Owner Driver 355 August 2022

ownerdriverAUGUST2022 #355  $3.00 inc . GST CATALOGUE OUT NOW! Offer ends 31st August 2022 or while stocks last. Terms and conditions apply. See Catalogue for details. RECORDS TUMBLE Australian truck marketSeeboomingpage20 TRUCKS ON TOUR Hino brings its line-up to a town near you See page 52 STAYING STRONG Pretty Sally a breeze for Scania’s new V8 R660 See page 74 North American quest for Peterbilt 379 pays off PERFECT PETE 60 7452

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8 ROAD TRANSPORT UNDER ATO MICROSCOPE The Australian Tax Office has revealed its most dobbed-in industries for tax avoidance, with road freight transport one of the worst offenders 20 RECORDS TUMBLE IN FIRST HALF RESULTS The Australian truck market continues to boom like never before as the demand for new trucks tests supply lines and delivery schedules 32 VARIED VIEW OF VOLVO’S VISTA Volvo’s highly competitive International Service Training Award entered a new phase when it “I wanted to honour my dad and the trucks he ran by going with a maroon colour.” Contents #355 52 AUGUST 2022 60 Tel: 1300 655 050AUSTRALIANwww.bigwheels.net.auDISTRIBUTOR BIG WHEELS TRUCK ALIGNMENT AUSTRALIA ’ S NO 1 WHEEL ALIGNERS Tel: 1300 655 050 www.bigwheels.net.au FULLY CERTIFIED STAFF NSW Arndell Park 02 9671 3983 Central Coast 02 4325 02Tamworth577767632500 QLD 07Gracemere07Gold07Bundaberg41115989Coast5563220049334811 07Mackay4952 4177 North Brisbane 07 3268 4188 07Rocklea3275 07Emerald07Townsville07Toowoomba07Sunshine3348Coast54451705463417494774423649876040 07Logan3445 5712 VIC 03Pakenham03Morwell03Laverton03Geelong03Dandenong8768798552722460936911155133027259417730 WA 08Perth9353 3111 32 switched to a virtual scenario for the semi-finals 40 CADILLAC OF TRUCKS Jason Whitty’s brief drive in a Peterbilt in the US state of Iowa turned into full-blown obsession, tracking down a 379 model in Canada 52 TAKING IT TO THE STREETS In a bid to place its range of products directly in front of customers, Hino is taking a convoy-type roadshow to its east coast dealerships 60 K104’S COOL RUNNING Starting off in the WA drilling industry, Tim Montague entered the trucking world as a driver before making the step to owner-driver and his Kenworth K104 66 PARTS & ACCESSORIES A featured snapshot on Australian parts and accessories suppliers 74 STAYING STRONG After the release late last year of its super-impressive R770 flagship, Scania is now set to hit the market with a slick mix of stronger six cylinder and V8 models, including a gutsy R660 model 4 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

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behind the wheel Greg Bush

Importantly, there is no shortage of truck owners and drivers willing to take part in these events. The road transport industry should be proud of these achievements. Not only is it supplying essentials to industry, businesses and the public every working day of the week, it is s upporting those less fortunate through many other avenues.

NTI conducted the raffle draw during last month’s V8 Supercars event in Townsville. Fittingly, the Expedition vehicle was won by a grey nomad – Ian Fuller from the NSW Blue Mountains.

 07 4693 www.mooretrailers.com.au1088 TRAILERS MOORE Moore trailer for your money! OwnerDriver magazine is owned by Prime Creative Media. All material in OwnerDriver is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. Opinions expressed in OwnerDriver are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. EDITORIAL Editor Greg Bush Ph 0408 780 302 E-mail Greg.Bush@primecreative.com.au Journalist Julian Daw E-mail Julian.Daw@primecreative.com.au Technical Editor Steve Brooks E-mail sbrooks.trucktalk@gmail.com Contributors Warren Aitken, Polly Antees, Robert Bell, Frank Black, Warren Clark, Craig Forsyth, 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 Business Development Manager James Phipps Ph 0466 005 715 E-mail James.Phipps@primecreative.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS Phonewww.ownerdriver.com.au/subscribe +61 (0)3 9690 8766 Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm (EST) Email subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Mail 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia EXECUTIVE GROUP CEO John Murphy COO Christine Clancy Operations Manager Regina Fellner Trader Group Sales Director Brad Buchanan owner driver Owner Driver is published by Prime Creative Media 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Telephone: (+61) 03 9690 ISSNwww.primecreative.com.au87661321-6279

Below: Happy couple: Ian and Margaret Fuller with the Isuzu Expedition Vehicle

Monies raised so far, including the $555,850 tally from this year’s raffle, is now up to $1.5 million over the past four years. For this year’s raffle and with the state borders open after two tumultuous COVID years, NTI went a step further, raffling of what it calls the Expedition Vehicle’. More like a truck, this is a converted Isuzu NPS 75-155 4x4 crew cab with an Austral motorhome dual cab slide-on body. In addition, the body includes a bunch of accessories, including internal shower, Dometic air-con, U-shaped lounge and dining setting, stereo system and LED TV.

6 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

NTI CEO Tony Clark says the organisation was blown away over the amount of people who took part in this year’s raffle. He says NTI remains committed to helping to find treatments for MND.

The Australian road transport industry is no stranger to taking part in charity fundraising events. Most rural truck shows, and even some city events, raise funds for a wide variety of charities, many to help sick kids suffering from a variety of illnesses. The Sydney Convoy For Kids raises funds to purchase equipment for NETS (Neonatal & Paediatric Emergency Transport Service). The annual Canberra’s Convoy for Cancer Families uses its event to donate large amounts of money for Canberra and Queanbeyan cancer patients, while the i98FM Illawarra Convoy brings in millions of dollars for the Illawarra Community Foundation, which is distributed to charities and families in need across the region.

A couple of years ago, on New Year’s Day in fact, I received word that an old friend who I hadn’t seen for many years had passed away. I had been conversing with him for a c ouple of years before that but was unaware until a few months before his death that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). It is the same condition that had afflicted former National Transport Insurance (NTI) CEO Wayne Patterson, who passed away in 2018 following a brave battle. I n recognition of their late CEO, NTI has, since then, conducted a series of raffles in a bid to raise funds for the MND and Me Foundation. The vehicles included a 1946 International K5 ‘Green Diamond’ truck and a couple of 1946 Ford Jailbar trucks, both restored to their former glory.

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ATO commissionerassistantPeterHolt

“We received 727 tip-offs about the road freight transport industry.”

Holt says tell-tale signs that a business may be operating in the shadow economy include ‘cash only’ signs, offering a discount for cash, not accepting card payments, failing to provide payslips to workers, not ringing up sales, or even running illegal software that deletes or modifies sales transactions. Holt also encourages tax professionals to look out for shadow economy behaviour. “We’re asking tax professionals to dig deeper and ask their clients more questions when things don’t add up. When reported income falls outside of our small business benchmarks, this should be a warning sign to tax professionals that they need to ask more questions as there could be some shadow economy behaviour atTheplay.”ATO also confirmed it has received a number of tip-offs as part of Operation Protego, which is investigating significant fraud involving participants inventing fake businesses to claim false refunds.Tip-offs can be made online at ato. gov.au/TipOff, via the ATO app, or by phoning 1800 060 062.

8 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

The top five regional locations that the ATO received tip-offs from in 2021-22 were the Sunshine Coast hinterland and Cairns in Queensland, Wellington (NSW), Wodonga (Victoria) and the Mornington Peninsula.

Holt confirms that most of the tip-offs came in from Sydney with over 5,600 received. “But the tip-offs aren’t just coming in from the big cities. We also got almost 7,000 tip-offs about shady behaviour from people outside of capital cities last financial year.”

He specifically mentions one tip-off from a former employee of a road freight business. “This individual reported that he and several other drivers were receiving cash wages. He was concerned that this was being done to avoid the company’s tax and superannuation obligations. “He stated that he had not been paid his superannuation since he started working for the company,” Holt“Evidencesays. provided by the employee also showed that his former employer was charging GST even though the business was not registered for it.” Holt clarifies that it’s not just businesses the ATO has its eye on. “We know that many customers also demand to pay in cash and ask for discounts to avoid paying tax, and we also know that many workers are demanding cash, especially where there is a shortage of labour. Our message is –regardless of which party is driving the behaviour – it’s illegal and we’re on to Holtit.”says the last couple of years have been tough for some businesses.“Butthisdoesn’t make it okay to gain an unfair advantage over honest businesses playing by the rules,” he adds. “The shadow economy is an economic and social issue that affects all of us. As businesses recover from the impacts of COVID and natural disasters it is more important than ever to protect the vast majority of businesses who are honest and try to do the right thing. “Every dollar of tax dodged is a dollar that can’t be used for vital services like health and aged care. We’ve all witnessed over the past couple of years how much the community relies on these critical services,” he says. Holt adds that tip-offs from the community provide the ATO with valuable intelligence to assist with current and future investigations, with more than 90 per cent of the 43,000 tip-offs received found suitable for further investigation or retained for intelligence purposes.

Demanding cash from customers, paying workers ‘cash in hand’, or not declaring all sales are the most common examples of the 43,000 tip-offs received by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in the 2021-22 financial year. The ATO says it is using intelligence from tip-offs as part of its approach to dealing with the shadow economy. The ATO explains that the shadow economy (previously referred to as the black economy) refers to activities that take place outside of the tax and other regulatory systems. The ATO estimates that the community misses out on around $11 billion in taxes each year as a result of the shadow economy. Road freight transport was among those industries topping the tip-off list during the past year. Other industries included building and construction, hairdressing and beauty services, cafés and restaurants, and management advice and related consulting services. Tip-offs from New South Wales topped the ATO’s list with over 13,400, followed closely by Victoria (over 11,500) and Queensland (over 9,200).ATO assistant commissioner Peter Holt explains that tip-offs helped the ATO shine a light on tax avoidance and protect honest businesses. “We received 727 tip-offs about the road freight transport industry during the 2021-2022 financial year,” Holt says.

“Sometimes that tip-off can be the final piece of the puzzle we need to act,” says Holt. “The surge in tip-offs tells us the community is not willing to let this behaviour slide anymore. “If these businesses think they can continue to hide in the shadows and not pay their fair share of tax, they are mistaken. It’s not a matter of if the ATO will shine a light on this behaviour, it’s when.”

Road transport under ATO microscope

The Australian Tax Office has revealed its most dobbed-in industries for tax avoidance, with road freight transport one of the worst offenders

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A new performance based standards (PBS) class 2 notice claims to introduce more nationally consistent conditions for road trains, supporting more seamless cross-border access and dramatically reducing requirements forHeavypermits.Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) is keen to support any changes to the national PBS network that facilitates better access according to national policy and government relations manager, Greg Forbes. “ We welcome the latest notice as a step in the right direction,” Forbes“However,says. there is still l lot of work to do. “ In particular, HVIA would like to see more extensive national networks for combinations using triaxle dollies.

access for more innovative WalesthantoPunderroutescanOperatorscombinations.”ofeligiblevehiclesnowaccesskeyfreightinNewSouthWalestheNationalClass2erformanceBasedStandards(HighProductivity)AuthorisationNotice2022.TheNationalHeavyVehicleRegulator(NHVR)saysthenoticereplacesthousandsofpermits,savingadministrativetimeandcostforindustryandgovernment.TheNHVRpointsoutthatthenewnetworksupportsaccessforhigherproductivityPBSvehiclestravelundernoticeonmore15,000kmofNewSouthstateroads,includingvital c ombinations and B-doubles respectively up to 57.5 tonnes on the Great Western Highway between Emu Plains and TheMarrangaroo.Noticewas first published in November last year for Victorian networks.“Oneofthe biggest benefits for operators is that there are shared vehicle templates between New South Wales and Victoria,” the NHVR says. You can find the new networks on the NSW performance based standards interactive maps and the vehicle templates in the O perator’s Guide. routes for freight – the Hume and Newell highways and the Sydney Motorway network. It lists: • PBS level 2B tandem dolly A-doubles • 3 designs of Tier 3 PBS 2B A-doubles at up to 85 tonnes (HML) • T ier 3 PBS Level 1 quad axle semi-trailers (up to 20m in length), meeting or exceeding the minimum axle spacing requirements on the PBS Level 1 HML state road network at 50.5 tonnes • T ier 3 PBS 2B quad axle B-doubles up to 77.5 tonnes (HML) • 2 0m PBS Level 2 truck and dog Photo courtesy Vawdrey Trailers

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Recent NatRoad research suggests Australian women motorists have a higher respect than men for heavy vehicles and female opinion converged was the need for truck awareness being a mandatory aspect of anyone driving on our “Thereroads.isalmost universal acceptance at 92 per cent by both men and women that truck awareness should be part of driver education and licence testing,” Davidson says. The South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA) says recent safety or risk-based enforcement has not focused on safety, instead saying there is no reasonable approach to heavy vehicle roadside inspections. SARTA says too many police and enforcement officers don’t focus on safety when completing inspections. “The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is far more pragmatic than South Australian Police,” SARTA says on its Facebook page. “ Some police officers and units seem determined to destroy the industry and drive good, hard-working responsible people, including drivers, out of it.”

SARTA says this lack of proper policing for heavy vehicle regulations stems from a list of assumptions, including:

Survey says women more truck aware

The new Preventing Fires –Truck Inspection Manual by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) aims to give truck drivers the inspection skills to identify and correct faults that have the potential to cause heavy vehicle fires. EPA’s director of environmental solutions Karen Marler says the aim of the manual was to help truck drivers and owners reduce the more than 200 truck fires Fire and Rescue NSW attend each“Truckyear.fires are major incidents that can be extremely dangerous and result in smoke and water pollution, cargo loss and extended road closures,” Marler says. Many trucks catch fire because of mechanical or electrical faults that a trained eye could have identified. The manual is a user-friendly guide, developed with the help of industry experts, to show truck operators how to inspect their vehicles and identify problems before they result in a fire. It also goes beyond prejourney checks, helping drivers identify faults – such as overheating brakes and electrical faults – while in transit and what to do if a problem develops on the open road that could cause the vehicle to catch fire. “No driver wants to experience NSW EPA releases truck fire prevention guide a truck fire and the actions needed to avoid that outcome can be as simple as noticing chafing on high current cables, such as battery cables,” Marler says. She says that that non-impact truck fires were the cause of eight per cent of all heavy vehicle insurance claims. “When the cargo is dangerous goods, the consequence can be particularly high and carry significant risk to the safety of drivers and road users and the environment,” she says. She adds that the manual should be in the hands of the maintenance manager of every fleet and every heavy vehicle mechanic as well as drivers. “The EPA would like to see the Manual adopted as part of regular routine checks,” Marler says. The manual and checklist can be downloaded from the NSW EPA website.

• That police officers are qualified to inspect and defect/ground trucks, when most actually aren’t. SARTA has used an example of a recent defect made by r egulators, where SARTA says officers grounded a truck because t he screen printing on buttons in the truck was worn.

NatRoad says the research shows women motorists in Australia have higher awareness of trucks than men. In the research, 88 per cent of women and 80 per cent of men make a habit of being on the inside of a turning truck while females show a slightly higher respect for the size of a heavy“Awarenessvehicle.and good behaviour on the road by Australians towards trucks is generally well understood – if not always practiced,” NatRoad chairman Scott Davidson says. “Women drivers appear to pip men at the post in how they behave on the road with trucks.”

• That any part that is worn presents a safety risk that warrants defects

• A ll trucks can and should be 100 per cent perfect every kilometre of every trip

• A ll truck operator can afford to

• That there is no difference between the safety risk associated with significant brake or suspension and other key safety faults

SARTA slams safety enforcement standards

• A ll truck operators push their drivers and have no regard for safety

Recent research from the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) says 93 per cent of women and only 85 per cent of men say they are aware that a truck driver may be unable to see their car when sharing the road.

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12 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

The research into public perceptions of the road transport industry was conducted online by independent consultants StollNow Research among 1,000 Australians aged 18 and older earlier this year. It found that men (36 per cent) are more likely than women to overtake quickly (25 per cent) when interacting with a heavy vehicle. More male motorists (61 per cent) than women (55 per cent) say they will try and anticipate a truck driver’s behaviour. Davidson says one topic where male

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More heavy vehicle rest areas are to be added along the Newell. Photo by Greg Bush

“We are investing in what matters to our local community and making our network safer, to help make sure everyone out on our roads gets home safely – just one way we are securing a brighter future for NSW.”

NSW regional transport and roads minister Sam Farraway says: “This upgrade will have significant benefits for motorists including reduced travel times, better access during and after wet weather and improved freight productivity.

The Federal Government says the Newell upgrade shows its commitment to delivering resilient and reliable transport HIGHWAY AND BEYOND new bridge-sized culverts for improved drainage. The work, led by contractor Fulton Hogan, has now commenced along the first two sections, including an eight-kilometre stretch about three kilometres south of Moree, and a 4.5-kilometre stretch about 46 kilometres north of Narrabri, through Bellata.

14 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

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The Federal Government says several intersection upgrades and three new overtaking lanes make up the first major work starting on the largest ever pavement upgrade of the Newell Highway. The work marks the start of the $261 million joint investment from the Federal and New South Wales governments to widen and strengthen 27.3 kilometres of road along four priority sections between Narrabri andTheMoree.upgrade involves building entirely new sections of road as well as five new overtaking lanes, two new heavy vehicle rest areas, intersection upgrades and multiple

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The Newell Highway heavy duty pavement upgrade forms part of the federal and NSW governments’ $1.7 billion commitment to upgrading the longest highway with inland connections to both Victoria and Queensland. Work is taking place Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm, excluding public holidays, and on alternate weekends between 7am and 6pm for the duration of theThereproject.will be some temporary traffic changes in place including local intersection and lane closures, traffic control, including short stoppages, and varying speed restrictions from 40 kilometres an hour during work“Thehours.Federal Government is committed to delivering resilient and reliable transport, which is exactly what this upgrade is all about,” Federal transport minister Catherine King says. “Good infrastructure investment creates jobs, builds opportunity and unlocks economic growth, and I look forward to seeing local communities and motorists using this stretch of the Newell Highway reap the benefits as construction gets underway.”

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Within the review, the VTA states that, “with the increasing demand for products from all over the world, the freight and logistics sector has never been more important. It is one of the key drivers of the national economy as the demand for road and rail freight continues to grow.”

Upgraded Pacific Highway, northern NSW. Photo by Greg Bush industry is failing to attract skilled and professional drivers to match the demand for road freight services. It is also falling significantly short when it comes to retaining its bestThetalent.”VTApoints to its concern over driving training: “Heavy vehicle drivers newly entering the industry are permitted to drive on our roads with minimal time behind the wheel and with limited experience and understanding of the vehicles they are driving,” the report states. “Without a standardised heavy vehicle

The VTA says it has developed a proposed framework that would deliver a safe and professional driver workforce that meets the expectations of transport operators and the wider community. “The proposed overhaul of licencing and training within the road transport industry would lead to significantly improved outcomes for an industry that is struggling to attract and maintain the right people.”

“The road transport industry is failing to attract skilled and professional drivers to match the demand for road freight services.”

“Our strong view is that variability can lead to inadvertent noncompliance, largely unrelated to safety issues, and is a poor way to deal with safety,” Clark continues. “Variable speed limits cause frustration and we see it in the behaviour of light vehicle drivers, who often overtake trucks in a dangerous“Wherevermanner.possible, we want road designers to make sure heavy and light vehicles are separated and there must be a greater focus on educating people in appropriate driving behaviour around heavy vehicles. “It’s safer if all heavy vehicles licencing curriculum that mandates ‘behind the wheel’ training time, the delivery of quality training by reputable providers is falling significantly short.”

It adds that: “The road transport Speed limits are not a silver bullet for road safety improvement, the National Road Transport Association has told a powerful New South Wales Parliamentary committee. The Standing Committee on Road Safety – better known as Staysafe – is enquiring into regional speed limits and roadNatRoadsafety.has told it that while speed must always be appropriate to road conditions, governments at all levels need to bite the bullet and massively upgrade infrastructure. “There is no better example than the upgrade currently underway on the Kings Highway, which is the state road linking Canberra with Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast,” says NatRoad CEO Warren Clark. “Its focus is on building overtaking lanes and installing safety treatments, like widened centrelines and shoulders, safety barriers and audiotactile line marking. “Safety improvements like Better roads the answer to NatRoadroadcuttingtoll,says

16 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

are permitted to travel at the same maximum speed because it reduces the need for“Tovertaking.hedifference in handling and stability for different types of combinations at a 10km/h speed difference is minimal and does not outweigh the benefits of the same maximum speed.” Clark says policy-makers should note the 2020 National Truck Accident Research Centre that found where a car and a truck were involved in a fatal crash, the car was the at-fault party 78.3 per cent of the time. these are much more important than speed management, which all too frequently becomes a revenue-raiser.”NatRoadwants Transport for NSW to ban vulnerable road users such as cyclists from a range of highways, as they are with freeways. “TfNSW really needs to take a close look at risk management starting with restricting bicycle access to the Pacific Highway,” Clark says. The contentious question of variable speed limits has been raised by NatRoad members who say its incidence is increasing.

VTA review tackles driver shortage

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has announced the release of its Lifting the Standard review of the Heavy Vehicle Driver Training and Employment Pathways. The VTA says the review outlines the issues with the current approach and proposes an improved system that would benefit all road users and the economy. The Victorian Transport Association voices concern over the standard of Victoria’s heavy vehicle driving workforce

“The road transport industry has for many decades struggled to attract and retain the heavy vehicle drivers of the future, and this will only continue in the absence of reform to heavy vehicle licencing and training,” the association says. “We simply cannot afford to continue under the current system until we reach breaking point. “This review, including all our recommendations, will be sent to the government and other key stakeholders to generate discussion and help drive much-needed change.”

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ownerdriver.com.au20 AUGUST market2022 report

RESULTSFIRSTTUMBLERECORDSINHALF

The Australian truck market continues to boom like never before as the demand for new trucks tests the supply lines and delivery schedules of local manufacturers and fully imported brands alike, particularly in the white hot heavy-duty sector. Steve Brooks filed this half-yearly summary report

Above: Despite supply issues, Scania enjoyed a healthy sales month for June Left: UD was a bullet performer for the first half of 2022 Opposite: Isuzu maintained top spot in the light and medium-duty sectors

S everal years of sustained growth have led to an astonishing 2022 half-year result in sales of new trucks on the Australian market, with most truck suppliers working flat-strap to keep up w ith demand. In light, medium and heavy-duty classes, a total of 18,394 units were delivered in the first six months of 2022, buoyed by astonishing sales i n June totalling 4342 deliveries across the three weight segments. As the Truck Industry Council (TIC) noted in its monthly report: “June 2022 saw a number of records broken for new truck sales in Australia.” Notably, the last month of the financial year was a stellar time for the heavy-duty sector, with 1,594 units delivered, breaking the previous June record of 1,433 units set in 2018. Up to the end of June, 6,916 heavy-duty trucks had been delivered for the year, setting the scene for a spectacular, record-breaking full-year result if demand continues at its current rate. While the medium-duty sector was again the least lucrative in overall numbers, year-to-date sales of 3,961 units were up 12 per cent on the previous year’s figures. In volume terms, however, the light-duty market was the biggest of all with 7,517 units delivered in the first six months of the year. It is no surprise, of course, that Isuzu remains absolutely dominant in both medium and light-duty classes, as well as overall market leader with a powerful presence in the heavy-duty category despite the absence of a dedicated prime mover range. Indeed, with Isuzu Australia delivering more than 6,000 units across all three weight categories in the first six months, the Japanese brand’s prospects for cracking more than 12,000 sales in 2022 are now looking increasingly likely. In the light-duty league, Isuzu held 43.6 per cent of the category for the year to the end of June, more than 20 points ahead of perennial bridesmaid Hino, fighting hard to withstand the ever-present challenge of third placegetter Fuso. The rankings are the same in the medium-duty contest,

Top: The new K220 will only add to heavy-duty market leader Kenworth’s figures for 2022

AUGUST 2022 21ownerdriver.com.au

Heavy Hitters Just as Isuzu’s domination of the overall truck market has become historically entrenched, Kenworth’s command of the heavy-duty sector now appears to be s imilarly ingrained. After a spectacular June result which saw Kenworth deliver almost 300 units in the month, its first-half figures amounted to 1,420 trucks, giving the Australian-built brand a solid 20.5 per cent take of the total heavy-duty market.

Above: Mercedes-Benz failed to capitalise on the momentum of previous years

Likewise, corporate colleague Freightliner appears to be struggling to make much headway with its Cascadia conventional, delivering 225 units to the end of June, accounting for 3.3 per cent of the heavy-duty sector. Meantime, Paccar’s DAF also appears to have fallen off the pace, delivering 256 units for 3.7 per cent of the category at the halfway mark of 2022. In the corporate contest, VGA is at the top of the tree with its three brands holding 27.1 per cent of the heavy-duty class, followed by Paccar’s Kenworth and DAF with 24.2 per cent, and the Daimler Trucks’ trio of Mercedes-Benz, Fuso and Freightliner well back on 13.8 per cent, or 15.9 per cent if Western Star is gathered into the group.

22 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

It’s worth noting that up to the end of June, the heavyduty sector was up 19.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. For second placegetter Volvo, the buoyant market is a panacea for the supply and production issues which have beleaguered the Australian operation (Volvo, Mack, UD) since the emergence of COVID. However, as we first revealed several months ago, Volvo Group Australia (VGA) initiated a number of bold moves, not least the importation of completely built-up (CBU) models from overseas Volvo factories including Saudi Arabia, to shore up production shortfalls at its Wacol (Qld) factory, meet customer delivery schedules and, critically, make the most of bountiful market conditions. With many of the CBU units hitting the market in June, Volvo was able to deliver 266 trucks in the month, pushing it year-to-date deliveries to 1,021 units for a much healthier 14.8 per cent stake of the heavy-duty sector and in the process, relegating Isuzu back to third position on 14.6 per cent. These top three brands accounted for a fraction under 50 per cent of the entire heavy-duty market at the end of June.

Left: Freightliner’s Cascadia has yet to match the success here that it enjoys in the US Below: Volvo initiated a number of bold moves towards the 2022 halfway mark though the gap between first and second isn’t quite so pronounced with Isuzu holding a formidable 44.4 per cent of the segment at the end of June and Hino maintaining a highly respectable 31.7 per cent due to the success of its ne w and exceptionally well-equipped 500-series line-up. From there it’s a long way back to Fuso on 16.2 per cent while the best of the rest the medium-duty rankings is UD on 2.3 per cent.

There were, however, some notable achievements among the remaining competitors. Scania, for instance, enjoyed a strong June performance with 128 trucks delivered in the month, notching fourth position at the year’s halfway mark with a respectable seven per cent of the market on the delivery of 483 trucks. Yet, the biggest bullet performer of all was the UD brand. Often viewed as the underling in VGA’s trio of truck brands, UD delivered 125 trucks in June to take its year-to-date deliveries to 460 units for a 6.7 per cent take of the heavyduty category, comfortably surpassing Mack on a modest 5.6 per cent. D espite strong market conditions, there were nonetheless a number of somewhat modest performances in the six months to the end of June. Mercedes-Benz, for instance, appears to have lost some momentum after several years of strong sales. At the end of June, the brand accounted for just 5.5 per cent of the market with the delivery of 377 units.

“The heavy-duty sector was up 19.4 per cent compared to the same period last year.”

Ask your local Isuzu dealer about which service agreement is right for you. EssentialsIsuzu PlusEssentialsIsuzu TotalIsuzu HeritageIsuzu ISUZU SERVICE Zero-stressAGREEMENTSservicing.BroughttoyoubyIsuzu. No business wants big, unexpected bills. But with an Isuzu service agreement, you can flatten your truck servicing costs into a predictable monthly payment (or upfront fee with Isuzu Essentials). You’ll also be part of one of Australia’s biggest dealer networks, so you can book a service at locations around the country. With the new Chain of Responsibility laws, proper servicing will protect your business. Lastly, service agreements come with Isuzu Care, Australia’s most comprehensive truck customer care programme. To find out more, see your nearest Dealer or visit isuzu.com.au/care-support/service-agreements. FSA/ISZS1081

The likes of Amazon and Uber have been able to drive a race to the bottom because they deliberately structure work in such a way that they pay drivers below minimum rates and then offer wealthy supermarkets, retailers and oil companies transport contracts at deadly discounted rates. Wealthy companies at the top of supply chains are deliberately taking advantage of the lack of regulation in the gig economy, engaging these services to cut costs and bank enormous profits at drivers’ expense.

T he events of the last few months have again reminded Australians about the importance of a strong and sustainable road transport industry. Owner-drivers and small fleet operators across the east coast have battled dangerous conditions and flooding for the second time this year, throwing supply chains into a tailspin and ramping up the extraordinary pressure on drivers to keep goods moving. In a country as vast and with conditions as unforgiving as Australia’s, these kinds of natural disasters aren’t uncommon. Drivers are resilient and have shown time and time again they’re prepared to put their shoulder to the wheel and push through when the going gets tough – because they know the country is counting on them. Yet, these events aren’t without their dangers. Dangerous roads, difficulties managing fatigue caused by long diversions, and flood damaged rest stops all take their toll – not to mention any loss of earnings. As flood waters recede, the pressure is on to make up the difference; a pressure made only more deadly by the urgent and real threat the gig economy poses to the industry’s financials. Drivers trying to make a decent living for themselves and their families are being forced to compete with gig companies skirting the edges of our out-dated industrial laws.

GIG COMPANIES While gig competition has only arrived in Australia in recent years, the experiences of owner-drivers and small fleet operators in the United States and Europe should be ringing alarm bells. When left to run amok, gig companies undercut the market, smash traditional operators and then create a dangerous monopoly with appalling Fighting for a fair go contracting pressures, the problem is that many of the supply chain power imbalances and profiteering making road transport so deadly will continue unless the whole industry unites for a common goal: sustainability. We can start by demanding the federal government finally acts on the recommendations of the landmark Without Trucks, Australia Stops report as it committed to doing in opposition. Expertly shepherded by Senator Glenn Sterle, the inquiry that produced this important report united our fragmented industry and exposed shocking examples of the deadly pressures forcing drivers from road transport in droves. Its key recommendation – the creation of an industry-led independent body empowered to set enforceable standards industry-wide, including for effective cost recovery – is central to ending deadly pressures. Not only would such a body end the ability of wealthy companies at the top of the supply chain to drive unsustainable competition between drivers, it would also provide a strong safety net to end the undercutting that’s part of gig companies’ corporate strategies.

S ensible organisations like the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation and National Road Freighters Association are already alert to these risks, working constructively with drivers and the Transport Workers Union on practical solutions to protect road transport. It’s disappointing groups like NatRoad and the Australian Trucking Association haven’t followed suit. We must continue to tighten the regulatory noose around the gig economy, or its traditional road transport operators – hard working drivers who carry Australia – that’ll be choked from the industry. This fight isn’t confined to a single depot or employer – it’s about every single one of us in the industry demanding change. We’re strongest when we stand and fight together. Join the fight today: twu.com.au/join

24 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au TWU Michael Kaine

rates of pay and conditions. Drivers are already operating on the whiff of an oily rag; pocketing a pittance after a run and being forced to work longer and drive tired to make ends meet. Deadly undercutting by these Silicon Valley behemoths will only ramp up industry pressures, particularly as inflation and fuel costs eat into drivers’ backThispocket.‘Amazon Effect’ isn’t just a threat for the biggest operators in our industry – it affects Bargainingeveryone.powerwithin our industry is already heavily skewed to those at the top; something many owner-drivers and small fleet operators know all too well. Left unchecked, gig competition will make these problems worse, particularly as traditional industry players seek to drive down costs to remain viable. There’s no negotiating with an algorithm. This isn’t ‘flexibility’ –it’sHservitude.oldingback this gig tsunami bearing down and then stopping future i ndustry-wide earthquakes takes bravery and determination – attributes drivers have in spades. Drivers’ collective resolve has already seen significant progress in this fight. In February this year, Amazon’s gigstyle Flex service was brought within the NSW industrial system, ending the gig behemoth’s ability to pay drivers basement rates and dangerously undercut the whole industry. In recent weeks, the Queensland state government has proposed a standardsetting body that would also play an important role in ending transport’s race to the bottom and lift standards industry-wide.Whilethesekinds of regulatory weapons are critical in easing Global interlopers are forcing drivers, already operating on the whiff of an oily rag, to cut corners “Our industry should dismiss the gig economy threat at its own peril.”

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

These kinds of industry-wide reforms aren’t served up on a silver platter –it will take every one of us standing and fighting together to change road transport for the better. The time for gig exploitation, crushing pressures and rank profiteering from those at the top of supply chains while the men and women driving Australia suffer is over.

PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS Over the next few months, ownerdrivers, small fleet operators and the u nion will be fighting together for a road transport industry that’s safer, fairer and moreOursustainable.industryshould dismiss the gig economy threat at its own peril.

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Robert BellHIGHWAY ADVOCATES

26 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

ROBERT BELL a former truck driver and current law undergraduate and practising paralegal, is the CEO and a director of Highway Advocates Pty Ltd. Contact Highway Advocates Pty Ltd on highwayadvocates.com.auorauhighwayadvocates.com.robert.bell@orphone0488010101seethewebsiteatwww.

I recently spent some time flying around the country and caught up on some reading. Being the sad puppy I am, I threw a couple of textbooks in my bag while packing. As luck would have it, one of those textbooks was about constitutional law. Reading it got me thinking about a few things we come across here at Highway Advocates. Things that don’t seem fair at all. Victoria gets the guernsey first up. Its traffic camera and enforcement system, in our opinion, has problems. They are totally outsourced to multinational corporations, with camera images that can be edited with basic software. Victoria Police are orchestrating the whole process. This alone is worthy of mention. The sentencing laws in Victoria stand alone also. A section 76 unconditional dismissal means that a court, on being satisfied that a person is guilty of an offence, may (without recording a conviction) dismiss the charge. In Victoria, unlike other states, if you receive an unconditional discharge or dismissal upon a guilty plea, you will still cop the points or suspension. With some fatigue and vehicle defect breaches carrying demerit points in the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), you would think that sentencing would have some uniformity between states. Only in Victoria can you escape conviction yet still be punished. Victoria gets a tick elsewhere, though. B-doubles in Victoria get to operate at higher mass limits (HML) weights as of right on most roads. The only criteria are that you have to be eligible for concessional mass. However, travelling up the east coast into New South Wales and Queensland is an entirely new ballgame. They require operators to have expensive permits and software, and travel is restricted to certain roads. Yet, if you get breached on a mass contravention, you are prosecuted under ‘national’ regulations. What would Messrs Quick and Garren, the framers of our constitution, think of that? Demerit points are another vexing issue. NSW and Queensland come in for special mention. In NSW, it has a professional driver provision in its licensing regulation. A professional driver licensed in NSW is entitled to 14 points, as opposed to 13 points for other NSW full licence holders. It has been changed somewhat recently and only kicks in if you are a NSW professional driver facing a demerit point suspension. If you incur 14 or more demerit points as a professional Advance Australia Fair?

STATE CIRCUS In Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, for 12 points or more, you walk or travel the golden point path. Wander off that golden path and you cop a suspension generally double the one you would have gotten originally. This is where it gets interesting. If you are a professional driver from another state operating in or through NSW, Transport For NSW (TfNSW) will still keep an eye on your demerit points. If you reach 13 points in NSW, you will get a If you are from another state operating in NSW, TfNSW will still keep an eye on your demerit points

“The Australian Road uniformity.”someensureupwasagreementRulesdreamedin1999towehavenational

letter (perhaps) stating that you cannot drive in NSW for a specified period. Yet your NSW-licensed cobber gets to drive on with their extra point. Even worse, the state where you are licensed may decide to suspend you. The state where you’ve recorded the offence will generally advise your home regulatory authority of your crime. You will then get the points or suspension that would have applied if you’d committed the offence in your jurisdiction. ACT and Northern Territory drivers can magically avoid being demerited for offences they incur elsewhere. And it can happen to drivers from other states as well, particularly if they commit their crimes in the territories. What makes federal territories so unique? Queensland has gotten particularly inventive on this one. It applies double demerit points to Queensland-licensed drivers if they commit certain offences within a specified timeframe, even though they are not double demerit point offences in the state where the offence occurred. Does your head hurt yet? All this and more. Remember, the Australian Road Rules agreement was dreamed up in 1999 to ensure we have some national uniformity. It was assumed that various demerit point schemes would follow suit. The Heavy Vehicle National Law had a similar purpose when discussed at the Council of Australian Governments. The National Transport Commission (NTC) frames it like this: “The HVNL is the result of a collaborative process led by the NTC. It involved industry and government to develop a nationally consistent approach to heavy vehicle legislation and regulation based on model laws developed by the NTC.” Are we all feeling that nationally consistent love yet? With the NHVR taking over enforcement duties in NSW in August and (perhaps) Queensland next year, we should start seeing a more consistent approach. Or will it simply be a case of Coke or Pepsi – different coloured shirts but the same stuff inside? At Highway Advocates, we operate in all jurisdictions and apply a consistent national approach. We must navigate a myriad of complex legislative provisions and constantly changing practice notes and court procedures. We are the link between your world and the law world. driver in three years, your licence will be suspended. The suspension period depends on how many points have been accumulated. The suspension periods for professional drivers in NSW are: • 14 to 15 demerit points – three months • 16 to 19 demerit points – four months • 20 or more demerit points – five months.

WE’RE WITH YOU, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. Helping your trucking business by giving you priceless advice, business support, discounts and working with you to navigate complex trucking legislation. Join today. To learn more scan here or go to natroad.com.au

Self-interest at play

uniformity until road transport becomes a Commonwealth responsibility. Before I’ll judge the next NRFA conference successful, it must be attended by several politicians of several persuasions. Only politicians reacting to pressure from industry will decree that a referendum be held on the subject undertaken.

from management higher up the ladder that he reports two warnings per month against workers for failing in their workplace health and safety obligations. Is that the driver for the cop writing up Dan Roe? Fullfilling a demand from higher management for breaches to be written? NATIONAL UNIFORMITY When the NHVR was first envisaged, it was considered unlikely that a referendum to change the Commonwealth Constitution to make a road transport a Commonwealth responsibility would most likely not succeed. Historically, such referendums have not achieved a successful outcome. Having said that, Australia is suffering massive cost outlays to support a vast number of bureaucrats in the various state camps whose one aim is to build their own 'Taj Mahals'. Self-interest is the first interest of bureaucracy. In other words, The first interest of this bureaucracy is to cement its own position. In the short time I was at the NRFA conference, I heard numerous comments – as I have in the past, decrying the lack of uniformity of regulations across the nation. We can’t hope to get “We can’t hope to get uniformity until road transport becomes a responsibility.”Commonwealth

Why do state bureaucrats appear to be unwilling to relinquish responsibility to the Commonwealth?

I briefly attended the recent National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) conference in Toowoomba. My apologies for the short and late attendance. Work – it has to be done. Yes, many well meaning individuals attended and a lot of effort was expended to achieve what I’m sure would be judged a successful get together. Having no wish to be too much of a wet blanket –but I’ve heard it all before. A couple of comments were appreciated by me because those comments reinforced what I have been saying for years. The National Transport Insurance representative revealed that accidents involving their customer’s drivers going to sleep while driving were very much within prescriptive driving hour regulations. Humanity’s diurnal physiology!

28 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au WILKIE’S WATCH

Ken Wilkie

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

I was on board when the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) was brought into being. Economically the nation needs the principle of one nation, one regulation made a reality. For the health and mental wellbeing of the those who provide the essential service of piloting the tools to transfer the nations essentials from production point to point of consumption, one nation, one regulation needs to become a reality. That report to NatRoad that I have quoted in the past said that in spades. And as Chris and Dan Roe’s experience demonstrates (see OwnerDriver July 2022, page 65), bureaucracy has no pangs of Talkingmorality.ofmorality, the site manager of the business I delivered to on a recent Saturday was bemoaning the expectation

LOGAN MOTORWAY Regarding Australia’s workplace health and safety and legal liability laws – recently I was made aware of a fatal accident on Queensland’s Logan Motorway. Those of you who have or do travel the road know that it is posted as a 100km/h limit road and is used by considerable volumes of both heavy vehicles and light vehicles. Currently it is having some resurfacing done at night with the rejuvenated surface open to traffic by morning. But, because the new surface, while absolutely spot on to travel and with no indication of the change from old to new being felt through vehicle suspension, it has carried an 80km/h limit for the 500 metres or so that has not been provided with the white lane marking lines. That had been the situation for some Historicallydays.the road alignment has not changed for possibly a decade or more and, secondly, the new surface sported the yellow stick-on reflectors that marked the lane positions. So why the 80km/h limit? My guess is that some workplace health and safety official has deemed that the motorway could be held responsible because of the absence of the usual markings. Well, one Friday afternoon just recently during peak hour a motorist received fatal injuries when becoming sandwiched between two heavy vehicles just prior to the not-lined piece of road. Yes, the following truck driver should have been paying more attention to his or her driving. It’s not both hands on the wheel that is so important but rather the mind being on the road. What level of culpability does the motorway carry for failing to provide speed reduction advice further back from the new surface? Or indeed, does it have a case to answer because it impeded the free flow of traffic simply because it or an agent of the motorway feared unreasonable legal action against the motorway owing to the absence of line markings? The legal liability legislation also needs to be looked at. Required reading this month is The Big Week by James Holland. I do not recommend these stories of history because I’m some sort of war monger. I’m constantly amazed at the determination of our forebears’ preparedness to suffer personal pain and misery and even death – to put so much at risk in the interest of providing a better future for us who have followed. Sadly, our generation has not been prepared to forgo self-interest to any like degree.

you

The legal view Sarah Marinovic

O ver the past month I’ve seen a new trend with driver fatigue matters that’s worth being aware of. It’s always been common for drivers who have been caught with mistakes in their work diary to receive multiple charges. That’s because when someone misunderstands part of the fatigue rules, they’ve usually made the same error multiple times before the Transport for NSW inspectors examine their work diary. Usually all of the charges are sent to the same court to be dealt with on the same day. But, recently, I’ve seen a number of cases in New South Wales where the charges have been split up and sent to different courts on different days. There doesn’t seem to be any obvious reason for splitting up the charges. The

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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

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situation when deciding the outcome. This can sometimes result in a more lenient outcome for some of the charges than if each one was dealt with individually. Having said that, it’s always a good idea to speak with a lawyer first because there could be something particular about your case that means its best to keep the charges separate. If you would like to bring the cases together, our suggestion is to contact the court as soon as possible. Where possible it’s best to send an email because these go directly to the courthouse (as opposed to the central phone hotline) and you’ll have a written record of their response. The courts’ email addresses are available online. COVID PROCEDURES This flows into another recent change in court procedure that’s useful to be aware of. Last month, the NSW Local Court revoked almost all of the measures they put in place for COVID-19. This includes things like automatically letting people send emails or appear by video link instead of going to court. While some courthouses will still let you do these things, it’s important not to assume. So, if you’d like to transfer your case or ask for an adjournment, we recommend contacting the court well in advance to check what you need to do. Ultimately, we do expect that there will still be some flexibility but it’s always best to double check. As always, if you need help our team at Ainsley Law are happy to assist.

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breaches have all been detected at the same time during a work diary check. At this stage it’s not clear whether this is a new policy or just an administrative error. It’s handy to be aware, though, so that if you do receive more than one charge, don’t assume they’re all listed at the same court. Make sure to double check the location and date for each separate Court Attendance Notice. If the cases have been split up, then it can be a good idea to bring them together at one courthouse. Most magistrates are willing to transfer cases to a court closer to your home if you’re pleading guilty (but it does need to be a NSW court; they can’t transfer interstate). Not only does this make it easier for you by having to only go to court once, it also means that the magistrate can look at the whole linehaul the confidence of knowing cookie-cutter truck policy isn’t going give operators the assurance Why not work with Ryno to personalise cover that checks We’ll do the hard work so can focus on the road. easy and hassle-free transport insurance with the team at Ryno. a call or scan code Street Plains Qld, 4108 Pty Ltd. ABN 83 010 630 092, AFS Licence No. 230041. have received multiple charges, don’t assume they’re dealt at the same court

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Jerry Euroa,Brown-SarreVictoria Crashes, not accidents I sometimes wonder nowadays about the ability of people to be resilient. I started driving trucks and semis when I turned 16 in 1968. I drove mostly on through the ’70s and I gave up full-time trucking in the early ’80s. I’d had enough of unpaid work, being ripped off and being expected to work ridiculous (and illegal) shifts. Over a two-year period (1974 and 1975) I worked a 42-hour shift every weekend without sleep. Also, later in the ’70s, I worked for a mob in Tasmania. Often, after a 14-hour night shift, I’d be expected to work through the next day and then do the following night’s 14-hour shift again. I also worked as a day-driver around Adelaide, for a ‘fly-bynight’ mob. After working 7am to 6pm, it was not unusual to be told: “You’re taking a load to Melbourne tonight.” After going down to Melbourne overnight, I’d then have to help unload, grab a couple of hours’ sleep (on a couch in a noisy depot), then help load-up and drive back to Adelaide. Although I often worked such outrageous hours I never once used ‘speed’ to stay awake, just lots of coffee and Pepsi, plus the old very lucky to avoid jack-knifing my trailer. Once I’d come to a halt, I got out of the cab and went to see if I could help. Unfortunately, the guy coming the other way was on

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30 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Greg.Bush@primecreative.com.au or 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205

in England to defeat corrupt federal laws of pence per tonne per mile road tax that saw hundreds of truck owners go to jail for civil debts and lose their homes after the High Court’s interpretation of s92 of the constitution.In1979,five truckies started national blockades, again to defeat road tax laws and other laws put in place by state governments after the privy council decision, again after thousands of truckies were jailed for civil debt; losing homes and families.After12 years of blockades and protests, in 2012 the RSRT was legislated to solve the issues we had on independent contractors’ insolvency, road deaths and others. The Act, badly drafted by the Transport Workers Union, was finally repealed after corrupt associations and a corrupt government combined. This is where we now stand. The question is when, or whether, the industry does what history demands – fight back. The only way is refuse to obey and fight bad laws, and refuse to supply your services and be united as we were in 1979.

involvedtheIoffendingwayofdegreesonrearwheelsonacrossroadbitumen,whenawheelshisapproachingnotofdistancefewanapulledseconds.impatientrightshareatmyandthepulled-overasdrivingArarat.betweennotthemakeArarat,IoutmotelmakeMelbournerememberbitstayingnightout-the-side-window-on-a-cold-stick-your-head-routine.Ineverhadmuchdifficultyawake(I’vealwaysbeenaofanight-owl).However,IdooneparticulartriptowhereIalmostdidn’tit.IrememberpassingtheatDadswell’sBridge,justofHorsham.ThenextthingrememberedIwascomingintoshiftingdowngear,totheleft-handturnintoheavyvehiclebypass.IcouldrememberatallthejourneyDadswell’sBridgeandTechnically,I’dbeenasleep,purelyoninstinct.AssoonI’dmadetheleft-handturn,Iandhadawalkaroundrig,checkedthetyresandloadpouredabottleofwateroverhead.Asforbeinga‘first-responder’vehiclecrashes,I’vedonemyofthat.I’veseenaguykilledinfrontofmebecausesomeidiotcouldn’twaitfor10The‘causeofthecrash’hadofftheroadontheleft,ontogravelledlay-by.Iwasdrivingemptysemitowardshimandacarswereapproaching,ashortawayontheothersidetheroad.The‘idiot’,probablywillingtowaitformeandthetraffictopass,gunnedenginetomakeaU-turn.Hisbeganspinning,kicking-upcloudofdustandgravel.Then,hisrear-wheelsreachedthetheygrabbedontothesurfaceandshothimstraighttheroadintotheditchtheotherside.Withthefrontofhiscarintheditch,theofhiscarwasacrossthelanetheothersideoftheroad,at90totheroad.Theleadcarthetrafficcomingtheotherploughedintothesideofthecar,athoroughT-bone.hadswervedofftheroadontogravellay-bytoavoidbeinginthecollision.Iwas

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the same opportunity to be published.

Who will be left by Xmas?

Another family transport closed its doors on July 1. A late model fleet of 30 trucks equals 30 drivers. The reason? Fuel price, and they lost most of their good drivers who gave the job up due to the harassment by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and police. This is one way for governments to get freight on rail. Reading the words of the regulator when they take over NSW, it will be Somethingworse.for you blokes in the industry to ponder on: It is clear with the new laws written by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), which are crap, and supported by their de facto branch NatRoad, that they have put to government, it is clear they want to control the industry and take over making submissions to government from the National Transport Commission.TheATAhas no mandate to make representations on drivers’ wages and conditions, or for independent contractors. They are, and will ways be, a lobby group between industry and government. The same with NatRoad – they are an employer association and how they were accepted to give opinions in fair work on drivers’ conditions is a crime. But they are an opinionated association, as I have said many times, over the corruption at the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT).TheNHVR is an entity formed by the Federal Government enforcing a Queensland state law across the east coast of Australia with instruction to be self-sufficient after receiving $4 million from the Federal Government after the repeal of the RSRT in 2016. So, as we are finding out, they intend to enforce with a big stick to get revenue so they can be sure they are self-funded. This action has, and will continue to, destroy thisWeindustry.againhave the Federal Government who will be controlled by supply chain and national entities. If you think it’s bad now, wait six months and then maybe people will understand our trucking history. When you are cornered you will fight for your survival against corrupt and bad law brought by governments, both state and federal.In1954, truckies Hale and Vale took their case to the privy council

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OWD-HH-5167118-TS-345 costeffective.com.au

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FREE DELIVERY AUSTRALIA WIDE his last gasps of life. The steering column had gone straight into his chest, crushing his heart and lungs. There was nothing I could do. I went over to see the guy who had caused the crash. He was sitting on the road verge with his head in his hands. I asked if he was alright. He said: “Yes,” then he asked how the other guy was. I’m afraid I was quite blunt with him. I said, “You’ve killed him and that’s what I’ll tell the police”. And that’s exactly what I did. That stupid bastard had killed an innocent driver just because he couldn’t wait for traffic to pass. Ten more seconds and an innocent death could have been avoided. In another incident, at about 3am, I witnessed a work ute crashing into one of South Australia’s notorious stobie poles. The impact was so severe that the vehicle rotated 180 degrees around the pole, ending up facing in the opposite direction. I did a wide U-turn down the road, then parked with my hazard lights flashing and my headlights illuminating the crash site. The cause of the crash was immediately evident when I checked on the passenger. The smell of alcohol was overwhelming and there were beer cans and a wine flagon on the floor of the vehicle. The driver was alright; he was wearing a seatbelt. But the passenger was in a bad way. Not wearing a seat belt, his face had smashed into the dashboard. He was unconscious and having a great deal of difficulty breathing. When I checked his airways, I discovered that his jaw was like jelly, just a mess of blood, broken bone and pulped tissue. Fortunately, the passenger was wearing a balaclava, which helped hold his mashed jaw together. Leaning through the passengerside window, I put my fingers in his mouth and I pulled his tongue and what remained of his jaw forward so he could breathe. By this time, emergency services had arrived. One of the ambos climbed on the remains of the bonnet and began feeding an air tube between my fingers so the passenger could breathe while we removed him from the vehicle. Meanwhile, the fire brigade guys were cutting off the roof of the vehicle over my head. Then we all lifted the passenger out of the vehicle and onto a stretcher which had been lifted onto the bonnet. The passenger survived and the ambulance guy told me that I’d saved his life. That was good enough for me. However, I didn’t feel much sympathy for him or the driver because they were both drunk. I mainly felt sorry for their dog, which had been on the floor, over the gearbox hump. It had been crushed between the firewall and the bench seat. Another innocent victim of someone else’s stupidity.

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After giving my report to the police, I went home. It was about 5:30am and too late, by then, to continue my night’s work. I’ve attended at other crashes over the years, including fatals. But I’ve never felt traumatised. I simply accepted what happened, did what I could to help and got on with my life. Maybe I’m weird, maybe it’s just my life philosophy that helps. I’ve always been a realist and I know that road-crashes happen. I don’t call them accidents because, in most cases, they are caused by someone doing the wrong thing. Whether it’s speed, alcohol, lack of attention or impatience, these are ‘causes’ of crashes, not accidents. Mechanical failures, yes, that’s accidental and unpredictable, yet a lot of mechanical failures can be attributed to a lack of appropriate maintenance. However, overall, I simply accept that crashes will happen, sometimes people will die and that’s part of ‘life on the road’. If I wasn’t prepared for the occasional crash scene, I wouldn’t have bothered being a driver. Although I have now retired from work full-time (70 this year), I still keep in touch with the trucking world through OwnerDriver and other publications, as well as occasional contact with other drivers and ex-drivers. I love the life on the road and I miss driving the heavies but I had to give driving away because it was way too much stress and, no doubt, still is for many drivers. A big G’day to all the drivers out there. Take care guys and watchout for those maniac car drivers (or should I say, car movers?). Roy Greenacres,Bate, SA.

“After a 14-hour night shift I’d be expected to work through the next day.”

BLOWBY FIX BLOWBY AND AVOID THE REBUILD. Proudly

Volvo’s highly competitive International Service Training Award entered a new phase when it switched from practical problem solving to a virtual scenario for the semifinals. Greg Bush reports from Volvo Group Australia’s HQ in Brisbane truck technology

VARIED VIEW OF VISTAVOLVO’S

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For 2022, 106 teams containing over 400 contestants from Australia and New Zealand signed up for VISTA. Following two theory rounds and a pit-stop challenge, the field was narrowed to six teams representing the Australia-NZ region for the semi-finals. VCV Sydney Prestons had two teams make the cut, while VCV Brisbane North and CMV Derrimut had one team each. New Zealand’s two teams came from Lower Hutt and Whangarei. However, to the surprise of many competitors, the semifinal round was held in a virtual digital environment

“The trucks are a lot more technology driven.”

Above: Richard Singer, VGA services and retail VP, offers a last minute briefing Left: Nick Bowes mingles with the contestants Below: The teams from Australia and New Zealand line up for the semi-finals

I

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t’s the VISTA with a difference in 2022. The global pandemic put paid to the previously scheduled competition in 2020 and, with COVID still lurking, Volvo took the safer route with this year’s competition. Claimed to be the world’s largest service market competition, VISTA (Volvo International Service Training Award) is, under normal circumstances, held every two years. Teams of Volvo service market professionals from the Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses global service network vie for the chance of reaching the semi-finals and then competing for a place in the finals in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Nick Bowes, VGA’s technical competence coach, has been involved in the VISTA process for 23 years. He says due to the uncertainty of international travel, Volvo made the decision to keep the semi-finals in the home countries and in a virtual scenario.

at Volvo Group Australia (VGA) headquarters in Wacol, Queensland where teams branched off into rooms, their tools made up of computers and laptops. A stark contrast to the previous VISTA where the semi-finals took place in a practical environment in Gothenburg.

“Because of previous VISTAs being hands-on and practical I was a bit concerned that this might be too much theory-based, because they’ve already done three theory rounds to get to here,” Bowes says.

Singer says VISTA was originally initiated purely as

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However, he points out that Gothenburg finals will be practical hands-on. “That then tends to put a different spin on everything because you can be very averse to theory-based exercises. But putting it into practice really does bring out the top technicians.”RichardSinger, services and retail vice president at VGA, says the virtual semi-finals are also indicative of how the competition has evolved over the years. “In the good old days they used to fill out forms, tick boxes and actually post the results over to Sweden,” he says. “From a technical perspective, it’s evolved a fair bit as well, of course. The trucks are a lot more technologydriven and a lot of it is around intellectual computers as opposed to the old mechanical type of training.”

Following the semi-finals, the results were sent to Sweden and the winner announced the following evening during a live broadcast from Gothenburg. As it turned out, the ‘Volgaroos’ from VCV Prestons emerged as the winner. The team will represent Australia at the finals in Gothenburg in September.

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There was also some angst in the VCV Brisbane North team. Pracheel Deo was in the middle of a break in Fiji when he was called back for the semi-finals. Deo, who has been with VCV for well over six years, has had VISTA “It’s very difficult, but it’s a way to learn.”

Top: Winning grins: Australian semi-final champs, the ‘Volgaroos’ from VCV Prestons, will be heading to Gothenburg, Sweden for the VISTA final Above: The CMV Truck & Bus Derrimut team: from left, Ryan White, Andrey Kuchmezov, Natasha Bartolo and Jeremy Prats Opposite from top: More than a competition, there’s the prestige of winning and the bonus of a trip to Sweden; Nick Bowes, VGA’s technical competence coach, addresses the teams before the semi-final battle begins; The VCV Brisbane North team: from left, Nitesh Chand, Simon Nendick, Prachel Deo and Jeremy Corfiel a technical training for technicians, but now it covers customer service advisors that come as parts staff and costingSingerclerks.saysthe competition provides an opportunity for dealership staff to expand their knowledge and skills, while highlighting the importance of working as a team. “It’s a fairly large commitment from a retail network to put any teams in. There is also a tremendous amount of work that’s done in the first three rounds to get to the semi finals,” he adds. “We had an extremely high level participation rate through all three rounds, which was excellent. But, talking to a few of the dealership managers that have teams represented in the semi-finals, it’s a fantastic achievement. They’re super, super proud of it. “Of course, we’re quite proud that three out of the four Australian teams are coming from company-owned stores as well.” Competitor feedback CMV Derrimut, the non-company-owned dealership, was represented by Andrey Kuchmezov, Natasha Bartolo, Jeremy Prats and Ryan White under the team banner of ‘Just Gonna Send It’. Kuchmezov is closing in on 10 years with CMV Derrimut, where he undertook an apprenticeship. This was his third time in a VISTA competition but admits to being surprised at the virtual nature of the semi-finals. “We expected to have practical but now it’s more computer-based,” he says. “I’m familiar with computers because I’m from an IT background. But it’s time limited and a bit stressful.”

experience previously, as has his teammate Simon Nendick. Nendick has worked at Brisbane North for 13 years; before that he was with Volvo in the UK. “This is about my 10th time through VISTA,” he says. “I’ve been to Sweden for the finals. It’s great – a good week. “This year is totally different from any other. Because when we used to go over there it was a lot more practical. This year, the semi-finals are all on computer, it’s all virtual,” heNendicksays. admits to struggling through the first part of the semi-final. “It’s very difficult, but it’s a way to learn.”

Subscribe today, it’s easy! 12 issues of Owner Driver magazine Weekly e-newsletter FREE delivery to your mailbox Visit www.ownerdriver.com.au/subscribe or call +61 (0)3 9690 8766 Simply call +61 (0)3 9690 8766 to extend your subscription with this offer and save Already a You’llHow?subscriber?receive JUSTFORJUSTFOR Get 12 issues ofGet 12 issues of $ 59 $.99! 59 .99!

PART TIME FACILITIES We now have an opportunity to change the industry in its current form. It time has come for us to pull together and function as one team you see someone struggling, don’t sit your cab laugh.”

Stop the blame game

A s an industry we all have our own views on what the problems are and what we can do to fix it. Problems and solutions vary depending on the perception of the holder – we all see the world differently. Our motives for change are driven by different rewards or power. One thing we must admit is that everyone in the industry is responsible for where we are now, some stakeholders more than others, but the blame game needs to stop. Our industry has endured many changes and challenges over the years and has had band aid after band aid applied. Poorly informed regulators have decided that punitive enforcement of drivers is a solution. Large companies have manipulated every area of these regulations to screw as much productivity from a driver and/or owner-driver as possible. Drivers lie about time worked to help their employers. Employers turn a blind eye to this and are happy for an employee to pay for the deception. The safety of the person doing the work has been discarded and we seem to operate on a ‘hope-it-all-works-out-OK’ model. All this behaviour has been tolerated to drive the cost of transport down. We must now act to improve conditions and sustainability for all. The struggle to attract new drivers – and also retain existing drivers –

“If

and

CRAIG FORSYTH, a National Road Freighters Association board member, has clocked up 25 years in the road transport industry.

AUGUST 2022 37ownerdriver.com.au Craig ForsythNRFA

needs to be burnt to the ground and start again. New foundations and ideals must be created to support our industry into the future. A new, big picture approach needs to be taken with greater access to loading and unloading facilities. We have a 24/7 industry that has part time facilities at either end of the journey. Last mile access needs to improve and a new PBS system to allow greater productivity.

Costs are out of control and we need a new regime on how transport contacts are negotiated. Small operators and subcontactors will always be necessary in the industry and must be supported in their roles. The big players need to work to protect them not exploit them for cheap labour. We must now act as a team, put our differences aside and work together for some resolve. If you are not a part of the solution you are part of the problem. We all need to act as part of a team and help one another to improve. If you see someone struggling, don’t sit in your cab and laugh (or post on social media), get out and give them a hand. We were all new to the industry once and were lucky enough to have someone to help us, not just put behind the wheel and hope for the best. The fight to improve the industry must not subside and needs to become stronger and more consistent. Many believe that it’s pointless doing anything but believe me a positive campaign does have results. As an advocate for change in the industry I make calls and write letters every single week. It is an uphill battle but we do have wins. I encourage everyone to do the same and join an association to help this cause. When we have numbers behind us it makes a difference. is no surprise to us that actually do the work. Recent pandemic events have exacerbated the poor conditions that we have to tolerate daily. Drivers have been pushed to the edge and are no longer willing to tolerate the bad behaviour of employers and clients. The exit of talented drivers will be hard to reverse. R espect is a behaviour that is rarely practiced in our modern world. This is a standard set by a large percentage of participants in the industry (take a good look at yourself). We cannot train new participants to tolerate the conditions we have endured in the past; the new generation of drivers simply has no ambition of working 80 to 90 hours a week with a percentage of that for free. We have employers who believe the award is just a guide and have their own view on how entitlements are paid. The days of telling someone to "harden up or just f***ing do it or get another job" are gone. In many cases the price paid to the prime contractor is not the problem; the problem arises from the exploitation of the driver and ownerdriver. Prime contractors know what it costs to run a truck but continue to offer rates that are below cost or expect the drivers to load or unload for free.

The

in

ADVICE FOR ON THE ROAD. Hydrate before you drive and aim to stop e very two hours for a bathroom stop. If you are not sure about where public toilets are then there is an app roadhouses,mapAustraliantools/national-public-toilet-map-app)!www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-(https://ThegovernmentputtogetherthisofallthepublictoiletsinAustralia.Myadvice,ifyouarenotstoppingatistoalwayscarrysome

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Dehydrated? So what?

Being dehydrated while driving can be just as dangerous as drink driving liquid soap so you can wash your hands and some water for handwashing. Due to increased traffic on the roads many rest stops are out of water and handwash.

METHOD Step 1: Peel and chop the sweet potatoes and carrot into bite-sized pieces. Dice the onions and set aside to be used later. Step 2: Use a spiralizer and cut the zucchini into “noodles”. If you don’t have a spiralizer, chop into sticks, about 1cm in width. Step 3: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium high heat, add garlic, ginger and onion, stir for 20 seconds then add chicken stock and water. Once it begins to boil reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Step 4: Add sliced chicken breast, sweet potatoes and carrots to the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the zucchini and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the chicken or vegetables are cooked through. Step 5: Meanwhile, add chilli, oil and lemon juice in a food processor or mortar and pestle, process or pound until mixture is combined then season with pepper. Step 6: Ladle the soup into a serving bowl, drizzle with the chilli oil and serve with a lime wedge.

POLLY ANTEES is an accredited practising dietitian and credentialled diabetes educator with Diabetes Queensland. For more information on diabetes or to talk to a dietitian, call the Diabetes Australia Helpline on 1300 342 238.

HOW TO HYDRATE To stay hydrated, water is the best choice. Keep water in your truck and sip on it during the trip. If you are not allowed to consume fluids when driving then hydrate before you drive and at the designated rest stops. Drink 250ml of fluids at each break. If you want a change from plain water try low joule cordial in the water bottle, tea, coffee or lightly sparkling water. Lightly sparkling water comes in zero sugar varieties and are lower in sodium than normal low sugar softOtherdrinks.options to try are the water infusions, tea bags for water, mint, lemon juice, lime juice or a slice of orange. All these options are low in kilojoules, so do not add to your waistline. In the winter months, soup can also add to your fluid count.

CHICKEN AND ZUCCHINI SOUP WITH CHILLI DRIZZLE by Michelle Tong APD CDE Servings: 2 Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes

GOUT If you are prone to gout it is very important to stay hydrated. The kidneys remove the uric acid from your blood. Uric acid is not from eating foods with acid, it is the waste product of eating protein or foods high in purines.

CHECKING FOR DEHYDRATION In the Australian climate, hydration is even more important. To check for dehydration, look at your urine. You want to aim to have it the colour of straw. If it is dark yellow or orange then you need to drink more fluid. The colour of the urine measures how much urea is in the urine.

SLEEP Make sure you have a good sleep routine. Being sleep deprived slows your reaction times when driving. Tips for good sleep is to make sure your room is dark and does not contain any blue light. Have the television turned off and your mobile phone turned off. If you are sleeping in the cabin try to make sure it is Alsodark.make sure your meal before bed is low in fat, has a small meat portion, about palm sized, and contains low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates. A good roadhouse meal would be meat, mashed potato, corn and vegetables. If they don’t have corn have a small glass of lite milk or a yoghurt. Make sure you ask for a small serve of meat and extra vegetables!Staysafe on the road by being hydrated and getting plenty of good quality sleep.

Nutrition information panel NutrientPer serve Energy 2070kJ Protein 46g Total CarbohydratesSaturatedfat18gfat3.5g30g (= 2 exchanges) Sodium172mg “Mild dehydration has been sho wn to reduce concentration.”

DIABETES AUSTRALIA Polly Antees

A study at UniversityLoughboroughintheUKfound that mildly dehydrated drivers made errors such as lane drifting, late braking, or crossing over the middle lane, similar to people with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 per cent. The researchers put a group of men to the test using driving stimulators. The first driving test was when the men were sufficiently hydrated and then they repeated the test when they were only mildly dehydrated. Before the hydrated test the men drank two and a half litres of water the previous day and then half a litre the morning of the test. The test was repeated; however, the men could only have 750ml of water the day before the driving stimulator test. “The actual level of dehydration we produced in these men was very mild,” said lead study author Phil Watson, PhD. “We wanted to simulate real-world conditions, such as when you’ve had a particularly busy day and were unable to take breaks for drinks.” Mild dehydration was enough to affect the driving abilities of these drivers. The men made twice as many mistakes when dehydrated as when they were hydrated. This large increase in errors could lead to driving accidents and matched what Watson observed in his previous studies, when participants used the same simulator after consuming two and half standard drinks (75ml) of vodka. Just like alcohol and sleep deprivation, “mild dehydration has been shown to reduce concentration, slow reaction times, impair memory recall, and produce negative effects on mood,” says Watson. “All of these factors can impact our ability to safely drive a motor vehicle.”

INGREDIENTS Soup: 1L chicken stock (no added salt) 1 cup water 2 medium zucchini 250g sweet potatoes 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic (peeled and grated) 2.5cm garlic (peeled and grated) 1 large chicken breast 1(sliced)medium carrot 1/2 tbsp olive oil Chili drizzle: 2 small chilli, fresh 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lime juice

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40 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au Jason Whitty’s brief drive in a Peterbilt during a visit to the US state of Iowa turned into full-blown obsession, tracking down a 379 model north of the border in Canada. Warren Aitken tracks down Jason and his perfectly blinged-up Pete on Queensland’s Gold Coast OFCADILLACTRUCKS truck of the month

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I ’m sure anyone who has read any of my previous stories understands that I love starting my stories with quotes. Often they even relate directly to the story. More often, they relate indirectly to the story. Today’s quote goes directly to the source of the love affair and dare I say Peterbilt addiction that has led us to the beautiful big Pete you see on the pages before you. Let me explain by reciting the quote first: “A good friend will bail you out of jail, a great friend will be sitting beside you saying, ‘damn, we f***ed up’.” The reason it resonated with me when I started writing this story is that it made me think.

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Jason Whitty is the man with the Peterbilt addiction and Matty Easter is the friend that launched that Peterbilt addiction. Jason would rate him as “a bloody good mate” while Jason’s wife Nobuko might be a little more circumspect. For it was Matty that accompanied Jason, previously a Western Star advocate, over to the 2017 Walcott Truckers Jamboree in the US. It was Matty that organised Jason to have a bit of a cruise along in a 379 Pete. Therefore, it was Matty that ignited the love affair with what Jason describes as the ‘Cadillac of Trucks’: the 2006 379 extended hood Peterbilt you see before you. That opening paragraph pretty much summed up how and where Jason began his Peterbilt addiction. However, his truck addiction and his immersion in the trucking industry goes back a lot longer than that. Jason grew up in a trucking family. From the time he could lace up his work boots he was neck-deep in diesel and detergent. Before his father Clive became known for his stunning QFM Western Stars he was running around Sydney with Mitsubishis, Accos, S-lines and the like, doing all sorts of distribution work. Jason would spend every minute he could immersed in the transport world with his dad. If he wasn’t helping with deliveries, he was washing the trucks. If he wasn’t busy assisting with maintenance, he was busy washing trucks. If he wasn’t doing his homework, it was because, once again, he was washing trucks. It was in his blood. At age 13 he moved with his family up to Queensland’s Gold Coast where his parents had bought a boat hire business. As enjoyable as life on the water was, Jason was thankful his dad was still running trucks as well. That was definitely where his passion lay. Star fleet By the time Jason could legally drive, QFM was in full flight. I say ‘legally’ because, though he never admitted it, with that much diesel in his veins you can’t tell me he wasn’t getting some practice in with dads’ trucks. I still remember those outstanding looking QFM Western Stars with more lights than a Las Vegas Boulevard and more shine than an oiled-up body builder. They were the epitome of cool and that’s the world Jason was indoctrinated into. It will be no surprise to learn then that QFM was where

On that sliding scale of friendship described in this quote, where would you rate a mate who accompanies you on a lastminute trip to the Iowa 80 Truckstop in the US and then sets you up with a ride in a stunning 379 Peterbilt. That ride creates a desire and determination to own one. That desire and determination would then lead to your long-planned family holiday getting hijacked for a 1,500km detour in order to check out a second-hand Peterbilt. A secondhand Peterbilt that you would then purchase and spend the next three years dedicating all your free time to restoring and rebuilding. With all that information I again ask, on the quoted sliding scale of friendship, where would you rate the mate responsible for all of that?

“I wanted the 379, I wanted the extended hood, I wanted the 70-inch Unibilt sleeper.”

Left: There’s nothing better than the big yellow block of a Cat engine

Top: Jason Whitty is an extremely happy man. He’s found the perfect truck to feed his trucking addiction, and the right work to keep him busy, but not overly so

Opposite top: The big Pete looked amazing in its original colours but it’s twice as cool now; The Pete was stripped back for a rebuild – really stripped back

Bernie also branched out and shifted up to Toowoomba where he started Blaze Industries. By the time Jason was looking to find a job that would have him home more often, Highways Lights was growing beyond the inhouse role it had begun as. It was the perfect purchase for Jason. It allowed him plenty of family time while also ensuring a new challenge to keep him busy. Jason spent the next decade working on, under and in the middle of all manner of trucks. What started as a home-based company fitting lights to company trucks eventually grew to

As I previously referred to, the Whittys loved indulging in extra lights and bling for their trucks. However, it was getting harder and harder to find people who could do it in a timely fashion. After consultation with one of his trusted mechanics, Bernie McLean, it was decided to start doing their own work, adding lights and bling to the company trucks. Eventually this led to doing work for others as well and ended up creating a standalone business: Highway Lights.

Jason would go on to run four trucks, all contracted to QFM. He loved it. Eventually though he found something he loved more – his family. With his wife Nobuko and his two kids Jake and Jessica at home, Jason made the call to sell up his trucks and spend more time with his family. By this stage Jason’s dad Clive had begun another business that he would end up selling to Jason – Highway Lights. This business was created out of necessity. Admittedly it was a self-created necessity for the Whittys.

Jason earned his stripes and where he would eventually end up buying his first truck. At the age of 28 he purchased his first Western Star and ran in the middle of the QFM fleet.

AUGUST 2022 43ownerdriver.com.au

Top: With the exception of the steering wheel being on the right side, the truck is all USA inside Above: There’s no shortage of space in the back of this thing. While Jason may only spend limited time away from home these days, he could happily go for weeks

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Right: Side-on makes for a striking profile Opposite top: It doesn’t get any more American than the front-on look of a classic Peterbilt “I wanted to honour my dad and the trucks he ran by going with a maroon colour.”

become one of the most trusted customisation facilities in the country. Eyes on Iowa Roll in 2017 and what would be another change in direction for Jason. This was all courtesy of his mate Matty and what I can statistically assume was more than a few top shelf drinks. Although Jason was the one that talked Matty into popping over to the 2017 Iowa 80 Walcott Truckers Jamboree, it was Matty that played tour guide at the world’s largest truck stop. The Iowa 80 Truckstop caters for all the things you need and most of the things you didn’t even know you needed. Matty had been before and among his many connections was the owner of a 379 Peterbilt who was happy to give Jason a bit of a ride. “We did a lap around the block and I just loved it,” Jason recalls, though using slightly stronger wording. “It was so comfortable, no wonder they are known as the Cadillac of trucks.

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diametrically opposed to Texas bull haulers. It would become the workhorse of a small Mennonite community outside of Regina. If you haven’t heard of Mennonites, they are much like the Amish faith except they are not prohibited from using electricity, telephones and, most importantly, motorised vehicles. Hence the truck was purchased by a Mennonite community to assist with the transportation of the community’s grain and produce. It turns out the community loved the truck so much they sold it. I know that sounds like a bit of an oxymoron but it’s true. The Peterbilt did such a great job they wanted to upgrade to a new one. They sold the 379 and brought a brand new 389. This meant the truck had just landed on the lot when the Whitty family were ‘holidaying’ and Jason found the perfect truck for his next chapter. Step two in the procedure was getting the truck to Australia. Stuart Campbell, who ran Retruck Australia and was a leading conversion specialist for Peterbilt, helped out immensely. He was able to steer Jason towards a Brisbane-based company that could pick it up from Regina and safely deliver it to his doorstep, jumping through all the hoops and red tape for him. Now, while the company ‘could’ pick it up in Regina and get it down to a boat in Vancouver, where would the fun in that be? Particularly when Jason could fly over and drive it down to Vancouver

The thing about Canada, in case you weren’t aware, is Canada has a lot of snow. A lot! With that comes a lot of additives sprayed on the road. You’ll find more salt on the Canadian roads than you will in a large Maccas fries, and that’s saying something.

Jason had been aware on paper the truck ticked all the boxes, but until he got there and drove it, he hadn’t been aware of how tidy the 11-year-old truck was. He really had no choice but to buy it. Honestly Nobuko, he kind of had to. Texas bulls Why was it in such good nick? This is where the story gets even cooler. Jason would be the third owner of this pristine Peterbilt. While he found the truck for sale in Canada, it had spent most of its life in the US. It’s original vocation and its birthplace was the great state of Texas where it had been hauling bulls. Here’s is a little lesson in the obscure US trucking regulations for you guys as well. The bull haulers over there don’t run on logbooks or electronic work diaries. They just run. Once they are loaded, they just go. The idea is to get to the destination and get them off. Hence, when Jason bought the truck, it had extremely long legs, running 336 diffs. It only had 13-speed ’box though, which was attached to the Cat C15 Acert twin turbo motor. The truck had been designed to haul. The truck’s second life could not have been more

That last requirement was merely to avoid the hassles that were plaguing those diesel particulate filter motors at the time. Now, don’t think this was purely a ‘boys-andtheir-toys’ kind of desire. Jason was loving the work with Highway Lights but his kids had developed that annoying habit of growing up. This horrible affliction timed in with Jason’s natural body clock ticking away and reminding him of how much he loves the open road and loves trucking. Therefore, the choice to get himself a 379 Pete wasn’t merely because he could, it was also so he could get back to his trucking purpose. Never a man to waste an opportunity, Jason already had a Canadian vacation planned for the family in August. A mere month after Matty had whisked him away to Iowa, Jason and his family were going to be road tripping throughout Canada. While Nobuko was busy Googling and mapping out their road trip itinerary, Jason was on the other computer browsing the pages of Kijiji. No, that is not an OnlyFans site restricted to the morally depraved (I checked); it is Canada’s version of Gumtree. While perusing the site, Jason managed to find a truck that ticked all his boxes. Yes, there was a small issue of having a small detour to go check it out, but what’s a mere 1,500km among family, right? Mind you, it was 1,500km each way. It turns out that 1,500km in Canada is quite a long way. There isn’t the wide-open roads with 110km/h speed limits that we have here. It is up and down mountain ranges and around and around tight turns. While Jason never actually said how much the family enjoyed the added travel time, he also never said they didn’t. Hence, we will think positive and assume they loved it. On the subject of actually buying the truck, however, Jason did mention his loving wife was none too amused at the time. “Yeah, I did get in trouble with the missus, but at least we were able to get on with our holiday without any more detours,” Jason jokingly remarks. In fairness to Jason, he really had no option. The truck was damn near perfect. It ticked all the boxes, including price, and for a second-hand truck in the middle of Regina in Saskatchewan, it was in remarkable condition.

“After that ride I just wanted to have one,” he says. “But it had to be the right one. I wanted the 379, I wanted the extended hood, I wanted the 70-inch Unibilt sleeper and I wanted a pre-Euro 5 truck.”

48 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au himself, purely to save money mind you. It had nothing to do with the opportunity to traverse the famous Rogers Pass in British Columbia. Nope, it was purely a business decision to cut transportation costs, although I heard rumours that the bar tab he and his workmate accrued on the journey to Regina may have counteracted any transport savings.

In Vancouver the truck was driven straight onto the boat and, by December 23, 2017, it was rolling onto the docks in Brisbane. “Unfortunately, they found some leaves in the radiator so it had to get quarantined,” Jason says, recalling how close he was to his ultimate Christmas present. “I could stand at the fence and almost touch it, but sadly had to wait until the new year before I could get it.” Jason didn’t want a rushed job; he wanted the conversion and repaint done properly and was willing to wait until there was a chance to get a spot in the Retruck Australia production line. As it would turn out, he got the last spot. Jason’s first Peterbilt would be the last one done by Stu and his team before they sold Retruck Australia.

“We were bobtail and getting passed like we were standing still.”

Along with the obvious need to convert the lefthand drive 379 to a right-hand drive, Jason also wanted to give the truck an all-new paint job and basically rewire the whole thing while it was apart. “The Peterbilts were known for some wiring problems,” Jason explains.

“So, when we were getting the conversion done, we got the whole thing rewired.”

Engine and running gear-wise, the truck was in pretty good nick. Being a bull hauler it didn’t have scary kilometres, only 800,000 miles, but had a fair few engine hours on it – 43,000 to be exact.

Conversion process

In the end, Jason and one of his Highway Lights colleagues eventually got the big Pete safely into Vancouver. “We took our time over Rogers Pass, it was very icy,” Jason remembers.

During the rebuild any slightly worn of damaged parts got replaced with new, ensuring by the time it was back together it was in mint condition. Colour-wise, the original champagne gold had to go. “I wanted to honour my dad and the trucks he ran by going with a maroon colour,” Jason says. Add in some traditional lines and the end look is just outstanding. Once Retruck had finished doing the cab conversion, painting and the rewiring, the truck made it down to Jason’s Highway Lights store for the finishing off and final preparations. The team added a few extra lights and a little bit more bling. The desired look involved not overdoing it, keeping things subtle and clean but maintaining the ‘wow factor’ that classic Petes possess. Although there’s not a lot of sleeper air systems fitted in North America, it was something that Jason definitely wanted fitted here. “I added a 240V caravan air-con and heating system run off five lithium batteries,” Jason says. “It’s plumbed through the original sleeper system and it’s all run off a digital display that tells me how many hours and battery life I have.” The system can run cold for around 13 hours and heat for around seven to eight, which is more than enough for any trip north or south. The truck was completed in time for a great 2018 Christmas present for Jason, all shined up and ready to back under his drop deck and head off to work. The contacts he had in the industry meant he was able to find suitable jobs for his 65 tonne-rated piece of eye candy. Jason wasn’t interested in working flat out and has found work running the east coast of the country. It’s perfect for a man that just wants to get out and enjoy the job of trucking. Now, if you have looked through the photos before reading the story, you are probably noting there is a photo of a yellow motor resting in the chassis rails. The keen-eyed observer will note the C15 only sporting a single turbo, not the twin turbos I mentioned earlier. Here’s why. It seems while all the work was going on rebuilding the truck, the big Cat got a little too bored and impotent with nothing to do. When it finally got to work again it had been enjoying doing nothing for so long that it lasted only 10,000km then decided, ‘stuff it’. On his way home from down south the truck dropped a liner and that was it. Instead of rebuilding the big C15, Jason found a gentleman in Toowoomba that lived and breathed Cat engines and just happened to have a refurbished single turbo C15 out of a written-off Kenworth. The motor was practically brand new, so the big Pete got a whole new heart. Jason also took the opportunity to replace a few other parts, like removing the 13-speed and replacing it with an 18-speed ’box. He paired that with a new Easy Power clutch and, to avoid any over-heating, put in a new six-coil radiator.

“It’s basically a brand-new truck now, with everything under warranty,” Jason explains. All up, the Garfield motor (lazy Cat, get it?) cost Jason a bit more time off the road but the end result was worth it. The big 379 extended hood looks a million dollars on the outside and is basically brand new underneath as well now.

AUGUST 2022 49ownerdriver.com.au Top, L to R: Considering the work done by Highway Lights on other trucks, Jason avoided the temptation of adding too many lights to his classy Peterbilt; Admittedly this photo was just to stop Jason’s Saturday work crew from standing on the sidelines hassling the boss. We made them pose as well Above, L to R: Another throwback to the US way of doing things was the company name written on the step box; One of my favourite American additions is the part guards over the drive wheels Opposite middle: Powered ramps make life even easier for Jason Opposite bottom: The rear end of the Pete is almost as attractive as the front. Jason has kept with the US tradition of running the Suzi coils into the back of the truck Below: Just to save Jason having to explain it too often, the licence plate tells everyone all they need to know “It’s basically a brand-new truck now.”

There’s a long life ahead for Jason and his dream truck. Let’s all be thankful and just appreciate this stunning piece of classic US automotive engineering. Let’s all say a quiet thank you to Matty Easter too. He is the great mate that started all this. On that sliding friendship scale, I’d definitely rate him rather highly.

I just back from Mt Isa with a new list of items from that part of the country. I spoke with some truckies about green reflectors and with some vanners about fog lights, Channel 18 and 40 as well as signs and communication along the way. There were hundreds of vans returning from the Big Red Bash, sometimes in long queues. Most I got to speak with appreciated my suggestions and comments. I rang 131940 coming through Dalby last night and put in a list of three issues. Firstly, the lights at the Moonie turn off kept going red and stopping highway vehicles with no other traffic on the side road. Then there were all the proud culverts either end of town – no wonder we get blamed for road damage but it’s their culverts damaging our trucks, the drivers too and then the roads. As I have said before: “Why must our trucks be roadworthy when the roads are not truck worthy?” Lastly, the killer culvert just west of Waituna Road on the Warrego Highway west of Miles. I have heard back from Queensland Transport and Main Roads, Rockhampton regarding my concerns with lights going red at Blackwater and the Gracemere Industrial estate turnoff (and also raised the ones at Jockey Road near the sugar mill in Mackay). Also, the lack of bins at the area opposite the Ampol on the north side of town. The last time I complained I was told there was an upgrade coming, but it has been delayed. Plus there’s the light sequencing through Rocky. Those who rang me back were genuine, interested and helpful and I hope to keep in touch if I find further issues. I also asked who put up the green reflectors on the Fitzroy Development Road to thank them and why they stopped at Middlemount. I was told that is their boundary but they would also raise the issue and find someone from there to contact me. Minor things, but everyone counts. S omeone in an office, hundreds or thousands of kilometres away, will never know of these issues. With the lights specifically, if they do not work, they get an alarm, but if it is just sequencing badly and the lights still actually work, they may not. I was surprised no one else at Blackwater had complained as they were like it a month ago, so I had expected a local to raise the issue.

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. Rod is the current president of the NRFA. Contact Rod on 0428 120 560, e-mail comrod.hannifey@bigpond. or visit www.truckright.com.au

“My ask has always been for better roads and rest areas.”

EYES ON THE ROAD Rod Hannifey Finding your voice

It’s time to make a difference for change without being a negative keyboard warrior

not affect them, is it likely others will fix it for us? Well, they haven’t so far, so why now? Lastly, we can keep trying. We now have a near national regulator. I think we are better off than we have been. Is it perfect and have they solved it all? No. Can it be and get better? Yes, it can, but if Sal can’t do it and I certainly can’t, who can? Can you do it by being a keyboard warrior? I sincerely doubt it. Will it help to be negative and badmouth all those trying, because if someone hassles you and gives you a hard time when you are at least trying to fix things, will you keep trying? Will you really? I doubt that, too. So, where do we go from here? We are all individuals and the industry has so many different groups and sectors. We can’t all agree and, yes, some of those in associations have tried their hardest for years dealing with the authorities and governments and we are still asking. The NHVR needs our input, our support and our knowledge. We need them to include us and listen. How many of you have seen or truly contributed and now care about the Heavy Vehicle National Law review, which has gone on too long? Now, there is a review of the review and we are all still waiting to get a fair go. My ask has always been for better roads and rest areas, education of car drivers and fair and reasonable rules and penalties. Do you think any of those have been seriously addressed? Can you fix them and, if all these others have tried, why are we still asking for the same things? Because those who make the rules do not have to live by them. Because those who fund the roads do not have to live and drive on them. Because even during COVID, when we had a chance to be seen for what we contributed, we were shaton by those who didn’t care whether we had a toilet, a clean shower or a decent meal so we could keep on carrying this country. I can’t fix it today or tomorrow. I have tried for over 20 years but I will give you all another five. What will you do – whinge, do nothing, or do something positive? It is up to you. Toowoomba in July and I thank all who helped arrange it, those who attended and those who contributed. I started it by saying on a negative note that we are still trying to solve the same problems we had 20 years ago. By the way, if you can solve them, happy to watch and congratulate you afterwards. But I am ever hopeful that things can and will change. For those who think the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) was going to change things overnight, then the impassioned address by Sal Petroccitto detailing his frustrations in getting seven states and territories to a gree on one set of national transport rules shows even at his level things take time. H ave we fixed those things we wanted done at Razorback and since? No. Can we? There are three ways it can go. We all give up and nothing will change, no hassle, no change. We can whinge that someone else should fix it, but if the problems do

50 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

LONG-STANDING STRUGGLES Our National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) conference was held in

NatRoad Warren Clark

DISPROPORTIONATE PUNISHMENT

WARREN CLARK is the CEO of the National Road Transport Association. NatRoad communications are intended to provide commentary and general information. They should not be relied upon as legal advice. Our advisers are available to clarify any questions you have and provide the right advice for your business and workforce. Contact Richard at com.au,richard.calver@natroad.oron(02)62953000.

“With job vacancies everywhere the prospect of doing a job with no fine risk is Icompelling.”haverailed against a system where minor prescriptive errors like poor spelling or drawing a crooked line in a work diary can cost a driver money. Back to that in a moment.

Let’s look at what some of the bigger offences can cost you. Tampering with emission controls system used to attract a maximum court-imposed penalty of penalty of $10,790. From July 1, this rose to $11,820. Last financial year, not having a work diary with you carried a maximum courtimposed penalty of $6,480, which has risen to $7,110 with an infringement penalty of $711. What can seven grand buy you? You can pick up a 65-inch 4K Smart Outdoor TV, take a seven-day luxury cruise from Cairns to Brisbane or grab yourself a perfect but penalties for minor mistakes

Nobody’s

second-hand 2014 Nissan Sentra sedan. Nobody is defending drivers who deliberately break laws and the aim is to deter dangerous or irresponsible behaviour. But the overriding principle must be that punishment is in proportion to risk. Being fined for minor diary breaches doesn’t improve safety. NatRoad wants an immediate review of all HVNL prescriptive offences. We also want the brakes to go on for CPI annual increases for prescriptive offence amounts. Even when a fine is unfounded, the process and cost of disputing it through the court system is expensive. In many instances, the hearing is likely to be in a court far from the driver’s home base. No wonder fighting a minor breach is often regarded as too hard and a driver forks out just to avoid the time and expense of defending themselves. The company mentioned earlier in this article employs many professional drivers who have never incurred a work diary fine and are meticulous in managing their work hours. But even they have widespread disrespect for an enforcement process where revenue raising is the prime objective. The NatRoad member told me: “The flawed nature of fatigue management regulations designed to regulate working hours to the detriment of fatigue management, which has been raised incessantly since inception with no recognition or improvement, just adds insult to the penalties.

“At a time when more than ever it is impossible to recruit long distance drivers (or any driver for that matter), the continued pressure on this industry and its people to be absolutely error-free or face significant penalties, is encouraging mature, experienced people to leave the industry.”

are madness “The prospect of a fine equivalent to several weeks’ wages spells financial disaster.” PLATEMOUNTING OUT-OF- BALANCE POINT DURAMETAL SPHERES IN DAMPING FLUID CIRCULAR TUBE BALANCENEVERWHEELSAGAIN! 1300 822 765 www.centramatic.com.au  INCREASE TYRE LIFE up to 35%+  SAVE TIME. No more hassles getting wheels balanced  THE LARGEST CAPACITY to suit even super single tyres  AUTOMATICALLY BALANCES your wheels while you drive  EXTENDED suspension life. REDUCED vibration. SMOOTHER ride.  AVAILABLE FOR US, European and large Japanese trucks CIRCULARTUBE POINTOUT-OF-BALANCEMOUNTINGPLATE DURAMETALSPHERESINDAMPINGFLUID UNBALANCEDWHEEL Balancing weights move opposite the out-of-balance point. NatRoad communications are intended to provide commentary and general information. They should not be relied upon as legal advice. Our advisers are available to clarify any questions you have and provide the right advice for your business and workforce. Contact Richard at richard.calver@natroad.com.au, or on (02) 6295 3000.

Enough is enough

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A long-time NatRoad member received a surprising reaction when he circulated a thoughtful memo to his employees recently to alert them about the latest CPI rises in National Heavy Vehicle Law (HVNL) penalties. A good proportion of his workforce responded that “enough is enough” and indicated they intended to quit. It’s been a tough couple of years but this was not the reaction the employer expected. The note about penalties was a courtesy to underline the need to maintain good fatigue management. “The view of more than a few drivers is that the risk of a significant administrative fine now far outweighs the satisfaction they get from doing the job,” the member says. “While driving is a job they enjoy and one they do well, the prospect of a fine equivalent to several weeks’ wages spells financial disaster and is a risk they don’t need to take.

While a number of other truck manufacturers have truck technology

52 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

In a bid to place its range of products – the 300, 500 and 700 Series – directly in front of customers, Hino has taken a lengthy convoy-type roadshow around to its dealerships. And there’s the added attraction of a V8 Supercars ticket as well. Greg Bush writes Despite a host of new model releases over recent years, the pandemic-enforced lockdowns, as well as supply issues, have seemingly stifled Hino Motor Sales Australia’s (HMSA) efforts to promote its model lineup, including last year’s launch of the new 700 Series. Not to be thwarted for long, though, Hino has taken its show on the road – and it’s a long road too. Up and down Australia’s east coast where the bulk of its customers are situated. What better place to start than the far north Queensland city of Cairns, which was also the commencement point for an extended media drive event that took in the scenic Atherton Tablelands as well as a trip from Cairns to Townsville.

700 Series – FY 3036 at leaf 5,925mm – hook lift GVM: 30,000kg GCM: 42,500kg Axle layout: 8x4 Engine: A09 six-cylinder nine-litre Power/Torque: 360hp (265kW) / 1569Nm Transmission: Six-speed Allison 4440 true automatic Wheelbase: 5,925mm Active Safety: EBS braking; engine brake ‘retarder’ Jacobs type; LED headlamps & daytime running lamps; reverse camera as standard Performance & Efficiency: Euro 6 emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR + SCR; Alcoa alloy wheels (polished); six-rod leaf suspension; Interaxle & differential cross locks; 390L fuel tank & 28L AdBlue tank Comfort: Next generation ISRI NTS2 driver seat; four-point air suspended cab; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; 7-inch LCD driver instrument panel with more information; smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

AUGUST 2022 53ownerdriver.com.au

GVM: 6,500kg (optional 4,495kg) GCM: GVM + 3,500kg Axle layout: 4 x 2 Engine: J05E four-cylinder 5.1-litre engine Power/torque: 205hp (151kW) / 600Nm Transmission: six-speed A465HD auto Wheelbase: 3,500mm Active Safety: Pre-collision system (PCS) including autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection; vehicle stability control (VSC); lane departure warning system (LDWS); reverse camera; daytime running lights (DRL); ECE R29 cab strength certified Performance & efficiency: Euro 5 emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR; 4.625 diff ratio; six-speed true automatic transmission; 200L fuel tank Comfort: Drivers’ torsion bar suspension seat; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; 4.2-inch TFT screen in instrument panel; smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

Top: Little beauty: Hino’s 300 721 can be driven on a car licence Below: Hino’s 700 Series FY 3036 hook lift undertaken a roadshow of this magnitude previously, this was Hino’s first attempt at taking its products direct to the customers. Naturally, the new 700 models featured prominently in the convoy, including an FY 3036 hooklift, an FR 2632 with a 14-pallet body and an FH 1832 tipper. Hino points out, however, that the line-up with be subject to alteration during the convoy, including the addition of the 616 Hybrid. The road show will also coincide with Repco V8 Supercar events where possible, due to its partnership with the Supercars Championship. As an aside, the best place to view the Supercar events is from Hino’s new double-storey sports deck, which was “The market has gone away from the manual in this area.”

300 Series – 721 at 3,500mm wide

500 Series – FR 2632 air 6,388mm – 14-pallet curtain sider

700 Series – SS 2848 air 3,988mm – prime mover

GVM: 26,000kg GCM: 36,500kg Axle layout: 4 x 2 Engine: A09 six-cylinder, nine-litre engine Power/torque: 320hp (235kW) / 1,275Nm Transmission: Six-speed Allison 3200 true automatic Wheelbase: 6,388mm Active safety: EBS braking; engine brake ‘retarder’ – Jacobs type; vehicle stability control (VSC); anti-lock brakes (ABS); pre-collision system (PCS) inc. autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection (PD); lane departure warning system (LDWS); driver monitor; safety eye (distance warning); LED headlamps and daytime running lamps; reverse camera supplied as standard; adaptive cruise control Performance & efficiency: Euro 6 emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR + SCR; alloy wheels (polished); electronic control air suspension (ECAS); 390L fuel tank & 28L AdBlue tank Comfort: Next generation ISRI NTS2 driver seat; air suspended cab; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; 7-inch TFT driver instrument panel with more information; Hino smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

layout: 6 x 4 Engine: E13 six-cylinder, 13-litre engine Power/torque: 480hp (353kW) / 2,157Nm Transmission: 16-speed ZF TraXon AMT with intarder Wheelbase: 3,988mm Active Safety: EBS braking; engine brake ‘retarder’ – Jacobs type + ZF intarder; vehicle stability control (VSC); anti-lock brakes (ABS); pre-collision system (PCS) inc. autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection (PD); lane departure warning system (LDWS); driver monitor; Safety Eye (distance warning); LED headlamps and daytime running lamps; reverse camera supplied as standard; adaptive cruise control Performance & efficiency: Euro 6 emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR + SCR; alloy wheels (polished); electronic control air suspension (ECAS); 390L + 250L fuel tanks & 2 x 28L AdBlue tanks Comfort: Next generation ISRI NTS2 driver seat; air suspended cab; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; all new 7-inch TFT driver instrument panel with more information; new smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

GVM: 28,300kg GCM: 72,000kg Axle

500 Series – FE 1424 leaf crew

GVM: 14,000kg (optional 12,000kg) GCM: 1,000kg Axle layout: 4 x 2 Engine: A05 four-cylinder, five-litre engine Power/torque: 240hp (177kW) / 833Nm Transmission: Six-speed Allison 2500 series true automatic Wheelbase: 5,540mm Active Safety: Engine brake ‘retarder’ – Jacobs type; vehicle stability control (VSC); anti-lock brakes (ABS); pre-collision system (PCS) inc. autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection (PD); lane departure warning system (LDWS); safety eye (distance warning); LED headlamps and daytime running lamps; reverse camera supplied as standard; adaptive cruise control Performance & efficiency: Japan pPNLT (Euro 6 equivalent) emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR + SCR; 4.875 diff ratio; 200L fuel tank and 19L AdBlue tank Comfort: Next generation ISRI NTS2 driver seat; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; 7-inch TFT driver instrument panel with multiple vehicle information; Hino smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

54 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

Top left: The FR 2632 auto with 14-pallet body Above: Big boy’s toy: The 300 Series 817 4x4 crew cab

300 Series - 817 4x4 Crew Cab Medium GVM: 7,500kg (optional 4,495kg) GCM: GVM + 3500kg Axle layout: 4 x 4 Engine: N04 4-cylinder 4 litre engine Power/torque: 165hp (121kW) / 464 Nm Transmission: 6-speed synchromesh manual Wheelbase: 3,500mm Active Safety: Vehicle stability control (VSC) with traction control (TC); anti-lock brakes (ABS); reverse camera fitted as standard Performance & Efficiency: Euro 5 emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR; 4.625 diff ratio; selectable 4 x 4, high and low range; 100L + 70L fuel capacity Comfort: Drivers’ suspension seat on inclined seat rails; New smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity; Rear passenger air conditioning

Left: The 700 FS2848 tipper and dog entered the fray on the drive event’s second leg Below: Up and around: Easy pickings for the FY 3036 launched at the Townsville 500 in early July. A Hino 700 Series SH1845 has the task of hauling the sports deck from venue toMvenue.eanwhile, back in the far north, the test drive program involved travelling from Cairns up to Atherton via Gillies Range Road. Beforehand, Daniel Petrovski, Hino’s manager of product strategy, pointed out that it was Australia’s windiest road. It proved to be a challenging leg of the drive, although I was fortunate enough to be behind the wheel of the 300 Series 721. With a six-speed fully automatic transmission, J05E fourcylinder 5.1-litre engine, the 721 made easy meat of the tight corners up the range, although the option of manually switching to lower gears proved handy on occasion. Like the majority of the trucks on tour, the 721 comes with a host of safety features, including lane departure warning and vehicle stability control as part of Hino’s Smart Safe package. The exception, at least for some of the features, was the 300

network.”ourventurebiggestandinvestmenttheonembarked“We’vewhatisbiggestthejointwithdealer

AUGUST 2022 55ownerdriver.com.au

GVM: 16,000 (as presented) to 17,400kg GCM: 38,000kg

Performance & efficiency: Euro 6 emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR + SCR; alloy wheels (polished) Comfort: Next generation ISRI NTS2 driver seat; air suspended cab; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; 7-inch TFT driver instrument panel with more information; Hino smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

300 Series – 616 3,430mm wide Trade Ace GVM: 4,495kg (optional 5,500kg) GCM: GVM + 3500kg (auto up to 8,000kg) Axle layout: 4 x 2 Engine: N04 four-cylinder, four-litre engine

Comfort:

Power/torque: 150hp (110kW) ICE, 35kW AC motor / 470Nm

Power/torque: 150hp (110kW) / 420Nm Transmission: speed Aisin A860E Auto Wheelbase: 3,430mm Active Safety: Pre-collision system (PCS) including autonomous emergency baking (AEB) and pedestrian detection (PD); vehicle stability control (VSC); lane departure warning system (LDWS); reverse camera; daytime running lights (DRL); ECE R29 cab strength certified Performance & efficiency: Euro 5 emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR; 6-speed true automatic transmission; 4.625 diff ratio; 150L fuel tank Drivers’ suspension seat; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; 4.2-inch TFT screen in instrument panel; smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

dealers.”regionalcoveringalsoWe’lldealers.thecovergoing“We’retoallmetrobe Series 817 4x4 crew cab medium, although it does come with vehicle stability control as well as traction control. This beauty not only looks the goods but performs just as admirably. The six-speed synchromesh is a shifter’s dream. Apart from the 817, it was auto all the way, with the slight exception of the 700 FS 2828, which comes with a six-speed ZF TraXon AMT and intarder. The Jacob plus ZF intarder proved handy on the Cairns to Townsville leg due to the high amount of stop-start road works taking place along the Bruce Highway.

Above: “We’ve got ourselves a convoy”. Part of the evolving Hino roadshow Right: The Hino Sports Deck amid the Townsville 500 action Oppsite top: The SS High Roof and Low Loader

700 Series – FH 1832 leaf 4,200mm

Petrovski explains that the bulk of Hino customers opt for

Comfort: Drivers’ suspension seat on inclined seat rails; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; 4.2-inch TFT screen in instrument panel; smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

300 Series – 616 3,430 wide hybrid GVM: 4,495kg as presented (optional 5,500kg) GCM: GVM + 3500kg Axle layout: 4 x 2 Engine: N04 four-cylinder, four-litre engine with AC motor

Axle layout: x 2 Engine: A09 six-cylinder, nine-litre engine Power/torque: 320hp / 1,275Nm Transmission: Six-speed Allison 3200 true automatic Wheelbase: 4,200mm Active Safety: EBS braking; engine brake ‘retarder’ – Jacobs type; vehicle stability control (VSC); anti-lock brakes (ABS); pre-collision system (PCS) inc. autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection (PD); lane departure warning system (LDWS); driver monitor; safety eye (distance warning); LED headlamps and daytime running lamps; reverse camera supplied as standard; adaptive cruise control

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Transmission: Six-speed RE62 AMT with direct coupled hybrid electric motor Wheelbase: 3,430mm Active Safety: Pre-collision system (PCS) including autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection; vehicle stability control (VSC); lane departure warning system (LDWS); reverse camera; daytime running lights (DRL); ECE R29 cab strength certified Performance & Efficiency: Euro 6 emission standard utilising Hino DPR + SCR; 4.1 diff ratio; Hino RE62 AMT; 100L fuel capacity.

AUGUST 2022 57ownerdriver.com.au TOBUILTLAST High temperature resistant hydraulic fluid Viton seal improved operating temperature range Double action valving system in bump and rebound Single bonded bushing With over 100 years of experience in every shock absorber, you know they’re built to last. monroe.com.au OWD-HH-5211106-CS-318 auto transmissions nowadays, hence its new vehicles are not available as a manual, unless specifically requested. “It’s so the driver can concentrate on the job,” he“Thesays.market has gone away from the manual in this area. So we made that decision – twopedal only.” A special mention should be made of Hino’s FY 3036 hook lift. With its A09 six-cylinder, nine-litre offering 360hp (265kW) connected to the Allison 4440 automatic, it’s on-road behaviour was exemplary. Hino has a winner on its hands here. Petrovski says its entire range covers everything from car licence trucks to 72 tonne GCM multi combination. The issue has been placing the trucks directly in front of new and existing customers, with dealerships limited by space and supply issues, so Hino decided it needed to take the trucks out to the customers. “That was something that we decided with HMSA and our dealers,” says Petrovski. “And we’ve embarked on what is the biggest investment and the biggest joint venture with our dealer network. “We’re doing the Hino roadshow over certainly the next six months – we’re going to cover all the metro dealers. We’ll also be covering regional dealers.” Petrovski says there’s been in excess of $3 million invested in the demo vehicles. “It’s a representation from 300, 500 and 700 SeriesFollowingproducts.”theroadshow, Hino will further promote its line-up at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show. 700 Series – FS 2848 AMT leaf 4,275mm – tipper & dog GVM: 28,300kg GCM: 63,000kg Axle layout: 6 x 4 Engine: E13 six-cylinder 13-litre engine Power/torque: 480hp (353kW) / 2,157Nm Transmission: 16-speed ZF TraXon AMT with intarder Wheelbase: 4,275mm (leaf) Safety: EBS braking; engine brake ‘retarder’ – Jacobs type; vehicle stability control (VSC); anti-lock brakes (ABS); pre-collision system (PCS) inc. autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection (PD); lane departure warning system (LDWS); driver monitor; Safety Eye (distance warning); LED headlamps and daytime running lamps; reverse camera supplied as standard; adaptive cruise control Performance & efficiency: Euro 6 emissions compliance utilising Hino DPR + SCR; Alcoa alloy wheels (polished); six-rod leaf suspension; interaxle & differential cross locks Comfort: Next generation ISRI NTS2 driver seat; air suspended cab; steering wheel controls for vehicle information and cruise control; 7-inch TFT driver instrument panel with more information; new smart multimedia unit with Wi-Fi connectivity.

VariousELVIS artists Sony www.rcarecords.comMusic

HOUSEHOLD NAME Momma Mirror www.mommaband.comRecords/Virgin US band Momma has nowrockseriousAngelesband”fromtranscendeda“garageinLostoaindiebandbasedin Brooklyn, New York City. Founded by longtime high school friends Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, Momma released two albums before signing to Mirror Records for new album Household Name With drummer Zach CapittiFenton adding the missing link, Momma gets behind the wheel for the track ‘Speeding 72’, notable for its lengthy rock guitar intro and solos. ‘Lucky’, with Friedman on lead vocals, was inspired by a Liz Phair song and touches on a long-distance romance. Weingarten sings lead on ‘Motorbike’, a song about waking up the town, while ‘Rockstar’ is one of the album’s heaviest tracks. The girls give off a sweet but intense vibe on ‘Brave’, there’s a hint of menace amid an unassuming backing on ‘Tail Home’ and ‘No Bite’ has Momma moving into slow rock territory amid an air of resignation.

LIFE IS YOURS Foals Warner www.foals.co.ukMusic

58 AUGUST 2022

UK rock band Foals coincided the release of its eighth album Life Is Yours with a theappearancehigh-profileatGlastonbury festival in July. With a post-punk attitude, Foals, now a trio, power through the album’s lead single ‘Wake Me Up’ that’s not unlike the sound of Duran Duran. Elsewhere, ‘2001’ is a dance funk track, the beat maintained through to the brief instrumental ‘Summer Sky’ and onto a mood change with ‘Flutter’. Foals revisit old digs on ‘Looking High’, the band’s lead singer Yannis Philippakis hitting the high notes on the upbeat track. The positive groove is maintained on ‘Under The Radar’, although the pace is slowed a little for ‘Crest Of The Wave’, a song about summer. The title track is another Duran Duran sound-alike, and there’s more funky beats on ‘The Sound’. Even for the final track ‘Wild Green’, Foals never slow the pace. Life Is Yours is a bright, upbeat album to wipe away the blues.

EMOTIONAL CREATURE Beach Bunny Liberator www.beachbunnymusic.comMusic

Greg Bush ownerdriver.com.au

The soundtrack to the LuhrmannBaz movie of the same name, Elvis is a 36-track album that surprisingly is sprinkled with music from more contemporary artists as well as songs from Elvis Presley himself. A couple of Australians make a significant input – Tame Impala gives Presley’s original vocals a dream-like makeover on ‘Edge Of Reality’, and dance-pop trio Pnau transforms ‘Suspicious Minds’ into a new track with a new title – ‘Don’t Fly Away’. US country star Kacey Musgraves gives a haunting version of ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ while the movie’s main man, Austin Butler, does his best Elvis impersonation on ‘Hound Dog’. Original Presley songs include ‘Polk Salad Annie’, ’If I Can Dream’ and a tragic finale ‘Unchained Melody’, lifted from a 1977 concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A well-conceived soundtrack, but best to see the movie first. Ben Harper Chrysalis www.benharper.comRecords

Steve Lucas & The Rising Tide SLXpress/Aztec comstevelucasx.bandcamp.Music

TamiKINGMAKERNeilson www.tamineilson.comMGM

The Elvis movie soundtrack makes its presence felt

MEET THE MOONLIGHT Jack Johnson Brushfire/Republic jackjohnsonmusic.comRecords

Despite the band’s title, Beach Bunny is based in the US city of debutReleasingChicago.itsalbum Honeymoon in 2020, Emotional Creature is the quartet’s second full-length album, not including a number of EP releases. Lili Trifilio’s vocals are the band’s trademark, her gutsy delivery shining while her punkinfluenced fellow musicians supply the forthright backing on strong tracks such as ‘Oxygen’. It’s more of the same for the short but sweet ‘Fire Escape’, while there’s some angst on ‘Deadweight’. Beach Bunny slows the tempo for ‘Weeds’, about a parasitical acquaintance, that track leading into ‘Gravity’, an ambient instrumental interlude. At times, Trifilio sounds a little like Shirley Manson from fellow US band Garbage, but she’s capable of softening her sound, for example the pop-rock track ‘Karoake’. Refreshing!

CROSS THAT LINE

CornerCountry As well as being involved in road transport media for the past 22 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.

Sydney singer-songwriter Steve Lucas, a survivor of ’70s band X (not to be confused with the LA band of the same name), is now embracing the sounds of alternate country, blues and folk. A few musician friends, under the banner of The Rising Tide, join Lucas for the new album Cross That Line. Armed with his weathered, soulful vocals, Lucas delivers the goods on ‘Congratulations’, a honkytonk rock track he wrote back in 1990. There’s swing on ‘How Can I Sing The Blues’, and he had Gram Parsons and wine on his mind when he wrote ‘Joshua Tree’, a down-home folk number. There’s a rollicking eight-bar beat to ‘The BompA-Bomp Song’ and a New Orleans flavour on ‘Moths To A Flame’.

ROAD SOUNDS

BLOODLINE MAINTENANCE

MaintenanceBloodline Ben Harper’s first “vocal” solo album since 2016’s Call It Like It Is, has the multiple Grammy-winning US blues-rock artist back in familiar territory. It’s a hands-on approach, with Harper co-producing the album as well as writing and playing various instruments. Jazz-funk keyboard player Larry Goldings, who has played with the likes of James Taylor and Steve Gadd, adds the clavinet to ‘Need To Know Basis’, and there’s multiple brass instruments on ‘Smile At The Mention’, a retro-style blues and soul track. With a trio of female backing sings, Harper brings “black lives matter” to the fore on the soulful ‘We Need To Talk About It’, and sings of war and relationships on ‘Where Did We Go Wrong’, a cool funky track. ‘Honey Honey’, with Harper pleading for his lover’s return, is a mid-paced blues number, and he plays all instruments on the final, emotive track ‘Maybe I Can’t’.

releasemusicalfromhasJacksongwritersinger-Hawaii-basedJohnsonemergedafive-yearhiatusto Meet The Moonlight, his eighth album. Well known for a relaxed acoustic pop-rock style of music, Johnson continues that trend on this new release. ‘One Step Ahead’ is more lively than most, its percussion driving the message of “playing the same old games”. He’s more chilled on ‘Open Mind’ and again on ‘3AM Radio’ as he sings of sleeping in his car’s back seat. There’s a distinctive Hawaiian flavour to ‘Calm Down’, and Johnson’s in drifting mode on ‘Windblown Eyes’, another stress-free track. ‘Any Wonder’ is a catchy, acoustic guitarbacked song, and there’s some nice finger picking on ‘I Tend To Digress’, one of the laid-back album’s most laid-back tracks. He will be touring Australia later this year, starting in Perth on November 29.

Return of the king

Zealand-basedborn,Canadian-New singer Tami Neilson has one of the best and biggest voices around. And it shows on her new album Kingmaker. Nielson delivers a haunting vocal on ‘Baby, You’re A Gun’, a song with a “western” feel. She references Kitty Wells as she laments the lack of airplay for female country artists on the percussion-based ‘King Of Country Music’. Royalty makes an appearance in the form of Willie Nelson, who sings a duet with Neilson on ‘Beyond The Stars’, a retrosounding track. She takes a shot at sexual harassment in the music industry on ‘Green Peaches’, and pays tribute to her late songwriting father Ron Neilson on the reworked ‘I Can Forget’, a song he wrote and she discovered years after his passing.

Nominations for the 2022 HVIA National Awards are now open

October 1 & 2, 2022. Gatton, Queensland

BRISBANE CONVOY FOR KIDS

MEGATRANS 2022

November 19 to 20, 2022. Maffra, Vic. Held at the Maffra Recreation Grounds on Newry Road, the East Gippsland Heritage Truck Display is open to all trucks of any age, reflecting the history of transport in Australia. Plus live music, kids entertainment including jumping castle and model trucks. Catering provided plus American Truck Historical Society club merchandise available. Admission: adults $10 per day, $15 two-day pass, children under 16 free. Satiurday night dinner. Free camping for exhibitors. All dogs on leash. For further info phone John Burley on 0413 516 233 or Terry Whelan on 0408 516 144. I98FM ILLAWARRA CONVOY November 20, 2022. Appin South 32 Colliery to Shellharbour Airport, NSW The Illawarra community’s 17th annual big convoy. Bikes will leave Illawarra Coal’s Westcliff Colliery on Appin Rd at around 8.15am, followed by family buses then lead trucks. Non-lead trucks join at Maddens Plains to Mount Ousley, Warrawong to Shellharbour Airport. Family fun day at Shellharbour Airport (COVID restrictions permitting). Fundraising will continue on-line with a silent auction, raffles and merchandise, with monies raised to be distributed via the Illawarra Community Foundation to charities and families in need within the Illawarra and South Coast regions. For further information visit www.illawarraconvoy.com.au or see the convoy’s Facebook site at www.facebook.com/i98fmillawarraconvoy

October 20 to 22, 2022. Gold Coast, Queensland

The 2022 Lights on the Hill Memorial Convoy is planned to be held on October 1 en route to Gatton Showgrounds, with the memorial service to be held on October 2 at the Lake Apex Memorial wall. Live music at the showgrounds includes The Wolfe Brothers, Josh Setterfield, Hayley Jensen, Will Day, Kerry Kennedy & Double Barrel and more. For further information go to the Lights On The Hill website or see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lightsonthehillmemorial

SEA Electric MD Bill Gillespie with the 2021 Product Innovation Award, sponsored by National InsuranceTransport

After a difficult two years for road freight operators, NatRoad is pleased to invite members to the NatRoad National Conference 2022, to be held at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Gold Coast from October 20 to 22. Includes the ‘NatRoad Parliament’ and the NatRoad Awards presented at the Gala Dinner. For further info see the website at www.natroad.com.au

NATROAD CONFERENCE 2022

HVIA to recognise leaders, talent and innovation

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) chief executive Todd Hacking says HVIA’s annual awards present a valuable opportunity for HVIA members to pause and reflect on the achievements of these organisations and the individuals who inspire their success. “I encourage all HVIA members to join us in celebrating the dedication, innovation and collaboration that sits behind every success,” Hacking says. “The 2022 HVIA National Awards are a great opportunity to recognise those efforts and the amazing outputs and outcomes that they have produced. “The awards include some categories that reflect individual initiative, growth and performance, and others that are designed to acknowledge the achievements of your company’s achievements or perhaps collaborations across“Submissionsteams. for last year’s awards were a great illustration of the talent that is so abundant across the length and breadth of Australia’s heavy vehicle industry,” he says. “We saw our next generation honoured though the National Apprentice of the Year Award, won by Daniel Steuten, of Royans, and Peter Langworthy Future Leader Award winner Matthew Longridge of MaxiTrans.

THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

August 24 to 26, 2022. Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Victoria MEGATRANS is an integrated trade exhibition and conference showcasing the full freight and logistics supply chain, spanning warehousing and logistics, through to multimodal freight and final mile delivery. For further details and tickets, see the website www.megatrans.com.au

LIGHTS ON THE HILL MEMORIAL CONVOY

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WHAT’ S ON upcoming events

EAST GIPPSLAND HERITAGE TRUCK DISPLAY

November 5, 2022. Redcliffe, Qld The Brisbane Convoy for Kids will form a Convoy of Trucks and Transport Support Vehicles, travelling from Paradise Rd, Pallara across the Gateway to the Redcliffe Showgrounds for a Family Fun Day. Includes truck show, bikes and other vehicles, live entertainment, auctions, food stalls, free kids rides, evening fireworks. Truck registrations open at 6am on November 5, Redcliffe Showgrounds gates open at 9am. For further info see the website at www.brisbaneconvoyforkids.com.au or the Facebook page www.facebook.com/BrisbaneConvoyForKids

“Scania Australia took out the Community Leadership Award [sponsored by Moreton Hire], for their sustainable products and operations program. “The Product Innovation Award sponsored by NTI was won by SEA Electric for the first Australian-produced all-electric truck. “And the Safety Innovation Award, sponsored by SafeTstop, was won by Driverisk Australia’s AI risk detection solutionHackingDrivecam.”sayshehas no doubt that a similar array of people, products and programs are deserving of the same recognition this year. “We have also welcomed many new members over the last year and encourage those companies to get amongst the nominations. “The nomination process is not onerous. It is time very well invested.” Award categories open include Product Innovation, Safety Innovation, Community Leadership, Apprentice of the Year, and Peter Langworthy Future Leader. The awards portal is set up to allow nominations to be started and completed over the course of the next few weeks, before nominations close Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

To have an event listed free, phone 0408 780 302 or e-mail greg.bush@primecreative.com.au

60 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

Warren Aitken discovers E very now and then I get those stories where what I have to say is clearly unimportant. Well, ‘unimportant’ is probably the wrong word to use. It’s just that In particular cases I know that the pictures I submit are really all the information and entertainment needed. It would be more accurate to say my write-up in some cases, like this one, is superfluous. I can accept that, however I am still going to waffle on a little. Clearly not for your entertainment but solely to make sure I get a pay packet this week. For those of you with very little self-control feel free to just stop reading and go and thoroughly enjoy the state of this stunning 21-year-old Kenworth. Look at the photos of the interior, look at the photos of the artwork, look at the photos of the attention to detail. It’s a story to look at. For those who understand I need to earn a crust, please read on. Tim Montague is the man with the keys to one of the coolest and most modern old Kenworths I’ve ever seen. I’ll admit I still admire the guys who are driving a lot of these old Kennys. They overflow with coolness but more often than not it’s at the expense of both quietness and comfort. Tim’s truck is one of the exceptions. It’s packed with old school coolness and now contains a lot of creature comforts, a nicely soundproofed cab, modern driver amenities, a significantly smoother ride and a hell of a sound system. It’s the perfect working truck. This cool Kenworth has been a part of Tim’s life ever since he entered the challenging owner-driver world in 2010. Back when he bought the beast it was a wellworn 2001 K104 with a history of east coast running. Those east coast runs and the fact that it had nearly two million kilometres under its belt was half the appeal for Perth-based Tim. I asked Tim why he’d look at a truck 4,500km away in Brisbane. “Trucks from the east coast generally have been well looked after, mainly on bitumen, not a lot of red dirt running,” he says.

COOL RUNNING

Starting off in the Western Australian drilling industry, Tim itsoldieAndofbehindstepbeforeworldenteredMontaguethetruckingasadrivermakingthetoowner-driverthewheelaKenworthK104.thatgoldenisastoryonown,as

owner-operator profile

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Tim had a natural affiliation to all things mechanical. Before he could officially drive trucks, he was busy rebuilding them. By the time he was 21 he had torn down and completely rebuilt a classic Kenworth K100E. All that playing around fixing and rebuilding trucks eventually saw Tim get behind the wheel and start making a mile. He spent a year within the confines of the Western Australian border, perfecting his trade under the tutelage of good friends like Mark Brooker. Pretty soon he was running Australia-wide, regularly crossing the paddock for Jolly & Sons, running over to Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. After a six-month hiatus to try his hand as a backpacker overseas, he returned to the addictive world of driving. This time, though, he broke into the fuel distribution world, firstly as a two-up driver at Liberty Fuels, then on his own with Stevemacs Bulk Fuel Haulage in Perth. It was this company that would eventually lead Tim to branch out on his own. As much as he loved the fuel, the quiet times would find him using his truck to contract out other work for Stevemacs. The other

When I also bailed him up about the fact it had nearly been twice around the clock he made another valid point. “When you buy a truck with 800,000km it normally hasn’t had anything done to it. You’ve got to spend some money on it, whereas once it’s gotten into the million-plus bracket it tends to have had a bit of work done.”

Opposite top: The sparkling 21 year-old Kenny hard at work, with an example of some of the weird and wonderful farm equipment Tim tows around Opposite middle, L to R: There was plenty who had a hand in the revamped interior and all of them should take a bow. Check out those speakers!; Just take a break from admiring how amazing the interior looks to appreciate the time Tim spent peeling off the wood grain “Once million-plusintogottenit’sthebracketittendstohavehadabitofworkdone.”

Top: Tim Montague is rightfully very proud of his rebuilt K104 Above left: Full makeover: In order for KCraft Bullbars to redesign the cupboards and storage in the sleeper it was stripped right back Left: There’s not a lot to a truck once it’s stripped this much

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It was sound thinking and Tim is one who would know. Drilling beginnings Machinery and mechanics were the dominant aspects of Tim’s life before he finally took up the truck driving obsession at age 25. His family were heavily entrenched in the drilling industry. Saying ‘heavily entrenched’ is a little bit of an understatement. Montague Drilling has been drilling in Western Australia for close to 100 years. The company began with Tim’s great-grandad back in 1908 and ran right up into the new century. Tim himself spent a lot of his younger years with a Montague drilling shirt on. Admittedly it was hard to see under all the oil and grease, though.

AUGUST 2022 63ownerdriver.com.au work, ranging from steel to machinery, really resonated with Tim and, in 2010, he decided to go out on his own. “The guys at Stevemacs were great, they were sad to lose me as a company driver but very supportive when they knew I was going to go out on my own,” Tim recalls. He says he still buys all his fuel off them today. If this was a Hollywood movie, we would need a major stumbling block about now in order to build up the drama. Really add some ‘little guy struggling against the odds’ kind of tension to things. But let Tim tell that story. “The original work I had lined up lasted about a month and then died in the arse, as it does when you go straight into the deep end and buy a truck.”

The loss of work wasn’t a major stumbling block for Tim, though; he just did what all good Aussies do, he adapted and hooked in. He found other work for his new old Kenworth. The truck did a little bit of interstate work but Tim found the local work more alluring. He spent a bit of time carting steel off the wharfs before transitioning more towards moving farm machinery around. This particular area held great appeal to Tim, mixing trucks with machinery. It was a perfect combination and it also meant no trailer was needed. Instead, Tim had a custom block built for the back of the K104 and he focused on building the farm machinery moving business, moving weird and difficult farm equipment all over WA. If I was one of those writers always keen to give a client’s mates something to rib him about, I would take this time to make a little crack about how the pace of

Tim’s work was the real appeal. Seeing as the majority of his loads can only be towed around at speeds of 30 to 40km/h, I would imply that his age is better suited to working at this retirement style pace. This way he’s got plenty of time to finish his knitting or crossword puzzles and doesn’t risk pulling a muscle overworking himself. I’m not that kind of writer, though. Hence, I won’t mention it. With all the formalities sorted out let’s focus now on the truck. As mentioned earlier the 2001 K104 was originally from the east coast. It began its life

With the added advantage now of all-new running gear and factory warranties, it set Tim up to keeping the truck working for a lot longer than may have previously been intended. The Kenworth now had an all-new exterior look and brand-new running gear. Time to update the interior, thought Tim.

That noise would lead to a whole new engine, gearbox and radiator in the Kenworth. “At the time it just made sense to put a whole new Gen2 signature in it,” Tim says. “There was only a $5,000 difference between rebuilding it and replacing it.”

The custom interior is what truly sets this truck apart. After stripping it all out the truck was sent to K Craft Bullbars of all places to get a newly designed interior. Tim wanted a natural-looking cupboard set-up that would house all the creature comforts for him to survive his long, slow days on the road. Again, the ‘slow’ is in reference to the speed limited equipment Tim specialises in. It is in no way a reason for Tim’s mates to hassle him about his age or elderly work abilities. I just want to make that clear. Spot-On Motor Trimmers was brought in to do all the

64 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au painted up in the familiar Armesto’s Transport family colours, its working life spent running out of Armesto’s Sunshine Coast depot. It was painted white when Armesto’s sold the truck to another owner-driver who was running it mainly north of Brisbane, up into North Queensland. Once in Tim’s possession it worked tirelessly in white for a good few years. Crash course Although Tim had envisioned repainting the truck he was too busy working it at the time. Like most good stories it took a subtle push from a fellow truckie to finally get Tim to follow through on the repainting idea. A subtle push from a fellow truckie may be a bit of a soft summation, though. “Another bloody truck crashed into the front of it,” is how Tim describes it. With that damage done it was a prime time for Tim to put his touch on his truck. Once repaired, it went off to Parins Truck Repairs in the Perth suburb of Malaga to get transformed from plain white to the stunning silver and charcoal colours you see know. It’s a paint scheme that just seems perfectly planned for the classic Kenworth cab. Once repainted, the Kenny was handed to Jason Smith at All Mine Signs who added the perfectly placed stripes and logos. By the time the K104 hit the road again it was like a whole new truck, the only issue being that the old engine inside the shiny new outside must have felt a little hard done by when it came to getting attention. In early 2014 the engine decided to let its feelings be known by developing a bit of a knock. It was the kind of knock a mechanically-minded man like Tim knows all too well. The kind of knock you take straight to a specialist, at which point you find out it’s the kind of knock that comes with a cracked gudgeon pin. Not a great knocking noise at all.

Creature comforts

Top: Both of Tim’s grandfathers served in the armed services so Wayne Harrison from Advanced Airbrush added the dedication to the cab’s rear

Bottom: While Tim had much help from a lot of specialist people, he is also equipped with a shed and workshop where he can get a lot of things done himself (there’s some pretty cool projects inside that shed) Opposite below: Advanced Airbrush’s skill set shows up inside the truck as well, with Tim requesting a dedication to him and his old man as well custom upholstery and give the truck’s interior a look that ties in perfectly with the exterior design. While the interior was getting revamped, Tim invested heavily in sound proofing the cab as well. From the outside the definitive tones of a deep breathing Kenworth are evident to everyone, but from the inside all you can hear is the amazing clarity of the souped-up stereo, along with thumbing bass from the added amps and subwoofers. There has been plenty of time spent making sure the interior fitted Tim’s vision – quite literally. “We spent a week peeling off the woodgrain in order to repaint the dash; I do not recommend that!”

There are plenty of others that need a mention when it comes to this stunning Kenworth. Like West Oz Custom Trucks, which played a major role in just about every shiny part of the truck. Minetrans and Supafit Seat Covers are responsible for the look of the new Isri Big Boy seats. Wayne Harrison from Advanced Airbrush also needs a shout out for the amazing airbrushing both inside and outside this unforgettable Kenworth. I guess I should also give a few kudos to Tim as well. I did go on earlier about the multiple mechanical skills he possesses and if I don’t credit him, I’m sure he will catch a ribbing for only being responsible for cleaning the truck and holding up traffic with his oversize farm machinery. The bunk air system was installed in Tim’s shed. I assume he had a hand in that, it was his shed after all. He definitely played a part in the decision to add air bags to the front suspension. Along with Kenworth’s parabolic springs it now means Tim rarely spills his cup of tea as the Kenworth rides like a dream on the Western Australian highways. I have managed to drag out this story enough so I’m not sure how many of you gave up after the first paragraph and just spent the time admiring how cool this truck looks. In the end, credit where credit is due. The Kenworth K104 is an iconic Australian truck and Tim Montague has done a phenomenal job of restoring, rebuilding and rejuvenating this embodiment of cool. Well done.

Left: The stunning Kenworth is almost half as old as me but looks twice as good Right: Custom guard brackets and laser cut KW logos just add another dimension to the K104

AUGUST 2022 65ownerdriver.com.au

Narva says its heavy-duty LED work lamp range is now broader than ever

66 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au NEVER POLISH YOUR WHEELS AGAIN WITH SUPERCHROME™ ALLOY WHEELS YOUR RIG CAN LOOK GOOD ALL YEAR ROUND Fit your rig with wheels that will resist gravel sandblasting and chemicals. The hard chrome surface on Superchrome wheels reduces all wheel wear. Call Superchrome on 02 9060 1610 or visit us at www.superchrome.com.au 7 year chrome warranty on all Cwheels leans and shines in just 41 seconds

N arva has continued to expand its heavyduty LED work lamp range, offering a broad choice of models to suit a wide range of user applications. Narva says the latest entrants – which are available in either a spot or flood beam pattern – are designed to provide users with added convenience and practicality. Both are said to feature impressive light output courtesy of 9x5W Cree LEDs. Narva says they produce an impressive 3600 Lumens of bright white light (5,700 degrees K) for optimum visibility. These figures are said to translate to 135 metres of penetration for the spot beam lamp (part no. 72712HS) and coverage of 50 by 20 metres for the flood beam variant (part no. 72712H). Narva points out that a key feature common to both lamps is a large, integrated handle that allows easy adjustment, as well as an integrated on/off switch at the rear of the lamp. This versatility is said to make the new lamps ideal for applications including mining, agriculture, commercial, construction, recreational, civic, or other situations where regular adjustment is required. Given the nature of the work and tough environments that the work lamps will likely be used in, they feature heavy duty construction and are fully sealed and waterproof to IP68. Other benefits to aid longevity include a powder-coated aluminium housing, a virtually unbreakable polycarbonate lens, stainless steel mounting hardware and the reliability of an in-built Deutsch connector. Narva says these heavy-duty LED work lamps are also EMC-approved meaning they won’t interfere with on-board electronic and communication devices, while a low current draw of 1.4A @ 12V ensures minimal drain on vehicle batteries. Narva adds that the new lamps are also backed by a comprehensive five-year LED warranty and can be purchased from all leading transport, automotive and four-wheel drive outlets throughout Australia.

BRIGHT LIGHTS WITH WORKLEDLAMP parts and accessories

JUL-AUG 2022 CHECK THE CATALOGUE PACCARPARTS.COM.AU/CATALOGUEONLINE Prices herein are recommended selling prices for both Privileges members and non-members, inclusive of GST. Recommended selling prices are a guide only and there is no obligation for Dealers to comply with these recommendations. Freight charges may apply. All items have been included in good faith on the basis that goods will be available at the time of sale. Prices and promotions are available at participating Dealers from 1 July to 31 August 2022 or while stocks last. * Calls from Australian landlines are generally free of charge whilst calls from mobile phones are typically charged based on the rate determined by the caller’s mobile service provider. Please check with your mobile service provider for call rates. QUALITY PARTS | TECHNICAL EXPERTISE | EXTENSIVE DEALER NETWORK We are unfortunately experiencing shipping delays which means some products may not be in store on the advertised on-sale date. We are trying our best to limit these delays and at the time of publishing, advertised product sale dates are correct; however, they are subject to change due to factors outside our control. $FROMHEADSMIRRORWESTSTEELSTAINLESSCOAST35.65 SMS-M00-6518 $35.65 ea Square Corner Flat Glass H 463mm (18”) x D 40mm x W 163mm SMS-M00-6518 LED $FROMLAMPCOMBINATIONREAR89 Chrome bezel 12LL011810AU24V $89 3 in 1 LED 3 LL011610AUAmber/Red/Redmodule $102 4 in 1 LED 3 Amber/Red/Clearmodule LL011810AU LL011610AU Spheerol EPL 0 $FROM37.80 CAS3364320 $37.80 2.5kg CAS3364319 $207 20kg Castrol Spheerol™ EPL0 comprises lithium based products, containing highly refined mineral oils, fortified with extreme pressure (EP) additives as well as corrosion & oxidation inhibitors Providing good film strength under medium to high loads, it is a great choice for automatic greasing systems requiring a type 0 grease X30 Drum & MA312 QP Shoe Kit $NON-MEMBERS$MEMBERS1,6761,826 4 drums & shoe kits per X30-312QP4kit $150MEMBERSSAVE LED PlateLicenceLamp $FROM18.75 90862BL $18.75 Charcoal/black housing Fully 10-30V,sealed0.5m cable 91666BL $24.10 Black 0.5m9-33Vhousingcable 90862BL91666BL LED LightLoadKit $557.50 Kit includes right & left Mirrorlightsmounted kit Spot beam, 9-36V 1,630mm cable Mini deutsch connector Bracketry included 5 Year KWL0ADL1GHTwarranty B BomberDriver’s Jacket $95ea Black Nylon showerproof outer shell, quilted lining Ribbed waistband cuffs & collar, concealed hood Kenworth Banner front, Kenworth Bug back Sizes from M-5XL C-KEN542 to 548 C LeatherMen’s Belt $55ea Black, 100% Cow Leather with Cut Edge Fixed Buckle with Engraved Kenworth Bug Sizes 40”, 44”, 48”, 52” C-KEN952-40 to 52 D Sports Bag $111ea 52L, Branded Lining Kenworth Bug Zip Pulls C-KEN926 A Men’s Black & Red Puffer Vest $89.50 ea Black ContrastOuterRed Inner Thick Polyester-Fill Two Front Pockets Sizes from S-5XL C-KEN894 to 5XL A B C D SEE IN STORE FOR COMPLETE RANGE DISC ROTORBRAKE DISC BRAKEPADS PRIVILEGES OFFER: PURCHASE 2x TRP®ROTORS & MATCHING TRP®PADS SAVE $150 The TRP®range of rotors have been matched to the TRP pads, offering you a one stop shop for your disc brakes. ROTOR PRICE APPLICATION & SIZE DISC PAD PRICE CALIPER TYPE TRPDR001 $112 $162 BPW 430mm 10 Stud, 285PCD 1961736 $79 $129 Knorr SK7 1962436 $105 $155 BPW TSB4309

Snap-On

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Top: Isuzu’s I-1 Grand Prix will this year be held online Left: Jake Quick was a competitor in 2017 thousands of dollars’ worth of Snap-On tools. Smith says skillbuilding experiences such as the National Technical Skills Competition were important for Isuzu, particularly in light of the current skills shortage, both in Australia and globally. Earlier this year, Australia’s National Skills Commission said its latest assessment of skill shortages found that 42 per cent of technician and trade occupations are in shortage, compared to 19 per cent of all occupations in shortage. “These experiences are in addition to the regular training undertaken by Isuzu Trucks technicians to update their knowledge of vehicle inspections, diagnosis, repairs and systems management,” heFormersaid. I-1 GP competitor Jake Quick competed for Australia during the 2017 I-1 GP and ever since has been encouraging other Isuzu technicians to take the opportunity to represent their dealership as well as their country. Quick clinched third place in the international competition, alongside teammate Drew Murden from Peel Valley Isuzu and coach, Brenton Cook, who was then IAL’s Queensland service technical manager “The I-1 GP has been one of the pivotal moments in my career,” Quick says. “I entered the National Technical Skills Competition multiple times; the first time placing fifth, then placing third the year after, before being selected as a finalist in 2017 and competing for Australia in Japan at the I-1 GP.” Quick recommends getting involved with programs like the I-1 GP to technicians looking to advance their career and to get out of their comfort zones. “It’s not just doing the competition, it was the whole experience … the travel (pre-COVID of course), the people, the awards, opportunities and everything in between.”

IAL’s team has put in some stellar performances at previous I-1 GPs, which have been held annually since 2006. In 2011, the Australian team won gold, and IAL’s team had podium finishes in six more of international events.  In the early years of the competition, all countries competed directly. But since 2013, the countries have been divided into two groups, with contestants from countries with advanced emission controls in Group A, and competitors from countries with lower emission limits in Group B.

All 16 competitors at the National Technical Skills Competition won their choice of either a Milwaukee 18v Fuel 1/2-inch High Torque Impact Wrench Kit or a Milwaukee 18v Fuel One-Key 3/4-inch High Torque Impact Wrench Kit. The top two I-1 Grand Prix competitors and the top two scoring apprentices also won

IAL national training manager David Smith says the Australian team’s performance at past I-1 GPs proved IAL’s authorised service centres provide world-class service. “We know that downtime is a huge issue for all our customers, including truck owner-drivers, and Isuzu has several exciting programs, such as the I-1 GP and the exciting Walkinshaw Andretti United V8 supercar pit crew experience, to ensure our technicians have the skills they need to provide the most effective service possible,” Smith says. As part of the partnership between IAL and the Walkinshaw Andretti United racing team, five Isuzu Trucks technicians will get down and dirty with a V8 Supercar. The Isuzu technicians will work alongside the official pit crew on race days around Australia as part of IAL’s sponsorship of the Walkinshaw Andretti United Racing team for this year’s Repco Supercars Championship. But back to the I-1 GP, which doesn’t involve race cars, but is just as thrilling nonetheless. The Australian team is made up of the top two technicians who competed in the Isuzu National Technical Skills Competition at IAL’s Melbourne headquarters in July. The technicians undertook a onehour written exam and a one-hour on-vehicle exercise. The technicians began their path to glory in a pool of 63 technicians and apprentices in an online qualifier event earlier this year. In that clash, technicians and apprentices sat a one-hour written exam, and the technicians went on to do three 10-minute virtual failure diagnostic exercises.

PUTTING ISUZU TRUCKS’ BEST TO THE TEST parts and accessories tools and other big prizes the reward at National Skills Competition

experience.”pitV8AndrettiWalkinshawandasprograms,excitinghas“IsuzuseveralsuchtheI-1GPtheexcitingUnitedsupercarcrew

T wo Isuzu Trucks technicians will represent Australia at this year’s I-1 Grand Prix, a battle of skills and technical knowledge between teams of Isuzu technicians from around the world. Pre-COVID, the I-1 GP, as it’s known, was held in Japan, with all competitors hosted by Isuzu Motors Limited, the parent company of Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL).  This year, however, the competition to find the world’s best Isuzu Trucks technician will once again be held online.

Unit 1/71 Axis Place, Larapinta, Brisbane, QLD, 4110, Australia Ph: (07) 3276 9300 Fax: (07) 3276 9301 Email:davids@ggd.net.ausales@ggd.net.au Web: www.gibbsparts.com ESTABLISHED 57 YEARS SPECIALISING IN TRANSMISSIONS AND DIFFERENTIALS FOR TRUCKS & BUSES FULL WORKSHOP FACILITIES SPARES, REPAIRS, RECONDITIONED & NEW EXCHANGE UNITS AVAILABLE DOW-FP-5013553-CDiesel Mechanics Needed - Call us to find out more Unit 1/71 Axis Place, Larapinta, Brisbane, QLD, 4110, Australia Ph: (07) 3276 9300 Fax: (07) 3276 9301 Email:Web:davids@gibbsparts.commattc@gibbsparts.comwww.gibbsparts.com ESTABLISHED 57 YEARS SPECIALISING IN TRANSMISSIONS AND DIFFERENTIALS FOR TRUCKS & BUSES FULL WORKSHOP FACILITIES SPARES, REPAIRS, RECONDITIONED & NEW EXCHANGE UNITS AVAILABLE DO W-FP-5013553C ZFASTRONIC ZFClutchActuatorsForDAF,IvecoAndManTrucks.S37.TA950479. POA MERCEDES-BENZG85-G280 ReconditionedMercedes-BenzTransmissions.MostMakesandModelsG100,G131,GO210,G240,G280,G330available.S3.TA431566. POA SCANIATRANSMISSIONS Allmakesandmodelsavailable.S11. TA431615. POA ZFDAF,IVECO&MAN ModulatorZFAstronicForDAF,Iveco&Man.S38.TA952388. POA MERCEDESEPS Gearcylinder.S39. TA952389. POA ZFASTRONIC ForDAF,Iveco&ManS43.TA952397. POA ZFDAF,IVECO&MAN ZFEcolitepowerpacks.S40. TA952390. POA VOLVO/MACKI-SHIFT/M-DRIVE AT2512C,AT2612D&ATO3112D.S44.TA952399. POA ZFTRANSMISSIONSALLMODELS Allmakesandmodelsavailable.S10. TA431606. POA

www.mooretruckparts.com.au | Unit 3/10 Bluett Drive, Smeaton Grange NSW 2567Toll Free: 1800 044 909 | www.mooretruckparts.com.au | Unit 3/10 Bluett Drive, Smeaton Grange NSW 2567Toll Free: 1800 044 909 | WWW.MOORETRUCKPARTS.COM.AU SHOP NOW SCAN ME TO AUSTRALIA'SAUSTRALIA'SLEADINGSUPPLIERSLEADINGSUPPLIERS PANELSLIGHTS & MORE...MIRRORS QUALITY AFTERMARKET PARTS FOR: DAF | DAIHATSU | HINO | ISUZU | IVECO | MAN | MAZDA | MERCEDES MITSUBISHI | NISSAN | RENAULT | SCANIA | TOYOTA | VOLVO VOLWRECK KEEPS THE VOLVO WHEELS TURNING parts and accessories European new and used parts specialist Volwreck enters its 22nd year of operation

AUGUST 2022 71ownerdriver.com.au

Top: Volwreck co-director Graeme Troutbeck behind the wheel of the Globetrotter for the Need For Feed hay run

A s many owners of older trucks can testify, sourcing spare parts can be a tiresome task in keeping their rigs on the road. The same goes for restoration enthusiasts, keen to get their pride and joy to the next classic truck event. For owners of European trucks, Melbournebased business Volwreck is often the first port of call. As the title suggests, Volwreck specialises in parts for Volvo trucks, both new and old. However, the company has evolved over the years, expanding its parts supplies to cover other European truck models including DAF, MercedesBenz, MAN and Iveco. With former diesel mechanics John Lirosi and Graeme Troutbeck founding the operation, Volwreck grew from truck repair company B&G Transport Repairs to branching into spare parts through its wrecking yard in 2001.

Above: Volwreck’s warehouse is always well stocked

Many of Volwreck’s supplies are imported from Turkey-based commercial vehicle parts specialist Sampa and Germany’s Diesel Technic. However, the business was impacted to some degree through the global COVID pandemic, although Jeanette says Volwreck kept the wheels turning throughout, supplying parts for heavy vehicle owners and helping to keep the transport industry afloat.“Wewereaffected by China’s lockdown, when they locked down their factories and ports recently, and that sort of slowed it down. “But we’re pretty stocked up here; we import containers every month.”

Opposite: The restored Volvo F86 and FL10 hitch a ride on the back of Volwreck’s FH Globetrotter; Volwreck’s premises in Campbellfield, Melbourne

Jeanette Spencer, who is approaching 22 years with the business, handles all the accounts at Volwreck. She says many customers are after second-hand parts in the first instance. However, Jeanette admits that spare parts have steadily become scarce for older vehicles. “If we can’t supply them with second-hand parts, we supply them with the new aftermarket ones. “We’ve still got the wrecking yard with the Volvos for the second-hand side, and we actually import the aftermarket new parts ourselves,” Jeanette explains. “Volvo is our main priority, but we do supply aftermarket parts for other European brands.”

As well as being one of the company’s directors, Graeme Troutbeck is also involved in community and charity work, including the Need for Feed hay run. However, it’s his expertise in rebuilding classic Volvos that points to Volwreck’s passion in keeping these historic vehicles looking in nearnewThecondition.modelsin question are a Volvo F86, FL10 and an FH Globetrotter. In addition, a Volvo G88 model is nearing the restoration finishing stage. Interested parties can view these refurbished relics at Volwreck’s premises at 55 Glenbarry Rd, Campbellfield in Melbourne.

For Australia’s diesel mechanics, Victorianbased business Trucktools has become a one-stop warehouse I

THE FORTRUCKTOOLSRIGHTTHEJOB parts and accessories

Above: Trucktools’ warehouse in Pakenham is only 1km from the Princes Freeway

Below: A Cummins seal installer Bottom, L to R: An engine plate adaptor for a heavy duty engine turning stand; A 30/15 tonne A/H jack “We actually get along and work together well,” Annelie smiles.Notmerely a local supplier, Trucktools distributes its products Australia-wide. “We’re got our warehouse here and, logistically, we’re very well set up,” she continues. “We’ve got carriers picking up from us every day. “We’re also the national preferred heavy vehicle tool supplier with the Capricorn Society. We’re not just a state supplier, we’re a national supplier.”

“We’re also the national preferred heavy vehicle tool supplier with the Capricorn Society. We’re not just a state supplier, we’re a national supplier.”

t’s said that a poor workman often blames his tools, but that’s certainly cannot be the case for diesel mechanics using products bought from Trucktools, based in Pakenham,TrucktoolsVictoria.specialises

Annelie says the majority of the company’s tools are imported, mostly from the US. It’s proved to be a beneficial situation as other businesses struggle with supply disruptions from around the globe. “We’ve been very fortunate because we don’t deal with China, so we’re lucky in that we haven’t had too many issues,” Annelie says. “Obviously it goes back to raw material. It may be a little bit strained at times, because at the end of the day our steel is going to a lot of these countries and they’ve got to manufacture it. “For us we’ve been fairly okay, not as bad as some, but there’s always going to be certain production shortages.”

in tools for heavy vehicle diesel engines, steering and suspension, as well as bearing and seal tools plus a huge range of specialty truck and trailer sockets. It also supplies fuel and oil filter tools, diagnostics and workshop equipment and, according to Trucktools, a whole lotInterestingly,more. the business had its origins in the furniture removal industry. John Heldoorn and his son Mark Heldoorn owned a fleet of trucks, doing local and interstate runs, as well as organising international moves. Meanwhile, Mark’s sister Annelie Heldoorn was in the midst of enjoying a long career in the automotive service tool industry. With that combined experience, the family united and changed tack more than two decades ago.

As well as selling some US products, Trucktools has its own Trucktools-branded products. “We do specialised tools only, so it would be anything from engine service tools, suspension and driveline tools, brake tools and workshop equipment. That’s what we fall under,” Annelie“Andexplains.ourpredominant business is with diesel“Ourmechanics.salesteam is ready to take your inquiry: FREECALL 1800 000 561, Australia-wide service.” Trucktools is located in the fastest-growing industrial estate in Victoria. Many truck dealerships and truck accessory stores are also located into the same region, only 1km off the major Princes Freeway, with truck access available.

“Initially we formed the business Autotools over 20 years ago, but we rolled into doing heavy vehicle tools,” Annelie explains. “It became our specialty over time. It just kind of happened.” Hence, the Autotools name eventually took a back seat, with Trucktools now the dominant business. Unfortunately, Mark and Annelie’s father passed away 12 years ago, with the brother-sister duo successfully continuing with the business. And there’s no sibling rivalry here.

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STAYING STRONG

The second half of 2022 will be full throttle for Scania Australia. After the release late last year of its super-impressive R770 flagship, the company is now set to hit the market with a slick mix of stronger six-cylinder and V8 models sporting a lighter, smoother and smarter automated transmission. Bound to be a big player in the new line-up is a gutsy R660 model and Steve Brooks was given exclusive early access test drive

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AUGUST 2022 75ownerdriver.com.au

“G’day Steve,” started the senior Scania man. “We’d like to get your feedback on something.”

T he phone call came out of the blue late one afternoon and the request could not have been more direct.

Above: Studio shot of Scania’s new G33 transmission. For the first time, the Swedish powerhouse has gone to a constant-mesh design, lighter and stronger than its traditional all-synchro box. It also boasts a wider ratio range and was super-slick and ultra-smooth during our exclusive run in the R660

Obviously enough, the conversation quickly developed; the ‘something’ turning out to be Scania’s upcoming R660 model and the ‘feedback’ essentially seeking an objective opinion on the truck’s specification and subsequent performance and efficiency in a linehaul B-double run, well before an official launch later in the year. “Sure,” was the emphatic answer, but on one absolute condition. “As long as it’s on the record and I get to write the story about the truck and the result straight after.”

“Fair enough,” was the Scania manager’s prompt response before adding: “We’re confident, but we’d just like an impartial outside opinion before we settle on the final spec.”

“We’re confident, but we’d just like an impartial outside opinion before we settle on the final spec.”

And so, in relatively short time, a new R660 with less than 1,500km under its belt, hooked to Scania’s curtain-sided B-double set, rolled out of the brand’s Campbellfield (Vic) headquarters on a weekday morning at a gross weight of 62.2 tonnes with the simple goal of notching at least 1,000km on a major linehaul route.

Above: Scania Australia product manager Ben Nye. Plenty of thought went into choosing a 3.07:1 final drive ratio and, in our estimation, it was definitely the right choice

Sitting in the passenger seat was Ben Nye, Scania Australia’s pragmatic national product manager, earnestly believing the truck would do all expected of it, but quietly eager for confirmation.Therewereno instructions or suggestions on how the truck should be driven for maximum effect, just a casually stated acceptance that linehaul reality demands freight getting from one point to another in the most timely, efficient and safest manner. In a nutshell, drive it like it’s your own. As for where to run the truck, Ben made it simple: “Wherever you like. We’ve got today and tomorrow, so as long as it’s a typical highway run that’ll give us a genuine indication of performance and fuel. It’s up to you.”

Starting from Campbellfield on Melbourne’s northern outskirts, the Hume Freeway was the obvious choice and, in a matter of minutes inside the cab, the plan became as plain as it was practical: northbound a tad over 500km to the Coolac truck stop then turn around and head straight back the same way to create a trip of around 1,000km that, on the run north, obviously includes the high profile climbs of Aeroplane and Wagga hill. Simple!But,with a little time up the sleeve on the run back to Melbourne, a spur-of-the-moment idea saw a detour onto the old Hume Highway for a nostalgic haul over the sapping ‘Pretty Sally’ climb before picking up the freeway again at Broadford and steaming back to Scania HQ. All up, close enough to 1,100km. However, it didn’t take nearly that far to realise that the R660 is a stunningly smooth, extremely strong, impressively efficient and exceptionally well-equipped linehaul B-double truck. Then again, after a cursory look at the spec sheet and a fair idea of what to expect, none of this really came as a great surprise. Grunt and gears It’s no secret, of course, that Scania Australia has been, for some time, planning the introduction of a significantly strengthened Euro 6 line-up of six-cylinder and V8 models. At the top of the tree in the six-cylinder range, the current 540 rating will be superseded by an all new ‘Super 13’ 560hp (418kW) engine later this year; a development which, as things stand at “Scania has never been so popular or so successful in the Australian market.”

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AUGUST 2022 77ownerdriver.com.au the moment, will give Scania a performance edge over its continental competitors in the 13-litre class. It is, however, the burly 16.4 litre V8 family that has grabbed all the headlines so far, led by the early introduction and extraordinary road manners and performance of the R770 flagship, spearheading Scania’s blatant intention to maintain the momentum that has seen the brand’s popularity jump to record levels over the past few years. Even with the constraints of COVID-19 and stifled supply lines, Scania has never been so popular or so successful in the Australian market. The obvious intention with this latest line-up of double bankers and their six-cylinder siblings is to keep the popularity well and truly on the boil. Wisely, Scania is keeping its current Euro 5 R620 V8 in the mix but, as we’ve reported several times, the reworked Euro 6 bent-eights have undergone substantial change, with more than 70 new parts and extensive fine-tuning, which Scania says has led to reduced internal friction, higher compression ratios, improved after-treatment systems and a more powerful engine management system (EMS). Still, as Scania admits, none of these initiatives are revolutionary achievements. Indeed, as Scania’s top engineer Göran Lindh has previously stated: “There are no quantum leaps. It is all about refining things and adding the latest technology.” Specifically, he said: “The new EMS enables a all models except the flagship R770 that, for now, and no doubt due to its mountainous 3,700Nm (2,730lbft) torque output, retains the existing Opticruise synchromesh automated shifter.

There are four ratings in the revamped V8 range, from 530 to 590, 660 and 770hp (395, 440, 492 and 574kW), but with a six-cylinder 560hp to join the Australian stable, the 530hp V8 is unlikely to be offered here except on special order. Nonetheless, common to all four ratings is the increasingly standard reliance on selective catalytic reduction for emissions compliance, while arguably the most notable of all the engine refinements applied to the V8 range is what Scania describes as being a new concept where AdBlue is injected twice. “With the extra dosing, the evaporation of the AdBlue is improved during low load cycles and also contributes to better fuel efficiency,” it says.

smarter and more advanced engine control software with higher accuracy. We can calculate more precisely how much fuel is needed and when.”

Somewhat strangely, though, Scania does not mention if, or how much, more AdBlue is used in the twin dosing process. The company does, however, point out: ‘The updated V8 range is now equipped with a new highpressure fuel pump and the compression ratio and maximum cylinder pressure have been raised to further improve combustion and fuel efficiency.”

Yet, as significant as these engine refinements are, the greatest change across the Scania range –including the current Euro 5 R620 – comes in the form of an entirely new automated transmission for

In a first for Scania, this new 14-speed ’box is based on constant-mesh gearing and, critically, is said by Scania to be 60kg lighter thanks largely to an allaluminium housing. Moreover, the company says it is “shorter and sturdier, with shafts capable of handling more torque and enables the use of gears with slightly wider cogs that can handle more load and are more durable”. In broad terms, the new shifter currently comes in two forms – a G25CM version for Scania engines with up to 2,500Nm [1,844lb-ft] of torque and a G33CM for models with up to 3,300Nm [2434lb-ft] torque output, namely the R660. There’s little doubt, however, a version capable of coping with the R770’s prodigious torque output is already on the cards. Six years in development and testing, and with more than 400 million Euro (A$590.6 million) said to have gone into development of the new range, and no parts in common with the existing synchromesh transmission, Scania certainly isn’t shy about detailing some of the major advances that it insists make the new ’box appealing and unique. These include reduced oil volume and improved oil spray, as well as oil change intervals out to an extraordinary one million kilometres in some situations. According

Above: The handling is impeccable Right: Only a short time inside the cab showed how impressively efficient the R660 is Opposite top: A detour down memory lane. Scania’s R660 atop Pretty Sally on Melbourne’s northern outskirts. The climb that once tested the resolve of trucks and skill of drivers was a breeze for the big Swede on our 1,100km test run

CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT AUSTRALIASCANIA

Mikael Jansson, Scania Australia’s managing director since August 2017, has returned to Sweden following his five-year stint here. Jansson, 63, says he will retire following his very enjoyable time in Australia. “I was very excited to be invited to run the Scania Australia business after 30 years working for Scania mostly in Sweden, and I have really enjoyed my time here,” he says. “Scania’s performance has stepped up another notch or two over the past five years as we powered our way toward 10 per cent market share for heavy trucks. “While the pandemic has had a major impact on our business growth potential, I am very pleased to say that our order levels continue to reflect record demand,” Jansson“Despitesays.lockdowns and work from home orders, I was exceptionally proud of the effort our Scania family and the teams at our authorised independent dealers delivered to keep our customers on the road over the past two-and-a-half years. This effort, no matter the difficulty, really shows how we live the promise of our ‘customer first’ core value,” he says. “Sales of buses and coaches continue to play an important role in our business, and our buses have been driving the shift towards a more sustainable transport future. Not only have we made significant inroads into the hybrid-electric bus market, but we have already landed our first consignment of battery electric bus chassis. I am also convinced that Scania’s battery electric trucks will have a successful future in Australia,” he says. “We recently celebrated the opening of our ninth company-owned, capital city-based sales and service branch at Eastern Creek in Western Sydney, underlining our continued commitment to the Australian truck and bus markets.

“And with my background in the global parts and service organisation in Sweden, I am very pleased that our parts and service business in Australia has also improved significantly, maintaining our customers’ uptime and bolstering their profitability potential,” Jansson says. “While I am sad to be leaving Australia, an amazing country in so many ways, I have some vivid and enduring memories to take back with me. I am also very pleased that I am seeing many more Scania vehicles on the road these days.”

Although the new shifter is still based on a single countershaft design, with gearshift synchronisation performed by shaft brakes, the move to constant mesh and subsequent removal of the synchronisers in the new transmission have not only helped make the box lighter but also shorter by 150mm compared to the existing GRS905 synchromesh shifter. Further contributing to the shorter length is removal of dedicated reverse gears, replaced by planetary gearing at the rear of the new box and providing up to eight reverse ratios. As Scania explains: “Engineers adopted a new approach to reversing. In most gearboxes, selecting reverse entails letting a separate cog-wheel rotate the main shaft in the opposite direction. In the new Scania range, by contrast, the planetary engagement at the output shaft is used.” Thus, reversing is achieved by locking up the planetary wheel carrier in the rear of the transmission and, according to Scania, allowing faster reversing speeds for applications like tippers backing over extended distances in tunnel construction sites, for example. Moving forward, though, the biggest advance in operational terms is the widened ratio spread of the 14-speed layout, from a bog cog crawler ratio of 20.8:1 to an overdrive top gear of 0.777:1. According to Scania, the wider ratio spread, coupled with gears with slightly wider cogs that can handle more load, will allow applications at high gross weights the flexibility and efficiency to use faster rear axle ratios while still providing the deep gearing to facilitate smoothImportantly,lift-offs.Scania adds that its new range comes with an abundance of newly developed and clever power take-off (PTO) solutions aiming to fulfil any number of advanced PTO needs. Yet, somewhat understated in Scania’s information on the new transmission is a substantial

Departing Scania Australia MD Mikael Jansson to Scania, enhanced maintenance systems such as oil temperature sensors and oil level sensors that detect possible oil leakage provide the safeguards to push oil drain intervals to such remarkably high levels. Furthermore, Scania asserts that internal losses in the new transmission are reduced by no less than 50 per cent, accomplished through polishing some of the gears, by using low viscosity transmission fluid and by locating the lion’s share of the oil in a separate, dry sump-like container on top of the gearbox to reduce internal splash. Likewise, the company says: “Certain cog areas that are vulnerable to significant wear when absorbing force are supplied with extra oil by spray pipes for increased cooling and lubrication.”

78 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

Replacing Jansson is Manfred Streit, who is moving from his role as Scania’s country director for Austria.

Highway Haulin’

AUGUST 2022 79ownerdriver.com.au

According to European reports, Scania asserts that the combination of its new transmission with a wider ratio spread and the formidable power and torque issuing from the latest versions of its burly V8 provide an ideal platform for running faster (e.g. 2.8:1 or thereabouts) rear axle ratios to keep engine speeds and fuel use efficiently low at highway cruise speeds. As low as 1,000rpm in many continental applications.

“A

‘Prettyoverfortheideaspur-of-the-momentsawadetourontooldHumeHighwayanostalgichaulthesappingSally’climb.”

improvement in retardation performance, with the gearbox now contributing to 4,700Nm of auxiliary braking compared to up to 4,100Nm previously. It’s a big gain that, soon enough, highlighted exceptional downhill speed control on the Hume. Scania further emphasises the new box is quieter, yet given that transmission noise is not an inherent Scania trait, it was difficult to discern if the G33 is any quieter than its synchromesh sibling. The new shifter also comes with a different dash display, with crawler gear shown as ‘C’ and numbers for all ratios up to and including direct-drive 12th gear. Overdrive top gear is, however, shown as ‘OD’.

Overall, the summation is simple. Scania’s upcoming R660 model is a highly efficient and incredibly impressive highway hauler with a drivetrain that in this estimation, is as good as it gets for linehaul B-double work. Or as it was put to Ben Nye as the truck idled into Scania HQ: “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Surprisingly though, a switch to ‘Eco’ mode from Coolac to well south of the border did nothing to improve fuel efficiency. In fact, it was more a hindrance than a help, on long grades allowing road speed to run high and then engaging the retarder and invariably swapping down a gear in an effort to bring speed back to a pre-set point. However, in ‘Normal’ mode, the combined smarts of a significantly refined engine and slick new transmission were exceptionally astute in not only delivering highly effective and efficient performance on climbs, but also supremely strong retardation on downhill runs.

Below: Headed our way. Swedish versions of Scania’s new 560hp 13-litre engine, with the R560 model expected here later in the year Australia, however, obviously has vastly different operating demands than Europe and, after much consideration, a 3.07:1 diff ratio was judged the best option to deliver good fuel economy and flexible performance, particularly for linehaul B-double work. From behind the wheel, it didn’t take long to accept the suitability of Scania Australia’s choice of rear axle ratio.

Next comes Wagga hill, with much the same grade as Aeroplane, only this time – and for no other reason than being different – manual mode was selected for the entire climb. Again, with incredibly quick response at every shift, the R660 delivered an almost identical result, strolling over the sharpest pinch in 9th gear just a tad under 1,350rpm at 40km/h. By this stage, fuel consumption had dropped to 1.7km/litre but by the time the truck rolled into Coolac, fuel use had improved to 1.9km/litre (5.37mpg) and stayed there for much of the return trip to Melbourne as almost the entirety of the southbound leg was with cruise control set at 100km/h or thereabouts. Indeed, the only time fuel consumption dropped briefly below 1.9km/litre on the run south was on the long haul up the northern side of Wagga hill where the R660 showed immense tenacity to hang onto 10th gear at 1,000rpm and, similarly, during the nostalgic diversion over the sharp Pretty Sally climb where 9th gear at 1100rpm further reinforced the big V8’s fierce fortitude.

The R660 rating develops peak power of 485kW (660hp) at 1,900rpm and produces its formidable torque peak of 3,300Nm (2,434lb-ft) between 950 and 1,400rpm. Much like its R770 counterpart, though, it’s where the power and torque curves intersect at around 1,350rpm that a distinct appreciation for the V8’s bold strength and gritty determination starts to emerge. At this point in the rev range, the engine is producing around 640hp while still dispensing maximum torque output, equating to incredibly strong pulling power at relatively low engine speeds. It’s on the road, of course, where this performance trait truly shines and, in this estimation, firmly validates the decision to run with the 3.07:1 final drive ratio. Heading north out of Melbourne in ‘Normal’ shift mode (there are also Eco and Performance modes) the R660 marched effortlessly at 100km/h in overdrive top gear at a touch over 1,200rpm. However, in the Hume’s rolling hills, it wasn’t until road speed had dropped to a twitch over 80km/h and the rev counter touched 1,000rpm that the transmission shifted seamlessly into direct-drive 12th gear, perking engine speed up to 1,450rpm and giving the R660 the freedom to stretch out to 100km/h at 1,550rpm before shifting back to overdrive top gear. Smooth and strong. Very strong! The leg from Melbourne to Wodonga certainly isn’t difficult but it’s hard to think that it could have been any easier or smoother. Again like its R770 big brother, the R660’s handling and road manners were impeccable and, increasingly, the speed, smoothness and absolute suitability of the new transmission’s shifts were right on the money, from start to finish. Moreover, and remembering that this was a truck with few kilometres on the clock and hauling over 62 tonnes, the R660’s on-board computer showed fuel consumption running at a highly commendable 2km/litre (or 5.65mpg for us older models) as the truck rolled across the Murray. As everyone knows, though, things change quickly over the border and, on the approach to the taxing Aeroplane climb, it was decided to manually swap into direct-drive 12th gear on the approach, pushing engine revs out to around 1,500rpm, then put the transmission back in auto mode and let the truck simply do its thing. And do it, it did, mounting the climb in 9th gear at 1,350rpm and still moving at more than 40km/h.

hauler.”highwayimpressiveincrediblymodelR660upcoming“Scania’sisan

80 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au

As always, though, time and toil will tell the rest of the story.

Cummins Filtration says it knows that its clients strive for seamless maintenance of their engines, which is why it developed the advanced coolant analysis program

briefs

Volvo Group signs up for zero emissions

FleetguardMap – a free service for Fleetguard customers that monitors and protects their engines.

The FleetguardMap testing process involves a range of in-depth tests on the engine’s coolant that can identify problems with the coolant and/or the engine’s cooling system. The tests can identify early signs of overheating and corrosion, changes in the coolant chemistry (protection), coolant/additive dilution, contamination by fuel/oil or hard water (calcium/magnesium), radiator fluxes, chlorides and sulphate.

YEARSUPCLOCKSFUSO90

Fleetguard customers simply register on FleetguardMap to redeem up to two free sample kits per vehicle per annum or buy additional kits through their Fleetguard dealer. Once the samples are posted to its laboratory, in-house to being a part of this journey with us. “We are very aware of the trust placed in us to fulfil this role,” Merrick says. “Every day around the world lives depend on our vehicles, and we look forward to that trust evolving towards an emissions-free environment to improve the lives of many more. “Emergency service support vehicles with zero-emissions capability are not currently available on the market, the fulfillment of this contract will position the ESA as a leader in Australia for zero-emissions operational support vehicles,” says ACT ESA Commissioner Georgeina Whelan. “At its core, the ACT ESA strives to ensure the safety of our community, staff and volunteers. Making the transition

REWARDS INTELLIGENTFORSERVICING

ABOVE: Volvo Trucks president Roger Alm with and Georgeina Whelan, ACT ESA commissioner Fuso’s current product line-up

Volvo Trucks Australia says it is committed to being fossil-fuel free by 2040, with production of electric trucks expected to begin at the Wacol site during 2025.

A landmark zero emissions agreement has been signed between the ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) and Volvo Group Australia (VGA). The agreement, which places VGA as preferred supplier of zero-emissions heavy vehicles to the ESA is believed to be a first for an Australian emergency services agency and firmly places both parties on the road to a fossil-free future. “The journey towards a zero emissions future isn’t just accelerating globally,” says Martin Merrick, president and CEO Volvo group Australia. “And that journey is fast gathering pace here in Australia. “Collaborations like the one we have just announced with the ACT ESA are vital to help decarbonise our world and I applaud the agency for its commitment to a sustainable fleet, subsequently contributing to the wellbeing of Canberrans and our environment, aligns with this key commitment. “The world around us is rapidly changing, both in terms of technology, workplace diversity and the environment and it is exciting that we are leading this change,” Whelan says.

FleetguardMap is a coolant monitoring service that provides information on the health of the coolant and alerts the customer of cooling system issues before they become major concerns. For transport and heavy vehicle businesses planned maintenance is a vital component of cost control.

AUGUST 2022 81ownerdriver.com.au

FleetguardMap experts perform quality control tests on these samples to provide a comprehensive and easy to interpret report in a timely manner, normally within three to four business days. The report will outline the condition and the quality of the coolant sample and highlight key issues andReportingrecommendations.oninformation as to whether the coolant is over-diluted, cavitation protection is near lower limits or hardwater contamination is detected will be crucial for future maintenance. The report is emailed to the customer and held securely in the cloud so that data can be reviewed and measured remotely for each engine over time.

Fleetguard claims to be the only filter company owned by an engine manufacturer, which is it has made engine care its main priority.

This allows the client to know that the coolant is protecting the cooling system, and therefore the engine, before significant damage is done.

Daimler Truck’s Asian subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Fuso brand. The origin of the Fuso name dates back to 1932 when Mitsubishi’s first bus, the ‘B46 type shared car’, manufactured at the Kobe Shipyard of the former Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, was branded Fuso. This name was suggested by an engineer at the shipyard. It originally refers to a large sacred tree and is now used as a name for the hibiscus flower. “As we celebrate 90 years of Fuso, we would like to thank our customers, employees and partners for their loyalty and support,” said Karl Deppen, president and CEO of MFTBC and head of Daimler Truck Asia. “This anniversary signifies our stakeholders’ ongoing faith in our products, technologies and services. As the automobile sector strives for decarbonisation, we at MFTBC are part of the solution. “We showed this commitment with our original all-electric eCanter in 2017 and our next generation model will provide e-mobilty solutions to an even broader range of Followingcustomers.”thefirst vehicle, the nickname Fuso continued to be used thereafter for major products such as the gasoline engine four-ton truck KT1 (1946), Japan’s first large cab-over truck T380, and Japan’s first minibus, the Rosa (1960). In line with Japan’s high economic growth in the 1950s to ’70s, the product line-up later included a full range from small to large trucks andMFTBC,buses.the manufacturer of the Fusobranded commercial vehicles, was born when Mitsubishi Motors Corporation separated its commercial vehicle division from the passenger car business back in 2003, to become a part of the former Daimler Chrysler company. In 2004, MFTBC joined Daimler Chrysler’s Commercial Vehicles segment. tech

Cummins Filtration says it understands the need for customers to diminish the total cost of vehicle ownership and it is through Fleetguard’s flagship engine coolants, PG Platinum and PGPlus this can be achieved.With40 per cent of all heavy-duty engine failures attributable, directly, or indirectly, to improper cooling system maintenance, FleetguardMAP aims to extend its customer’s vehicle engine efficiency and life.

Preventing engine failures that force vehicles off the road or off site outside of planned maintenance is core to FleetguardMap offerings.

Gas and engineering company BOC, a Linde company, and BP Australia has announced a new agreement to build a hydrogen refuelling station at the BP Truckstop in Lytton, Queensland. It will be the first service station in Australia with hydrogen refuelling capability. The Queensland government’s current fleet of five hydrogen-powered Hyundai Nexos will be the first to use the new refueller, to be opened later in theBOCyear.will supply and install the stateof-the-art Linde hydrogen refuelling station. It will dispense green hydrogen produced by BOC at its Bulwer Island production site, just 10 minutes from the BP Truckstop in Lytton. The green hydrogen will be produced by a 220kW electrolyser powered by solar energy generated onsite. John Evans, managing director of BOC South Pacific, says the partnership with BP Australia was an important step forward in developing a hydrogen refuelling service station network in Queensland.

Iveco head of network development, Ella Letiagina, says she was excited to

Other claimed benefits of the new location include a larger showroom, a modern customer lounge boasting the latest amenities, and a yard that is fourfold larger than at the previous location, allowing the Prestige Iveco team to display a broader range of Iveco trucks and vans.

“Our on-site parts warehouse has been optimised, allowing us to hold approximately $1.3 million of Iveco parts in stock, meaning there’s greater convenience and reduced downtime for owners.

BELOW: The Nikola Tre, a joint venture model between Iveco and Nikola Corporation, is also on the company’s local wish list

82 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au tech briefs

“Additionally, the dealership’s workshop facilities have been expanded with the recent repurposing and fit-out of an additional building on the site.”

Dealer principal Kevin Purcell is managing the dealership, promising operators a larger parts and service infrastructure, the latest customer facilities and a wider stockholding of new Iveco models. “The new dealership footprint is significantly larger than the previous location, which will allow us to better cater to the needs of Iveco owners in many ways,” Purcell explains. Iveco has used an event organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in June to outline its zero-emission vehicle plans to dignitaries, including Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change; Minister for Solar Homes Lily D’AmbrosioIvecostates that it began preparations for the introduction of alternative fuel vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2021, with the announcement of a new Customisation and Innovation Centre (CIC) to assist with prelaunch development work, while also appointing long time Iveco executive Marco Quaranta to lead the project in his new capacity as strategic projects and industry relations manager. At the event, Iveco Australia and New Zealand managing director Michael May and Quaranta detailed the company’s plans to introduce a broad range of zero-emission vehicles that included light and heavy-duty models with both battery and fuel cell options. The first of these models will be a new generation of the Daily Electric van, which will be released in Europe later this year. Iveco says it hopes to begin local testing of the first Australian electric models in early 2023, using the CIC for localisation, validation and customer testing. It’s expected that a broad selection of models across various weight classes, will gradually join Iveco’s Euro 6 internal combustion product line-up across a three-year period. Quaranta says that preparation for the company’s zero-emission product roll-out were progressing well. “There is considerable preparation involved in introducing such new technologies to market. “We’re working through a detailed pre-launch process to ensure a smooth roll-out of these vehicles – we want to make sure the zeroemission range exceeds customer expectations both in terms of dayto-day operational performance, but more broadly across all facets of vehicle servicing, maintenance andAssupport.”zero-emission roll-out preparations progress, Iveco says it has formed partnerships with several local organisations and bodies, tertiary institutions and government departments, who will assist on the journey.

“Working closely with our partner BP we will demonstrate how state-of-theart hydrogen refuelling stations can be safely integrated into the existing service station network, paving the way for more infrastructure to facilitate hydrogen trucks and buses,” he says. “We look forward to opening this facility to the public in the future and working with our project partners ARENA, the Queensland government and BP to showcase a world class end-to-end green hydrogen production, storage, supply and refuelling solution.” Frédéric Baudry, president of BP Australia and SVP fuels and low carbon solutions, Asia Pacific, says hydrogen will play an important part in the future energy and mobility mix, and partnerships will be essential in decarbonising industry and transport.

IVECO ON THE MOVE IN MELBOURNE

An artist’s impression of a Hyundai NEXO filling up on hydrogen at the BP Truck Stop

Hydrogen access for BP Truckstop

Purcell says all Iveco MTC staff had transferred to the new dealership. “Prestige Iveco will continue to provide customers with access to a team of OEMtrained service technicians and parts interpreters, as well as a knowledgeable sales staff with a passion for specifying the right vehicle for the application,”

Purcell says. “The dealership’s prominent and easy-to-access positioning along the Southeast transport corridor, also provides customers with added convenience – the overall customer experience at Prestige Iveco will be extremely high.”

Victorian Iveco dealership Melbourne Truck Centre (MTC) has been renamed as Prestige Iveco and relocated to 43-63 Princes Highway, Dandenong South. Part of Eagers Automotive Ltd, Prestige Iveco is sharing the location equally with another high-profile truck franchise, Hino. Iveco says the new site will provide customers with access to a high-end facility that offers superior levels of sales, parts and broader support services.

IVECO OUTLINES PATHWAY TO ZERO EMISSIONS

see dealerships such as Prestige Iveco investing in their operations. “It’s always pleasing to see dealerships investing in the Iveco brand, and Prestige Iveco has certainly raised the standard, operating from this new premises,” Letiagina says. “The facility will provide Iveco customers with enhanced levels of support across all dealerships functions, and assist our broader focus on making Iveco ownership as rewarding, productive and enjoyable as possible.”

“BP has extensive industrial experience with hydrogen and is now linking that with our expertise in supplying energy to the world, creating end-to-end offers and decarbonisation solutions for our customers,” Baudry says.

AUGUST 2022 83ownerdriver.com.au

The first trial units of the Volvo FL Electric arrived in Australia during 2021 and, in the hands of customers, have proved efficient, effective and reliable in urban distribution roles, says Volvo. “When we delivered our first two electric trucks to customers for trials last year, we said this that this was just the start of our Australian electromobility journey,” says Paul Illmer, vice president emerging technology, VGA. “That journey is now gathering pace as we offer a viable, safe and productive range of zero- emissions medium-duty trucks for the first time locally. “ Customer demand for electric transport options is fast becoming a tsunami, and with the arrival of our medium-duty electric range we are now well placed to ride that wave of demand,” Illmer continues. “The connected ecosystem around our electric offering will give customers peace of mind when it comes to making the leap to electric. “And our proprietary Electric Range Simulation tool will ensure that the trucks we deliver are capable of the carry out the tasks they are being asked to carry out, regardless of weight, weather or traffic conditions.

Volvo taking electric orders

Volvo Trucks Australia (VGA) has announced the sales start of its all-electric medium-duty truck range. VGA says the new Volvo FL and FE Electric medium-duty range will now provide a zero emissions option in GVM applications ranging from 16,000 to 26,000kg. Wheelbases range from 3,800mm to 5,000mm for the FL as a 4x2 only, while the FE offers wheelbases from 3,900mm to 6,100mm in both 4x2 and 6x2 tag axleBatteryguise.packs are also able to be configured to suit varying applications with a choice of three or four battery packs on offer. With four batteries on board both the FL and FE Electric offer 265kWh capacity, while the 3-battery option offers 200kWh. Volvo points out that the FL Electric utilises a single motor driveline that provides power to the ground via a two-speed automated transmission and develops 135kW of continuous power with 425Nm of torque available from standstill. The FE Electric, while sharing the same battery configuration as the lighter capacity FL, uses a 225-kW/850Nm dual-motor driveline and is also backed by a two-speed automated transmission. Operational range across the medium-duty range is up to 300 kilometres, depending on battery configuration and application. A factory fitted electric power take-off unit is also an option across the entire medium-duty electric range. Charge times for both vehicles vary from nine hours (AC) to two hours (DC) via a Type 2 or CCS2 charge port. Both models are equipped with a full suite of active safety features.

ADVERTISE IN PRINT & ONLINE OR CALL 1300 362 272 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. Prime Creative 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 Prime Creative 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 Prime Creative Media (The Publisher) shall not be held liable or responsible. $59FROM ll DIY1062749. 0422 705 669. $40,000 DRAKE4X2 6V9T23ABKG0074006.QLD.2016,inexcellentconditionandwellmaintained, $74,500 MACKSUPER-LINER 1984,E9/525hp,12speed.Genuinelow kms,No.VIC. DIY1074656. 0419 881 837. $148,000 FREIGHTLINERARGOSY101 0410workandisinexcellentcondition,no.QLD.11/08.Thisunitisinexcellentcondition,tipperhasdonelittlecab.Thishasdonegenuinelowkms-227,000-Builddate:FreightlinerArgosy110,bisalloyHerculesTipperwithsleeper2008,lowkilometre2008DIY1074560.630261. $82,000ExGST 0438 596 748. $181,500 ADVERTISE IN PRINT & ONLINE OR CALL 1300 362 272 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. Prime Creative 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 Prime Creative 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 Prime Creative Media (The Publisher) shall not be held liable or responsible. $59FROM FREIGHTLINERCOLUMBIACL112 use12.09.2013....alwaysontheroad....forthelasttwoyears2012,Oneowner/Dateinspend20-25Kforupgradeandnewparts.Engineand IVECOSTRALIS360 2012,IvecoPantech, WJMA1VPH404393068.QLD. 0417 712 754. $76,890inclgstneg ISUZUFSERIES 2018,Almostnew,only11000kms,XQ57BU. NSW. DIY1073768. $98,000 DIY1093136. 0432 375 771. $66,000 FRUEHAUFTRIAXLE arrangeinspection,32119.QLD.trailer(steel.Surplustoneeds.LocatedJimboomba.Callto1984,goodstrongdemolitionDIY1098870.0437791719. FREIGHTLINERCOLUMBIACL120 0478introducetolongtermwork,XV66UT.VIC.history.Justservicedat845,000km.NewTurbo,ECU,daycab.ExFleetFreightlinerColumbiawithfullservice2009,BDoublerated550HPKingpinsandspringbushes.Detroitseries60engine.WillDIY1113141.037598. $49,500 ACM105 similar.Negotiable,ACM-105.NSW.1000kghydrauliclifter.Lowhours.IdealforerectingshedsorLargeslewingElevatedWorkPlatform(450kg)withDIY1120234.0269216011. $15,000 UDPK245 CJ80PP.NSW.yearsold,airreleasetailgate,regountilJan'23,manual,2007,lowKm170k,6tyres,tipperbodyonly3DIY1131547.0423281766. $46,000 HINOFL2427 2009,forktruckbusinessforsale,XV81FR.VIC. DIY1134338. 0403 469 775. $275,000IncGST CHRIS'SBODYBUILDERSCBBDT4QUADAXLEDOGTIPPER 2008,aluminiumquaddog,airbags,electrictarplength L7700mm,H1400mm,drawbar3550mm,tare7200, ATM 33000PBS,6B9TR4D0G8SCB8392.QLD. DIY1139598. 0407 615 074. $49,500 WESTERNSTAR4800FUPSTEXASBUMPER "ChaseSeries 1",hiflowgrille, extra bracing,roundedcorners,recessed numberplate,bottomstrip,mudflapstrips,NIL.QLD. DIY1139228. 0411 844 424. $5,500

“Customer and driver feedback on our first two vehicles in service has been fantastic to date,” Illmer says. “We look forward to seeing many more Volvo Electric vehicles quietly plying our urban roads over the next 12 months as we expand our Electric range even further.”

VGA says all Volvo Electric trucks are sold with a Gold Service agreement and prospective customers can choose between an outright vehicle purchase or an operating lease.

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If you are interested in becoming part of our team & would like to discuss further, please email your contact details to, Info@fareytransport.com.au TOW OPPORTUNITIESOPERATOR Wagga based, Farey Transport & Trading is a Refrigerated Transport Co, we are a long-standing, well-established family business specialising in providing quality, reliable and dedicated transport services to our clients. We are seeking Tow Operators to join our professional team providing transport services of FMCG’s to our customers throughout NSW, Victoria, South Aust & Queensland. We offer; • A positive & supportive working environment • Excellent payment terms & conditions • Ongoing consistent Km’s • Excellent Km rate • Single Trailer work only • Runs are scheduled to ensure compliance with NHVL • Fully maintained trailers • Reliable Prime Mover required • Covid 19 compliant for all states • Understanding of Chain of Responsibility (COR) • BFM Accreditation would be an advantage • Customer focused • Strong work ethic All relevant insurances; Public liability, Carriers liability (marine), Comprehensive Motor Vehicle &Trailer in Control & Work cover insurances Est 1989 We are seeking expressions of interest from Lorry Owner Drivers (LOD) with a suitable new or late model truck(s) to operate in our Country QLD and NT Wedivision.have a new 10 year exclusive Concrete Cartage Agreement commencing in August 2022. Why not consider partnering with our business in one of our regional locations • Warwick/Dalby/Toowoomba • Darwin • Cairns • Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Gladstone • Mackay, Whitsunday Coast, Coalfields Please email your details to driverjobs@hanson.com.au Alternatively, you can call recruitment on: 07 3858 1717 * Print audience: CAB Audit, March 2021; Web: Google Analytics, average monthly visitors January-May 2021; Facebook: As at June 2021 Seek the right candidates with Owner Driver’s TRANSPORT RECRUITMENT PACKAGES For more information and package pricing contact Hollie Tinker on 0466 466 945 or at hollie.tinker@primecreative.com.au Reach over 100,000* qualityeverycandidatesmonth 26,471* Reach owner-drivers and small fleet operators every month via Owner Driver magazine’s dedicated Jobs section 87,739* Reach an average of 87,739 owner-drivers and small fleet operators per month OwnerDriver.com.auvia’sdedicatedJobspage 40,000* Reach40,000almost on OwnerDriver’sFacebookpage

BORDER PROTECTION As a long-distance driver I live between Brisbane and Adelaide. This Queensland push to make my job safer is great –but what happens when I cross the border? Where are my protections for the return leg? Having a reasonable starting line is step one, but we also need to make it safely to the finish line. Clearly the new Federal Government hasn’t been in power long enough to have solved everything, but we need to keep reminding them of why this must be a Thepriority.onlyreason our industry has come into focus is because we have kept raising our voices. The Senate Inquiry into trucking happened because we raised the alarm. Then, we told the Senate exactly what the problems are –and there are many. Before this is published, I will have taken part in a lobbying trip to Canberra and a convoy of trucks to Parliament House. It’s happening in the first sitting week of government because we won’t wait any longer. There’s no doubt it will take a sustained effort from us until the Sterle Report recommendations are actioned, so we must keep the pressure on. much they can earn. The race is on for regulation to prevent this happening in Australia before it’s too late. When massive multinational companies like Amazon and Uber can introduce to the market unrealistic expectations for faster deliveries at far cheaper rates, it’s much harder to break. The consumer and the supply chain get used to prioritising convenience and profit over safety and equity. The industry is already doomed to collapse. The whole point of a level playing field is that we all take off from the same starting line. That gives us power. At the moment, the only trigger we have is to turn down work that wouldn’t make us a profit. If gig economy companies swoop in and pick up that work, rates will keep going further and further down. We’ll be more pressured to do jobs just to stay in the game, until our trucks, minds and bodies are so worn out our finances are so battered or worse still we work ourselves that hard we could be involved in a crash causing serious injury or death to ourselves or someone else just trying to stay afloat. The Queensland government has recognised this crisis. It didn’t have a sudden light bulb moment alonethis follows a five-year review of the Industrial Relations Act. Sound familiar? It’s just like the twoyear Sterle Inquiry that led to the same conclusion: we need a standard-setting body so that all work can be done safely

Frank Black

and all transport workers can earn a decentThere’sliving.atrend here: in-depth inquiries into our industry are all coming out with the same solution time after time –lift standards for all. The Queensland government has gotten started. We need the federal government to kick into gear and get a national body off the ground.

Qld leading the way State of Origin isn’t the only win by the Maroons –Queensland is also lifting standards in trucking

FRANK BLACK has been a long distance ownerdriver for more than 30 years. He is a former long-term Council.representativeowner-driverontheATA

O ur struggle is finally in the spotlight and governments are beginning to do something about it. It’s been years, decades really, in the making but the penny is starting to drop that supply chain pressure and high death rates in trucking are directly linked to the lack of minimum standards and a dangerous race to the bottom on pay. The Queensland government has introduced to Parliament a bill that would provide for safe standards in trucking for everyone. By ‘everyone’, it means that not only would ownerdrivers have a safety net for fair negotiation with principal contractors, but we would also be protected from the incoming gig economy swell that threatens to slash our pay while controlling how we work. The proposed bill takes the best bits from NSW Chapter 6 legislation that provides an agreed base level for safe standards and protections for all drivers, while expanding it to include gig economy companies. This is important because we can’t be regulated alone. Otherwise gig companies can simply come in and undercut us to extinction. This is already happening overseas, like where Amazon has set up a gig economy side of its business for trucking, which has destroyed drivers’ agency over how they work or how

“The Senate Inquiry into trucking happened because we raised the alarm.”

86 AUGUST 2022 ownerdriver.com.au FOR THE OWNER-DRIVER

A TRUCKING SUPPLIES TRUCKS FOR WRECKING WAGGA WAGGA Ph: (02) 6925 8888 Fax: (02) 6925 8889 334 Copland St, P.O. Box 2373, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650 Web: truckingsupplies.com.au TRUCK DISMANTLERS Email: WEBSITEtsenquiries@truckingsupplies.com.auUPDATEDDAILYtruckingsupplies.com.au OWD-FP-5011320-BMDL MVRL1957124428 FREIGHTLINERARGOSY 2005,DETROIT14LENGINE,RTLO20918AS2 gearbox,MeritorRT46-160diffonairliner,cabparts,alcoas. Wrecking.W2525. TA1137180. POA KENWORTHT403 2012,daycab,Cumminsegr,RTLO18918gearbox, MeritorRT-46160diffsonairglide460,cabparts,Alcoas,wrecking. W2523. TA1133288. POA FREIGHTLINERARGOSY 2009,primemover.Detroit14Legr(parts only).RTLO20918AAS2gearbox,RT46-160diffsonairliner suspension,cabparts,Alcoas,bumperbar,wrecking.W2524. TA1133290. POA FREIGHTLINERARGOSY 2010,Detroit14LEGRengine,RTLO20918AS3 gearbox,MeritorRT46-160diffsonairliner,cabparts,fueltanks, alcoas.Wrecking.W2527. TA1137354. POA FREIGHTLINERARGOSY DETROIT14LEGRengine,RTLO20918 gearbox,MERITORRT46-160diffs,Alcoas,FUPSAluminiumbullbar, fixedturntable.Verytidyunit.CouldeasilyhaveHydraulicsfitted. W2513. TA1099976. $46,000 CATERPILLARCT630 2013,primemover.W2516. TA1104131. POA KENWORTHK200 2019,CumminsX15(lowkms),RTLO20918B gearbox,MeritorRT46-160diffonAirglide460,cabparts,wrecking. W2522. TA1124189. POA KENWORTHT408 2008,CumminsEGRengine,RTLO20918Bgearbox, SpicerRT46-170diffsonairglide460,cabparts,fueltanks,alcoas. Wrecking.W2528. TA1137355. POA FREIGHTLINERARGOSY 2002,Cumminsgen2engine,RTLO20918AS2 gearbox,MeritorRT46-160diffsonairlier,cabparts,alcoas.wrecking. W2526. TA1137353. POA KENWORTHT402 PrimeMover,CUMMINSEGRengine,RTLO20918B gearbox,MERITORRT46-160diffsonAirglide,droponcab,Alcoas Viesa.W2511. TA1099966. POA KENWORTHK200 2011,primemover.CumminsEGRengine, rtlo20918Bgearbox,MeritorRT46-160diffson8bag,cabpartsdpf, alcos.W2518. TA1120167. POA KENWORTHK200 2011,CumminsEGRengine,RTLO20918B gearbox,MeritorRT46-160diffsonairglide460,cabparts,alcoas, hydraulics.Wrecking.W2529. TA1137356. POA

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