Owner Driver 357 October 2022

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8 AUSTRALIAN TRUCK RADIO TAKES OFF Industry-focussed digital station

18 POSITIONS VACANT

24 ON THE WALL AT ALICE

Normal service was resumed in Alice Springs in August when a new batch of inductees were added to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame

30 WEST ALONG THE WARREGO

62 CHARGING AHEAD

The giants of the trucking world are fast tracking their way to a future where fossil fuels could extinct … and spearheading the charge is the biggest of them all, Daimler Truck

70 EUROPE’S TRANSPORT REVOLUTION

provide

and entertainment 24/7 for long-haul

OwnerDriver tracks down a few of younger truckies who explain the motivations and disincentives of a career in trucking

Martin Rieck has always enjoyed working with cattle, a vocation that he has embraced further with his move to southern Queensland as an owner-driver

48 DOIN’ THE HARD YARDS

A new spruced-up Kenworth T909 has proved to be the shining light for Jeff and Lori Turner’s small fleet under the banner of Method Earthworks

58 LOWOOD LOADS UP

The streets of Lowood in Queensland’s Somerset Region were chock full with the biggest rigs when its annual truck show made a triumphant return

The IAA Transportation event in Hanover, Germany showcased the low emissions future of the commercial vehicle industry attracting exhibitors from 42 countries

74 THE HIGH AND LOW OF HINO With the best model range in its Australian history and a red hot sales truck market, these should be bumper days for Hino’s Australian operation

76 NEW MAN: FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT

MAN’s recent launch of its allnew truck generation was a wellexecuted event, attracting media from all parts of the country

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Three decades on

Last month OwnerDriver magazine quietly clocked up 30 years in existence. Originally presented in a newspaper format, OwnerDriver was first published in midSeptember 1992 (pictured right) under the Publishing Services Australia banner.

OwnerDriver ’s founding editor Andrew Stewart wanted his new publication to give its readership important information on how to go about their business, present professional owner-drivers in a positive light and therefore setting an example to the entire road transport industry.

“It’s all designed to help owner-drivers know the facts affecting their industry, pick up a few tips to save a dollar or make life easier, and to feel pride in the tough job they do,” Andrew said at the time.

Back then truck drivers and owner-drivers were frustrated by the general public’s perception that the road transport industry was loaded with “big rig-driving loudmouths”. While that image may still exist in some quarters, mainly thanks to sensationalist mainstream media (notably commercial TV networks), truck driving has raised its profile through state-of-the-art trucks, a more professional attitude and the removal of most ‘cowboy’ operators from the landscape.

One of OwnerDriver ’s long-term opinion columnists, Ken Wilkie, penned his first piece in the publication’s first issue. A veteran of many decades in road transport, Ken is still a contributor and, while his comments may go against the grain of some associations and officialdom, he has firsthand knowledge of the industry’s issues. And he’s still behind the wheel today.

John Allison, with his witty cartoons, was another to add his personal touch to OwnerDriver, continuing his artistic endeavours throughout the years. Another regular columnist, Rod Hannifey, signed up in 2001 to report on a variety of concerns, including road enforcement irregularities, poorly maintained truck routes and substandard rest stops, all among the many bugbears of truckies. He continues in his attempts to boost the industry’s profile.

While contributing writers have come and gone,

OwnerDriver currently has the best and most experienced in the business, including the likes of Steve Brooks and Warren Aitken.

Over the past 30 years, some long-standing truck publications have shone brightly and later vanished into oblivion.

However, since 1992, OwnerDriver magazine has continued on its trajectory through the ownership of various high-profile media companies who recognised the value in this unique publication.

OwnerDriver plans to continue to set the standard for Australia’s trucking media for another 30 years … and well beyond.

As for the future?

Warning despite fuel tax credits return

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has welcomed the reinstatement of the fuel excise tax credit by federal transport and infrastructure minister Catherine King following months of advocacy by the transport industry for its reinstatement to offset higher diesel costs.

The previous government’s temporary reduction in the fuel excise ended at midnight on September 28, however the VTA says it is important that operators continue to resist absorbing higher business costs so as not to put any unnecessary pressure on their ability to trade.

The credit increased by 1 cent to

18.8 cents per litre on September 29, although the higher amount intended to offset an increase to the heavy vehicle road user charge of 0.8 cents per litre, which took effect at the same time.

Earlier in September, Minister King announced that the new Road User Charge would be 27.2 cents per litre and the fuel excise 46 cents a litre.

NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says the increase in the road user charge from 26.4 cents per litre is consistent with the National Transport Commission’s recommendations earlier this year.

“While we acknowledge that the

3 per cent rise is less than half the inflation rate for 2021-22, it will still make life tough for truck operators,” Clark says.

However, the VTA says consumers are growing accustomed to the impacts of inflation in our economy so it will come as little surprise that increases in fuel, registration and charges must be factored into transport costs.

The VTA says it gratefully acknowledges and sincerely thanks the minister for listening to the

legitimate concerns of industry, which is reflected in the higher fuel excise tax credit afforded to road transport operators.

In its deliberations with state and federal governments, the VTA says it has consistently advocated for any increase to the road user charge to be kept to a minimum, in consideration of the significant increase in diesel costs due to inflationary and supply chain pressures, as well as ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe.

The VTA has welcomed the reinstatement of fuel tax credits but NatRoad warns of tough times ahead for operators due to road user charge increase

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Australian Truck Radio takes off

Industry-focussed digital station to provide information and entertainment 24/7 for long-haul truckies

Modern technology and the internet deliver the opportunity for listenerfocussed broadcaster Australian Truck Radio to be ideally positioned for the captive niche market of Australian trucking. Founder and manager Simon Smith recognises the need for a connection to trucking community, and also the responsibilities which come with it.

“They’re a huge mobile community and they are looking for their own station, and now we have to technology and resources to provide that nationally 24/7. The mobile phone is today’s radio transmitter and receiver,” says Simon, a veteran of radio broadcasting who initiated the successful ‘truckers’ radio’ format at several stations in southern NSW during the late 1980s, mostly on the midnight to dawn shift.

An unexpected bonus after the original show had been on air for a time was an anecdotal reduction in fatigue-related accidents involving heavy vehicles in the areas where the broadcasts were being received.

The consolidation of commercial radio networks in Australia during the past few decades has led to focus shifting from categories such as trucking as more stations chose to concentrate on specific consumer groups such as young homeowners or even attempt to be all things to all listeners while ultimately only satisfying the overall listening needs of a few.

Australian trucking is a huge mobile community looking for industry specific news and information and the drivers are at the same time looking for a radio

station they can lock on and leave on while they are occupying their cabs and listening to the information and entertainment which apply to their own work activities as well as their often unique lifestyles.

“If you’ve got a radio station and you’re trying to be everything to everybody it’s not going to work,” says Simon. “We provide something that people want with a music-driven format, and in between the songs we can have a bit of a laugh and a bit of variety including regular on-air conversations with industry people.”

“The trucking industry has changed,” Simon points out. “It’s mostly dual carriageway between capital cities such as Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

“In the past, drivers would pull up at a roadhouse and sit around and have a meal together, but now with the dual carriageways, that opportunity for camaraderie is no longer there.

“We want to provide a radio

station that’s like a truckies’ campfire where they can sit around and talk and listen.”

Simon says Australian Truck Radio, dubbed the ‘voice of Australian trucking’, can be heard simply by downloading the designated Radio Station app (or scan the bar code below) or on a

computer via the station’s website: www.truckradio.au.

“The mobile phone is today’s radio transmitter. You can download the app straight onto your mobile plus you can of course listen online from our Australian Truck Radio website,” he adds.

“The Australian Truck Radio program format is designed to be a radio station truckies around Australia can lock onto 24/7.

“There’s loads of trucking classics every hour with heaps of handy industry news and information plus lots more all day every day.”

Music can range from anywhere between Slim Dusty and Lee Kernaghan to Jimmy Barnes, Midnight Oil, INX and Bruce Springsteen.

“It’s a jukebox for truckies that goes everywhere you do,” says Simon.

“The trucking industry is the biggest niche market in Australian radio and this huge mobile community deserves to have their own 24/7 radio station – now they do.”

Top: Simon Smith of Australian Truck Radio says the format is designed to be a station that Australian truckies can lock onto 24/7

Above: Jimmy Barnes will be rocking up the airwaves on Australian Truck Radio

Left: Australian Truck Radio will feature the music of Lee Kernaghan, one of many Australian country music stars to be heard regularly on the ‘voice of Australian trucking’

“We want to provide a radio station that’s like a truckies’ campfire.”

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west

New Parramatta office coincides with transition of NSW state-based heavy vehicle services to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Heavy vehicle safety services in New South Wales has a new home following the official opening of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Parramatta headquarters.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway opened the new office on September 23 as part of the transition of state-based heavy vehicle services to the NHVR.

“Over the last six months, the NSW Government and Transport for New South Wales have been working closely with the NHVR to make the transition as smooth as possible while ensuring the heavy vehicle industry continues to operate safely and productively,” Minister Farraway says.

“On 1 August, we saw the transition of roadside heavy vehicle inspections, investigations and prosecutions and administration services

to the NHVR, and I’m pleased to officially open the new Parramatta headquarters.

“Nationally consistent compliance is essential for the safety and productivity of heavy vehicle operators, and I look forward to continuing to work with the NHVR to keep NSW roads safe and our economy growing.”

NHVR chair Duncan Gay says the transition would reduce the impact of state borders on the movement of freight across Australia.

“With staff now based in NSW, we can continue to work towards a national approach to heavy vehicle safety and compliance and improve consistency for operators,” Gay says.

“While drivers will see a new logo on our vehicles and uniforms, they will continue to receive the same services and support, and will need meet the

same safety requirements as they have in the past.

“The transition is part of an ongoing journey towards becoming a single national regulator, and I’d particularly like to thank the heavy vehicle industry across NSW for their time and feedback throughout the process.”

who will continue to deliver services from more than 200 existing Heavy Vehicle Inspection Stations, safety stations and on-road enforcement sites across NSW.

NSW is the fifth state or territory – after South Australia, Tasmania, ACT and Victoria – where the NHVR is directly delivering heavy vehicle regulatory services.

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Above: The NHVR team with TfNSW staff and delegates at the September 23 office opening

Melbourne’s curfew cameras alert

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) says heavy vehicle drivers should prepare to see monitoring cameras and new road signage communicating important information about restrictions.

The VTA says it has been working closely with Freight Victoria and the Department of Transport to ensure a sensible balance is maintained between operator productivity and community amenity with respect to heavy vehicle movement in the inner west Port of Melbourne precinct.

New cameras and road signage were put in place on September 19 and the VTA is keen to update operators about curfews and restrictions in the inner west which has caused recent confusion.

The VTA says curfews have been in place on many roads in the inner west for nearly 20 years, with the re-defining of these curfews having taken access one step closer to the completion of the West Gate Tunnel.

The VTA says operators should note that a 24/7 curfew exists for heavy vehicles at all times on Hyde

St, north of Francis St to Napier St.

Partial curfews for heavy vehicles from 8pm to 6am weeknights and from 1pm Saturday to 6am Monday along Somerville Rd, Francis St, Moore St, Whitehall St (Francis to Somerville Rd, Hyde St (south of Francis St.

Heavy vehicles are prohibited from 8pm-6am weeknights and from 1pm Saturday to 6am Monday on Somerville Rd, Francis St, Moore St, Whitehall St (Francis to Somerville Rd) and Hyde St (south of Francis Street).

High productivity freight vehicles may operate on permit conditions along Williamstown Rd.

There are no curfews along Footscray Rd, Napier St, Buckley St, Whitehall St (Somerville Rd to Napier St), Sunshine Rd, Geelong Rd and the Westgate Freeway.

The VTA also says the bridge height clearances in Napier Street of four metres must be observed. It advises that operators unsure on these restrictions should contact its office.

DRIVER SHORTAGE BEHIND HILDER TRANSPORT CLOSURE

After 30 years in business, Bernie Hilder, managing director of Hilder Transport, has sold the company’s entire fleet as he winds down operations.

Ritchie Bros handled the dispersal fleet of the prime movers and trailers through a national unreserved auction on October 12 and 13.

The trucks auctioned off included eight Kenworths of various year models, including recent T610 6x4s.

Other trucks included a 2003 UD MKB215, 2007 Volvo FH13 and two Hino 4x2s. There are also a variety of Freighter, Kreuger and Barker trailers, as well as forklifts and crane trucks.

Based in Rowville in Victoria, Bernie’ Hilder’s father George established Hilder Transport in 1972. The younger Hilder has continued his father’s legacy by growing the company, offering specialised Australia wide freight services.

“In the early years, my father worked with the sawmills buying and selling timber into Melbourne, then the produce market, before transitioning into the transport business,” HIlder explains.

“I just love trucks and the industry. However, it’s gotten to the stage where we can’t attract drivers and staff. We have some great customers, the journey has been awesome, but it’s time.

“After months of consideration and numerous discussions, I have made the tough and heartbreaking decision to cease the transport services of George Hilder and Co Pty Ltd,” he stated on the company’s site.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our staff and customers who we have never taken for granted.”

TWU supports calls for port fee reform

More commentators are voicing their concerns over the situation around port fees in the transport industry. On September 9 a story on The Financial Review echoed the sentiment of many, including OwnerDriver readers, that port fees should be placed on shipping companies and not individual truck drivers.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) national secretary Michael Kaine says more mainstream calls for port reform is a step in the right direction.

“This a positive step towards ending the stevedores monopoly gouging scandal which has gone on for years. Exorbitant fees have imposed major burdens on transport companies and owner drivers already operating on razor-thin margins.

“For over five years, the TWU along with companies like ACFS and transport associations have been calling for wealthy heads in maritime supply chains to pay their fair

share rather than pushing transport operators to the brink.

“The proposition of ‘flexible fees’ to create ‘efficient incentives’ undermines safety in Australia’s deadliest industry and should be abandoned. When profits are squeezed, operators and drivers are pressured to delay maintenance, speed, skip rest breaks and drive fatigued. Imposing fees to make transport operators work faster will only result in more deaths on our roads. In the last year alone, 188 people have been killed in truck crashes, including 54 truck drivers.

Kaine says a recent transport industry roundtable of workers, clients, employers, industry groups and gig companies called for enforceable standards to ease pressures on the industry.

“We’re pleased that the Federal Government acted on this consensus, announcing its intention to empower the Fair Work Commission to set standards in transport.”

The VTA is warning heavy vehicle drivers that new monitoring cameras and signage are being placed in the Port of Melbourne area to track curfews

“New cameras and road signage were put in place on September 19.”

JOBALLMASTERDONE TRADES

ALL

MASTERDONE OF TRADES

Trust

FOR

VISIT

driver recruitment

Acommon consensus across the truck industry is that there are way too many disincentives deterring young Australians from considering a career driving trucks. On the flip side, there are many drivers that have chosen trucking and say the freedom of life on the road makes up for the negatives.

OwnerDriver reached out to working young people in the transport industry to hear about their stories and find out what they believe needs to change.

Each respondent explained that they were either born into a family of transport workers or had a deep passion for trucks and transport that made them want to put up with the many sacrifices the industry demands.

Twenty-nine-year-old Cameron Byrom from Perth told us what attracted him to truck driving.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a kid watching dad drive trucks,” he says. “I’ve met a lot of good people throughout my childhood that made a good living on the road and had some unreal stories to tell.

“At 25 I got my truck licence and moved out of the office and into one of the trucks full-time. It was an itch I needed to scratch and I’m glad I did it,” Byrom says.

Despite the drawbacks, he says there’s a lot he still enjoys about the profession.

“Watching the scenery change as you move across the state, looking up at the countless stars when you’re camped up overnight in the middle of nowhere, the time and space you get for deep thinking, and meeting great people all over the place.

POSITIONS VACANT

The Australian road transport industry continues to suffer from a shortage of young drivers while its existing workforce continues to age and approach retirement. Julian Daw tracks down a few of the younger brigade who explain the motivations and disincentives of a career in trucking

“I also just love trucks, so I get to see a lot of really nice rigs out and about, often with top-notch operators behind the wheel,” Byrom says.

Job security

Twenty-seven-year-old William De Maio of Melbourne says it was an interest in vehicles that got him started.

“I have a passion for anything with wheels and an engine. I also love driving and being out on the road so to me it was a no-brainer.

“It’s an industry that’s always on the go – it never stops. And when you’re living in uncertain times like we are currently, having that job security is a big weight off the shoulders. Transport never stops.”

De Maio says there are other parts of the job he appreciates.

“I enjoy being out on the road; every day is different with plenty of variety. You get to meet some really cool people out there as well.”

For many younger drivers and owner-drivers however, the downsides to a career in transport are many and should create pause for anyone considering getting stared in the industry.

Laurie Frederikson of Queensland is 30 years-old and

Opposite bottom: Western Australia-based Cameron Byrom believes truck driving should come with a trade qualification

Right: Melbourne truckie William De Maio: “I have a passion for anything with wheels and an engine.”

points to over-regulation as the number one disincentive for young people entering the transport industry.

“We are one of the most over regulated industries in Australia. I invite anyone to give me an example of a different industry where the worker can be given an on-the-spot fine or given a court date for just doing their job,” Frederikson exclaims.

“The logbook alone can cost a driver anywhere from half to well over his weekly wage just for going 15 minutes or half an hour over their legal working hours.

“In any other industry that would be called overtime and would be reflected in the pay packet at the end of the week.

“The logbook has been designed to catch people out, so they make mistakes as far as I’m concerned.

“We’re truck drivers not rocket scientists so why make the logbook so intricate that it’s harder to make it right than it is to get it wrong?” Frederikson says.

However, he still considers truck driving a long-term career and one of the best industries to be involved in.

“Being a truck driver becomes not only a job, but a way of life.”

However, Cameron Byrom says the strain on relationships is another factor that would deter many people from becoming a long-haul driver.

“The unpredictable nature of long-distance transport is really hard on relationships. I’m often having to cancel plans because of a delay somewhere or a last-minute job coming up, which puts a strain on things at times.

“It’s also tricky maintaining physical and mental health on the road,” Byrom adds.

Perceived negativity

Warren Clark, CEO of the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) says the industry doesn’t just have to be for those born into it or with a strong enough passion to accept the drawbacks. Clark says there can be a real place for transport workers in Australia.

“The simple fact of it is, is that not everyone’s going to go to university, not everyone’s going to go to TAFE. Not everyone’s going to be a doctor or a lawyer. So, truck driving itself can appeal to younger people.

“This industry is full of opportunities, but it has a lot of perceived negativity about it. For young people looking for a career in transport, there needs to be a career path established. There needs to be flexibility, and there needs to be adequate training.

“At the present time the only thing that these guys get training on is the licensing process and that’s where it’s completely wrong,” Clark says.

Will De Maio says that without going through a proper apprenticeship program, learning about the industry, and gaining experience, was unnecessarily difficult.

“At first it was tough because no one wants to help – it’s like everything is a big secret.

“A lot of my knowledge come from talking to older seasoned drivers I met while at [my previous job]

Bridgestone and watching Australian trucker Rod on YouTube, and that’s 100 per cent the truth,” De Maio says.

“I had very few people who were willing to help me, and even the ones that did wouldn’t say much. For someone just starting out they need all the help they can get.

“While I love trucks, I also love other things. A life in transport often doesn’t leave a lot of spare time to raise kids, play social sport, hang out with mates and family,” he says.

Top: One of the Kenworths that Cameron Byrom drives for Combined Logistics in WA

Bottom:

Warren Clark

newcomers

“We are one of the most over regulated industries in Australia.”

“Truck driving isn’t seen as a respectable or skilled job.”

“Finding time to do even the simplest things like mowing the lawn or maintaining the car can be hard at times.”

Paperwork errors

The penalties in the truck driving industry was another issue that quickly came up for many of the younger owner-drivers we heard from. While generally understood that fatigue and safety standards need to be met there is a still a feeling that many of these fines are unfair and actively discourage new drivers from entering the industry.

De Maio believes the penalty systems have instilled a culture of guilt and fear into owner-drivers.

“We understand having rules and regulations to create a safer industry for everyone; I don’t think anyone has a problem with that. What I do think people have a problem

with is getting fine after fine for paperwork errors.

“We all know that feeling of pulling into a weighbridge, even if you’ve done nothing wrong you start to sweat! Most of the time they aren’t even worried about walking around the truck. They just want to see logbooks and certificates!”

Warren Clark calls it a ludicrous system that deters people from the freedom the industry can offer young people.

“These days you have people that don’t want to work five or seven days a week. But you can get in a truck, and you can work for just two or three days, you can do it at night, or in the day.

“There’s plenty of flexibility in our industry but people just don’t see it.

“So then when we get these people into the industry, how do we keep them? We keep them through adequate training, proper pay and flexibility.

Clark says the penalty system and the prescriptive fines imposed on drivers is ludicrous.

“That is a massive deterrent to people staying in the industry. So many people get their licences, but why would they if they get fined $600 for a logbook breach or because they haven’t spelled a town right?”

For Cameron Byrom the changes in the industry that will make the biggest difference to how many young people consider it a viable career come down to an adequate training program.

“The school system pushes kids to either go to university or get a trade, neither of which leads to a career in transport, so truck driving isn’t seen as a respectable or skilled job.

“Creating an industry apprenticeship program and making heavy vehicle operations a trade qualification is a good start, but this is much more than an image problem.

“Despite what the older generation like to claim, young people these days aren’t generally scared of hard work or long hours, they just don’t want to do it forever. And given the option, they’ll almost always choose to work smarter rather than harder,” Byrom says.

“The next generation places a greater value on worklife balance, physical and mental health, life experiences and relationships than previous generations did.”

However, Byrom has a word of caution for would-be truckies.

“If there’s no passion for trucks and you’re just looking for a job to pay the bills, I’d say look elsewhere.”

OwnerDriver would like to hear from other young truckies or those aspiring to enter the road transport industry. Email julian.daw@primecreative.com.au

events

ON THE WALL AT

Normal service was resumed in Alice Springs in August when a new batch of inductees were added to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame as part of the Australian Festival of Transport

More than 55 new inductees were added to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Alice Springs on August 27. The induction ceremony was a major part of the Australian Festival of Transport at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame Reunion, that took place on the last weekend in August.

It was return to normality following two years of the pandemic, marking the dedication and commitment of individuals withing Australia’s transport industry.

Inductees from 2020 and 2021 who missed the opportunity

to attend due to COVID restrictions were also recognised this year.

“We’re proud to be able to celebrate the achievements of the industry once again at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame and to welcome another group of deserving inductees into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame,” says Nick Lubransky, transport marketing manager at Viva Energy, the Shell brand licensee in Australia.

One of the 2022 inductees, Laszlo Bruzsa, was recognised as being instrumental in the implementation of innovative and more freight-efficient heavy vehicle combinations like B-doubles

Opposite top: Barry Knee (left), Kathleen Knee and Peter Knee from northern Victoria were among the 2022 inductees into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame

Top: Laszlo Bruzsa receives his Wall of Fame recognition from Viva Energy’s Nick Lubransky (left) and Road Transport Historical Society CEO Nick Prus

Above: Despite decades involvement in road transport, Primo Martignago has no plans to retire. He received his Wall of Fame certificate and medallion from Nick Lubransky and Nick Prus

Below: Heavy haulage professional Steven Woodward was added to the 2022 Wall of Fame, courtesy of Nick Lubransky and Nick Prus

THE 2022 SHELL RIMULA WALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Maxwell Andrews Peter Annett Raymond Arty Leonard Barty Byron Bonney Laszlo Bruzsa Barbara Byrnes Ronald Byrnes Larry Charles Edward Cockburn Jeffrey Cutter Sidney Cutter William Cutter John Deane Joe Dickerson

John Dow Ross Dow Keith Fowler Larry Gill Brian Hailes Noel Halliwell David Hayter Gerard Hicks Stanley Hiscock Kenneth Hopper Colin Johns Adrian Johnson Leo Kelly Barry Knee Kathleen Knee Peter Knee

Terence Lamprell James Leahy Kevin McAuliffe Primo Martignago Sydney Matthews John Molloy Raymond Mullane Beverley Newland Brian Norton John Norton Barry Pfeiffer Robert Picone Geoffrey Purtill Keith Purtill Ian Purtill

John Molloy Brian Norton John Norton Peter Redding Lesley Schrapel Peter Shiells Edward Smith Ivor Stewart Donald Stewart Denis Taylor Douglas Tory Lionel Ward Denis Wheare Hazel Whitmore Steve Woodward

“The brothers now have their sights set on operating a carbon neutral fleet by 2025.”

and AB-triples, which now represent the norm in terms of productivity and road safety in the Australian road transport industry.

Brisbane-based Bruzsa is an internationally renowned authority on heavy vehicle technology, road safety and the complex interplay of heavy vehicles and roadways, and has received many awards and accolades for his achievements.

“We’re excited to acknowledge the achievements of people like Laslo and celebrate their outstanding commitment to the road transport community,” Lubransky adds.

paving the way for their family legacy to continue well into the future.

Community minded

Above: After two years of COVID restrictions, John and Ross Dow’s plaque was added to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame following their 2021 induction

Below: Lionel Ward (centre) from Geraldton in Western Australia made the trip to Alice Springs to be officially added to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame

Hi-Trans Express managing directors and brothers Ross Dow and John Dow followed their father George Dow who retired in 1998 and was inducted in 2004, by having their names added to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.

The Adelaide-based Dows are credited with ensuring their business is an industry leading force with proactive technology, safety and sustainability commitments.

The brothers now have their sights set on operating a carbon neutral fleet by 2025. They have also inspired and enlisted the next generation of Dows in the Hi-Trans Express business,

Barry Knee, from northern Victoria, is known for offering his services to help primary producers in need and giving back to the community, was among a number of owner-operators to be inducted this year. Working in the transport industry since the age of 19, Knee started working for his father full-time in the family business Barry Knee Haulage. He was joined by family members Kathleen Knee and Peter Knee.

Lionel Ward, from Geraldton in WA, was another among the list of 55 inductees named for 2022. Starting in the road transport industry in 1973 at the age of 16, Ward has gained a solid reputation as a very safe driver with an accident-free record despite driving a triple road train millions of kilometres across some of the roughest roads on the planet.

Hailing from the Sydney suburb of Horsley Park, Primo Martignago is still working in the industry at almost 77 years of age, a testament to his deep commitment.

With a wealth of experience, Martignago has hauled a range of products behind the wheel of various truck makes and models. However, despite now relying on his sons for jobs that require greater physical activity, Martignago says he has no plans to retire.

Heavy hauler

Also from NSW, Steven Woodward of Kiama was added to the Wall of Fame on August 27 after a long career which commenced in the 1980s. Involved in some of the biggest heavy haulage moves in the country, Woodward is known for becoming a master of multiple truck and ‘push-pull’ operations, developing a unique and highly specialised skillset.

Aways keen to share his knowledge, Woodward is known for frequently mentoring young people in the industry, including his own son who assisted in moving the largest mobile crane in the country, at the time, in a dual truck operation.

As well as the induction ceremony, other highlights of the Australian Festival of Transport included the Transport Women’s Association welcome breakfast, the Cummins Cup Truckies Day at the Alice Springs Turf Club, and the Territory formal gala dinner and live music inside the Kenworth Pavilion.

For Shell Rimula, this year marked another in the long partnership with the National Road Transport Hall of Fame which has so far tallied more than 1,700 transport industry identities to the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.

NHVR Sal Petroccitto

PBS now and beyond

A new notice will allow operators of certain combinations to operate outside the PBS scheme

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is committed to always looking at what we do, to find opportunities to better our approach and deliver fit for purpose and improved efficiencies for the heavy vehicle industry and in turn, our communities.

As the sector continues to address the challenges involved in managing the impacts of COVID, including the ongoing effects of driver shortages and the forever growing freight task, it is critical that we do what we can to improve accessibility to safer and more productive heavy vehicles. This is focused on operators moving more freight in a safe way with fewer truck movements – and is a key principle underpinning the NHVR Performance Based Standards (PBS) Scheme.

The PBS scheme has been considered one of the most sophisticated in the world and since its introduction in 2007, has played a significant role in transforming the movement of freight in Australia by putting safer, more productive vehicles on our roads and encouraging innovative approaches to the significant transport task. There are now more than 14,500 of these smarter, safer PBS combinations operating across the country.

Over the next couple of months we’ll be delivering a range of initiatives to continue evolving the scheme and removing barriers to operator participation. This approach is focused on modernising PBS so that it reflects the improved safety performance of the industry over the last 10 years as well as recognising technology and innovation advancements.

PBS EXPANSION

This month, we will be delivering a new notice – the National Class 3 20m Long 3-axle Truck and 4-axle Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice – that provides operators of longer 3-axle truck

and 4-axle dog combinations up to 20 metres in length with the option to operate these combinations outside of the PBS scheme in the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

These combinations have only been able to operate under the PBS scheme, with access restricted to PBS networks, or by permit. Now that the PBS scheme has been in operation for more than 15 years, we know enough about this particular combination to move it out of the PBS regime. So, operators can enjoy the benefits to be gained from one of these combinations without the expense and time needed to get a PBS Vehicle Approval (VA).

This notice is the important first step in moving ‘mature’ combinations out of the PBS scheme and into the less complex and less costly ‘normal’ regulatory framework – and we will continue to identify other well-known combinations that can also be transitioned out of the scheme. This move allows the scheme to focus on the next iteration of innovative vehicles, further enhancing productivity and safety.

This is just an option though, and operators can continue to operate, or apply for approval for, these vehicles within the PBS scheme.

We’re also putting changes in place to simplify and reduce turnaround times for the PBS VA process. Firstly, we’ll be removing the operator’s name from the VA, so that it becomes an authorisation to the vehicles listed on the VA, regardless of who owns or operates them. This means there will be no need to transfer the VA when a vehicle is sold or when it’s being used by a subcontractor. All existing VAs will be unaffected, although we will remove operators’ names on request.

Secondly, we’ll be replacing the specification tables with a simpler table that only contains key vehicle information like VINs, number of axles, and vehicle make and model. This will eliminate duplicated

SAL PETROCCITTO became CEO of the NHVR in May 2014, bringing extensive knowledge of heavy vehicle policy, strategy and regulation to the role. He has broad experience across state and local government, having held senior leadership roles in transport and logistics, land use, transport and strategic planning, and has worked closely with industry and stakeholders to deliver an efficient and effective transport system and improved supply chain outcomes. Over the past seven years, Sal has led a significant program of reform across Australia’s heavy vehicle industry, including transitioning functions from participating jurisdictions to deliver a single national heavy vehicle regulator, harmonising heavy vehicle regulations across more than 400 road managers, and modernising safety and productivity laws for heavy vehicle operators and the supply chain.

information and reduce the size of a VA application by about 30 per cent.

We’ve also progressed the implementation of the generic tyre approach for PBS assessments endorsed by Ministers in 2021. This will move away from the prescriptive nomination of tyres on PBS VAs to an approach that will allow industry to use any tyre of the specified size and rated load.

Since we first announced our intention to adopt this approach, we have undertaken extensive technical evaluations to ensure that the safety of PBS vehicles won’t be compromised by using generic tyres. The results have clearly shown PBS vehicles deliver excellent safety, regardless of tyre performance.

We hope to introduce this approach before the end of October 2022. From commencement, all existing vehicles will be deemed to comply with the new approach and, importantly, operators of existing PBS combinations won’t be required to amend their VAs to reflect this change.

ACCESS CERTAINTY

Looking to the future, we have been undertaking work to deliver a revamped scheme – PBS 2.0 – which will, among other things, enable the scheme to focus on innovation.

Of course – one of the key barriers we need to tackle is opening up increased access for PBS vehicles so they can operate on the same networks as their conventional equivalents. PBS 2.0 has as a strong focus on working with road managers to provide certainty of access for these vehicles as well as eliminating the need for permits.

Critical to this outcome will be the ability to display all the PBS networks across states and local government areas in one single national map through the NHVR’s National Spatial platform. This will provide increased efficiencies and certainty by removing the need for operators to access multiple statebased maps when planning cross border journeys. The single map as it develops will also deliver dynamic network outcomes based on an operator’s fleet and increased national information on movements will reduce the need for permits, supporting the move to increased gazetted network outcomes.

A Discussion Paper outlining our proposed approach will be available on our website shortly, and I encourage everyone in the industry to review it and provide feedback.

The PBS scheme is something the NHVR takes great pride in. As it continues to mature, we are seeing more and more how it has fundamentally changed the way we move freight in this country while delivering significant safety and productivity benefits.

I look forward to continuing to work with the industry to improve and grow the scheme, for the benefit of all road users and our broader economy.

For more about the PBS scheme, visit www.nhvr.gov.au/pbs

“This move allows the scheme to focus on the next iteration of innovative vehicles.”

Michael Kaine

Reform within reach

The transport industry is more united than ever in its bid to obtain a level and safer playing field

Road transport workers around the country are closer than ever to safer roads and a more prosperous industry – and it’s thanks to an industry that has never been more united.

In September I joined representatives from right around road transport for an industry roundtable ahead of the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit. It is a testament to the industry that there was unanimous agreement on what we need to make road transport more viable, fair, safe and sustainable.

We emerged from the roundtable with a set of principles to reform our industry, backed by stakeholders from every corner of the industry including the Transport Workers Union (TWU), the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO), NatRoad, the National Road Freighters Association (NRFA), state transport associations, transport operators like Toll, Linfox, ACFS and FBT Transwest, and even supply chain clients Woolworths and Coles, and gig giants Uber and DoorDash.

These groups have not always been allies, but the ‘wild west’ of the gig economy spreading rapidly through transport has only heightened our need to stand shoulder to shoulder. Even the gig companies themselves have joined calls for a level playing field, feeling the threat of being undercut out of business in a lawless society like the gig economy is today.

In what is Australia’s deadliest industry, this set of industry principles form a powerful blueprint for how we can achieve life-saving reform in road transport, and they are groundbreaking.

The consensus between the representatives at the roundtable was so absolute that Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has announced the Federal Government’s intention to empower the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to set fair standards for the entire transport industry.

Under this proposal, the FWC would be tasked with making transport a more sustainable industry for all.

GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT

Unanimity and accord across a whole industry does not come from nowhere. One of the driving forces of this reform was Senator Glenn Sterle’s two-year inquiry into road transport, which heard from dozens of representatives and earned trust from all corners of the industry. Thanks to the tireless efforts of these advocates, the commitments from the Federal Government are built around the findings of Senator Sterle’s inquiry and give life to a number of its key recommendations.

This is a significant breakthrough to lift standards in the industry and protect all participants from the existential crisis brought by the gig tsunami.

We must band together and do everything we possibly can to back the Federal Government’s commitment. The stakes are too high for inaction.

For owner-drivers it would mean

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

greater economic strength and fair payment terms, including for cost recovery, increasingly crucial with skyrocketing fuel prices.

It would mean access to real dispute resolution, so drivers’ voices can be heard, no matter their label.

It would mean transport workers get a seat at the table when decisions are being made about the industry and be able to provide advice and recommendations.

But the most crucial element is that it will apply to all transport workers, including employees and gig workers. Having minimum standards for all workers means that the industry as a whole can prosper from a safe and fair starting point.

It would mean all workers have the regulatory backing they need to make a decent living. We would have a system of fair competition that allows all participants to thrive.

OWNER-DRIVER EXPLOITATION

With companies like AmazonFlex destroying good jobs through its exploitative app-style model, this commitment from the Federal Government could not come at a more urgent time.

We’ve already seen FedEx fall to the Amazon Effect, with its proposal to bring in owner-drivers on shocking piece rates on a take it or leave it basis. If FedEx does it, soon others would be forced to do the same to stay competitive.

If passed through parliament, this would close the loophole that companies like Amazon have been able to take advantage of for far too long.

The benefits of this system for ownerdrivers are numerous. Supply chain accountability would increase the size of the pie so drivers aren’t fighting for scraps. Cost recovery would be easier but so too would negotiating take-home pay on top.

We have worked together for years for a solution that will create a fairer and safer industry. Only two months ago, hundreds of employee and owner truck drivers, couriers, rideshare and food delivery workers joined

nationwide convoys alongside industry representatives in support of reform.

That moment – real, industry-led, positive change – is on the horizon. It’s a reminder of what we can achieve when we stand together – we need to keep up the strength and unity to get this done.

We’re not at the finish line yet. The industry has never been more united, but we need to continue to work together over the next weeks and months to make this a reality.

We know that if passed, this will save trucking businesses, jobs and lives. Our tenacity and unity as an industry has got us this far, and the prospect of a more prosperous industry is something every single person in road transport must get behind to make it happen.

BELOW: Transport workers from across the board joined recent nationwide protests in support of reform

“For owner-drivers it would mean greater economic strength and fair payment terms.”

Robert Bell

Increasing complexity

HVNL inconsistencies across the states and territories are enough to make you go “Hmmm!”

Heavy vehicle legislation is becoming increasingly complex. Remember when they said the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) would make things easy to understand? We see the whole range of offences and enforcement across the country here at Highway Advocates, and they have us scratching our heads on more than one occasion. This month’s column will detail a few that might have you scratching yours.

Does calling a law national make it so? If Queensland had a law called the National Parks Act (QLD), could that law apply to all National Parks across Australia? Western Australia and Northern Territory have yet to sign on the dotted line for the HVNL. The NT originally signed, but they must have their toes crossed. They reneged soon after. Could that be something to do with the fact that the NT is a Federal Territory, not a State?

A Federal Territory, even one with a self-government act like the NT, would have problems enforcing another State law. Hence, no HVNL in the NT.

Western Australia has always wanted to do its own thing and the HVNL is not its thing at this point in time. However, drivers from participating States still have to comply with the HVNL for up to seven days while operating in WA. Think of it this way, if you will. While in WA you must comply with Queensland legislation in a State that does not apply that legislation. Does your head hurt yet?

A driver (or subject of The King) who is a resident in another State, is then treated differently to a resident of WA while in that State. That starts to take the shape of the number 117. To make matters worse, cameras have been installed in WA that monitor interstate driver movements while in WA. How does this happen? Because we let it!

UNDER SURVEILLANCE

Turning now to the eastern states, in particular NSW. Here comes another head-scratcher. The Safe-T-Cam system came about because of reforms implemented after the tragic Grafton and Kempsey bus and truck crashes. They are used as surveillance devices, not unlike CCTV. ‘Outsourced’, like almost everything in NSW, they are now used for a whole raft of offences.

Many operators around the country will relate to receiving notices to

produce purporting to force operators to disclose drivers’ names and addresses under the threat of heavy fines. The wording on the notice goes a little bit something like this:

“Your vehicle was detected travelling between Safe-T-Cams faster than the allowable travel time. Therefore it is alleged you have committed an offence under the HVNL.”

OK, so what is the allowable travel time? What is the offence?

Frequent enquiries draw a blank, with a typical response being “it is a policy” breach. An unknown policy –and then you are accused of breaking the law! How and why does this happen? We know it happens because we let it. However, we do know it faces some possible legal hurdles.

Without a specific reason for doing so, these notices requiring the production of work diary records may be described as a ‘fishing exhibition’. A term used in law, a ‘fishing exhibition’ may be a process that seeks to ‘cast a wide net’ to catch something. It has been widely held in common law that when it is necessary to require production, the process must identify expressly and precisely the legitimate forensic purpose for which access to the documents is sought. The process may be creature of statute, however the reason for initiating that process may not enjoy that protection. Furthermore, a ‘fishing exhibition’ is

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 robert.bell@ highwayadvocates.com.au or phone 0488 010 101 or see the website at www.highwayadvocates. com.au

not a legitimate forensic purpose and should not occur in this manner.

We think this is a case of just dropping a line and seeing what you catch. It would be interesting to see the statistics on how many notices are issued compared to detected breaches. The data would confirm it one way or another. The allowable travel time answer seems to be floating around space, out of reach for mere mortals. Safe-T-Cams are not approved speed or average speed cameras under the HVNL or any other legislation. Shall we go on?

DEFENCE DIVESTED

While we are on the subject of SafeT-Cams, I’ll shout a drink to anyone who can find a reference to them in the HVNL or any other legislation prescribed for fatigue-related heavy vehicles. Yet inexplicably they are used to provide evidence of making false or misleading entries in your work diary. Let’s draw this one out for a big finish, shall we?

A non-prescribed, gazetted, or authorised camera takes a picture that initiates a prosecution. The Prosecution avers that you made a false or misleading entry according to the said camera and the ‘fishing exhibition’ that follows.

That prosecution is then treated as a strict, or even absolute, liability offence. The HVNL has stripped away most defences over time, including a mistake in fact. Yet the wording of the offence appears to include the mental element of mens rea, or guilty mind (intent). For those nerds among us, actus reus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea, “the act is not culpable unless the mind is guilty”.

This is just about enough things to make you go ‘hmmm’ for one session. There’s plenty more where these come from, though.

Remember, a policy is not law, quickly becoming a feature of our legal landscape. For answers to some of these questions or others not yet asked, contact the team at Highway Advocates Pty Ltd. It’s the link between your world and the law world.

owner-operator profile

WEST ALONG THE

From his early years in South Australia, Martin Rieck has always enjoyed working with cattle, a vocation that he has embraced further with his move to southern Queensland as an ownerdriver. Greg Bush writes

Anyone regularly travelling Queensland’s Warrego Highway will, at some point over the past six months, caught a glimpse of Martin Rieck’s new Mack Super-Liner hauling B-double livestock trailers. However, Martin has been on the road for much longer than that, while his association with trucks goes back to his family’s property in north-east South Australia which he says was ”nearly one million acres in the desert”.

The property, south of Innamincka and west of Cameron’s Corner, ran cattle. Out of necessity Martin bought his first livestock truck. More trucks were upgraded over the years.

“Dad always had trucks, not livestock trucks, but he had an earthmoving business, so we always had trucks to shift around and supply the fuel,” Martin explains.

“Working with the stock was first and foremost, so I was bought up more machinery to start with before trucks. My father didn’t really like trucks,” he adds.

WARREGO

The Riecks’ home state of South Australia was the obvious choice for sending cattle to sales yards and abattoirs. However, in the early to mid-1990s they soon realised that southern Queensland provided more opportunity.

“Earlier on South Australia was always the place to go with the cattle,” Martin recalls. “We started coming this way (Queensland) because there was a lot more competition with the buyers and the feedlots, a lot more places to go with your cattle. South Australia was limited to only a few buyers back in them days.

“It was a little bit further, 300km or something, but it was still going to be better to come this way. Better weather and, when we did move, there were more opportunities with the truck.”

Earlier, the Rieck family had sold the property to Australian oil and gas exploration and production giant Santos, leasing the same land back for around 12 years. That lasted until Santos began selling its properties following the oil price crash.

Champion shearer Martin, wife Kate and children Mason and Taylor, made the permanent move to southern Queensland close on five years ago. Sadly, Martin’s father Ted Rieck had passed away in 1990, but not before leaving behind a major personal achievement.

“He was a champion shearer, he was the first one to break Jackie Howe’s shearing record,” Martin proudly exclaims.

“My father was the first one to break it with mechanical shears. He sheared 327 sheep in seven hours, 39 minutes and ran out of sheep before the end of the cut. That was up near Brinard Station, Julia Creek.”

Martin’s relocation across the Queensland border came after selling almost all the gear from the South Australian property. He brought his family along, as well as his Western Star prime mover, one of two he’d owned over a 16-year period.

However, running a small owner-driver business means the less downtime, the better. The six-year-old Western Star, with around 480,000km on the clock, wasn’t cooperating. While Martin enjoyed his long history with the brand, a series of engine issues, namely the Cummins EGR, forced him to look for an alternative.

He began turning his attention towards the Mack brand. “I knew people who had Macks and they had a good run out of them.”

Placing an order for the Mack Super-Liner in October 2021, he received delivery of it in April this year and then sold the Western

Top: Martin Rieck swapped his Western Star for a Mack SuperLiner and hasn’t looked back

Above: The names of the Rieck’s children, Mason and Taylor, names are neatly scrolled on the Mack

Bottom: In the large parking area outside the Roma saleyards after dropping off a load of cattle

Star, admitting that he “should have put more on it”.

The Mack came with an MP10 685hp engine and mDrive automated manual ’box. After years of operating an 18-speed Roadranger, Martin became an auto convert, especially as his runs take him through regional townships as well as trips to Brisbane. “That’s one thing you don’t worry about, changing gears,” he remarks.

However, he often switches to manual override, especially on roads such as the Toowoomba range. Putting it into 7th gear, he says holds it all the way down with the engine break on.

He’s also pleased with the Mack’s engine and its fuel economy, believing that if he’d had stuck with the Western Star it would have worked out around an $30,000 a year. “The way things are going with fuel at the moment, the old truck would have broken me.”

As for the Mack’s safety features, including lane departure warning and automated cruise control, he opted out.

“I could have got all that, but they deleted it for me. Being it’s a bush truck, I really didn’t want it,” he says.

Martin’s only regret is the Super-Liner’s single bed. His old Star had a double bunk and he would have preferred a 64-inch in the Mack but he says that spec wasn’t available. At any rate, he still has enough space for a TV and microwave, handy for the three or four nights a week he spends away from home.

Effluent issues

The majority of Martin’s subcontracting work is around Roma where the saleyards are situated, and south to Surat and east to the feedlots around Dalby, with only the occasional run further west.

“Nine times out of 10 you always do a load in Roma on Monday before the sale, the rest of the week you might take cattle to a feedlot or a meat works down in Brisbane,” Martin says.

The Brisbane run takes him to the Beenleigh meat works, his most easterly destination. That brings Martin to the issue of effluent and hauling cattle through suburban streets.

“There’s a big argument with the effluent side of things as a truck driver. Because I’ve owned cattle myself, even coming 1200km, we’d curfew them for 12 hours before we load them. The simple fact is that they travel better,” he explains.

He says others will load the cattle full of water to keep the weight on.

“But as soon as you put them on the truck full of water they start emptying out, and that causes another problem. You need to wash them out and that’s a cost that’s getting higher and higher.”

He says he can be up for around $300 to wash his crates out.

Then there’s the ever-changing regulations and the inconsistency between meat works.

“Some are very good, some are very ordinary,” he says. “Because my crates are sort of set up more for road train work, they haven’t got the sliding doors on the back.

“It makes it harder in some of the meat works because you’ve got to back in. I still do it, no worries at all, but the rules and regulations are getting tighter and tighter from dropping through your three load doors at the back.

“As far as unloading, Roma’s good, nice wide dumps, you can pull up and open all three doors sideways.

“A lot of feedlots haven’t got ideal unload facilities, you’ve still got to unload down a ramp which is a lot narrow, so you can’t open all your doors. That way there’s a smaller gap to try and get out.”

Martin runs either three, four or five decks on cattle, with five

“I knew people who had Macks and they had a good run out of them.”

the ideal combination as he can get a permit to go into Dalby from St George. “With six decks you can’t get the permit anymore,” he says.

Nevertheless, Martin enjoys the job, travelling along the wide open spaces and working with livestock. However, he has words of warning for young would-be drivers and owner-drivers.

“Money is the big thing these days,” he says. “There must be easier jobs they look for, and the rules and regulations and fines put a lot of people off.”

Red light alert

Martin says going through Brisbane’s suburbs on the way to Beenleigh can get tricky with red light cameras put in a position where it’s difficult for trucks, especially those loaded up with cattle, to pull up safely.

“There’s some cameras going to Beenleigh where you can be right on them and they’re green, then they’ll change and if you roll through, you can then get a fine.

“The amount of points you lose, you only have to lose them three or four times and you’ve lost your licence.”

Still, Martin has managed to cut costs in a couple of areas. Five years ago he gave up the dreaded ‘nicotine sticks’, which he says cost him $200 a week. “I don’t know how people can afford to smoke,” he adds.

Other cost-saving areas include doing 50 per cent of his own maintenance, especially on his trailers, while Kate covers most of the billing and banking.

“At this stage between the fuel, insurance and registration, the future is a bit of a mystery at the moment,” Martin says.

“Something’s going to have to change, especially for the small operator.”

Opposite top: Martin is a convert to Mack’s mDrive automatedmanual ’box, especially handy when negotiating city streets

Top: Martin runs mostly Haulmark and Cannon livestock trailers behind the Super-Liner

Above: Fuel economy was one of the reasons for Martin’s switch to Mack

Left: Running the Warrego Highway, one of his regular routes

Warren Clark

Rest stops a priority

The Federal Government’s budget will be a sight for sore eyes in one vital area for road transport

By the time you read this, preparations will be well underway for the Albanese Government’s first budget on October 25. Those of you familiar with the events of Budget Night will know that the speech that becomes public the instant the Treasurer rises to his feet to deliver it often provides a “make you or break you” moment.

Unfortunately, the last time we made our way to Parliament House for this red-letter event, all our industry got was a collective black eye.

Even some members of the thengovernment were blindsided by suspension of the Fuel Tax Credit for heavy vehicles.

To paraphrase an old song, we can see clearly now and it was anything but a bright shiny day for those operators forced out of the industry by yet another unfair financial impost.

Bear in mind that this was an idea cooked up by Treasury to offset the cost of halving fuel excise for cardriving families of voting age.

Ironically, the extra burden it placed on truckies ended up costing mum and dad more at the supermarket … and there was no dividend at the ballot box.

NATIONAL NETWORK

Word on the street this time around is that the new Government’s budget

will be sharply focussed on delivering promises it made from Opposition.

One we understand will be met in full is the pledge for an additional $80 million for heavy vehicle rest areas.

NatRoad praised this mid-election campaign announcement.

Promises from both sides of politics were admittedly thin on the ground at the time, but this one seemed like common sense, and it was surprising that it went unmatched.

NatRoad thinks that building a national network of rest areas, strategically located and informed by evidence about fatigue, will go a long way to making our industry much safer and much more efficient.

It’s important that rest areas are more than rudimentary driveways with a cold running water tap and a lean-to added as after-thoughts.

Safe and secure toilets and change areas for men and women should be a minimum requirement.

Hot and cold water, power that isn’t dependent on the grid, well designed entries and exits and ample truck parking are not luxuries, they are mandatories.

WARREN CLARK is CEO of the National Road Transport Association

“I want the truckies to tell us where they want the trucks bays and what they expect in the bays,” said WA Labor Senator Glenn Sterle, who at the time was the Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety.

Form an orderly queue, here.

We all know that $80m won’t go a long way but it’s good progress.

What’s more, it is expected to be delivered in one budget year.

It should be enough to build 16 wellequipped rest areas. Locate them strategically and you will make a difference.

The Federal Government already commits up to $65m a year through its Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, some of which finds its way into rest areas. There are also joint funding programs with states and territories.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator receives $5.5 million per year from the Australian Government to deliver the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), which funds industry-led safety projects.

NatRoad believes the Federal Government can go further and can make road funding grants to the states and territories at least in part conditional on matching cash for rest stops that are of a nationally uniform standard.

It might take a lot of heavy lifting but only then will we see safety and productivity baked into infrastructure.

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 our advice line at advice@natroad.com.au, or on (02) 6295 3000.

“The extra burden it placed on truckies ended up costing mum and dad more at the supermarket.”

Fleet

and

NRFA Trevor Warner

The cost of low rates

A few cents extra at the supermarket could make a world of difference for struggling truck owners

The road transport industry is starting to see some progress in trying to attract new blood to our industry. Above award wages, sign-on bonuses, paid training, and the nationally recognised apprenticeship schemes are popping up in job advertisements.

Australia isn’t unique with having driver shortages, there are similar issues across the world. Maybe the time has come where we need to grasp the reality that the old school drivers are a dying breed and that the industry must start to focus more on driver retention.

There is no point enticing new blood into the industry, only to poison them after a short period of time and leave that driver totally disenchanted.

There are still many truck drivers who love this industry and will have diesel in their veins until they die, but will new drivers accept or endure what the industry throws at them?

The wages are one thing, but workplace conditions and expectations by management are another.

Monash University recently conducted a study on driver health and wellbeing, only to conclude the solution lies within management and what we expect of our drivers. The transport industry reform must start at the managerial level.

Expecting drivers to sell their souls to the company just doesn’t cut it with the new breed of driver. Scheduling must take into account the real-world impacts of delays and sleep quality, which has a real impact on fatigue. From what we are witnessing, the new breed of driver is looking for a work/life balance and to have a reasonably predictable schedule.

Expecting drivers to push the boundaries of work diaries, human endurance and to complete work, which is essentially unpaid, is a significant reason to seek work outside of truck driving.

HOLDOVER MONEY

What we have witnessed in Australia, Canada and the US is the focus on fit-forpurpose vehicles and a re-evaluation of remuneration. One company in Canada is now offering name brand vehicles with large sleeper berths like the 84-inch Paccar Driver’s Studio. Wages are based on distance travelled plus non-driving wages such as for on-call time and waiting onsite/detention time.

This company also pays $50 per day for ‘compliance allowance’ and $200 per day for ‘holdover money’, as opposed to zero dollars for this work under the Long Distance Operations (LDO) award

in Australia.

Australia, in general, seems to think that truck drivers will continue to accept ‘if the wheels ain’t turning you ain’t earning model. The modern award for ‘Long Distance Operations’ has been fiercely attacked to ensure long distance truck drivers are not paid like most other modern awards.

The affordability of a proper remuneration when broken down to dollars per kg is a negligible cost.

Truck drivers sitting on loading docks for zero wages breaks down to less than one cent per kg or $300 for 30,000kg load of bananas. One cent a kg is not going to impact anyone … but this industry will vehemently oppose any Fair Work Commission intervention on this and then complain, “there are no good drivers”.

Some companies have claimed the cost of employing a new driver ranges from between $20k to $30k, taking into account training time, loss of productivity and damage to equipment.

Companies have been on this merrygo-round for decades and we have now reached a point where the pool of experienced drivers is dwindling fast. As the freight task grows, the industry needs to act quickly.

The quickest course of action would be to reduce the drivers leaving your business. Quite often they don’t leave the industry, they just go to another workplace.

Where will you be in a few years time? The race is now on to be an “employer of choice”, not one of “last resort”.

Small business and owner-operators are also in a similar position, where the prime contractor is bleeding them to death as well. So, when I say become an “employer of choice”, this also flows on to be a “contractor of choice”. We have all heard the stories – or should I say warnings –about “don’t work for that mob” or “so and so must owe money to every truck owner in the city”.

TREVOR WARNER is an interstate driver along the eastern seaboard with 20 years’ experience. He is the current vice president of the National Road Freighters Association, having been involved with the NRFA for nearly 10 years.

Big business knows the costings down to the last cent where it is very clear that truck owners struggle in this department. If this was not the case, we wouldn’t see freight rates to the level we see now.

When fuel is $1 a km and wages are 65 cents a km, how can you operate when you invoice $1.85per km? That’s how low our rates have gotten.

I priced a potential job recently and the rate on offer was about 66 per cent of what my calculated costs. Somebody out there is doing this work now; somebody out there is slowly going broke and may not even realise it.

If the contractor is also employing drivers to do this work, then I would be surprised if the wages are correct. So the merry-go-round continues.

COMPANY FAILURES

The larger companies are slowly becoming part of what is known as ‘ESG’. Their business models will now be addressing the impacts in environmental, social and governance.

One would think the ‘social’ part of this business model would include ‘do not exploit your workers or contractors’. Paying workers and contractors as little as what you can get away with surely must fundamentally fail the bit on ‘social’.

Our economy works on consumerism and if the consumers haven’t got the money to spend on your product, then this impact will flow all the way from the consumer through to the primary producer. Everyone in the relevant supply chain will suffer and consequently, society suffers.

Surely being socially responsible must have the primary goal of the prevention of suffering.

Some economists call this ‘Tapeworm Economics’ because eventually the host or source of sustenance (revenues) no longer exists.

However, this isn’t all about drivers’ wages. We understand the risk of running a business must also be priced into the equation. In fact, insurance companies would be the experts on this, as pricing risk is their business.

Freight contracts must be seen as socially responsible – allow all businesses to operate sustainably and must include the pricing of risk. Some may agree that the

pricing of risk could also be known as net profit.

Road transport isn’t going away any time soon, so the industry as a whole must get off life support and back to enjoying a healthy and vibrant supply chain that can attract people who will be proud truck drivers and proud contractors. I am fairly sure 10 cents/kg extra for bananas, potatoes or a box of Coke won’t faze the consumer or supermarket shareholders, but it will make a world of difference for the transport operator to maintain a safe, sustainable and essential road transport operation.

“Somebody out there is slowly going broke and may not even realise it.”

Cost of a clear record

The NHVR is promoting Enforceable Undertakings as an education alternative to prosecutions

As you will know, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) took over the enforcement of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) in NSW in August. Throughout the transition the NHVR has said it wants to take a more collaborative approach with the industry.

Recently I attended an information evening hosed by the NHVR prosecution department. One of the main messages was a goal to help prevent breaches through education and training. Of course, this doesn’t mean they’re abandoning prosecuting cases through court, but it does mean that they’re open to consider alternatives to court in the right cases.

It’s still early days and we’re all still learning what practical differences it will make having NHVR as the prosecutor. But early signs suggest there might be chances to be a bit more creative with how court prosecutions are resolved.

One of the tools that NHVR is promoting is the use of Enforceable Undertakings. This is a way to have a prosecution discontinued in return for taking steps to prevent future breaches and educate the industry.

The option of an Enforceable Undertaking is available to people or companies who have received a Court

Attendance Notice for an HVNL offence.

The person submits a proposal to NHVR setting out what steps they will take.

NHVR reviews the proposal and decides whether they think it is enough to warrant withdrawing the charge.

Some examples of promises that have been accepted in the past include:

• Retraining all employees with courses from accredited providers

• Implementing Chain of Responsibility policies and procedures

• Providing promotional and educational campaigns to educate other members of the industry

• Donations to not for profits that focus on heavy vehicle transport safety or funding research into transport safety.

COURT FINES

The benefits of an Enforceable Undertaking is that the case is discontinued entirely. This means that you can keep a clear record and you avoid the fines imposed by the court.

It’s important to know that Enforceable Undertakings aren’t an easy way out.

The promises need to be substantial.

They often cost more than the fine that a court would likely have imposed for the offence.

However, the investment can be

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

worthwhile because it will help to avoid future breaches and having to come back to court again where fines are likely to increases substantially. That’s in addition to the benefit of not having the original offence on your record.

We also find that many people are already implementing new training and policies in response to being charged with an offence. If you’re going to take these steps anyway then it can be worth seeking the full benefit by getting the court case discontinued.

It’s also important to understand what will happen if the Enforceable Undertaking is not complied with. Not complying with the undertaking is an offence with a maximum fine of more than $10,000. NHVR can also apply to the court for an order directing the person to comply with the undertaking or cancelling the undertaking. The court can also make orders that the person pay for the cost of the case and the cost of NHVR to monitor that they’re complying with the undertaking in the future. So it’s important to be sure that the promises are achievable.

If you are considering the Enforceable Undertaking option the NHVR website is an excellent starting point. They have published a very helpful Guideline document that explains how to make the application and the criteria. The website also has examples of previous Enforceable Undertakings that give a good idea of what’s involved and the types of promises that may be accepted.

As always, if you have any questions my team at Ainsley Law is always happy to speak with OwnerDriver readers.

Sarah Marinovic

“They often cost more than the fine that a court would likely have imposed.”

Ken Wilkie

Drivers and prejudice

Being booked for unhooking a seatbelt at a weigh station? Another mindless revenue-raising stunt

As of September, OwnerDriver has been around for 30 years. Congratulations to all who have made the publication a success. “Dedicated to the success of the person behind the wheel!” What an admiral determination. For the 30 years I have been contributing, my ambition has been to highlight issues that have played against the wellbeing of those behind the professional wheel. In doing so, my forthright comments have got some offside. Sorry, but where criticism is deserved, it must be brought to the public’s attention.

There is and has been no malice intended – but problems and deficiency of outcome must be addressed. From comments received, it appears that some in bureaucracy have taken exception to my forthright comments. In fairness, I have used a fair bit of sarcasm when raising concerns – sorry.

However, regulations applying to Australian truck drivers are a disgrace – in some cases verging on inhumanity. And the degree of application of these regulations by some enforcement leaves much to be desired from the point of view of enforcement’s morality.

Take the recent issue of the Roe boys, father and son. Dan inadvertently missed ticking the basic fatigue management box in his so-called work diary. That is

an incorrect name for the book. It would be more appropriate to call it a revenue raiser or better still a system for the denigration of this industry.

It says much about the integrity of those who designed the thing and equally as much for those who condone its continued application. There have been too many accusations regarding this nation suffering racial prejudice. And it is a fact with some individuals. But many of us carry prejudice – a few against different races.

Many in the transport bureaucracy carry a prejudice against us, the “he or she is just a truck driver” group. To date, industry association officialdom has been reticent to be outspoken against such bias for fear of being lumped into my outspoken camp.

Now, at long last, at least one industry association official has bitten the bullet and been absolutely honest in her assessment of the productive outcome of bureaucratic achievement – zilch. And being politically correct in my estimation is

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

too often an indication of dishonesty with an ambition to gain warm and fuzzy feelings or advancement to the seat of being a great non-productive.

HONEST ERROR

Getting back to the Roe boys: Dan has paid the almost $700. In reality he had little choice. He couldn’t deny his guilt. It was there in black and white. He took the reasonable step of asking for a review. And as I‘ve come to expect from bureaucracy, there is no exception made for honest clerical mistakes made by the private sector. It’s a different story for the public sector though.

Many a time when I was on the board of the National Road Freighters Association I’d challenged a breach on the grounds of errors in the breach process only to have the breach reissued in a corrected version.

Had Dan taken the matter to court he would be relying on the good nature, generosity or lack of anti-truck driver prejudice from a presiding magistrate. As I’ve said, Dan had committed the misdemeanour. But the question has to answered: Why did the “officer” write it up? Why is there such a requirement anyway? Anti-industry prejudice must be the answer.

Take the action against the driver of one of the nation’s most responsible operations. The driver of the bonneted thing was asked to just put the steer on the bridge. He removed his seat belt to look out the window to see exactly where the steer was. The attending cop wrote him up for not wearing his seat belt. It took place at Halfway Creek on August 25. Sorry to all of those who condone such immorality.

My makeup does not allow silence on such matters. How does that proverb go? For dishonesty to prevail only requires the silence of the honest, or something to that effect. So, I must compliment the Australian Trucking Association spokesperson who was been refreshingly honest in her assessment of the productive outcomes from bureaucracy.

Are we at the threshold of a new era? God knows, we need to be.

“There is no exception made for honest clerical mistakes.”

BELOW: A memorial for the 1979 Razorback blockade on the old Hume Highway. But what’s changed?

truck of the month

DOIN’ THE HARD YARDS

Admission time! I go from one extreme to the other sometimes. I will sit down to write a story and spend countless glasses of bourbon trying to work out a starting line or I will have an abundance of opening acts and spend countless glasses of bourbon trying to choose which one to use. The lesson being. I probably need to restock my bourbon.

However, this month I have a dilemma. I can’t decide which opening stanza best represents the amazingly cool truck on these pages.

Option one was starting this cool story on Method Earthworks exquisite Kenworth T909 tipper with a wedding speech cliché, using the dictionary to define ‘method’ purely because it truly does reflect

the company that Jeff and Lori Turner have built. ‘Method: a quality of being well organised and systematic in thought or action’. That definition encompasses all that Jeff and Lori have prided themselves on and has led them to putting one of the coolest T909 tippers in the country on the road. It represents a small fleet of well-organised and successfully run tippers.

That was starting option A. Starting option B is driven by a quote from Greg McDonald, a man that knows how to put a cool truck together. At a function in early 2021 Jeff Turner, the man behind Method Earthworks, was at a function with Greg and was floating the idea of purchasing a Kenworth T909 to add to his small fleet.

“I admitted that a 909 was my dream truck, but it was probably too big a truck for the job,” Jeff recalls. Greg then dropped some philosopher-level wisdom on Jeff that would ingrain itself in him and upon deep reflection aid Jeff in making the decision to purchase his dream truck – “Life’s too short to have s#@t trucks, ya just gotta buy the cool ones.”

While that quote will never be inscribed on monuments or quoted in lecture halls, it doesn’t diminish the profoundness of it. This extremely deep citation has led to Queensland’s roads being graced with one of the coolest Kenworth tippers around. Thank you, Greg, for pushing Jeff over the line with this cool truck named ‘Hard Yards’.

Obviously starting up a successful company and

A new spruced-up Kenworth T909 has proved to be the shining light for Jeff and Lori Turner’s small fleet as they ‘rock on’ under the banner of their newly named business, Method Earthworks. Warren Aitken writes

purchasing a whopping great tipper wasn’t as simple as defining the company name and riding the coat tails of a cool quote. Jeff has been in among dirt and rocks his whole life. While my sand pit as a kid was about 2X2 square metres, Jeff quite literally had a monster sand pit to play in.

Jeff’s father Gavin got into the construction game back in the early ’80s when his old Bedford J5 and bobcat were the starting blocks for Brisbane Earthmoving.

Digging deep

Brisbane Earthmoving’s formative years coincided with Jeff’s formative years. Meaning he literally grew up in a yard full of construction equipment.

The company began as a plant hire company, with emphasis on the wet hire more than dry hire. As the work came along, Gavin grew as needed.

“Dad had that attitude of ‘I’ll dig deep and get into it’,” explains Jeff as he recalls the company growing alongside emerging outfits like BMD Constructions. He adds that it was the era of ‘one in, all in’.

The late ’90s and early 2000s were boom years for construction in the Brisbane area and, after starting as a plant hire company, Brisbane Earthmoving found themselves becoming the go-to guys for anything and everything related to rock walls. With crushing and screening plants, direct quarry access and all the other tools needed for rock wall preparation and construction, the only thing Brisbane Earthmoving

lacked was a more appropriate name. In the early-2000s Brisbane Earthmoving changed its name to Boulder Wall Constructions.

By the time Jeff was old enough to be running around the company workshops and understanding what was going on, Boulder Wall Constructions had morphed into BWC Contracting. In order to avoid the pitfalls of an industry susceptible to mother nature and also under constant threat from ever decreasing property blocks, BWC branched out, adding more freight transportation to the company.

By late 2015 almost 60 per cent of the company’s work was coming from the transportation side of things. While plant hire had been the mainstay, trucks had always been a part of the company structure,

Opposite Top: Aaron Campbell is the young ’un who is charged with operating the sharp 909 and is loving every minute of it

Top: A little cruise around the Keperra Quarry to see the big 909 in action

Above: Sam Keddie’s magic shows up all over the unit

Bottom: It’s an extremely sharp fleet with a great variety of some classic Aussie trucks

from the original Bedford to the Western Stars and Freightliners that came to the company in the late ’90s.

While Jeff grew up around this mix of machinery, ultimately it would be the arrival of the Geoff Richards-inspired SARs in the early 2000s that would influence his choices in the years to come.

I will take a breather here to explain that last comment. Most people in the trucking world are aware of the late Geoff Richards and his ability to turn out classy looking rigs. For quite a while BWC was operating out of the yard next door to Geoff Richards Transport in Queensland and Gavin Turner and Geoff got along very well. Gavin admired the clean, tidy units that Geoff ran and appreciated the effect of multicoloured vehicles. This led to Gavin following Geoff’s lead and, as new trucks were added to the BWC fleet, there was a diverse range of colour options. The only stipulation being the colours had to come from the Ford Falcon colour range.

I must be careful with the next part because we all know what growing up in a family business means and there may be some ‘Karen’ out there that will report him if I admit that he was working in the workshop as an assistant from the age of 12.

Even though it was only during school holidays, maybe some weekends and the occasional after-school session, someone may jump on the child labour laws bandwagon. It wasn’t work for Jeff though, both him and his brother Bradley were part of the family business and loved it.

It may come as a little surprise then that upon completion of school Jeff didn’t head straight for work boots and high vis gear.

Instead, he bought a hacky sack and tied dyed t-shirt and headed off to university.

“I grew up around the workshop but when I finished school I wanted to try something different,” Jeff says. “I tried it and realised it wasn’t me, I just wanted to drive trucks and dig holes.” He did stay long enough to get his Bachelor of Urban Development while still working part time at the family business.

“I knew about two years in that I’d made a mistake, but I had to see it through and get my course finished.” Jeff jokes that both he and his brother tried “something else” but couldn’t resist the family business. “Bradley did a house drafting course for three months then went straight into dad’s cause he didn’t want to do anything different either. It just took me longer to realise.”

However, rather than heading back into the workshop, Jeff spent a bit of time getting his hands dirty doing site clean-ups in one of the company’s twin steer tippers. From there he found his way into an office role, becoming the contracts and estimating manager. It was a role that couldn’t have been further away from grease and dirt of the workshop but it was a role that he thrived in.

All the time behind a computer screen didn’t diminish the enthusiasm for the frontline work though and, after watching his brother branch out and start running his own trucks under the RockHaul

banner, he decided to look at starting his own company.

I say ‘he’ but the correct tense would actually be ‘they’. For Jeff and his wife Lori are both integral to the success of Method Earthworks and its predecessor Rock Star Transport. Don’t worry, it’s not that confusing – there’s a short version.

Rock stars

In 2015 when Jeff and Lori first broached the idea of running their own truck, they came up with the name Rock Star Transport. The idea being ‘rock’ was what they would be predominantly carting and ‘star’ in reference to the 2007 Western Star 4800 tipper they bought to start the company. The truck was purchased off BWC so Jeff knew its history.

“It had done a million kilometres or close to it – 950 I think,” Jeff says. “Dad said, ‘I’m flicking that one; if ya wanted to go out and have a crack at it we’ll subcontract it back to the company fleet’.” It was a great way for a young couple to crack into a very difficult industry.

Rock Star Transport would contract the Western Star back to BWC; it meant consistent reliable work. It also meant alongside running Rock Star Transport, Jeff was also working at Boulder Wall Constructions to ensure there was plenty of work for all the trucks.

“In 2016 one of the SARs was up for renewal and

“It was probably too big a truck for the job.”

“I just wanted to drive trucks and dig holes.”

I said to dad, ‘yep, we’re enjoying this, it’s going well, what are you doing with the SAR?’”, Jeff recalls. Even with his increased workload and with Lori taking on the bookwork as well as her fulltime job, Rock Star Transport was finding its feet and keen for more. His dad was leaning away from rock trucks himself as he now had both Jeff and Bradley running rock bins for BWC so was happy to sell the SAR off to Rock Star Transport. Suddenly, young Jeff and Lori were a two-truck fleet.

Obviously, the SAR couldn’t last long. It didn’t fit with the ‘star’ side of Rock Star. Jeff eventually sold it off in early 2017 and purchased another Western Star off BWC. This particular 2013 Western Star was painted in Ripcurl Green. Officially the colour was known as ‘breeze’ but it had been used on a limited edition Ripcurl XR6 Falcon, hence Ripcurl Green. That’s beside

Above: It’s not always rock going into the Kenworth; it’s able to cart whatever is needed

Left: Jeff Turner’s other pride and joy. The old FLD Freightliner that his dad bought new is now Jeff’s local truck Opposite bottom: The new company mud flaps really finish off the new Kenny

the point as I was trying to explain that this second pre-painted Western Star would end up being the fleet colour from that point on. (Side note: The SAR was actually sold because they were getting good money in the second-hand market, it’s just my version reads better.)

The year 2017 saw the purchase of a second Western Star as well as the sale of the first one. The original Rock Star was now more of a slow moving stone and it was time for Jeff and Lori to invest in their first brand new truck – a Mack. A fair change from the Stars or even the SARs.

“In 2017 BWC were running quite a few Macks,” Jeff explains. “The workshop and everything was heavily influenced by the Mack brand.”

It made sense at that stage for Jeff to go down a similar road. His trucks were kept at and serviced in the BWC yard and all the equipment was there to focus on Macks. Hence a Ripcurl Green Mack joined the team.

“I had it painted green and for the first time had a uniformed fleet. That was when I was pretty proud of what was going on,” Jeff recalls. “I also had a few of my own Rock customers as well and was carting for other people.”

Fatherly advice

In 2020, after several years of burning the candle

at both ends (by that I mean running Rock Star Transport and working at BWC) it was time to make the call – one or the other.

“I sat down with dad and he suggested I look at the residential market with the rock walls again,” Jeff says. He recalls his dad telling him, “If you can lob up, be honest with people, provide a quote quickly, be there on a broom sweeping up and leave a beautiful product. They’ll love you for ever and you’ll make a good honest living out of it.” That’s some serious TV dad advice there which Jeff heeded and ran with.

First step was a name change. “The Rock Star name just didn’t seem right anymore,” Jeff laughs.

Both him and Lori wanted something more representative of the business they were growing.

They settled on the ‘Earthworks’ side of the name fairly easily. “We didn’t want to use ‘contracting’ as we were only a small operation. Earthworks was perfect for what we were planning on doing.”

The ‘Method’ however was the hard part to find and inspiration would eventually come from Jeff’s Landcruiser. “I was putting new wheels on the cruiser, Method wheels. I thought it sounded good and Lori looked up the definition. ‘Method: a quality of being well organised and systematic in thought or action’. Spot on!

The new Kenworth was ordered around the same time Jeff and Lori had decided he’d finish up at

BWC and throw himself into Method Earthworks. “I thought if I’m leaving I’m going to go hard at this,” he says. While that statement was an indication of his business intentions, that ‘go-hard’ approach was also applied to the new truck itself.

“I thought this truck is going to be what would put us on the map, in terms of something that stands out and reflects our approach to business.”

With that in mind, Jeff’s next call after Brown & Hurley was to young Ryan Northcott at Bling Man HQ near Brisbane. Jeff had used Ryan previously to add a little bling to his Mack and, in an industry where the trucks are literally rockin’ and rollin’, Ryan’s quality of work meant Jeff was heading straight back to him with the 909.

“We’d gone through the hard yards to get there.”

“I rang Ryan the same day I ordered it and told him what I’d done,” Jeff says. “We had a budget, we stuck to it. I had ideas in my head but basically let Ryan loose on it”.

The truck was due in early 2022 but like every truck order at the moment it was several months after that before it finally made it to the Bling Man HQ shed. “We were talking at least once a week, coming up with different ideas, lights and stuff.”

Mirror lights, drop visor, wrapped tanks, grill bars, you name it – Ryan found a way to squeeze it into the budget.

One of my favourite transformations was the battery boxes though. Built by Ryan himself out of aluminium, he painted them

in the same Ripcurl Green. It’s a feature that really sets the truck off.

With all Ryan’s shiny bits added, the last maestro called in was the legendary Sam Keddie of Sam Keddie Signs.

Much like Ryan, Sam was given freedom to express himself on the big Kenworth. Jeff’s only real request was that the cab be the feature. He wanted the logo on the bins but aside from that he wanted the cab to be everything. Sam’s scroll work stands out on the cab and the battery boxes, breaking up the green just enough.

Jeff also got Sam to add the trucks name ‘Hard Yards’ to the bonnet as well. “I knew that’s what I was going to call it,” Jeff says. “Hard Yards is inherently tippers, peaks and troughs.

“The industry is up and down. Hard Yards being that it carts 4ft to 5ft boulders – it does hard yakka. It is also my dream truck – we’d gone through the hard yards to get there.”

It was a very appropriate name with Jeff laughingly adding in the Hard Yards represents the fact he’s now got to also make the repayments on it!

After a long delay waiting on the truck to get off the production line, he then had to be patient while the team at Shephard Transport Equipment built the truck and trailer bodies. Later, he had to wait for the team at Arrow Transport Repairs paint it up, and then letting Bling Man HQ loose on it. Finally the big 909 was handed over to Jeff and Lori.

“I was blown away, I was that rapt, seriously. I was like a kid in a candy store,” Jeff exclaims. I must admit I can see why. The end result is a stunning looking truck, one I really wouldn’t want to take into some of the places Jeff’s driver Aaron takes it. However, it still is a working truck and has been built to get into the tough sites. It just happens to look damn good while doing it, which is exactly what Jeff and Lori were chasing.

“It has definitely put us on the map,” Jeff enthuses. “We’re just a little player, I’ve never aspired to have an empire. I just want to have a bunch of cool trucks and have a well-oiled machine with good blokes like the ones I have operating it.”

It’s job done I say, Jeff. I’ve met your drivers, I’ve seen your trucks and you definitely have a good bunch of guys and very tidy gear.

Opposite Top: The Method Earthworks team took a break from the Saturday morning’s hard work for this photo. From left, Brad Fairburn, Phil Dickson, his son Todd Dickson (as an undercover agent) and Aaron Campbell

events

LOWOOD LOADS UP

The streets of Lowood in Queensland’s Somerset Region were chock full with the biggest rigs, including a couple of road trains, when its annual truck show made a triumphant return. You can’t keep a good little town down for long, as Warren Aitken discovers

As I slowly attempt to revive my wedding photography business, I have discovered a secret that will guarantee my clients perfect weather on their big day. The secret, book your wedding for the same time as the Lowood Truck show. I am serious, contact Rob Liston and the team that organise the Lowood event, find out the dates they are proposing for the following year’s convoy and show, and book your wedding for that weekend. It’s a sure-fire winner.

Without fail, every single Lowood Truck Show I have been too has blasted me with nothing but sunshine and sparkles. Consequently, the ensuing day normally has me regretting not wearing my hat more and not drowning myself in sunscreen. But that’s on me. The point I want to emphasis is that, after missing last year’s event due to the dreaded C-word, the show returned in 2022 and kept up its tradition of turning on fantastic weather.

Alongside the sunshine, the Lowood Truck Show brought a bigger and shinier convoy to the streets of the small south-east Queensland town in its return.

With the weather playing its part, the burden of responsibility fell on the truck entrants to ensure they turned up for the show and, boy oh boy, did they deliver. I’m not just talking about the numbers; I am talking about both the size and quality of the gear that turned up. Phenomenal is the best word for it.

The numbers were big and the trucks were even bigger. Numbers-wise, there were 236 trucks registered and paying their dues this year, those entry fees contributing to the total of $16,136 that was raised for this year’s charity – The Craig Hannum Foundation ‘All in the Mind’. The All in the Mind cause is all about raising awareness and funds for brain cancer research. Hence the big turnout was much appreciated by all those involved.

Clockwise from above: This extremely cool old Mack was definitely one of my favourites; Teresa Gehrke, Ron Gehrke and Bob Hines with an old Buntine Kenworth. A 1975 mode, it was one of the tidiest Kennys at the show; The STA Trucking 909 looked impressive on the streets, so much so that it ended up taking out Rig of the Show; Bondwoods Transport’s Kenworth rolling in nice and early to register and await the parade;Jamie Sekulla from Tow Trucks Brisbane gets a little more polishing in before the convoy

“The numbers were big and the trucks were even bigger.”

Top, L to R: Meet the Rockabilly Truckin team: From left, Wendy Nimmo, Michelle Linde, Barbie and Rocky Black, Ayla Nimmo and Leanne Whit; Three points of contact at all time. Scott Ward and Korey Ward support Shane Perret as he finishes off the cleaning

Middle, L to R: The little ute wasn’t just holding up traffic, it was there for the Ute Show; It wasn’t all about the trucks– there was a good turnout for the utes as well; Jason Whitty had the button switched on and let the smoke fly, keeping us photographers happy

Below, L to R: It was very difficult getting Corrina Riley, Amanda Kaye and Karen Hawker to slow down long enough to pose. That’s Corrina’s and Karen’s trucks in the background; The Casino Truck Show winner, MFT’s Lone Ranger was able to drag his AB-triple around the streets of Lowood; Very Impressive. That’s all that needs to be said about Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing’s gear

“For the first time … the convoy included a couple of decked out road trains.”

I was also being rather literal when I said the trucks were bigger this year as well. For the first time, and thanks in no small part to the local police and the team at Permits @ BSF, the convoy included a couple of decked out road trains.

Sponsor, supporter and this year’s King Rig winner, STA Trucking, had one of their T909s with a couple of fridge vans hooked up for a double road train. A permit was also granted to the MFT C509 to pull his AB-triple through the tiny streets. You may recognise ‘Lone Ranger’ as the 2022 Casino Truck Show King Rig.

Growing concern

Those who happened to be in town on the Friday before the show would have seen a couple of trial runs along the convoy’s designated path, just to ensure there was no unmanageable turns on show day.

That leads me into one of the biggest issues facing this increasingly popular truck show. The Lowood Truck Show has grown exponentially over its 10-year history. Oh yeah, did I mention this was the show’s 10th anniversary? Anyway, it is. Over those 10 shows the number of trucks keeps increasing. While the township of Lowood has seen some growth, it is well below the growth rate of the truck show. Consequently, what used to be a small convoy through town is now a massive convoy.

In a town with almost more pubs than main roads, running a huge convoy along those streets results in scenes reminiscent of the M1 on a Friday night. Add in a couple of massive road trains at the pointy end of the convoy and it resulted in the head of the convoy arriving back at the Lowood Showgrounds before some of backmarkers had even started.

On one hand it was extremely cool, an entire loop of gleaming glossy rigs encompassing the town. On the other hand, it made it very difficult to get myself to different locations in order to snap photos. In the end I had to result to the unthinkable of walking and running. It was worth it though.

Seeing such big rigs on residential roads, witnessing full sized road trains navigating the main street, observing hundreds of

Above:

Opposite

kids waving and arm pumping made for great photos as well as being a thrill for the thousands of locals positioned along the convoy route.

Another feature of the Lowood Truck Show and part of the fundraising is the bidding war that fires up for the role of lead truck. This year it was won by a familiar site to the OwnerDriver pages –Jason Whitty and his stunning Peterbilt. The winning bid of $2700 had Jason leading off the convoy of trucks and utes, and also saw him get prime parking when they all started rolling back into the showgrounds.

Eventually, once all the trucks had made it out into the neighbourhood streets and back to the showgrounds, the judging could begin. The drivers and their crews of cleaners were able to kick back and enjoy the different stalls that had set up, selling everything from some cool Jax cleaning products to locally sourced honey – even some of my own calendars.

The charity auction was flooded with donations and was almost as long as the convoy itself. Though the cobwebs stayed in my closed wallet there was plenty of people bidding for some cool stuff. In between soft serves and the barbecue, the thousands in attendance were entertained with not one, but two burnout trucks.

Mick from Truck’n Stainless was first up on the designated burnout pad with his iconic ‘Filthy’. The crowd was hard to find among the smoke and smells of burnt rubber. Then when Laurie Williams backed up the Bullet Burnout Truck for his turn the crowd all but disappeared amid the smoke. It is extremely entertaining to see people get so excited when they cannot see their hand in front of their face.

At around 4pm the live music finished up and the trophies were handed out, over 50 in total.

All in all, it was another successful Lowood Truck Show. Ideally a couple of extra food trucks would have saved me melting in the line-up for the barbecue, a few longer streets in town will save the convoy feeding back on itself and someone reminding me to put on sunscreen would save me days of painful showers for some time following the convoy.

Well done to everyone involved and let me reiterate for all those brides-to-be. To guarantee perfect wedding weather, talk to Rob Liston and the Lowood Truck Show crew.

“The crowd was hard to find among the smoke and smells of burnt rubber.”

Progress in four steps

Four recommendations to help make our working life less stressful have been presented to the NHVR

There are some simple changes that would make our lives simpler and reduce some confusion. They look simple to fix, but like all things, looks can be deceiving. This list of four items will be going to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), asking them to consider these minor changes.

Firstly, the gross weight for a B-double on CML is 64.5 tonne (yes, unless you have a Euro 5 or better, then it’s 65t) and we all know what the gross weight for axle groupings are. Twentyone tonne on a tri, but the B-double allowable gross means you cannot load both tri axles to 21 tonne. Now, to lift the B-double gross weight so you could load both tri axles to their legal capacity, each to 21 tonne is only minor and would not affect all, but it would be much easier to explain to drivers and easier to understand and manage. We are not asking for more weight per tri (and you can get much more on HML anyway), we are simply looking to make it simple with a minor change.

Secondly, I have put this forward a

number of times. One of the issues with the logbook is the overlap or when you have more than one major break. In the book it says, ‘You must count forward from the relevant major rest break’. Who decides which is the ‘relevant’ break? The driver, the officer or the judge? If that word was changed to ‘last’, not only would it remove the problem, it would be very simple and remove just one issue. Yes, it might remove some overlap fines but it would make a driver’s life so much simpler and easier to comply. Change just one word, how hard can that be?

LEGAL THEN ILLEGAL

Thirdly, many years ago when B-doubles first started, it was illegal in Queensland to have the front trailer empty and the back trailer loaded. I have had people call me and speak of crashes and perhaps even some deaths where they believe this may have been a contributing factor where this happened in New South Wales. I followed up some time ago and asked why it was not illegal in other states

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 rod.hannifey@bigpond. com or visit www.truckright.com.au

and was told the Queensland law was removed! Now many of us have done it at times, it can be manageable in the right conditions and as I have Air CTI on the drive, I can lower the tyre pressures and maintain good traction, but few have this. Those who simply pick up loaded and/or sealed trailers may not find out till it is too late. I am told if you are weighed at Marulan, for example, they can ground you for an unsafe combination. But why then is it legal for someone to send you out like that?

TIME STEALING

Finally, one of the other logbook issues is the rounding up of work time that sees time taken from us and you don’t know if you will need it till the end of the day. If you are then 15 minutes over you are screwed and then will be by the next enforcement officer who decides to have a look at your book. You may not have worked your 12 or 14 hours as such, but because you had to round up and your speedo gives average speeds, you can’t slide it. I have been writing in the time I stop, e.g., if I stop at 3.05pm I write that in my book and count my 15 or 30-minute break from there. I accept that we cannot have less than 15 minutes break (but the WA system is better in recognising a change of activity as a good thing). But if you stop six times a day and lose even only five minutes and it could be more, specifically if you have just gone under a camera, then you have had 30 minutes or more stolen from you and can’t get it back. Of course, the officer will be understanding and give you a warning (haha!). But that’s right, when I wrote to the police commissioners and asked them to follow the NHVR line of education before enforcement, they said, “We can’t ‘half’ police the law”. Funny that, hey?

I have never been challenged by an enforcement officer on the road. One bloke at a meeting said it does not comply, but again, in the book it says you must total and show your hours in 15-minute blocks. They are happy to steal them, but not let us use them safely. So, let’s change that law too.

STUPID LAW

At a meeting with NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto he asked those attending was there anything small and valuable we can change in the law now that would simplify or be fair for all? The meeting was specifically about fatigue, so I put forward two of my changes listed above.

So, you all must have similar thoughts at times. Why is this stupid law the way it is? Yes, many will say it is all stupid, but we must have laws for the safety of most. It is just that we are not only treated differently, we are then abused by the bad laws and of course the answer when you challenge it is, “If you don’t like it, take it to court”. To me, that is not fair nor the best use for our court system for something so minor and, so often, nothing to do with road safety.

I would welcome your thoughts and comments.

“Who decides which is the ‘relevant’ break?”

and

ROAD SOUNDS Greg Bush

Back in the limelight

Charting through the past, present and beyond

XXV

Robbie Williams Columbia/Sony Music www.robbiewilliams.com

The Metropole Orkest is the go-to jazz-pop orchestra for special events. From recording with the likes of Baseman Jaxx, Brian Eno and Snarky Puppy, the Metropole Orkest has teamed up with Robbie Williams for XXV. The album marks 25 years of Williams’ solo career and features mainly previous hits re-recorded with the orchestral backing, and it’s not overdone. Early hits ‘Angels’ and ‘Let Me Entertain You’ are given a new life, as are the Williams’ classics ‘Feel’, ‘Rock DJ’ and ‘Bodies’, while Kylie Minogue again gets the call up for the duet ‘Kids’. There’s five new tracks, including the outstanding emotive ballad ‘Lost’, while ‘Upbeat Symphony’ and ‘More Than This’ have a more positive vibe. The deluxe version of XXV contains 29 tracks, as compared to the 19-track standard version.

GREATEST HITZ 1969-1978 Sweet BMG www.thesweet.com

English glam rock band Sweet has been around since the late 1960s – and they’re still around today, although guitarist Andy Scott is the only original living member. As suggested, this tripleCD set, Greatest Hitz 1969-1978, covers the band’s most successful years. Early bubblegum type tracks such as ‘Funny, Funny’, ‘Coco’ and ‘Lollipop Man’, appear on the second disc. The third disc is made up of B-sides and album tracks, however it’s disc one that holds all the big hits. Classic rock tracks ‘Block Buster!’, ‘Hell Raiser’ through to the anthemic ‘Ballroom Blitz’ will bring back memories for glam rock fans. Not to be pigeonholed, they bring out a heavier side on ‘Fox On The Run’, which was a number one hit in Australia in 1975. Then there’s the riff-heavy ‘Love Is Like Oxygen’, although only the shorter single version is represented here. Also available in a coloured vinyl format.

LET IT BURN Miller Yule Independent www.milleryule.com

Miller Yule has done a 'Dave Grohl', stepping out from behind the drum kit to grab a guitar and take centre stage for his debut album Let It Burn. The New Zealander, who was inspired by his father’s record collection, has made a promising start with these 10 tracks, ranging from catchy rocker ‘Wishing Well’ to the quietude of ‘Tangled Up’. The album’s opener ‘Dynamite’ starts off modestly before launching into a full-blown, explosive (pardon the pun) rock track. Female backing vocalists work well on ‘Lock Me Up’, another big impact song, and there’s more radiofriendly fare on ‘Nothing’. ‘Hold On’ is a mid-paced track with a country flavour, while ‘Evergreen’ has a ’90s pop-rock sound. Yule brings a one-two shuffle to ‘Going Away’, adding further variety to Let It Burn, an impressive debut.

THINGS HAPPEN THAT WAY Dr John Rounder/Concord nitetripper.com

THE SKY IS BLUE The Valery Trails Independent www.thevalerytrails.com

Experienced musicians Andrew Bower, brother Sean Bower and Dan McNaulty formed The Valery Trails back in 2011. With their fourth album, The Sky Is Blue, the sometimes Brisbanebased band has gone with a retro sound, as on ‘Make No Mistake’, a song reminiscent of The Go-Betweens. Chief songwriter Andrew Bower recalls a trip to Costa Rica on Zancudo, a somewhat vocally restrained track. There’s a definite Oz-rock sound to ‘Jaisalmer’, while ‘These Times’ with its jangly guitars has a warning tone. Screamfeeder guitarist Tim Steward guests on ‘There But For The Grace’, echoing UK rockers Magazine. Despite the comparisons, The Valery Trails has a distinctive sound and The Sky Is Blue, an outstanding album, should boost their following both here and internationally.

As well as being involved in road transport media for the past 23 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 threeyear stint as an ARIA Awards judge in the late 1990s and wrote for and edited several music magazines.

Country Corner

TRAVELLING HEART

TC Cassidy Rivershack/MGM www.tccassidy.net

TC Cassidy was a star on the rise as a dual finalist at the 1995 Tamworth Golden Guitar Awards – then seemingly vanished. But after a 30-year hiatus Cassidy has returned with just her second album, Travelling Heart. Always one to embrace the country’s traditional side, she has followed her heart again on the aptly-titled ‘Ain’t Too Late (To Start Again)’. She sings of comparisons on the ballad ‘If My Heart Was A Diesel Tank’, but revs it up with attitude on the swinging ‘Lyin Ass Cheatin Man’. Cassidy’s mature vocals are a reminder of her talents, bringing in producer Angus Gill, Beccy Cole, Adam Harvey, Gina Jeffreys and James Blundell for the rollicking title track. A welcome and worthy comeback.

Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr John, passed away suddenly in 2019 at age 77, but not before leaving this memento,

Things Happen That Way. The 10-track album continues his penchant for New Orleans-inspired funky blues with a few guests helping out. Aaron Neville adds vocals to a rhythmic, slowed-down version of The Travelling Wilbury's hit ‘End Of The Line’. Neil Young’s backing band, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, embraces the slow blues of ‘I Walk On Guilded Splinters’, a highly intriguing track. Veteran tunesmith Willie Nelson appears on the traditional gospel-blues of ‘Gimme That Old Time Religion’, and Dr John tackles one of Nelson’s own compositions, ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’. He transforms a couple of Hank Williams tunes – ‘Ramblin Man’ gets the blues treatment while his weathered vocals meander their way through the classic ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’.

HDTV Tai Verdes Arista/Sony www.taiverdes.com Californian singersongwriter Tai Verdes had auditioned for US talent shows The Voice and American Idol but failed to make the cut. Undeterred, Verdes (real name Tyler Colon) released his debut album TV in 2020 and the hit single ‘A-O-K’. For album number two, HDTV, Verdes offers 20 tracks of mostly exhilarating music. Sounding like a revved up Jack Johnson, he brings out a reggae sound on the medium-paced ‘Last Day On Earth’, and enlists a host of hand clappers for the lively ‘Let’s Go To Hell’. There’s a big band behind ‘Kingdom Come’, a vibrant blend of rap and catchy chorus, and he’s vocally at his best on ‘100sadsongs’, one of the album’s most catchy tracks. Verdes lays on the charm with ‘Shut Up’, a number reminiscent of the disco era, keeping the beat going for ‘Don’t Touch!’. HDTV is a download or stream-only album with two versions – explicit and clean.

THE MAN FROM WACO Charley Crockett

Thirty Tigers/ Cooking Vinyl charleycrockett.com US singer-songwriter Charley Crockett is another artist that travels the traditional path, although he dabbles in blues and 'Americana'. Crockett tells stories with his lyrics, heading out for a road trip on ‘Black Sedan’. With a steel guitar backing, he uncovers fake tears and lies on ‘Just Like Honey’, and he’s down on his luck, romance-wise, on ‘Odessa’. However ‘Trinity River’, with its tasty honky tonk piano and Crockett sounding simply soulful, is a departure from the other tracks. He’s in cowboy country on ‘Horse Thief Mesa’, but the standout is the title track ‘The Man From Waco’, a tale of a Texas gunfight. The album has a happy ending with ‘Name On A Billboard’ as Crockett heads west to chase fame and fortune in LA.

Illawarra Convoy back in full swing

Community Foundation launches 2022 i98FM event

Radio station i98FM’s says its 2021 Illawarra Convoy eclipsed $20 million dollars raised since the events inception in 2005, and this year is back for its 18-year anniversary on November 20 for what organisers are hoping to be the biggest event yet.

Breakfast show hosts Marty Haynes, Christian McEwan and Bella Leone officially launched the event on October 4 at the home of the i98FM Illawarra Convoy’s free family fun day, Shellharbour Airport.

Organisers say registrations for trucks and motorbikes are now open officially, and cost $30 with a complimentary event T-shirt included. Participants can register their trucks or bikes, at www.illa warraconvoy.com.au.

Convoy manager Mark Rigby says it’s easy to register for this year’s convoy.

“Nowadays you don’t even have to leave your home to get your truck or bike registered and receive all your merchandise for Convoy,” Rigby says. “We have people registering and ordering from all over Australia.”

The convoy will depart under police escort from the South 32, Illawarra Coal’s West Cliff Colliery on Appin Rd at about 8am on Sunday, November 20 and follow a route that will take them down Mt Ousley through Warrawong and past Stockland Shellharbour, through Albion Park Rail, then into the Shellharbour Airport for the Free Family Fun Day, which was unable to proceed in 2020, and 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“We are excited to bring Convoy back in its full form this year with the Free Family Fun Day, and can’t wait to see the community back together again for this amazing day”, Rigby continues.

“We are in the midst of planning a fun filled free day for the community which will include world class FMX motocross displays, junkyard stunt shows, kids’ rides, helicopter joy flights, motor vehicle static displays, food and market stalls, and a range of musical performers which will be announced closer to the event date.”

Food and market stalls, as well as volunteer expressions of interest are also open on the Convoy website, along with the Cars for Convoy display registration for the fun day.

“The last few years we have had to adapt to the ever-changing restrictions and were amazed by the continued support of Convoy even when we couldn’t run the event back in 2020, and when we shifted the whole event to December last year with no fun day,” says Convoy founder Marty Haynes.

“There’s been plenty of great fundraising events happening so far throughout the year by our lead truck and bike teams, and we can’t wait to get surprised again when the bidding occurs in November.

“When we started Convoy back in 2005 we never dreamt it could get this big. Now in its 18th year we are looking forward to another massive day supporting those who need it most.”

WHAT’S ON upcoming events

NATROAD CONFERENCE 2022

October 20 to 22, 2022. Gold Coast, Queensland

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

DENILIQUIN TRUCK SHOW & INDUSTRY EXPO

October 22 & 23, 2022. Deniliquin, NSW

Held at the Memorial Park Showgrounds. Saturday action includes show ‘n shine ($10 entry, prime movers only), auction, trade expo, market stalls and children’s entertainment. Full catering and licensed bar. General admission $10 adults, kids under 15 free. Wall of Fame Dinner at Deni RSL Club. Memorial Service on October 23. Supported by the LBRCA.

For further details phone 0478 207 337; see the website at www.denitruckshow.com.au and facebook.com/denitruckshow or email admin@denitruckshow.com.au

BRISBANE CONVOY FOR KIDS

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

MULLUMBIMBY TRUCK SHOW

November 12, 2022. Mullumbimby Showground, NSW

Held in conjunction with the annual Mullumbimby

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For further truck show phone Mark on 0427 634 903 or email wardysmachinerycentre@gmail.com

EAST GIPPSLAND HERITAGE TRUCK DISPLAY

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 a 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. Saturday 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

I98FM ILLAWARRA CONVOY

November 20, 2022. Appin South 32 Colliery to Shellharbour Airport, NSW

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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

HHA & LARSEN’S CASTLEMAINE ROTARY TRUCK SHOW

November 26-27, 2022. Castlemaine, Vic.

Sponsored by Jon Kelly from Heavy Haulage Assets (HHA) and Dave Larsen from Larsen’s Trucks Sales. Held at Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve. Organised by the Castlemaine Rotary Club. The show will return to a full program on the Saturday and Sunday. For further info see the website at http://truck.rotarycastlemaine.org.au or the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/castlemainetrucks

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Flashback to the 2015 i98FM Illawarra Convoy

A healthier weight

Lifestyle changes can help lower your blood glucose levels and keep them within your target range

Evidence notes a link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. Research also highlights the relationship between obesity and insulin resistance.

If you live with type 2 diabetes and carry excess weight, especially around the middle, losing weight can have a big impact on your diabetes management. Although it might not cure type 2 diabetes in every case, getting to a healthy body weight does have that potential for some people.

As you shed the extra kilos, the insulin in your body will work more efficiently to lower your blood glucose levels and keep them in your target range. This will cause your HbA1c to drop over time and can help minimise, delay or even prevent, the longterm effects of diabetes.

Losing some weight if you are overweight can make a big difference to your health:

• If you have pre-diabetes and can lose 5-10 per cent of your body weight, you will lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, in the next five years, by up to 58 per cent.

• If you have type 2 diabetes, and can lose 5-10 per cent of your body weight, you will improve your blood glucose levels, and in time, your HbA1c significantly.

To work towards a healthier weight, consider following these strategies:

EAT LESS CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates raise blood glucose levels more than other foods, and evidence suggests that a low carb dietary pattern may help you stabilise and manage your blood glucose levels.

However, this type of eating pattern may not be suitable for everyone. Therefore, before reducing your carbohydrate intake, speak with a dietitian. You can find a dietitian at https://member. dietitiansaustralia.org.au/faapd.

EAT THE RIGHT TYPE OF CARBOHYDRATE

Sugars and starches raise your blood glucose levels, but fibre does not cause a blood glucose spike. As such, you may consider including carbs that are richer in fibre in your diet. These are known as complex carbohydrates and eating them results in a more gradual release of glucose into your body, meaning that blood glucose levels will not rise rapidly after you eat them.

You may use the glycemic index (GI) to help you monitor how much sugar and

carbohydrate you eat. This will help you manage your blood glucose levels. The GI measures and ranks various foods by how much they cause blood glucose levels to rise. To find out the GI of various foods, head to this website www.gisymbol.com.

CONTROL YOUR PORTION SIZE

Eating a suitable portion size can make it easier to manage your weight and control your blood glucose levels. Many factors, such as your weight and activity levels, play a role in determining the ideal portion sizes. A dietitian can offer more specific advice on your appropriate portion sizes.

MOVE REGULARLY

Exercise has many health benefits and can help you manage your blood glucose levels. Notably, exercise increases your insulin sensitivity, allowing your muscle cells to use insulin more effectively to take up glucose and use it for energy. This can help lower blood glucose in the short term and HbA1c in the long term.

HYDRATE

Proper hydration is crucial for health. It can help you control your blood glucose levels. When you are dehydrated your body has less water than it requires and this can cause your blood glucose levels to spike, as less water in the body means that there is a higher concentration of glucose in the blood. Therefore, drinking more fluids can

VANIA KHOURY is a credentialled diabetes educator and registered nurse with Diabetes NSW. For more information, call the Diabetes Helpline 1300 342 588 to speak with a diabetes educator, dietitian, exercise physiologist or counsellor.

help lower your blood glucose levels.

However, it is important to hydrate with water, as other beverages — such as fruit juices and soft drinks will elevate blood glucose levels.

MANAGE STRESS

Your body releases stress hormones when it is under tension, such as when you are ill or experiencing emotional stress. These hormones elevate your blood glucose levels.

Evidence shows that managing stress through exercise and allowing time for rest and relaxation can help lower your blood glucose levels.

SLEEP

Getting adequate sleep can help with diabetes management. Most adults should aim for seven or more hours of sleep per night.

Insufficient sleep can have various effects on your body such as:

• increasing insulin resistance

• increasing hunger

• causing cravings for foods high in carbs and sugar

• making it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight

• raising blood pressure

• impairing the ability of the immune system to fight infection

• increasing the risk of depression and anxiety.

In summary, if you have diabetes, managing your blood glucose levels to prevent highs and lows is vital to avoid serious complications. A range of lifestyle interventions can help you lower your blood glucose levels and keep them within your target range. You can work with your diabetes healthcare team to set your blood glucose targets and make an action plan to achieve your health goals.

If you have pre-diabetes, the above steps will help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you smoke, one of the best things you can do for your health is to try to quit as smoking raises your risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 40 per cent. Seeking support from your friends, family, doctor and Quitline (13 78 48) can improve your chance of success.

“Exercise increases your insulin sensitivity.”

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.

electric and fuel cell technology

CHARGING AHEAD

Be in no doubt, the giants of the trucking world are fast tracking their way to a future where fossil fuels could become almost as extinct as the prehistoric plants that created them. Certainly, it won’t be a quick or easy transition as new technologies radically reshape all forms of automotive power, but it is coming and spearheading the charge is the biggest of them all, Daimler Truck. Steve Brooks reports from Germany

To the benignly uninformed, the blatantly uninterested and especially the belligerently unimpressed, advanced new technologies can be confronting, confusing and ponderously difficult to decipher. A mental minefield, easier undermined than understood.

Quite often, and particularly in the early stages of development, there can be so much that just doesn’t compute in the cerebral cavern of most minds – this one included – when something appears a very long way outside the square of ‘normal’.

Much depends, I guess, on how advanced, complex or different the new technology is and the product or component it affects. At its most extreme, radical technology can appear to the average layman as a world of unnecessary intrusion, a dark art, inhabited by tedious technocrats, staid scientists, fairy tale futurists, commercial carpetbaggers and at the end of the chain, manipulative marketeers.

Still, there’s no shortage of examples where seemingly complex technology has also been hugely successful. Like, the arrival of electronic engine controls in the ’80s and specifically, Detroit Diesel’s original Series 60 engine, delivering the world’s first completely new heavy-duty diesel engine developed from the outset with full authority electronic engine controls.

Those old enough to recall those days will also recall that this was radical stuff indeed, and with typical predictability, frustrations and derision were rampant as the technology went through its inevitable growing pains on the way to maturity. Yet, despite its early issues and snarling complaints, the electronically controlled Series 60 quite literally changed the world of diesel engine design and efficiency, to the point where it is today unimaginable that any powertrain is not completely controlled by the microprocessors of an electronic control module.

Similarly, the evolution of automated

mechanical transmissions wasn’t without its early detractors. Again though, the technology has gradually developed to the stage where highly advanced and incredibly intuitive automated shifters are simply accepted as the norm while manual transmissions – and the drivers capable of using them with any proficiency – are on a greasy pole to history’s scrapheap.

The point of all this is that the formative days of any new technology, and especially radical new technology which completely upends accepted practice, will initially, and almost certainly, beckon resentment and ridicule rather than respect or regard for its potential to improve and impress.

And it is happening again, right now.

However, the difference this time is that we are  on the cusp of change so great, so extreme, and so far beyond anything that has gone before it in the history of motorised transport, that to deny its existence and accelerating evolution is effectively a denial of mankind’s pursuit of progress.

Nonetheless, some will bemoan technology’s intrusion, others may be excited, but those born in this decade and beyond may well wonder what all the fuss was about and why it took the edge of a climatic cliff to forge a new future. And let’s face it, the reason for the rush to new energy sources is because the world now largely accepts that climate change is a real and present danger.

Consequently, we are now experiencing the early forays of a quantum shift in motive power which, at its dramatic conclusion in the commercial vehicle industry, will ultimately see the diminution of engine and transmission powertrains as we currently know them. In their place are revolutionary energy systems designed to drastically reduce dependence on fossil fuels by utilising electrical power provided by batteries and not too far down the technological track – certainly before the end of this decade – the full scale production of trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells. And

Big believer. Daimler Truck supremo, Martin Daum. ‘We are clearly committed to the decarbonisation of our industry.’

“We are now experiencing the early forays of a quantum shift in motive power.”

beyond that, technologies and systems still encased in imagination and invention.

The changes are mind boggling in both their scope and increasing certainty, all happening on a technological and economic scale of seemingly boundless proportions.

The thing is though, it’s not until you’re actually staring at it, sitting in it, driving it, and talking about it with the people at the coal face (okay, bad choice of words) of these quickly evolving technologies that some understanding of the commitment and reasoning behind their development starts to truly sink in.

Even so, the technology and its systems are undeniably complex and confronting for the simple reason that so much is so different to anything we’ve ever known before. Thus, for us simple folk who have already endured and adapted to the life-changing evolution of computers and mobile communications, the same open mind is needed to accept that the holy grail of carbon-neutral road transport won’t be delivered by more of the same fossil-fuelled hardware but rather, an entirely new approach to the energy sources that move freight. Energy sources that are being constantly developed, evaluated and refined as evolution continues its never-ending journey.

Whatever the exact outcomes, the operational merit of new technology is becoming ever more apparent and over a few intense days in Germany, Daimler Truck wasn’t shy about showing a few of us just how determined and close it is to bridging the gap between potential and reality.

There was, however, more to it than an overview of current and future technologies. After all, battery-electric and even hydrogen fuel cell technology are not new news and while both have been for many years reported and publicised as advanced development projects by the world’s automotive giants, high-profile entrepreneurs and investor companies have to date been quickest to capitalise on the technological revolution. Tesla, for example, and closer to home, Sea Electric.

Yet as we’ve regularly commented over the past five years or so, in the commercial vehicle world it will require the commitment, technical resources and extensive model range of automotive giants to drive new technologies to operational reality on a vast scale. Giants such as Daimler Truck.

The stakes are high but so, too, is the German superpower’s corporate ambition. Indeed, the obvious observation after just a few days of quick-fire presentations was Daimler Truck’s unflinching pursuit of operationally practical and economically feasible alternatives to oil-based automotive energy. As the company states,

‘the goal is to have its new trucks and buses in the vast markets of Europe (Mercedes-Benz), Japan (Fuso) and North America (Freightliner) in CO2-neutral driving operation by 2039’ and ‘battery-electric series-production vehicles by 2022 in all core regions.’

‘We are clearly committed to the decarbonisation of our industry,’ says Martin Daum, the formidable, no-nonsense head of Daimler’s global truck and bus business.

‘Having CO2-neutral transport on the road by 2050 is our ultimate goal. This can only be achieved if competitive conditions for CO2-neutral transport are created for our customers in terms of costs and infrastructure.

‘Truly CO2-neutral transport only works with battery-electric or hydrogen-based drive.’

Herr Daum and his kind are not kidding, with the path to the future already set, sealed and vitally, budgeted. There will be no turning back.

Meantime, detailing Daimler’s developments is no easy task and this report does not purport to achieve anything more than scratch the surface of technical understanding. Again, the technology is complex and at times, confounding to those of us raised on a diet of diesel. And not for a moment does this report suggest that diesel will be dead anytime soon but equally, as economists emphasise, crude oil will only continue to be extracted so long as it is profitable to do so.

What was seen, heard and experienced in Germany simply further confirmed the fact that global powerhouses such as Daimler Truck are not just responding to the modern world’s awareness of environmental stress, but actually taking an authoritative lead in forcefully fast-tracking viable solutions to commercial reality.

Top: Mercedes-Benz eActros. Our first drive was short but hugely impressive. Australian trials start early next year Opposite bottom and left: Build quality of eActros appears excellent. The electric truck runs down the same Wörth production lines as its diesel counterparts but safety decrees that high voltage electrical work is done in a specialised area

“Truly CO2-neutral transport only works with battery-electric or hydrogen-based drive.”

Batteries for the ’burbs Summer was continuing its unusually brutal assault on the northern hemisphere. Severe temperatures, fierce fires and in other parts, wickedly destructive floods. According to news reports, climate change was the major culprit and within the walls of Daimler Truck, 2022’s weather patterns were just further vindication for the growing imperative of creating viable alternatives to fossil fuels.

It was also uncharacteristically hot at Wörth in Germany’s south-west, topping 40 degrees Celsius. Gratefully, the air conditioner in the eActros was in full swing as the truck stood in the blazing sun while the driver trainer explained the various features and simple driving instructions of the battery-electric truck before pointing me into local traffic.

Somewhat surprisingly, he seemed totally unconcerned that the aircon might be pulling valuable charge from the truck’s three battery packs. And fair enough. After all, for a driver stuck in traffic in sweltering heat or freezing weather, an electric truck needs to be just as convenient and comfortable as any other truck.

Soon enough we were on the road, driving through suburbs, along narrow rural roads and a quick stretch along a motorway. All up, little more than 30 minutes in what’s known as an eActros 300 model, signifying three batteries in a two-axle rigid loaded to a gross weight around 15 tonnes. In three-axle form, eActros is said to be rated up to 27 tonnes.

Electric trucks are not, of course, a new science to Daimler’s technical boffins. As the company stated several years ago, ‘Daimler has been gaining experience with electric trucks since 2010 and has had its first all-electric truck in series production on the market and in customers’ hands since 2017.’

That truck is the Fuso eCanter and we’ve had the opportunity to drive it several times, initially on

The eActros, however, is the heaviest batteryelectric truck driven to date and like its Fuso counterparts, the quietness, brilliant acceleration and remarkable retardation of the Mercedes-Benz were no less outstanding, even at its substantially higher gross weight.

Still, there was something different about this truck, perhaps best explained as an extraordinarily high level of smoothness and operational refinement, reflecting not just the build quality from MercedesBenz’s nearby Wörth production plant but also the ongoing evolution of development which significantly broadens the operational potential and appeal of battery-electric trucks.

Since that drive, Daimler Trucks Australia has announced it will next year begin a local evaluation program for the all-electric eActros, setting four trucks to work in Australia and one in New Zealand, and the likelihood of more to follow in both countries. From all appearances, our neck of the woods is firmly on Daimler Truck’s radar for electric models and we’re confident a more detailed appraisal of eActros will emerge after driving a test unit in local conditions.

Launched in Germany late last year, eActros is the first of four CO2-free (carbon neutral) models in Daimler Truck’s stated product strategy. Recently joining eActros on the Wörth production line is eEconic, the battery-electric municipal waste collection specialist, to be followed in 2024 by the eActros Longhaul (prime mover) battery-electric model which made its first public appearance as the star of the Mercedes-Benz stand at the huge IAA commercial vehicle show in Hanover in September.

Then comes the truly big player in the technological stakes for heavy-duty long distance work, the hydrogen fuel cell development truck known at the

In its current form, the ‘alternative energy’ product plan appears simple enough with several Daimler insiders asserting that battery-electric models from the lightweight eCanter to the heavy-duty eActros Longhaul will satisfy shorthaul urban roles while the hydrogen fuel cell will obviously target linehaul duties.

Metro work, however, figures foremost in the current plan and eEconic is seen as a model with significant potential as inner city councils across Germany and many parts of Europe increasingly insist on electric trucks to reduce noise and pollution. And helping the electric cause in no small way are diesel costs which in some parts have doubled since Russia’s vicious assault on Ukraine.

Fuso’s test track in Japan followed by several stints in Australia.

moment as ‘Gen H2’ and slated for production in 2027 or ’28.

Indeed, the case for battery-powered trucks in municipal waste collection is particularly strong according to eEconic product manager, Linda Fritzenwanker, who explains that while politicians have joined the chorus for electric trucks in cities and urban areas, the push is more notably coming from Daimler’s own culture to reduce CO2 emissions wherever possible.

Still, while purchase cost of the eEconic remains prohibitive at around three times the price of a current diesel equivalent, Linda insists price will come down as sales volumes grow and appeal will increase as the price of diesel continues to climb. What’s more, working in urban environments provides easier access to recharging infrastructure, she adds.

As for the life expectancy of batteries, it is said to be around six to eight years. However, she was quick to assert, “But that’s being very conservative.”

Meantime, while it was recently announced that eEconic will join eActros in Australian and New Zealand trials early next year,

Above Left: The future in focus. Daimler Truck’s two ‘Gen H2’ prototypes on a high-speed loop. These represent the starting point for Daimler’s on-road development and testing of hydrogen fuel cell technology before going into production in five or six years’ time

Top: Snapped on the open road, a Gen H2 prototype heads back to the test track. Hydrogen fuel cell componentry is completely outside ‘the norm’. Acceptance and understanding will take plenty of time

Below: A waste industry specialist, eEconic is now in production at Wörth, capitalising on urban demand for quieter, cleaner electric trucks. It, too, will start Australian trials next year

there is not yet a version with the dual steering controls required by the majority of Australia’s waste collection operators.

Critically though, Daimler’s intention is to build all models –battery-electric, fuel cell and diesel – on Wörth production lines where the massive factory’s maximum capacity is up to 470 trucks a day, making it not only the biggest of Daimler’s plants in France, Turkey and Brazil, but the biggest truck manufacturing facility in the world.

However, as deputy plant manager Manuel Bogel remarked, eActros and the upcoming eEconic run down the same line as their diesel-powered counterparts only to the point where cab and chassis come together. After that, the electric model is rolled a short distance to a highly specialised Future Truck Centre where battery packs and all associated wiring are fitted and tested before heading to customers.

As Manuel explained, safety is the key reason for completing production of the battery-electric trucks in a separate specialised facility where electrical technicians install the high voltage systems. “It is very different to simply fitting a diesel engine on the main lines,” he remarked.

As for future production of hydrogen-powered fuel cell models at Wörth, he left no doubt that plans are already well advanced. “It will happen,” he said with absolute certainty.

Celling the future

So what is a fuel cell and more specifically, a hydrogen fuel cell?

In raw simplicity, hydrogen fuel cells work by putting hydrogen into close contact with oxygen to create electricity and water.

Yet perhaps one of the more detailed and easily understood explanations we’ve found comes from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the US Department of Energy which starts by citing ‘… the benefits of a fuel cell over conventional combustion-based technologies.

‘Fuel cells can operate at higher efficiencies than combustion engines and can convert the chemical energy in the fuel directly to electrical energy with efficiencies capable of exceeding 60 percent (and) have lower or zero emissions compared to combustion engines. (By comparison, the thermal efficiency of a diesel engine struggles to reach 50 percent.)

‘Hydrogen fuel cells emit only water, addressing critical climate challenges as there are no carbon dioxide emissions. There are no air pollutants (and) fuel cells are quiet during operation as they have few moving parts.’

As for how a hydrogen fuel cell actually works, the explanation becomes somewhat more involved: ‘Fuel cells work like batteries, but they do not run down or need recharging. They produce electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied.

‘A fuel cell consists of two electrodes – a negative electrode (or

“Our neck of the woods is firmly on Daimler Truck’s radar for e lectric models.”

Top: Prototype performance was amazing. A standing start at 42 tonnes on a severe 18 percent grade was super-smooth, superquiet and super-strong. Stunning!

Above: Andreas Hoefort, engineer of zero emission technology at Daimler Truck Advanced Engineering. On hydrogen fuel cell development, “There is still much work to be done … but we have already come a very long way.”

Opposite Bottom: Diesel isn’t dead but over the next decade or two its dominance will dwindle as technology races ahead

“Daimler’s two ‘Gen H2’ prototypes left no doubt about the extraordinary performance capabilities of a hydrogen fuel cell.”

anode) and a positive electrode (or cathode) – sandwiched around an electrolyte. A fuel, such as hydrogen, is fed to the anode and air is fed to the cathode.

‘In a hydrogen fuel cell, a catalyst at the anode separates hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons, which take different paths to the cathode. The electrons go through an external circuit, creating a flow of electricity. The protons migrate through the electrolyte to the cathode, where they unite with oxygen and the electrons to produce water and heat.’

Simply stated, the end result in practical terms is a cleaner and far more efficient energy source with more than an enough muscle to significantly outperform existing diesel designs.

In a remarkable display, several laps on a highly restricted test track in the passenger seat of one of Daimler’s two ‘Gen H2’ prototypes left no doubt about the extraordinary performance capabilities of a hydrogen fuel cell. It was, in fact, one of those occasions when you had to experience it to believe it before confidently coming to the conclusion that this is the eventual future for long distance road freight.

Behind the wheel was Andreas Hoefort, an engineer of zero emission technology at Daimler Truck Advanced Engineering, who delighted in demonstrating the truck’s stunning standing start performance on a severe 18 percent grade at a gross weight of 42 tonnes. It was, unequivocally, a super-smooth, super-quiet and super-strong performance but as he also pointed out when

driving at highway speed on a fast section of the track, the system is programmed to conserve energy and dispense only the required amount of power for a particular role, be it full effort for heavy, severely steep starts or partial power for slowly moving in heavy traffic or manoeuvring in tight areas. Or as he put it, the mix of fuel cell and battery outputs adjusts to suit fluctuating operational demands.

As he further explained though, it’s still very early days and Daimler’s two test units are notably different. The truck provided for our visit, for instance, uses hydrogen stored as a gas, starting trials more than a year ago and to date clocking around 24,000km in an intense research and development program on test tracks and public roads. This unit is, he emphasised, effectively the starting point in Daimler’s on-road fuel cell development as it strives to reach production stage in five years or so.

However, the latest prototype uses liquid hydrogen stored under pressure in special tanks at a temperature around 250 degrees below freezing, providing substantially greater range between refuels than the gas version.

From a short distance, both fuel cell trucks look little different to their diesel counterparts but up close it’s a totally different view, particularly at the back of the cab where the power distribution unit and the various cooling systems for the high voltage batteries, fuel cell and electric (motorised) drive hubs bear no resemblance to current componentry. It is nothing like

membrane and the catalyst coated membrane, or the membrane electrolyte frame assembly. In one form or another, there’s a lot of brain in this place. Literally!

Simply put, this is where fuel cell technology, current and coming, is born and bred. Well, actually, it’s one of four such centres – three in Germany, one in Canada – operated by Cellcentric since the company’s formation in 2021 as a 50:50 joint venture between the trucking world’s two superpowers, Daimler Truck and Volvo Group.

Led by a high-level executive team from both camps, several hundred highly specialised technicians and engineers are working at facilities across both countries, with Cellcentric reporting, ‘Around 700 patents have been issued, underlining the leading role played by the company in terms of technological development (and) the goal now to transfer this technology to mass production and to significantly reduce costs.’

Critically, however, the creation of Cellcentric and the major funds committed to its research and operation blatantly confirm Daimler’s and Volvo’s absolute belief and confidence that fuel cells are the motive force of the future, near and far, for heavy long distance road transport.

Moreover, it’s no secret that Volvo Group spent €600 million (almost A$900 million) as its contribution to the formation of Cellcentric while for Daimler, Volvo’s commitment helps share the financial load of capitalising on its 25 years’ experience in fuel cell research.

Sure, it can seem an odd match between these two commercially combative giants but their aims for Cellcentric are united, ‘… to become the number one supplier for fuel cells to support Daimler Truck and Volvo Group vision of CO2 neutral transportation.’

Likewise, their individual ambitions are profoundly similar. For Daimler Truck, all its new vehicles in the European Union, North America and Japan ‘to be CO2-neutral by 2039’ and for Volvo Group, ‘all its new vehicles to be fossil-fuel free from 2040.’

As for Australia’s involvement in this brave new world of motive power, it seems our potential is already on the corporate radar.

According to Cellcentric chief technical officer Nicholas Loughlan, the asset of hydrogen is that it is relatively easy to transport and the infrastructure for storage and refuelling is easier than battery-electric, and not dissimilar to diesel.

Most notably though, he contends, “Australia is perfectly placed environmentally and geographically to make the most (of this technology) and become a world leader in the use of green hydrogen.” That is, hydrogen produced by renewable sources such as wind, solar or hydro energy.

So, yes, it’s complex and at times, confusing. It will confound many and concern more. But it is the future and it’s closer, much closer, than many might think.

anything that exists today despite Andreas’s somewhat optimistic assertion that the aim is to make the design “… as normal as possible.”

Moreover, there’s no gearbox, just a constant application of torque from fuel cells and batteries into drive motors in the wheel ends. “It is,” as he remarked with sublime simplicity, “a total reinvention of power.”

Yet one thing the two prototypes do share with diesel trucks is limited chassis space for fuel tanks and associated hardware, and a battle to keep tare weight within viable limits.

Accordingly, says Andreas Hoefort, the wheelbase of the Gen H2 demonstrator is 300mm longer than normal to accommodate componentry and still maintain a reasonable gap between truck and trailer. It is also around two tonnes heavier than its diesel equivalent but the European Union grants an ongoing two tonne concession for electric vehicles, though Daimler’s goal is for tare weight parity with diesel versions by the time the fuel cell models are ready for production.

As for life expectancy of a fuel cell truck operating in European conditions, he says the target is for 10 years or around 1.2 million kilometres but he casually suggests this may prove to be conservative. What’s more, while the two test units are typically European 4x2 models, he confirms that 6x2 and 6x4 versions are also locked into future development plans.

“Of course, there is still much work to be done,” he said plainly before quickly adding, “but we have already come a very long way.”

Our time with Andreas Hoefort and the fuel cell truck was over too soon. In some ways though, it was an experience generated a day earlier in a nondescript, underwhelming building in a light industrial area about an hour or so from Daimler Truck headquarters in Stuttgart. On the outside was a sign simply stating ‘Cellcentric’ but inside, once guided through the security system, a new world unfolds in short, sharp detail with verbal and visual presentations about things like the proton exchange

FOOTNOTE

Little more than a month after visiting Daimler Truck in Germany, Steve Brooks travelled to Sweden for a detailed presentation of Volvo’s extensive development work on battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell models. His full report will appear in our next issue.

technology

EUROPE’S TRANSPORT REVOLUTION

September’s rebadged IAA Transportation event in Hanover, Germany showcased the low emissions future of the commercial vehicle industry attracting exhibitors from 42 countries. OwnerDriver looks at the pick of the exhibitors

The biennial IAA Transportation, held in Hanover, Germany, has consolidated its position as the world’s largest platform for the transport and logsticis industry, with around two thirds of the exhibitors being from international companies. Visitors also came from far and wide –from 72 different countries.

The many world firsts presented had a focus on the electrification and climate neutrality of the drive train. Vehicle manufacturers presented a wide variety of electric and fuel cell-based drives as well as hydrogen combustion engines.

The Scania IAA stand saw the premier of its new electrified tractor, digital and connected services as well as its charging solutions. By 2030, the Swedish truck manufacturer says 50 per cent of the total vehicle sales volume is expected to be electrified.

Scania says its purpose is to drive the shift to a sustainable transport system heading for 100 per cent electric transport. Fourteen vehicles, mostly electric, were on display at the big transport trade fair.

Christian Levin, CEO Scania Group says electric transport is moving beyond the city limits.

“In our electrification journey, we are heading onto intercity motorways,” he says. “We have recently delivered an electrified timber truck to a customer in northern Sweden. And that is a very real token of the fact that we now can electrify all heavy transport applications.”

To enable these long-distance motorway transports, Scania says it is preparing for megawatt charging to charge trucks for 45 minutes for 4.5 hours of travel. In the coming years, the electrified share of Scania’s vehicles is expected to grow significantly.

Scania says it is working to decarbonise across scopes, from its industrial operation to our products when they are in use. When measuring its climate impact Scania says it always takes the ‘well-towheel’ perspective, also factoring in the origin of the energy used.

“As we ramp up vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions we are increasingly focusing on other

sources of emissions,” Levin continues.

“Scania once again shows the way by setting the most ambitious supply chain decarbonisation targets in our industry. We’ve identified four ‘hotspots’ – batteries, steel, aluminium and cast iron – which together account for more than 80 percent of carbon emission emanating from the supply chain.

“By 2030 we will cut emissions from these hotspots with 60 to 85 per cent.”

Scania Super, the company’s newest powertrain for combustion engines, is said to deliver fuel savings that typically will reach eight per cent for long-haulage customers. Scania says it can both deliver on its decarbonising targets and create value for customers.

“There are no longer any excuses not to start the transition to zero-emission vehicles,” Levin says.

Trucking with hydrogen

Daimler Trucks announced at IAA that its manufacturing is on the road to sustainable transportation, with the first prototypes of a fuel-cell powered Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck undergoing intensive testing since last year – both on Daimler Truck’s in-house test track and on public roads.

At the exhibition Daimler Truck offered selected visitors a ridealong in one of its fuel-cell trucks. The truck manufacturer says it demonstrated the practicality of a fully loaded 40-tonne hydrogen truck on public roads.

Daimler says the fuel station provides green and thus CO2neutral hydrogen. The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck prototype has a licence for road use and is powered and refuelled with gaseous hydrogen. At the Mercedes-Benz Trucks booth, Daimler Truck also exhibited a GenH2 Truck prototype with liquid hydrogen tanks.

Daimler Truck explains that it prefers liquid hydrogen

Above: Volvo Trucks unveiled its new, fully electric rear axle which frees up space for more batteries for a longer range for its battery electric trucks

Below: Scania Super, the company’s newest powertrain for combustion engines, is said to deliver fuel savings that typically will reach eight per cent for longhaulage customers

in the development of hydrogen-based drives for the long term. In this aggregate state, the energy carrier has a significantly higher energy density in relation to volume compared to gaseous hydrogen. As a result, more hydrogen can be carried, which significantly increases the range and enables comparable performance of the vehicle with that of a conventional diesel truck.

Daimler says its development objective of the series-ready GenH2 Truck is a range of up to 1,000 kilometres and more without refuelling. It says this makes the truck suitable for particularly flexible and demanding applications, especially in the important segment of heavy-duty long-haul transport. Daimler says the start of series production for hydrogen-based trucks is planned for the second half of the decade.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz picked up the 2023 Truck Innovation Award at Hanover its eActros LongHaul.

Daimler also presented its Next Generation Fuso eCanter at IAA Transportation. Since the introduction of the eCanter in 2017, Fuso says it has been regarded as a pioneer and frontrunner in electric trucks and is consistently working on the implementation of sustainable, CO2-neutral transport solutions.

Fuso states that there are currently more than 450 Fuso eCanters in daily customer operation in Europe, Japan and the United States, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. The total distance covered by the global eCanter fleet in all-electric and thus locally emission-free mode is now said to be over six million kilometres – equivalent to about 150 circumnavigations of the globe. Fuso says the Next Generation eCanter is now taking this success story to a new level.

Karl Deppen, CEO Daimler Truck Asia says Fuso is the frontrunner in the electrification of commercial vehicles.

“Since the introduction of the small-series Fuso eCanter five years ago, we gained extensive experience and valuable feedback from customers running the trucks in daily operations.

“With the Next Generation eCanter, we are now offering our customers tailor-made e-Mobility solutions for a broad range of applications,” Deppen says.

“By taking the next step, extending our product portfolio and entering large scale production we continue to lead the sustainable transportation of the future.”

In order to meet customer requirements even more, Fuso says it has made several adjustments to the Next Generation eCanter. While the current electric truck was previously only available as

“There are no longer any excuses not to start the transition to zeroemission vehicles.”

a 7.49-tonner with a wheelbase of 3,400mm, customers now have a choice of six wheelbases between 2,500 and 4,750mm and a permissible gross vehicle weight of 4.25 to 8.55 tonnes. The load capacity of the chassis is up to 5 tonnes.

The Next Generation eCanter is powered either by a 110kW (variants with gross weights of 4.25 and 6 tonnes) or 129kW (variants with gross weights of 7.49 and 8.55 tonnes) electric motor with an optimised driveline and 430Nm of torque. The maximum speed is 89km/h.

Depending on the wheelbase, three different battery packs are available: S, M and L. The batteries use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell technology. Fuso says these are characterised above all by a long service life and more usable energy.

The battery pack in the S variant has a nominal capacity of 41kW/h and enables a range of up to 70km. In the M variant, the nominal capacity is 83kW/h and the range is up to 140km. The L variant, as the most powerful package, offers a nominal capacity of 124kW/h and a range of up to 200km. This is reported to be far more than the distance usually covered per day in light distribution traffic.

As far as battery charging is concerned, the Next Generation eCanter is claimed to be compatible with all main voltages in the major markets.

Multi-energy concept

Italy’s FPT Industrial brought a multi-energy approach towards sustainable on-road propulsion to IAA Transportation where it showcased its full line of internal combustion engines (ICEs) from light to heavy applications.

FPT says it continues to believe and invest in internal combustion engines through range extensions and continuous improvement, state-of-the-art technologies and competitive solutions.

The brand’s new XC13 engine, unveiled at IAA 2022, is being touted as representing the embodiment of the Cursor X concept –the multi-energy, modular, multi-application, and mindful engine.

FPT says its XC13 is its first multi-fuel single base engine. From diesel to natural gas – including biomethane – hydrogen, and renewable fuels, the base engine has been designed with multiple versions to offer maximum component standardisation and easy integration into the final product.

FPT says the XC13 features unique DNA for on-road multiapplications, is immediately compatible with a range of different

Top: The eActros LongHaul was presented with the 2023 Truck Innovation Award at Hanover

Below: Daimler prototype fuel-cell powered Mercedes-Benz GenH2 truck

Opposite from top: DAF had a huge line-up of models on show at Hanover; FPT Industrial showcased its full line of internal combustion engines (ICEs)

market requirements and emission regulations, with limited impact on vehicle installation.

FPT says the engine has all it takes to be a serious contributor in the sustainable transport sector. Economic and environmental sustainability is improved by enhanced combustion efficiency, thanks to a new fuel injection system and higher peak cylinder pressure, reduced friction, down speeding and new dividedflow turbo smart auxiliary equipment management, and by FPT Industrial’s proprietary software for integrated combustion and ATS control.

The 152kW F1C and the N67 NG for commercial vehicles complete the Internal Combustion Engine line-up which FPT Industrial presented in Hanover.

FPT Industrial says it has clarified its current and future position as zero emissions solution provider with primary focus

“There will be a huge demand for public fast-chargers for heavy trucks in the near future.”

on eAxles, Central Drive, Modular Battery Packs and Battery Management Systems.

With the unveiling of the eAX375-R, FPT says it has clarified its strategy for the electrification path of medium and heavy commercial vehicles. The new eAxle will suit medium-duty 4x2/6x2 and heavyduty 6x4 vehicles, which is says will deliver high performance and efficiency, thanks to its two-speed gear set.

“The multi-energy approach is the cornerstone of our product strategy,” says Pierpaolo Biffali, vice president product engineering, FPT Industrial.

“Internal combustion engine still represents one of many sustainable solutions we have in our toolkit, together with our complete ePowertrain offering including battery and electrified driveline.”

Axle impact

The Volvo Trucks stand saw the unveiling of a new, fully electric rear axle which Volvo says frees up space for more batteries and means even longer range for Volvo’s battery electric trucks.

Volvo Trucks says it has the widest offer of battery electric trucks in the industry, with six different models in serial production.

Volvo points out that its new e-axle allows for even more batteries on the truck by integrating the electric motors and the transmission into the rear axle. More batteries mean longer range, which creates opportunities for long distance transports to also be electrified. On the fuel cell electric trucks, which the company says will be introduced in the second half of this decade, the additional space comes in handy for installing other components.

Jessica Sandström, SvP global product management at Volvo Trucks says the announcement is in line with the future of heavy vehicle transport.

“This is a breakthrough for electric trucks and a clear signal that there will be a huge demand for public fast-chargers for heavy trucks in the near future, not the least along highways.”

Volvo Trucks says it will start serial production of trucks with the new e-axle in a few years from now and it will complement the current line-up of battery electric trucks.

“We will continue with our versatile battery electric trucks that are already in production. They can currently cover a wide range of transport assignments.  In a few years, we will add this new rear e-axle for customers covering longer routes than

today,” Sandström says. Volvo Trucks says it has a three-path strategy to reach zero emissions – battery electric, fuel cell electric and combustion engines that run on renewable fuels like biogas, HVO or even green hydrogen.

“Different technical solutions are needed to tackle climate change, since the availability of energy and fuel infrastructure differs between countries and regions and also between different transport assignments,” Sandström says.

Long range

DAF Trucks announced that it has started the future of vocational and distribution transport with the launch of the New Generation DAF XD and XDC. DAF also says it has strengthened its environmental leadership with the reveal of a completely new series of fully electric powertrains for the New Generation DAF XD and XF trucks.

DAF says the new trucks offer ‘zero emission’ ranges of over 500 kilometres on a single charge.

In addition, DAF introduced a new range of vocational and distribution trucks. DAF says its New Generation DAF XD sets the new benchmark in safety, efficiency and driver comfort in its class.

DAF says the cab design of the New Generation DAF XD features a large windscreen and large side

windows with an ultra-low belt line for best-in-class direct vision. This is achieved in combination with the low cab position (17cm lower than the New XF) and the new ‘Vision Dashboard’, which is characterised by being contoured towards the windscreen on the co-driver side.

Fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions are realised through the aerodynamic cab, DAF says. It states that new model features the same large radii, curved windscreen, excellent sealing and optimal engine and under cab airflow as DAF’s XF, XG and XG+ long distance models.

Vehicle efficiency is furthered by the new Paccar MX-11 engine, smart exhaust after-treatment system, low vehicle weights, standard TraXon automated transmission and sophisticated driver assistance systems. Extensive availability of PTO’s, body attachment modules and connectors ensure first class bodybuilder-friendliness.

DAF says the New Generation DAF XD is available to order in a full array of 4x2 and 6x2 axle configurations, both tractors and rigids.

At IAA Transportation 2022, DAF also expanded the product range of the new XF model, which was awarded ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’.

The next IAA Transportation will take place in Hanover from September 17 go 22, 2024.

THE HIGH AND LOW OF HINO

With the best model range in its Australian history and a red hot sales truck market, these should be bumper days for Hino’s Australian operation. However, a dark cloud has drifted down from Japan in the form of an audacious emissions cheating scandal, stifling production and availability, and taking the gloss off impressive models like the flagship SS2848 hi-roof prime mover. Steve Brooks writes

Seriously, you really have to wonder what arrogance and foolhardiness gets into the heads of some top executives. In this climateconscious age of intense bureaucratic and media scrutiny of emissions compliance, not to mention the instantaneous influence of social media, do they honestly believe they can fool all the people, all the time?

From the outside looking in, it seems that’s exactly how some think, with the latest example coming from Hino Motors which is, of course, the truck offshoot of global giant, Toyota.

For its part, Toyota claims to be shocked by Hino’s falsification of emissions and fuel data which is said to date back as far as 2003, just two years after Toyota took control of Hino in 2001. However, many of Hino’s presidents have come from Toyota ranks, including current chief Satoshi Ogiso who was quick to fall on the sword of corporate apology.

“I am so deeply sorry … misconduct had been carried out for a widespread variety of models,” he said. It is not yet known if Ogiso-san will be cut from Hino’s top job.

According to various reports from Japan, teams endeavouring to meet unattainable emissions standards felt so pressured, they falsified test results on a wide range of models and tampered with fuel efficiency data in heavy-duty engines.

Hino conceded in March this year that it had faked data and a group of outside experts were called in to investigate, compiling a detailed report asserting an ‘inward-looking and conservative culture’ and a company leadership more concerned with numerical goals and deadlines than operating procedures or engaging with frontline workers.

While German powerhouse Volkswagen rightly gets the gong for the most infamous and comprehensive of all emissions cheating scandals, several major Japanese brands have been similarly tarred as cheats with Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Yamaha and Nissan now joined by Hino.

Yet it seems the impacts of Hino’s actions are set to worsen with the company recently announcing it will stop production of medium-duty (500-series) and heavyduty (700-series) trucks for at least a year.

Meantime, the company says it is still evaluating the impacts of its data falsification on US and Europe markets, and is co-operating with authorities in those markets. However, no mention has been made of Australia and despite several requests for official comment from Hino Motor Sales Australia (HMSA), there had been no response when this article was written.

Hino is the second highest-selling truck brand in Australia, perennial bridesmaid to historic market

Top: Hino SS adds around 700mm to overall cab height compared to standard roof models, allowing significantly more interior storage space

“It all comes at a time when Australia’s demand for new trucks has never been greater.”

Top: Like its 700-series siblings, interior layout of the SS model is arguably the best among Japanese competitors in the same class

Opposite bottom: For hauling high trailers in regional roles, the Hino SS2848 is well equipped with a slick powertrain and exceptional retardation system. Road manners are excellent

leader Isuzu. Consequently, it’s surprising HMSA is not prepared to at least outline to its multitude of customers the possible impacts on Australian supply lines of Japan’s transgression and its subsequent production shutdown.

Indeed, the local company’s silence even appears somewhat at odds with a comment by Toyota supremo, chief executive Akio Toyoda which said, “The wrongdoing at Hino betrayed the trust of customers and other stakeholders. I deeply regret what has happened.”

It also seems the timing could not be worse for HMSA. After all, over the past few years the company has

progressively introduced an exceptionally strong and advanced model range which includes standard and wide cab versions of its 500-series medium-duty range and most recently, an extremely impressive 700-series heavyduty line-up.

And it all comes at a time when Australia’s demand for new trucks has never been greater.

Despite the dramas

Whatever the difficulties and repercussions of Hino’s inane action in falsifying emissions and fuel data, the simple fact is that its trucks are today more appealing than they’ve ever been and despite the emerging uproar, the invitation to drive an SS2848 high-roof prime mover was willingly accepted.

Almost a year earlier we’d been most impressed by the features, road manners and performance of an FS2848 truck and dog combination, and it just seemed right to see if the prime mover model would be equally well-mannered, coupled to a tri-axle drop-deck trailer partially loaded with a pair of Hino 300-series trucks from the light-duty range.

The intention from the outset was to simply run the combination from Hino headquarters at Taren Point in Sydney’s southern suburbs down the coast via the descent of Mt Ousley, turn around near the seaside town of Kiami and head back to Hino through busy afternoon traffic.

All up, little more than 220km in what could be generally regarded as a typical regional run for a truck of this type.

“In performance and equipment levels its trucks are today more appealing than they’ve ever been.”

As we’ve stated before, there’s a lot to like in the extensively revamped 700-series with the SS high-roof adding around 700mm to the overall height of a well-appointed cab and the convenience of large overhead lockers. Sure, the engine cowl infringes on space and the bunk’s not ideal for regular overnight stays but with the extra internal height, it at least provides a reasonable place for a snooze or an occasional overnight stay.

Much of what we reported after driving the truck ’n dog version is equally relevant to the SS model. Like, ‘Mounted on a four-point air suspension arrangement, the impressively refashioned cab stands reasonably tall but well-placed grab handles and wide non-slip steps make it an easy climb to a spacious, comfortable interior. The driver sits on a quality Isri high-back seat with ample adjustment aided by generous tilt and telescopic steering wheel increments.

‘What’s more, the ergonomically designed wraparound dash features all-new instrumentation with large, high contrast speedometer and tachometer, and a central multi-information display which contains important details for safety settings, driving economy, gear selection and vehicle maintenance data. And, of course, there’s a high quality multi-media unit for the radio and all the technical titbits such as Bluetooth and reversing camera.

‘Additionally, control buttons on the steering wheel offer fingertip ease for phone calls and adaptive cruise control settings while columnmounted stalks are provided for the engine brake (and retarder), wipers/washers, lights and the like.’

On the performance front, and given the emissions data scandal, it’s now reasonably obvious why Hino hasn’t pushed its 13 litre engine to 500hp or more. Nonetheless, the company has done a superb job of streamlining the common rail engine’s performance peaks of 480hp (353kW) at 1600 to 1800rpm and 2157Nm

(1590lb-ft) of torque from 1000 to 1500rpm. In fact, with peak power and top torque on tap across a broad rev range, engine performance can feel decidedly brisk in suburban traffic streams as it feeds through the intuitive smarts of ZF’s super-smooth 16-speed Traxon automated transmission, operated through a simple rotary knob on the left side of the dash.

Safety played a major part in development of the 700-series with its ‘SmartSafe’ package featuring the modern and increasingly accepted advances of autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection and ‘safety eye’ functions, a driver awareness monitoring system, vehicle stability control, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and an electronic braking system.

Another major safety asset comes in the form of a Jacobs engine brake along with ZF’s multi s tage Intarder hydraulic retarder. Quite simply, the effectiveness of the retardation system on Mt Ousley and everywhere else was absolutely brilliant.

Yet, given all the advanced safety features in the new range, it’s surprising Hino hasn’t yet adopted disc brakes. Maybe next time!

Still, ride quality, steering and overall road manners of the SS2848 were every bit as good as expected – spot on!

However, with the truck and trailer grossing just 24 tonnes or thereabouts, fuel economy was perhaps only reasonable at 2.2 km/litre.

At the end of last year after driving the FS2848 truck ’n dog model, it was easy to conclude: ‘Hino is in a prime position to capitalise on a range of new models which on one hand etch an entirely new line in the sand for the brand, and on the other, have the potential to exploit shortcomings in a couple of its competitive countrymen.’

The way things stand at the moment though, it’ll be Hino’s competitive countrymen doing the exploiting as Toyota’s truck maker works to extract itself from an increasingly deep and self-inflicted mire.

truck test

NEW MAN: FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT

MAN’s recent launch of its all-new truck generation at the RACQ Mobility Centre near Brisbane was a well-executed event, attracting media from all parts of the country. Warren Aitken tagged along to see what all the fuss was about

Bear with me a little here guys as this is my first ‘opinion piece’. I’ve never tried this before, well not in a way I’d like to get paid for at least. However, I’ve recently had a new experience that warrants me taking a stab at it. I was invited to a launch day. My first one. You know when there’s a new truck or product launch and the big wigs invite a heap of journalists along. Well, I was one of those journalists.

I really felt like a fish out of water. There were some of the biggest and most renown names in transport journalism. And sitting at the back enjoy a free coke was me.

It seems pretty obvious then that my first opinion piece will

be about my launch day experience. I would like you to keep in mind this was my first invite to a new truck launch. I don’t have the long-term experience of the other journalists in attendance. I’m not even a fulltime journalist like they are, in a fact I was attending this launch then scurrying off to take a K200 up to Mundubbera for a load of mandarins.

I’d like to think my preference for work boots, long hours and polishing shiny stuff lends me a slightly different perspective when it comes to sitting down with the head honchos that promote the new models. For my very first launch day I got to meet some very important big wigs from MAN and Penske, as they unveiled the first newly developed MAN truck generation in two decades.

Let’s do some name dropping first. General manager of On-Highway for Penske Australia, Craig Lee, was suited and booted and ready to show off the new MANs. Randall Seymore, a man with an exceptionally impressive job title, executive vice president of global commercial vehicles and power systems at Penske Automotive Group, was also in attendance. Bringing his cool accent across from Europe was MAN product manager Sergio Carboni and joining him was MAN’s Australasian product manager Thomas Hemmerich. These guys were on hand to fill us in on the long list of features that go along with the new MANs.

Coming at this from purely a driver’s point of view I just wanted to have a drive of these new rigs. That was where my interest lay.

It turns out though that there is a heap more stuff to these launch days. They had sections for us to work through where all the buzz words were used. Sections like ‘optimised up-time’, ‘strong partner’ and ‘efficiency and economy’ – all very fancy

“It’s an extremely smart braking system.”

ways of saying, ‘there’s a reason these trucks are winning all the European awards’.

I won’t take anything away from those arenas, but they were of more significance to the number crunchers that are looking at the costs of running these rigs. Penske and MAN have all the services, systems and backup to make that work really well. Full credit.

However, I just wanted to drive one and see if I’d be happy spending 14 hours a day piloting one of these rigs.

Sharp shape

First things first, appearance. On my scale of 1 to 10, with number 1 being ‘chew your own arm off so you don’t wake her in the morning ugly’ to 10 which is ‘I’m posting my wedding ring home and staying here’, I would have to say I like the look of these MANs.

Comparing apples for apples, Euro trucks are not the prettiest. It takes a fair bit to make Euros look good. With the MAN I don’t think it will take as much effort as some of the others. There is a pleasing shape to the flagship truck, with nice stylish lines

Left: Efficiency and economy are among the major talking points of the all-new truck generation MANs

Below: Buttons on the driver’s door range from hazard lights to starting up

that have practical aerodynamic uses as well. Put some wrapped tanks, decent visor and polished rims and these MANs will look sharp as. I’d rate them a solid 7.

Ok, let’s talk about the MAN’s ‘Fred Flintstone’. In other words, the running gear. I do want to jump straight to the BrakeMatic because it got me as excited as one can be while fully clothed. However, we need to deal with the engine first.

The best way to sum it up would be to recall the conversation I had with the man sitting in the passenger seat of the TGS with a single trailer behind. Driver (that’s me by the way): “I’m all for showing off your trucks mate, but it would be a lot more realistic if we weren’t running round here with empty trailers, hey”. The instructor in the passenger seat replied: “It is loaded, it’s 42.5 tonne. The TGX you are in next is right up on 64 tonne.”

I checked in the curtains when I took the TGX for a lap as I seriously couldn’t believe it. I made sure I let it slow up on the hills then tried giving it some. The motor just hooked in and pulled like a busload of schoolboys. It gave me goosebumps.

Now back to the real exciting part, the braking. I don’t do a lot of official figures and stuff but I can tell you the 15 litre engine, which the TGX boasts, has a whopping 840hp engine brake. If it wasn’t for my low centre of gravity, and the seatbelt, I could have gotten thrown through the window. It’s an extremely smart braking system, especially the downhill braking part, where you don’t have to set your downhill max speed. You just touch the brakes when you are at the speed you want to hold, and the bloody truck will just hold it there. It was way smarter than me.

We’ve covered the looks and the performance. Let’s take

this time to give my opinion. I know opinions are like big toes; everyone has one. So, there will be no doubt plenty who disagree. But I’ve got to say, I really like it. I really liked that when you drive this truck, you still actually feel like you are driving a truck. A very luxurious truck, but still a truck.

In the TGX you can still feel the big 15 litre motor working underneath you. The Euro trucks are designed around being quite and comfy but with that you lose than sense of driving a big rig. I feel the MAN has managed to do both.

A big ‘thumbs up’ to the people that designed the mirrors! They have great vision. They are also actual mirrors. There are some other cool features like on the driver’s door there is room for four specialised buttons. One of them will be hazard lights and you can set the others as you like. Even designating one to start the truck up.

Width matters

Inside the cab we did face the usual disappointments that accompany a European cab-over. They are not a truck you can spend weeks on the road in. Don’t get me wrong, the designers have incorporated enough storage space in the cab that you could pack for weeks on the road. There is even a decent sized fridge. However, there is still the placement of the park and trailer brake beside the driver’s seat that prohibits having two slide-out fridges. I am sure there is some divine reason for this, but as a guy that likes my drinks cold, I believe the Euro trucks need more fridge space.

Much was made of the TGX having the tallest bed in any sleeper at 2.1 metres. However, we don’t seem to be having issues with drivers getting taller; it’s more about width than height. Hence, I never got as excited about the bed claims.

As far as driver setup goes, the ergonomics of the TG series trucks is awesome. They have really put some serious thought into that side of things. The new digital displays are just super cool.

Anyway, that’s been my opinion. Now I shall summarise. I can see why the MAN has won so many awards overseas and I am really bemused as to why there aren’t more in fleets over here. They look good, could look great given the right amount of effort. They are extremely good to drive. I loved feeling like I was driving a truck again yet also experienced the feeling of driving a piece of European luxury.

I definitely cannot fault the smart and powerful braking side of this truck and the torque range will leave this truck sitting in the ‘zoom zoom’ lane when heading up hill.

Final note, my first launch day was extremely interesting. I was glad lunch consisted of food I could pronounce. Now I just need one of my regular employers to put one of these on the road so I can see what it’s like after a few days behind the wheel.

Top: The TGX was loaded up with 64 tonne around the RACQ Mobility Centre

Above: OwnerDriver editor Greg Bush takes his turn behind the wheel

“I can see why the MAN has won so many awards overseas.”

BENDIX OFFERS BRAKE PAD ADVICE

All disc brake pads are, at first glance, very similar, offering the same basic shape and more or less claim to do the same job. However, their simple appearance hides the complex manufacturing process that’s needed to develop a highquality brake pad, according to Bendix.

A key component of the brake pads is the make-up of the brake compound, this is the friction material that plays the allimportant role of meeting and coupling with the disc rotors to slow the vehicle down once the brakes are applied.

The ingredients used to develop these friction compounds varies depending on the manufacturer, but general ingredients include a mixture of fibres, functional fillers, friction modifiers, lubricants, and resin binders. Differences in the source materials will result in the pads having different performance characteristics.

How much noise pads generate, the level of dust they release, their durability and their stopping performance, are all greatly influenced by the compound they use and ingredients, and of course this makes some brake pads more suitable for certain applications and driving conditions than others.

In the case of Bendix pads, the braking compounds can be categorised into three main groups, ceramic/non-asbestos organics (NAO), low metallic (Low-Met) and semi metallic (Semi-Met).

Bendix states that its ceramic/ non-asbestos organics pads use a combination of organic materials such as synthetic glass fibres, aramid fibres, and natural fibres as the main reinforcing ingredients and include several organic modifiers as well as metals such as copper, but no steel, this combination being applied to further finetune the formulation depending on the make and model of the vehicle.

The manufacturing process used for these pads is said to consist of computer-controlled presses that heat and compress the material mix cyclically to form the pad. Bendix says its processing method dramatically increases the durability of the pads while also delivering low levels of dust, noise and rotor wear, while still providing a consistent pedal feel for the driver.

Low-Met brake pads contain some ceramic materials but are designed for performance and highspeed driving styles, so contain high levels of mineral abrasives to

provide additional stopping power for optimal performance.

More spirited driving and more aggressive or regular braking leads to increased temperatures which can cause brake fade, and for these driving scenarios, the low-met compounds are used in the Bendix Street Road & Track range for performance stopping.

Semi-Met brake pads contain high amounts of steel and iron that along with specific binding materials, provide consistency of stopping power in high temperature conditions.

Bendix advises that vehicles that normally operate with heavier loads (elevated pad temperatures) over longer periods including utilities, vans and trucks, need pads that perform consistently when hot while also being longer lasting.

Bendix says that, for these applications, brake pads from the Bendix Heavy Duty range featuring

a specifically designed semi metallic compound, are well suited. This combination of materials in conjunction with proprietary processing are reported to result in a high integrity of the brake pad at temperature without lowering rotor life.

LITHIUM CHARGING WITH PROJECTA RANGE

Projecta has announced that its Intelli-Charge (IC) range has improved its versatility following the inclusion of a new Lithium-specific charging algorithm, in addition to their Wet, AGM, Gel and Calcium battery profiles.

Project says this flexibility means that owners now only require a single battery charger, no matter what type of automotive batteries they have. It also allows users to confidently update to more modern batteries such as Lithium, without the extra expense of purchasing a Lithium-specific charger.

While it is possible to use a lead acid charger with a Lithium

battery, Projecta advises that the process is not great for the battery lifecycle, while charging also needs to be closely monitored for safety.

The latest Projecta IC range is said to provide a high-quality charge that prolongs battery life. This is achieved through either a 5-stage (Lithium only) or 7-stage charging profile, which is automatically selected depending on the battery type that’s being charged.

There are 11 models available within the upgraded IC line-up, all the way through to the large batteries used by heavy commercial vehicles and buses.

The chargers also feature adjustable output (excluding

IC100L), meaning that even the most powerful units can charge smaller batteries. Charge rates can be set as low as 2A with the IC7 and IC7W capable of being set even lower at 1A.

In the larger IC models (25A and higher), the chargers can be flush or surface mounted.

Projecta says the remote features a fully functional control panel and LCD screen, providing the same functions as found on the chargers themselves. Aside from the IC100L, all the IntelliCharge range are said to feature removable battery clamps that allow for permanent installation such as in caravans or camper trailers.

TRUCKLINE’S BIG ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY

Truck and trailer parts distributor and retailer Truckline is celebrating the company’s 70th anniversary in style from now through to the end of March, offering customers the chance to win a monster prize package valued at over $180,000.

Truckline, in conjunction with its major suppliers Donaldson, BWI, Hella, Milwaukee, SKF, ITW, Meritor and Castrol, is offering its owner-driver, transport company and fleet operator customers a custombuilt Freighter T-Liner drop deck Mezzdeck trailer.

The MaxiTrans built trailer is valued at $160,000.

In addition, the 70th anniversary competition winner will receive 10 $2,000 gift vouchers, providing an additional $20,000 to spend.

To enter, Truckline customers can sign-up to take part in this competition at truckintrade. com.au. Once registered, an initial order of $1,000 worth of purchases from any Truckline

store earns the first competition entry, with each subsequent $500 worth of purchases automatically registering additional entries all the way through to the end of March 2023.

The Truckline story started in 1952, when company founder Lachlan Aitken started his truck parts business from his family home in the Sydney suburb of Kingsgrove. Joined by his sons Tom and Robert, the company grew strongly, sourcing products from all over the world for North American, Japanese and European commercial vehicles.

In 1986, global heavy duty automotive component manufacturer Dana Corporation acquired the business and gave it the Truckline Parts Centre name. A five decades of growth followed with more than 30 branches established nationwide and a new owner, Iveco Trucks Australia, took over the business in 2000.

Nine years later Truckline became a part of automotive aftermarket specialist Bapcor, forming the core of the company’s

ELECTRIC TRUCK ON AIRCRAFT REFUELLING DUTY

commercial vehicle division.

Truckline’s growth trajectory has continued under Bapcor ownership with the acquisition of the Gibbs Truck Parts business in 2021.

Truckline including Gibbs now has 42 store locations nationwide, offering more than 140,000

product lines including specialised driveline components, trailer products and accessories sourced from the world’s leading brands at highly competitive prices.

battery electric and networked to both renewable sources of energy for charging (such as roof-mounted solar) and also to the grid itself to deploy excess energy when the grid requires it. This is just around the corner,” Fairweather says.

“Transport makes up a significant portion of total emissions, with the adoption of pioneering EV technology, such as this aircraft refuelling truck, showing a great level of social responsibility.”

Daniel Tyzack, managing director Air BP Asia Pacific, points out that Air BP has been collaborating with SEA and Refuel International for two years on the custom-designed and specialised electric refueller to meet exacting performance and safety requirements.

The first all-electric aviation refueller, designed and engineered in Australia, has been placed into operation at Brisbane Airport.

The SEA Electric SEA 500 EV, designed and engineered in Australia, as been built in conjunction with global aviation fuel products and service supplier Air BP and aviation specialists Refuel International in Melbourne.

The vehicle will uplift Jet-A1 for business and general aircraft at the Brisbane’s international airport.

The refueller can carry approximately 16,000 litres of aviation fuel, with all onboard pumps and functions fully

electrified, with the management of the systems provided by the proprietary SEA-Drive power-system.

This system has reported to have been previously adapted to electrify a wide range of ancillary functions, such as the hydraulic systems found on refuse vehicles, elevated work platforms, tippers and tilt trays, or the cooling units found in refrigerated delivery trucks.

This latest adaptation sees the bulk of the energy for the truck devoted to the fuel delivery task, rather than propulsion for the vehicle.

“SEA Electric is proud to be partnering with Air BP on this world-leading project, which sets the standard for environmental credentials and performance, all while showcasing the possibilities of EV

technology,” says Tony Fairweather, SEA Electric’s CEO and founder.

“Working airside on the tarmac has its own special suite of conditions when contrasted to a delivery truck on the open road, with the energy demands of the vehicle vastly different to the norm, however, leading criteria such as safety and reliability remain imperative.”

“Of course, there are environmental benefits of converting to EV, with CO2 and other exhaust particulates eliminated, which makes for a healthier work environment at airports.

“Furthermore, this is the first step towards an airport becoming a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).

“Imagine the near future whereby every Brisbane airport vehicle is

“We are delighted to launch the refueller at Brisbane Airport where we are responsible for fuelling 30 airlines and approximately 100 flights daily.

“Our work reflects BP’s ambition to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner and to help the world get to net zero by working with our customers to help decarbonise.”

For Refuel International, the vehicle is the latest in a long line of projects working with Air BP.

“Refuel International are very proud to have developed Australia’s first electric aviation refueller in partnership with Air BP and SEA Electric,” says Geoff Pinner, general manager for Refuel International.

ABOVE: A Freighter T-Liner drop deck trailer, similar to that of the major prize in the Truckline 70th Anniversary competition

FOR

Frank Black

Let’s work together

Industry participation involves everyone from the top to the bottom of the supply chain

For us owner-drivers, and drivers as well, it sometimes feels like all we’re doing is repeating ourselves over and over about what we need to make things better in transport. Well, it’s not just us anymore – the whole industry is crying out for change, and that’s proven the key to unlocking reform. Now that we’ve got everyone onboard, we just need to keep at it to get a good system off the ground and to make sure it’s the right system, implemented in the right way.

The Federal Government has now said it is focused on making transport more viable and sustainable. It shows they are listening, because we can all recognise those words from the two-year Senate Inquiry that many of us participated in and many others watched eagerly.

That Inquiry heard from dozens of truck drivers as well as other industry groups about the difficulties we face every day. The report recommended a standard-setting body to provide ‘universal and binding standards’.

It also said the body should be built on consultation with industry. That’s crucial.

We know in detail the problems in our industry and what we need from the Federal Government to help us fix them.

We want to work together as an industry, and we want to be listened to.

We know that the strain of negotiating with no base rate to start from is burdensome, especially when there’s nothing stopping the operator slamming down the phone and calling up the next guy to try their luck again.

SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY

As well as taking part in the inquiry, I have also spoken to many politicians about why we urgently need to implement its recommendations. I was not alone in doing this.

I stood side by side with other transport workers including ownerdrivers, employee drivers and gig workers, but also with industry groups and transport operators who agree that we need to work together to make transport a more sustainable industry.

Off the back of a lobbying trip to Parliament House we held nationwide convoys to show the Federal Government

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

that this reform is needed for everyone – not just for owner-drivers, though it will go a long way to help us. We need accountability throughout the supply chain to make things fair for us all.

We’ve been working hard to show we have a real solution as an industry – and we’re being heard. In September, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke announced that the Federal Government plans to give the Fair Work Commission the ability to set standards in transport.

In his speech – which you can watch online if you haven’t seen it – Minister Burke says that a roundtable of the transport industry was held before the Jobs Summit and the industry group all called for regulation to set standards.

This is what the years of repeating ourselves over and over have been for.

Having more voices come forward from the grass roots industry perspective has given the Federal Government the confidence to take this forward.

That’s why silence is not an option. Anyone who believes the top of the government’s ‘To Do’ list should be to make transport safer and more sustainable should join the chorus.

It’s not about complaining and it’s not about being greedy. We all know the status quo isn’t working. Not one contributor to the Senate Inquiry said everything in transport is good and nothing needs to change.

The fact is, so many of the vast problems in the industry could be fixed by the Fair Work Commission if the Federal Government meets its ambitions to enable the commission to set standards in transport.

LIFTING STANDARDS

The Fair Work Commission is the national workplace relations tribunal. The fact that the Federal Government has chosen the commission as the system to focus on lifting standards in transport shows that it is committed to having workers’ voices as a central driving force behind the standards it sets.

This is the place workers can take their disputes. It’s where claims for unfair termination and underpayments are heard. The Commission’s 2021 Annual Report says it held over 12,000 hearings and granted almost 10,000 decisions. Over 2,000 applications to the Commission involved dispute resolution, and these disputes varied enormously.

There are many entities set up by Government that cut workers’ voices out of the process.

The Federal Government’s commitment to empower the Fair Work Commission is a signal that ‘industry participation’ involves everyone from top to bottom of the supply chain.

We should grab that opportunity with both hands. It is rare for us to be handed the microphone and rarer still for the right people to listen and take action.

We need to keep the spotlight on transport. Things are starting to shift now but if momentum drops off, we could lose this golden opportunity.

If you haven’t yet, now’s the time to tell your story and show the Federal Government you support their plan.

“There are many entities set up by Government that cut workers’ voices out of the process.”