and just loving to drive. And they are bloody good at it. As an employer, you can’t beat having this amount of experience on your team. Guys who know the ropes, and the roads, and come from the old school of service where the customer is always right. With a solid work ethic and trustworthiness, I know my drivers can get the job done without any fuss. And I’m happy to pay them what they are worth – they deserve it. Unfortunately, not all employers think this way. One of the worst things about wage theft in the truck moving industry is how it affects older drivers. I’m disgusted at some of the stories I’m hearing about certain unscrupulous business owners and how they are treating older drivers: • 12+ drivers owed over $1 million between them in unpaid overtime, travel expenses, allowances and superannuation. They all worked for one dodgy operator and when they complained, their work dried up • Drivers being paid $350 to take a truck from Melbourne to Brisbane, when the award rate is closer to $1,000

And of course, all operators should be providing a safe work environment and ensuring drivers are not being pushed to meet unrealistic deadlines with unsafe driving practices. I’m continuing to take a stand about this because it’s the right thing to do for these drivers, and the industry in general. Not to mention protecting customers who contract dodgy operators and are exposed to prosecution and potential massive fines under Chain of Responsibility laws. At Truck Moves Australia, we’re encouraging any drivers who think they are being ripped off to get in touch with us. We’re helping compile evidence of their poor treatment at the hands of horrible bosses. The

“THE ROAD TRANSPORT & DISTRIBUTION AWARD CAME INTO EFFECT THREE YEARS AGO” being exploited for fear of losing their jobs. Drivers need to know that the Road Transport & Distribution Award came into effect three years ago, and no matter what some bosses might say, it applies to the work they are doing right now. All drivers who move trucks should be getting: • Award pay rates under the RTD Award • Overtime pay after 7.6 hours • Travel home and waiting time – every hour • Weekend and public holiday loading.

next step is to escalate complaints to the TWU and Fair Work Australia. While these bodies are inundated with a lot of work, we will keep pressing the case of these good, honest (often older) truck drivers to make sure they are getting a fair deal. That’s all any of them are asking for, and they have every right to get it. These older blokes have given a lot to the industry, and they still have a lot to offer. I say we should treat them with the respect they deserve and pay them fairly.

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trucking heritage

BUNT TAKES A PUNT Already a Mack fan, Brian Bunt was on the lookout for a restoration project, eventually locating an ex-Tasmanian Super-Liner log truck that was on its last legs. The intensive rebuild took three years, as Warren Aitken discovers 52 FEBRUARY 2021

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’m willing to go to some pretty extravagant lengths when it comes to chasing down a story. I’ll set an early alarm and sacrifice much-needed beauty sleep. I’ll do a full day on the road and then still pack up my camera gear and go shooting. I’ve even missed some of the Bathurst 1000 in order to catch a photoshoot. I do however draw the line at taking my camera gear out in the rain. I’m far too protective of it for that. My Nikons are like my children, if I had or even liked children. I protect them from elements, I try to protect them from falls and injuries, and I most assuredly keep them safe from Canon shooters. It’s what a good parent does. I always assumed this would be a steadfast rule as well: if it’s raining, I’m staying inside and my Nikons are not getting wet. There is nothing I would risk my babies for, or so I thought. On a recent trip into NSW, however, it turns out there is one thing that I would not only jeopardise

my carefully styled hair for but also place my beloved Nikons in the middle of Mother Nature’s moody path – an immaculately restored 1986 Mack Super-Liner. When I say immaculate, I mean seriously immaculate. This Super-Liner was too much to pass up. Let me introduce you to ‘Never Late in a V8’ and the team behind it. Big bonneted Super-Liners are a crowd favourite, no matter where they go. Their significantly staunch look, their intimating size and their spine-tingling air start are just a few of the traits that have made them an Aussie icon. Throughout the years there has been some immaculate restorations done in various different guises. The award-winning restoration job by Brian Bunt definitely has to rank up there with the best. From a well-worked logging truck in Tasmania, Brian has restored the 1986 model back to almost better than original condition. Not bad for a man who’s trucking legacy began with

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a second-hand Louisville nearly 40 years ago. Brian and his wife Dawn are the head of the table at B&D Bunt Earthmoving in Coffs Harbour. With a fleet of 16 working trucks, a couple of loaders, a few excavators and some water carts, the family run business is a mainstay of the small city on the New South Wales north coast. Along with a team of faithful staff you will also find Brian and Dawn’s three kids – Lindsay, Lincoln and Lynette – heavily involved in the company.

Leyland to Louis Dawn and the kids were there from day one back in 1984 when Brian took the risk to start his own company. Brian originally worked the old Golden Fleece fuel service in Coffs before Caltex bought it out. After the sale, Brian worked different jobs before starting the earthmoving company. A previous experience in a tipper had lit the flame of fandom for the tippers and in early 1984 he found himself pondering the idea of buying his very own.

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“Many, many years ago I drove an old Leyland and loved it,” Brian recalls. “It always stuck in my mind that I’d like to have a tip truck one day.” Keep in mind that when this idea started festering in Brian’s mind he had neither an abundance of connections in the field nor any guaranteed work lined up. He did however have a supportive wife and a dogged determination to make it work. So, when he finally got sick of jumping around on odd jobs, he took the leap into an old second hand Louisville and backed himself. Brian’s exact words were: “I took a gamble. I must tell ya I had a couple of sleepless nights.” His timing couldn’t have been better though; his Louisville hit the road at the same time work was opened up on the Coffs Harbour Council and Brian got in on it straight away. The second-hand Louis had a hard-working history before it even got to Brian. Fitted with the legendary little 210hp (157kW) Cat motor, the truck had toiled hard

and would continue to do so as Brian’s business began. “Those little motors made a lot of guys a lot of money back then,” he attests. Brian was one of those guys. In fact, the truck and work flourished and within two years he traded the old Louisville in on a brand new one. It arrived just in time to see the area go through a nationwide recession and a dreadful rainy season meaning he couldn’t have chosen a worse time to back himself again. True to the Bunt’s Aussie spirit, they dug in and rode out that hard formative year. It’s worth noting here that Brian singles out his wife Dawn and the work she did during this time that truly kept the business afloat. “I often read articles that say it’s the woman behind them that keeps them going. It’s true,” he says. Dawn’s office skills and business acumen ensured the company kept turning the wheels.

Demonstrator model B&D Bunt Earthmoving came out of those early years

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“I took a gamble. I must tell ya I had a couple of sleepless nights.”

Opposite: Brian and his son Lindsay stand proudly beside their 1986 Mack Superliner Below: The beautifully painted gold Metro-Liner still earns its keep. It sits alongside Australia’s first and Bunt’s first Metro-Liner

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stronger than ever. Life as a single truck fleet didn’t last long, with the Louisville being joined by the company’s very first Mack at the start of the ’90s. While the majority of the photos are focused on the stunning Super-Liner, it’s also worth noting the importance of that first Mack in the fleet. For it was also the first Mack Metro-Liner in Australia. Brian purchased the 1990 model in 1991 after it had been used as a demonstrator for Mack Trucks Australia. Just a funny little side note here that entails the origins of the company colours. The first second-hand Louisville was painted in white with mustardy yellow lines. When Brian ordered the new Louis he asked for it to be the same. He had a call from the salesman saying “come down and have a look, it’s a bit different”. Turned out it was a lot more yellow, a lot less mustard. It wasn’t a bad call though. Brian’s work and his work ethic was very safety conscious and the yellow colouring on the new truck ensured the B&D Bunt Earthmoving trucks stood out on all their jobsites. His first Mack led to another, then another and another. Another Metro liner (those that remember the Bel-Air paint stand in the 1991 Brisbane Truck Show will recognise the Gold Metro-liner), a couple of CHs, even an old Valueliner joined the company. All the Macks are still in the fleet and all of them are working just as hard as the day they hit the road. There’s no killing the old working dogs. As I mentioned, the fleet now encompasses 16 trucks from a wide variety of manufacturers. While Brian is still very much hands on, with his family becoming more involved, it actually freed Brian up a little and he started to contemplate the idea of restoring an old truck. “Around 2010 I started thinking about restoring a show truck,” Brian says, though he admits at the time his heart was set on an

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old B-model, confessing that he always fancied the B-models. Who doesn’t really? In the end though, he decided to go with a Super-Liner. “There weren’t that many being done at that stage,” he tells me. “They were also a lot easier to get parts for back then, I mean the cab’s the same through all those Macks.”

Leaks and dogboxes In 2013, while flicking through Deals on Wheels magazine, the Bunts found an ad for the ex-KJ & SM Williams’ logger from Tasmania, now located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Brian and Dawn packed up the car and went to have a look. First reaction? “Mate, it shouldn’t have been on the road,” Brian tells me. “She was a mess.” It turns out the bloke he bought it off had driven it down in Tassie for Williams. He’d then bought it and thrown a flattop behind it and brought all his gear back up into Queensland, intent on giving the truck a second working life. In order to extend its work flexibility he decided to

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throw a sleeper on it as well. Not a Mack sleeper though, nope, he cut a hole in the rear wall and threw an old dogbox off a Louisville on the back of the Mack. He then proceeded to work the truck like a demon. It carted coal around Newcastle, pipes up to Cairns, anything and everything he could. The truck was the epitome of a workhorse. When Brian bought it and chose to drive it home he learnt that Louisville sleepers on Mack trucks are not a snug fit. Copping a fair bit of rain on his homeward journey there was that much leaking inside the dogbox Brian would have been a string quartet short of a Titanic re-enactment. We can laugh now but I’m sure at the time Brian would have been crying, which wouldn’t have helped the water levels inside the Mack at the time. One positive was the fact the old owner still had the piece he had cut out of the back cab. With the help of an extremely talented panel beater from Coffs this was the first thing changed on the old Mack. Technically it was the second, heaving the old Louisville sleeper into the skip was number one.

Mechanically the Mack’s legendary 500hp (373kW) engine was in mint condition. Brian replaced the turbo but that was about it. The whole engine and running gear was given a thorough going over by Brian’s in-house mechanic Gyro who, according to Brian and his son, has played a vital role in the successful resurrection of the Mack. Right from the start Brian was adamant the truck would be restored to its original condition. He didn’t

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“The cab’s the same through all those Macks.” want to spec it up or add extras to it. He wanted it original. He did want it in his colours though, white with yellow lines. The truck had come out of the factory white, and the blue was done by Williams down in Tasmania.

The resurrection

Top right: Chromed axle caps were an option in its day, so Brian chose to do the same when he rebuilt the Super-Liner; Custom-made brackets allow for cab movement without damaging the stacks

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In the B&D Bunt workshop the truck was stripped back before sending it up to the team at Grafton Truck & Trailer for a huge overhaul and respray. Brian pointed out to the guys he wanted a good job done as he wanted this to be a show truck. He stressed to them though it wasn’t a priority job. “Look, I’ll just put it there, work on it when you’ve got nothing else to do. I’m in no big hurry for the truck,” he told the boys. Apparently he popped in a few weeks later and to his surprise all he found were two chassis rails and an engine. “Christ, what have you done to my truck?” was Brian’s response. Seems even the Grafton boys were excited to be rebuilding her. The whole thing had been torn down and all the problems uncovered. The number one issue was that the chassis rails were badly rust pitted. Not a big deal for the Grafton Truck & Trailer team. The system they used to putty, rub back, putty, rub back over and over again left the rails stronger than they were when they rolled off the production line. Another weird issue they found was the dented roof. It seems someone liked dancing on the roof. Once again though, the Grafton team not only fixed it but strengthened it. The truck spent seven months in Grafton and came back a very changed skeleton of a Super-Liner. After those major jobs were completed, it returned to Brian and the rest of the team who undertook all the fiddly jobs. New dash, new door trims and new rear wall (without a hole) were just a part of the pieces added to rejuvenate the cab. Brian gives credit to the guys from PJs Custom Spray Painting and Mechanical in Brisbane with helping acquire much-needed original parts. The original tanks were far too battered and bruised, so replacement tanks were sourced. Unlike the original tanks though these ones got stainless wrapped, a luxury not available back in 1984. Similar to the tank dilemma, the bullbar was a bit worse

for wear. Instead of trying to repair it he approached Tony Tester from BigRigBullbars in Toowoomba who was able to replicate the original bullbar with a better than original shine. The local chrome dipping company in Coffs also had a hand in the restoration project, with Brian sending anything shiny off to get chrome dipped. Sure it wasn’t originally chromed but it does make keeping her clean and shiny a lot easier. The guards are about the only unoriginal items on the project. As a logger, the shiny guards would not have lasted long and as a show truck the rubber guards just lacked the same appeal. Yes, the truck had spent seven months in at Grafton Truck & Trailer but the majority of the work, and in particular the fiddly work, was done by the B&D Bunt team themselves. Brian’s son Lindsay was respectfully proud when he explained the frustrating times they spent fitting the air cleaner brackets alone. “We spent hours just trying to line them all up evenly,” Lindsay says. He also explains the creative processes they had to come up with when it just wasn’t possible to get original parts. For example, trying to find brackets to attach the stacks to the cab was a no-go, so it meant building their own clamps for the job. Or trying to source an original Mack loading light – another no-go! But you can get creative and use one from another manufacturer without any noticeable difference. The Mack headlights were another drama, until they found the right Mack parts guy in Brisbane. It seems everything’s possible if you know where to look. All in all, the rebirth of the big Mack Superliner took a total of three years for the team. It was a very long and thorough process. The truck was changed from a backyard sleeper cab back into an original day cab. Its worn-out parts were repaired and rejuvenated, its faded looks spruced up and now better than new. The overall end result is one of the best-looking Super-Liner restorations around. I’m sure we can all agree with that, and I’m sure we can all agree it was definitely worth the risk of a few dozen raindrops on my precious Nikons. All we need now is for our truck shows to fire up again and you can all keep an eye out for Brian and his brilliant Bulldog.

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exclusive interview

KENWORTH MASTER In a year like no other in living memory, Paccar Australia achieved far more in 2020 than simply endure a crisis decimating lives and livelihoods across the country. Way beyond expectations or even hopes, Australia’s top truck maker quietly stamped its mastery on the heavy-duty market and in the process showed what it truly takes to excel in tough times. In this rare and revealing interview, Paccar Australia chief Andrew Hadjikakou talks candidly with Steve Brooks

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CLASS I

T’S MID-WEEK in early December and Victorians are tentatively emerging from 112 days of severe lockdown – unquestionably the strictest and most gruelling restrictions in the country, by a long shot. Yet, walking through Tullamarine airport for the first time in a year, and in cafes and hotels and shops, there’s a subtle but nonetheless sanguine sense of reprieve as the state nervously retreats from a depressingly difficult and, as many believe and begrudge, largely avoidable second wave of COVID-19 infections. A wave that took more than 800 Victorian lives. Still, it comes as no real surprise that at Paccar Australia headquarters in Bayswater on Melbourne’s south-eastern rim, COVID protocols remain robust and uncompromising. Security has always been tight at ‘Kenworth castle’ but never like this. For employees and visitors alike, temperature checks are first order of the day, social distancing is disciplined, masks are mandatory and within the executive sanctum of head office, it’s quickly apparent that despite half hidden faces, some office staff are only now seeing each other for the first time in months. In most cases, many months as lockdown forced the ‘work from home’ ethos to become something of a new norm for white collar workers. What does come as a surprise though, the whole place is abuzz. In fact, if it weren’t for the masks and all the signs about keeping the bug at bay, you’d swear it was just any ordinary day on the job during a peak period. Sparkling new trucks are everywhere, fresh off the production line, a maze of models, colours and configurations. There’s movement all around as trollies and forklifts ferry components into the beating heart of the Bayswater plant as yet another creation rumbles off the line, looking for a temporary parking space before heading to work in the hard and fast tempo of Australian road transport. It’s just as obvious, however, that far more than health and social protocols have changed since the last time I was here almost two years ago. Behind the main production facility, for instance, there’s a vast new building set to add a new dimension to Paccar’s production capability as the company prepares to soon celebrate 50 years of Australian truck manufacturing. It’s all part of what Paccar Australia managing director Andrew Hadjikakou had several years earlier announced as a $37 million expansion of the Bayswater plant, approved by Paccar principals in the US, yet, as he proudly pointed out, funded entirely by the Australian operation.

The announcement came at the handover of the first DAF model assembled on the Bayswater line and the likeable leader known to many as simply ‘Hadge’, was boldly upbeat about Paccar’s plans. The plant expansion, he enthused, is a massive make-over that will double the physical footprint of the Bayswater facility and see the installation of advanced robotics to not only enhance production efficiencies, but significantly bolster warehousing capacity to meet expected increases in demand for both DAF and Kenworth models. That demand, however, is already happening. Big time, across the board, but most spectacularly on the Kenworth front. Despite the ravages of COVID-19 on the economic and social fabric of the country, Paccar Australia generally and Kenworth specifically appear to have kicked goals from every angle in the back half of 2020. Goals, perhaps, beyond anyone’s expectation or comprehension, including the Paccar faithful. Even so, it’s a subdued and typically mild-mannered Hadjikakou who contends that 2020 has been “… a challenge for everyone, like nothing any of us have experienced before and hopefully, like nothing any of us will have to experience again”. After a few seconds, he calmly adds: “Despite everything, we are incredibly grateful and fortunate to have the people and products we do.” If there’s a hint of hubris in the comment, it is certainly well masked, so to speak.

One-on-One Several weeks out from the end of the most tumultuous year in living memory, it was blatantly apparent Kenworth would finish 2020 on an astonishing high. Indeed, December’s delivery figures would soon show just how astonishing, sling-shotting the premier

“Our parent company was extremely wise to mandate that all Paccar factories worldwide would shut down for a month in March.”

Left: New truck sales have been enhanced by the federal government’s instant asset writeoff initiative. For Kenworth, highly specified aspirational models have become even more affordable

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NUMBERS TELL THE STORY At the close of 2019, Kenworth’s grip on heavy-duty market leadership was looking extremely tenuous and with Volvo in hot pursuit, many pundits predicted it wouldn’t be long before the two swapped places on the leadership ladder. For the record, Kenworth finished 2019 with 18.5 per cent of the market on the delivery of 2,350 trucks. Volvo had drawn increasingly closer through the year, finishing with 17.6 per cent and 2,239 units. Momentum certainly appeared to be with Volvo and in a decidedly depressed, COVID-constrained start to the year, the halfway point in 2020 saw the Swedish maker grab the front with 18.8 per cent and Kenworth back on 16.6 per cent. Then something happened. Either the wheels fell off Volvo’s charge or Kenworth demand went into hyper-drive, or maybe a bit of both. Whatever, Kenworth finished a most unusual 2020 with a powerful surge, delivering 2,114 trucks for a market-leading 19.9 per cent, well ahead of Volvo with 16.4 per cent on the delivery of 1,740 trucks. The final months of the year saw particularly remarkable results for Kenworth, especially December. In the final month of 2020, the brand captured an incredible 28.5 per cent of the national heavy-duty truck market whereas Volvo was soundly smashed with a lacklustre 11.5 per cent. Strange days indeed! Meantime, Volvo’s conventional colleague Mack didn’t fare too well either, finishing the heavy-duty year in sixth spot overall with a modest 6.6 per cent. No doubt, there are high hopes the upcoming Anthem plus a number of long-awaited developments in Super-Liner and Trident models will give the dog more bite in 2021. Yet, it wasn’t just Kenworth notching healthy figures as 2020 finally drew to a close. The other half of the Paccar pair also enjoyed a bountiful bounce in December as DAF notched a respectable 5.9 per cent of the heavy-duty class, pushing its end-of-year score to 4.5 per cent and in the process, hauling past the Japanese trio of Fuso, Hino and UD as well as Iveco and Freightliner. Who knows what 2021 will bring? Whatever, it’s sure to be anything but boring.

brand to an indomitable lead of the heavy-duty sector and in the process, reinforcing its increasingly historic hold on the big end of the business. Perhaps more than anything else though, the 2020 performance carved in concrete the critical extent and peerless depth of Paccar’s commitment to Australian truck manufacturing and vitally, the inestimable value of its local supply chains. Typically of course, the company doesn’t talk publicly about things like the daily build rate of trucks out of Bayswater but monthly delivery figures make it easy enough to discern that at the end of 2020, there were around double the number of Kenworths rolling out of the plant each day than at the same time in 2019. So, if speculation is correct that there were eight or nine units a day rolling off the line a year ago, it’s not hard to calculate that somewhere between 15 and 20 trucks were filing out of the factory each working day at the close of 2020. Like I said, the place was abuzz. Again despite the confronting circumstances of COVID-19, it is a remarkable achievement given that the back-end of 2019 saw an aggressive Volvo closing in on Kenworth’s reign at the top of the heavy-duty sector and mid-way through 2020, actually knocking KW off the leadership perch for first half honours. From the outside looking in, at the end of June 2020 and with Victoria reeling under brutal lockdown as a severe second wave of COVID-19 took hold, it seemed Kenworth’s footing on the top rung of the ladder was at severe risk of slipping into second spot for at least the remainder of the year. Since then, however, the turnaround has been incredible. While production at Volvo’s Wacol (Qld) plant slid markedly in the second half, Kenworth build rates started a steady rise. Significantly, Volvo Group Australia (VGA) dispensed with around 130 people in the second half of 2020 whereas Paccar in November announced an intention to hire substantially more people. It was an announcement completely at odds with signs at the end of 2019 that Bayswater’s employee numbers were being cut. In the quiet confines of his office though, Hadjikakou did not dwell on numbers or comparisons with competitors, but nor was he shy about confidently asserting that Paccar Australia’s employee numbers will soon enough increase by around 300 people. “We’ve already added a lot of new staff,” he emphasised before quickly adding, “and there are

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more to come. We’ve certainly not retrenched anyone.” Even more emphatic were his insights on the harsh realities enforced by the COVID crisis and more to the point, an immense regard for the people and policies that have not just helped guide the company through a brutally difficult time, but carve a remarkably bountiful passage on the way through. Asked his thoughts when it became starkly apparent that COVID would have such a dramatic impact on Australian life and business during the initial national shutdown, a candid Hadjikakou conceded: “Early in the year when we all started hearing the news here and abroad, it was very hard to be optimistic given so much uncertainty in the world. “That said, I was always confident we would weather it [but] the great uncertainty for us was what would the lockdown actually mean and what it meant for our employees and our communities. That was very hard to get a grip on and we were learning day-by-day, even hour-by-hour.” There were, he continued, also long conversations

“2021 is a milestone year for Paccar and there will be plenty to cheer about.”

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and directions coming from the US parent company, Paccar Inc. “As it turned out, our parent company was extremely wise to mandate that all Paccar factories worldwide would shut down for a month in March. That was a God-send because it gave us a firebreak, a period where we could assess what needed to be done to make our plant COVID-safe, protect our employees and basically re-engineer the line with social distancing, screens and barriers. It was a lot of detail and a lot of new ideas were brought into play but all of it was absolutely essential. “We moved very fast with face masks, making them mandatory even before they were mandatory in the general population. That was a really good move.” Asked if he saw opportunities as well as obstacles during this period, a thoughtful Hadjikakou replied: “Yes, there were opportunities but perhaps not in the way some people might think. “The opportunity for us was to make sure we were safe and that we met our obligations to our customers. These were the real opportunities with COVID because it meant completely rethinking the way we thought and acted in our business. “Out of that have come a lot of good things. Like, I believe the ‘work from home’ scenario is here to stay in different ways in the future, and the way we have been able to relook at our processes, the way we clean and the way we keep ourselves hygienic. “I have people in the factory who regularly tell me they feel safer here at Bayswater than they do at their local supermarket. Given what we’ve all been through, that’s really special.” Similarly, there’s a notable mix of pride and relief in this voice when he adds: “We didn’t lay off a single staff [member] during the whole period [and] we continued to pay all our staff during that shutdown period in March. They were paid as if they were still working.” Nonetheless, such actions obviously come with a significant cost and it’s a blunt Hadjikakou who admits to a considerable economic ‘hit’ during the month-long downtime.

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“We weren’t building trucks, we weren’t delivering trucks and obviously, we weren’t invoicing trucks, but we wanted to make sure our employees didn’t have the anxiety of ‘do I have a job, don’t I have a job, or am I going to get paid?’ “In the factory there are close to 400 full-time people on a couple of shifts and all that had to be put on ice until we knew what needed to be done. It was pretty unsettling,” he remarked. Suppliers, too, were high in Hadjikakou’s mind. “I was confident though [that] our suppliers would be okay. Our supply chain was intact and that’s one point where I feel particularly proud of being Australian-made, with so much of our supply base not coming from overseas but being sourced locally. In many parts, our suppliers are within a 10km radius of the factory. “That is a big benefit to us. Huge. We didn’t have to rely on the long lead times of overseas supply chains. I knew we would be shielded from much of that because so much of our business really is Australian-made.” By April, COVID constraints and information channels from government and health authorities were becoming clearer. Thus, Paccar’s month-long closure came to an end and with road transport increasingly deemed an essential industry, Bayswater starting building trucks again. But any sense of relief was short-lived. “The factory went back to work but then came the big one. The second shutdown which hit only Victoria,” he says sharply. Things were very different this time.

Above: Paccar launched DAF’s Euro 6 range just weeks before COVID-19 sent most businesses backwards Opposite below: Andrew Hadjikakou announces to employees and visitors in early 2018 that DAF is being assembled on the Bayswater line. There are big plans for DAF as Paccar now approaches 50 years of Australian truck manufacturing

Close call “We were very close to being completely shut down in that second lockdown,” said a frowning Hadjikakou, easily recalling the stressful events of June. “We weren’t a candidate for JobKeeper either, so we lobbied to be considered an essential business. We lobbied very hard at local, state and federal levels and we called on a lot of people to help us, too.

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“We got through it but none of us want to go through it again.”

Above: Despite COVID-19 constraints, new trucks roll out of the Bayswater factory in increasing numbers. Early planning is paying off, big time Opposite: Legend 900! Don’t be surprised if a Legend SAR version soon follows suit

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“We were very determined, the plant needed to stay open to support essential businesses and they (government authorities) listened. They could see the connection between us, our workforce, and the need for trucks to keep the country and the economy moving. “But shut down was a very real threat and it ran right up until the last minute, the last tick of the clock when the Victorian government finally announced those industries which could stay open and heavy vehicle manufacturing was one of them. “The fact that we got through as an essential service is one of the best highlights of my professional life even though the burden during that time was immense on our entire leadership team. We kept telling ourselves ‘we can’t afford to shut down, we need to support our employees and we also need to support our industry’. “It certainly wasn’t an easy time but,” he adds with a wry smile, “all’s well that ends well. We got through it but none of us want to go through it again.” From then on, Paccar marched forward, fully in step with a burgeoning road transport industry. As a forthright Hadjikakou explained: “With transport being designated an essential service during COVID, and therefore the supply chain also designated essential, that really drove the volume in our factory.” So all up, you’ve done well in a difficult time and perhaps far better than you may have first thought? The question extracted an immediate response: “Yes, that’s very true,” he fired back, citing Paccar’s products, people and policies as foundation strengths before willingly pouring praise on federal government initiatives to keep the economy moving, not least with the instant asset writeoff program. “We can thank the federal government a lot,” he asserts. “It has done some remarkably good things to protect Australia and we are the best country in the world in terms of the way we have responded to coronavirus. “What the government has done to stimulate the economy with the instant asset write-off and depreciation schedules have definitely benefited capital purchases such as trucks, giving truck owners immense economic benefits. “That certainly helped our industry [and] a lot of the capital intensive industries like mining and agriculture. “We can be proud of the [federal] government’s response and I think they have done an excellent job,” he insists. Accordingly, the instant asset write-off has made a new truck an

attractive proposition and as an upbeat Hadjikakou conceded with a shrewd grin, even higher priced aspirational models have become more affordable. “I spend a lot of time talking to fleets and truck owners generally, and throughout this whole period there’s definitely been an undercurrent of sentiment towards Australian-made. That sentiment is always there but it’s certainly evident now. “Our strength is that we are able to supply and build to requirements but the instant asset write-off has definitely made it easier for an operator to buy a new truck. “It really is once-in-a-lifetime stuff and the fact that it will be available until June 2022 bodes well for all of us in the industry,” he said convincingly. It is, however, a reflective and genuinely considerate Hadjikakou who quickly counters even the slightest suggestion of COVID being a good news story for Paccar Australia. “I don’t think COVID is a good news story on any level,” he said bluntly. “What it has done is create demand for trucks and we have been fortunate enough to be in that supply chain and able to react quickly to demand, but when I think of the toll that COVID’s taken globally in communities and in people’s lives, it’s not good. Not good at all. “We would all rather it never happened.”

Future focus For all the tumult and challenges of 2020 though, the launch of a revamped DAF range early in the year and more recently, the new Kenworth T410 SAR went ahead largely as planned. Likewise, it was a reassuring Hadjikakou who declared that further plans for this year are also proceeding to schedule. “Yes, everything is progressing to plan,” he said confidently. “We’ve had to address how we do things to keep everyone safe, but 2021 is a milestone year for Paccar and there will be plenty to cheer about, particularly after all the bad news around manufacturing in Australia over the last five and six years. “In March we will celebrate 50 years of manufacturing Kenworth at Bayswater and with the new factory expansion we’ll also be ramping up assembly of DAFs.” A few months later there’s the Brisbane Truck Show and COVIDpermitting, Paccar has big plans to showcase a number of new developments, not least the new T410 SAR. There are also rumours of a special edition ‘Legend SAR’ making an appearance for a shortterm model release. According to a non-committal Hadjikakou: “I can only say that previous ‘Legend’ initiatives have been very successful so I can’t see why an SAR wouldn’t be just as popular.” While Kenworth is king in the Paccar world, with new developments continuing to evolve in both cab-over and conventional classes, Hadjikakou confirmed that DAF figures

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especially high on Paccar Australia’s radar. Higher than ever before. Right now the 6x4 DAF CF85 model is the only unit assembled at Bayswater, delivering around 40 per cent of all DAF sales in Australia. It is, however, an assertive Hadjikakou who said that while DAF is currently assembled from imported kits, “the end goal is to build them out from parts drawn into the production line, in the same way we have been so successful with Kenworth”. As he further stated, the new factory expansion will be a major generator of DAF’s greater prospects. A question which caused a few moments of quiet deliberation was whether or not a Cummins X15 engine is being considered for DAF’s flagship XF model, currently limited to 530hp (395kW) from the Paccar MX-13 engine. Hedging his bets somewhat, he replied: “We are looking at all different opportunities [but] to fill that gap with a high displacement engine makes sense. “We need to weigh up the whole product portfolio,

where it sits globally. It won’t be a local project [and] we will be relying on our global product planning to deliver something like this.” Even so, he cites Cummins as an exceptional supplier to Paccar. “[It] has been for decades but in that high horsepower region, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens with DAF.” Either way, the Bayswater facility certainly has the engineering capability to fit a Cummins X15 into the XF. Perhaps the deciding factor will be a new DAF cab rumoured to be under development in Europe, and whether or not Paccar’s DAF decision-makers will facilitate the inclusion of a bigger bore engine. Maybe even a lightweight big bore engine from a Cummins plant in China. Who knows! “Yeah, who knows,” he said with a shrug and a wry smile. Time was now short and despite the demands and difficulties of the past 12 months, it was a smiling Hadjikakou who expressed his deep satisfaction after 15 years with Paccar Australia, the last six as only the

fourth managing director in the past 40 years or so. Of those four, all but one have been Australian. Asked if Paccar Australia will emerge stronger from the COVID crisis, he said calmly: “I think so. The principles that make Paccar a strong, viable organisation have not changed. “We went through the GFC and the ’91 ‘recession we had to have’, and the same principles that saw us through those times are still very much intact today. If anything, they’re even stronger. “We don’t have any debt in our business, that’s a big one for us. We fund all of our investments through cash, we have a really strong focus on employee wellbeing, we manage our supply chain well, and if you look at our dealers there are 10 families who have been with us for the 50-year journey and longer, so there’s real consistency there. “There’s also real strength that underpins the organisation through good times and bad times, so nothing has changed in that regard at all. “We still hold those values. I believe we always will.”

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truck technology

Above: Analogue gauges are a feature of the Anthem’s dash Opposite below: The new Mack anthem is locally built at Volvo’s Wacol facility

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Powered by the 13-litre Euro 5 MP8 engine, the ratings spread is 435–535hp (324–399kW) ranging and 1,655–1,920ft-lb (2,243–2,603Nm) of torque. Aerodynamic gains have been aided by closing gaps between panels and minimising seams, Volvo Group Australia (VGA) says. “Even the tow hooks in the three-piece bumper have been covered to assist with air flow,” it adds. A single point bonnet latch aims to make daily checks safer and easier reducing the effort needed to tilt the bonnet. All exterior lighting is now LEDs, said to boost headlight output by 66 per cent over previous incandescent bulbs. The Mack Anthem will be available as a sleeper or day cab and will be available in 6x4 and 8x4 rigid guise or as a 6x4 prime mover. A 36-inch (91cm) integrated stand up sleeper cab is now an option for Anthem, Trident and SuperLiner models. For drivers, this means 1.8 metres of headroom in the cockpit and 2.1 metres of headroom in the sleeper compartment. The extra overhead space allows for additional storage in the driver’s compartment. USTRALIA’S NEW, locally engineered Mack Anthem range has now been placed firmly the spotlight, with design elements to the fore. Being built at parent company Volvo Group Australia’s Wacol plant, the range aims to provide flexibility in heavy-duty roles, “from vocational rigid roles to B-double highway hauler”.

Driver comfort Further back, overhead storage cupboards sit above the standard inner-spring mattress features. LED courtesy lighting, 12-volt power outlets as well as USB charging ports are included and there is also the option of a slide out under-bunk fridge. Exterior locker boxes can also be accessed

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ANTHEM STANDS TALL

A stand-up sleeper cab, redesigned interior and new transmission options are among the Mack Anthem’s features

from the inside of the truck by lifting the bed. A new interior design brings large, easy to read analogue gauges to bear along with tough, wellplaced laser etched rocker switches. The mDrive transmission controls remain on the dash panel, though a steering columnmounted multi-function stalk controls the Powerleash engine brake. An integrated Bendix Wingman Fusion active safety system is standard equipment in the new Mack Anthem, providing adaptive cruise control, blind spot alerts, autonomous braking and roll stability. A 5-inch (12.7cm) colour digital Co-Pilot display is designed to support navigating various digital menus and functions while on the move. “The integration of the Bendix safety system now means that much of the system’s functionality can be accessed via the Co-Pilot display,” VGA says. The mDrive automated manual transmission get some extra-low gearing with the arrival of the mDrive HD and mDrive XHD transmissions. “By providing options of deep reduction gearing, these transmissions offer safer heavy hauling at high gross weights with excellent start ability/gradeability, eliminating the need for auxiliary transmissions,” VGA points out. The 13-speed mDrive HD offers a single reduction gear that not only helps for heavy lift offs, it also allows fuel conscious highway operators to specify taller final drive ratios to maximise fuel efficiency. The 14-speed mDrive XHD offers heavy haulage operators

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safe and flexible handling of big loads with peace of mind. “These new mDrive transmissions also bring new features such as a Rock Free mode to allow the driver to rock the truck back and forwards easily if needing to gain traction off-road. “A Power Launch function for off-road low-traction starts as well as Heavy-Duty and Maxi-Duty transmission modes for high GCM operation.” Both transmissions are available behind both the 13-litre MP8 and 16-litre MP10 engines.

Fuel savings New electrical architecture across the range not only provides a smarter truck it’s also more connected. Optional Predictive Cruise Control allows the truck to record topographic data to optimise engine and

“The addition of the HD and XHD automated manual transmission only adds to that heavy haulage pedigree.” Above: The mDrive automated manual transmission boasts deep reduction gears Left: Long-term Mack drivers will be pleased with the optional 36-inch (91cm) integrated stand up sleeper cab Opposite: The Anthem is also available as an 8x4 rigid

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transmission performance and, consequently, save fuel. “I’m very excited to see these new trucks emerge from our Wacol factory,” Mack Trucks vice president Gary Bone says. “The Anthem takes our brand in a bold new direction and our new stand-up sleeper cab gives long haul operators a fantastic new environment to both work and rest in. “The Mack brand has built up an enviable reputation over the last century for building tough uncompromising trucks that get the job done in some of the most inhospitable environments on the planet. “The addition of the HD and XHD automated manual transmission only adds to that heavy haulage pedigree.” Orders for the new range commenced in February.

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tech briefs

VGA unveils its first electric truck VOLVO TRUCKS AUSTRALIA has finally let the covers slip from a first for the brand in this country – the Volvo FL Electric. As foreshadowed by Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox in Owner//Driver magazine some 18 months ago, his company is running the rule over the vehicle. Fox said back then that two electrically-driven 12 tonne Volvo trucks would join the company for local delivery trials. This first electric truck unit will be fitted with an eight-pallet body and tailgate lift and is destined for trials and evaluation with Linfox, undertaking metropolitan deliveries within its beverage logistics business, BevChain. “It is very clear that both our customers, and our customer’s customers, are demanding a cleaner and quieter urban transport environment,” Volvo Trucks Australia (VTA) vice president Tony O’Connell says. “Momentum is building globally to create safe and clean cities and the arrival of this truck in Australia marks the first step on that journey for Volvo Trucks Australia. “The electrification of our urban supply chain not only affects the local air quality of our cities. “It also has the potential to make our urban areas more liveable. “Imagine a cityscape of clear horizons, devoid of the rumble and hum of the tradition internal combustion engine, and that’s got to be something worth striving for.” Fox sees the introduction of electric vehicles opening “an exciting chapter for both Linfox and Volvo!”

“This will play a crucial role in Linfox’s business as they work towards a cleaner and more sustainable transport industry,” Fox says. “Our investment in sustainable vehicles will significantly help reduce our emissions in the foreseeable future. “Adopting a greener fleet is an ongoing part of our commitment to act sustainably, as we strive for zero net environmental emissions and play our part to mitigate climate change. “As our nations’ freight demand grows, it is vital we meet that need safely, efficiently and with reduced environmental impact. “Acting sustainably is just common sense. It is imperative to my family and our business that we preserve and protect our environment for the next generation.” The 4x2 Volvo FL Electric is powered by 600 Volt, 200 kWh battery packs which power a 200kW/425Nm motor. Power drives its wheels via a two-speed I-Shift automated transmission. In late 2020, Volvo Trucks along with other European truck manufacturers announced its intention for all Volvo Trucks to be fossil fuel-free by 2040. “The road map to a fossil free future for Volvo Trucks also includes the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology for long haul applications to complement the more urban centric electric drivelines and the gradual phasing out of the traditional diesel engine,” O’Connell says. “This is a very exciting time to be a part of Volvo Trucks Australia. The Volvo FL Electric is expected to begin trials with Linfox/BevChain in April.

IVECO VOTED MOST SUSTAINABLE TRUCK

THE LNG-POWERED Iveco S-Way NP 460 has been voted the Sustainable Truck of the Year 2021, parent group FPT Industrial reports. The Sustainable Truck of the Year award, now in its fifth edition, was created by Italian specialised magazine Vado e Torno. The winners are selected by a jury panel of professional journalists based on the Sustainability Index introduced by Vado e Torno. FPT says the winning Iveco is equipped with the latest generation of FPT Industrial´s Cursor 13 natural gas (NG) engine, which it claims is the most powerful, 100 per cent natural gas engine for commercial vehicles on the market. According to FPT, the six-cylinder engine ensures the Iveco S-Way NP 460 reaches a maximum power of 338kW/460hp at 1,900rpm and torque of 2,000Nm at 1,100rpm and diesellike performance. Furthermore, FPT says the engine design not only provides reliability and a longer product lifecycle, but it’s also the only natural gas engine with 1,600km autonomy and the new reference in consumption with 4.12km per kg of gas. FPT Industrial actively promotes NG as the most viable and low-cost sustainable solution. The organisation says it has sold more than 55,000 engines in this segment worldwide. The brand´s NG engines are reported to significantly reduce CO2 emissions whether with the compressed or the liquefied form of natural gas. They can also run on biomethane, which is claimed to bring emissions down to almost zero. The Cursor 13 NG engine uses stoichiometric combustion and multipoint sequential injection, which FPT says ensures best-in-class fuel consumption and lower noise than diesel. It can run on 100 per cent CNG, LNG or biomethane and claims to deliver fuel cost savings over diesel of up to 30 to 35 per cent. Pictured: The natural gas-powered Cursor 13 engine

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OWD_337_068-69_TechBriefs_GB.indd 68

ownerdriver.com.au

27/01/2021 12:11:10 PM

Hino chalks up a Dakar dozen HINO HAS claimed another under 10-litre victory in the annual Dakar Rally off-road endurance event. Team Sugawara continued its Dakar Rally success, clinching its 12th consecutive victory in the aforementioned class at the 2021 event, held in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to 15. For the second consecutive year the Hino 500 Series was piloted by driver and team director Teruhito Sugawara, and navigated by Hirokazu Somemiya and Yuji Mochizuki, and finished 12th overall. The 2021 Dakar Rally was the 30th consecutive race for Hino since it became the first Japanese manufacturer to enter Dakar Rally in 1991. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team only entered one Hino 500 Series in this year’s rally, and the support team was scaled back

considerably, with only minimal testing able to take place. Powering the Hino Dakar Rally truck is an enhanced version of the Hino A09C six-cylinder engine, the production version of which is available in the 500 Series Wide Cab trucks in Australia. The truck also features fulltime 4WD and an 8,866 litre direct injection turbocharged and intercooled engine, which is matched to a six-speed manual transmission. Starting in Jeddah, the 2021 rally raced more than 8,009 kilometres, of which 4,767 were Special Stages (SS). In the 403km SS3 based out of Wadi Ad-Dawasir in the southern part of Saudi Arabia, Hino Team Sugawara suffered a rollover on a dune just before the 137km point. All three crew members were unharmed and able to continue

racing after another team helped them set the truck back upright. The truck ultimately finished the stage at 26th place overall, and dropped back to 18th overall.

Over the ensuing stages, the team delivered consistent results to climb up the overall standings to finish in 12th while also clinching victory in the under 10-litre class.

Navman’s truck-focused dash cam satnav NAVMAN HAS announced the launch of MiCam Truck, a 7-inch (17.8cm) dash cam that incorporates large vehicle navigation. However, Navman is promoting the MiCam Truck as much more than a dash cam. Features include a trip

planner for B-double, HAZMAT and truck routing, with truck specific warnings such as low gear and ‘no engine brake’. In addition, large vehicle assist warns of narrow laneways and low overpasses, as well as steep inclines.

Navman says its design team consulted with truck drivers, including feedback about previous products, for more than 12 months prior to manufacture. With the recording of road accidents becoming an essential norm nowadays, the dash cam element is capable of recording in full HD 1080p with Starvis low light sensor, the GPStagged video displaying speed and location and a three-axis G-sensor recording direction of impact. “The MiCam Truck has been designed to give truck drivers maximum flexibility in how they use the device,” Navman says. “They can jump in the vehicle – without any route planned – and still get speed, red light and safety camera alerts against their exact location, as well as warnings about upcoming school zones or if there are changes in the road ahead.” Drivers are advised to download

the MiVUE Pro app to their phone for planning the route. The info is then sent to MiCam Truck. Making and taking phone calls is via Bluetooth, as well as the ability to have incoming messages read aloud, a feature Navman says is normally only seen on high end luxury vehicles. According to Navman, other MiCam Truck attributes include live traffic information while on the move, trip summaries with ETAs, traffic delays, surrounding incidents and alternate routes. A big attraction is the ability to update maps and safety camera alerts at no cost. Navman says the updates can be downloaded via Wi-Fi instead of waiting to plug into a home computer. The MiCam truck can also be converted to regular car or SUV mode for drivers taking a rare day off in their own vehicle.

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Ph: 0427 502 881

FEBRUARY 2021 69

27/01/2021 12:11:28 PM

FOR THE OWNER-DRIVER Frank Black

Dangerously unhealthy A university study has revealed the poor state of truck driver health – both mental and physical

RUCK DRIVERS are unhealthy. That might come across as rude, but it’s not too shocking. Unfortunately, Monash University has put it in writing – we work in Australia’s most common job for men, the deadliest job in the country, and now it’s proven that we’re unhealthier than most Australians too. When I first heard about the results of the driving health study, I patted my stomach and nodded in agreement. It’s unusual to find a truck driver in good shape. But this is no laughing matter. We are suffering from more health problems than the average male, and in 30 per cent of cases, drivers were even found to have three or more diagnosed medical conditions – a statistic four times greater than the national average. The study did a deep dive into truck driver health through a survey, interviews and access to truck drivers’ Medicare information. Monash University worked on the study for over two years and found that truck drivers are suffering from a range of health problems at alarming rates. Almost a third of truck drivers in the study were declared to be in ‘fair to poor general health’. That’s almost double the national average. It’s sad that although the study produced horrifying statistics, none of it is surprising. But that doesn’t make it any less concerning. It should be a wake-up call for the federal government. The study found that drivers were considered to be ‘bottom of the food chain’, and I couldn’t put it better myself. The poor health shown in this study is all a consequence of the federal government leaving us behind. Whether it’s bad roads, poor quality food at truck stops, or allowing trucking supply chains to be squeezed in the name of profits for already wealthy manufacturers, oil companies and retailers, the government’s failings are all contributing to: • our obesity (54 per cent of drivers) • our long hours (37 per cent work over 60 hours a week) • our life-threatening crashes (71 per cent reported a near-miss on average every week). The study found that barriers to health included difficulties in accessing healthy food, a lack of exercise, long working hours, pressure to meet deadlines and financial stress. Pretty

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much all the issues we’ve raised for at least as long as I’ve been in the business – more than 30 years.

FATIGUE KILLS

Fatigue is possibly the most critical burden of driving a truck. All of those barriers to health identified in the study contribute to fatigue: poor diet, no exercise, increasing pressure to work long hours so we can meet our deadlines and earn enough to pay the bills. As we know all too well, fatigue kills. In trucking, you never know if tragedy is waiting ’round the next bend. We’ve all lost friends. We’re often the first on the scene of a fatal crash. What we don’t talk about enough, is the impact this all has on mental health. Half of the study’s participants reported psychological distress. In under 35s, severe psychological distress was almost double the national average. The study found that drivers were more likely to report severe

FRANK BLACK has been a long distance owner-driver for more than 30 years. He is the current ownerdriver representative on the ATA Council.

psychological distress and be in poor general health if they worked longer hours. The three most common health conditions were back problems, high blood pressure and mental health problems. Tragically, many of us have lost friends to suicide. There is a culture in trucking that often prevents us from speaking about these issues. Perhaps because we spend so much time alone in the cab of the truck. We have similar experiences of isolation, relationship breakdowns, financial burdens, but too often these shared worries are the elephant in the room. It’s important that we find strength in our networks and hold each other up. What is crucial is for the root causes of the problems to be tackled. That means looking at the industry as a whole, at where the pressures are coming from. It means regulation to protect our rates, to ease the pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines and to help us manage our own fatigue. The federal government must take these findings seriously and listen to the evidence, listen to drivers, and stop pandering to the associations that only represent companies’ interests. It’s in the best interests of all Australians that we tackle this properly. The study concluded that drivers’ ability to work safely was affected by poor health. The long hours, the financial strain, the obesity, the chronic back pain; these are not isolated problems. They pile up on top of each other until one day, disaster strikes. Demand is going nowhere but up. We need our standards to go in the same direction.

“Half of the study’s participants reported psychological distress.”

ownerdriver.com.au

27/01/2021 11:51:15 AM

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OWD 337.als - Base Edition 72

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Owner Driver 337 February 2021

Articles inside

KENWORTH MASTER CLASS

BUNT TAKES A PUNT

TRUCK DRIVER HEALTH ISSUES REVEALED