Owner Driver 363 April 2023

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Contents #363

8 SMALL STEPS FOR REST AREA INITIATIVE

Heavy Vehicle Rest Area Steering Committee is working towards a positive solution

12 MARK FLETCHER WINS YOUNG DRIVER AWARD

McCulloch driver receives accolades at LBRCA conference in Tamworth

18 CHESTER TRANSPORT’S FAMILY LEGACY

More than three decades in operation for border-based grain and stockfeed transporters

22 THE TREK TO TOORADIN

The Tooradin Truck Show and Tractor Pull re-emerges from the pandemic and wild weather patterns

36 BEHIND THE BLUE RIG

Simon and Jamie McMahon reveal the history behind the personal message on their bright blue Kenworth T909

48 MAJOR MILESTONE FOR MCCOLL’S

Celebrations will roll out all year at McColl’s Transport as the business celebrates 70 years in operation

58 REPORT CARD ON CASCADIA

Freightliner’s Cascadia is building a reputation that buries once and for all the dubious durability and questionable build quality of its predecessors

“You’d rather be working hard in a new truck than working hard under an old truck.”

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BEHIND THE WHEEL Greg Bush

It’s showtime, folks!

Next month sees the return of the biennial Brisbane Truck Show, the largest commercial vehicle event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The 2023 show will also see the return of some exhibitors who, due to a number of reasons, did not take part in the previous Brisbane event in 2021.

There were extenuating circumstances surrounding the absentees’ non-attendance two years ago, the main reason being the impact of COVID. A number of OEMs defied the pandemic and chose to attend. It proved to be a worthwhile decision as the show was labelled one of the most successful to date.

This year’s event, running from Thursday, May 18 to Sunday, May 21, promises to present an even larger line-up of trucks, trailers, components, equipment and technology under one roof – the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC).

However, as in previous years, expect the trucks and trailers to spill over into the bar and restaurant precinct along Brisbane’s Southbank, just across the river from the CBD. The aim of course is to shine a positive light on today’s trucking industry to the general public.

As for the majority of truck manufacturers – and

they’ll all be there, bar one – they will have much to show off.

Iveco will be chomping at the bit to show off its new S-Way range of prime movers and rigids. At the smaller end of the scale, Isuzu intends to have its ready-to-work range of light trucks on display.

There will be much excitement on the Penske stand with new models from both Western Star and MAN. And expect Hino’s hybrid truck to take centre stage on its stand.

With high interest around electric trucks, EVs will no doubt be prominent on various stands, including that of Hyundai, around the Convention Centre.

Kenworth and DAF, who both braved the pandemic two years ago, will be back bigger and better. The same goes for the Daimler Trucks group with its range of Freightliner, Mercedes-Benz and Fuso trucks.

Of course, Volvo Group Australia will make a welcome return with their stable of Mack, Volvo and UD trucks. For those who long for a little nostalgia, the Heritage Truck Association’s Annual Show will be held a short drive away at Rocklea Showgrounds.

Whatever your line of transport work, or if you’re merely a fan of big rigs, Brisbane is the place to be in May.

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Goods

Small steps for rest area initiative

The Heavy Vehicle Rest Area Steering Committee held its first meeting in February amid negativity from online trolls

The Heavy Vehicle Rest Area Steering Committee held its first meeting in Canberra on February 20 and 21 as the first step in an initiative to make life easier for long-haul truck drivers.

Chaired by Senator Glenn Sterle, the committee included members most affected by the shortage and poor conditions of truck rest areas. These included Rod Hannifey, John Beer, Kellie Boland, Bruce Skelton, Frank Black, Heather Jones and Craig Forsyth.

Also on the committee were Michelle Harwood representing the Australian Trucking Association, and Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds board member Paul Ryan.

However, it is reported that unsuccessful applicants to the committee have already taken to social media to criticise the members and the slow process of the initiative.

Assistant Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Carol Brown, stated that it was a privilege to attend part of the first day of the committee’s meeting.

“The shared knowledge and experience of members of the committee will deliver heavy vehicle rest areas in the most efficient locations,” the minister said.

Hannifey, a long-time safety advocate and president of the National Road Freighters Association, believed that overall, the meeting went well.

“Of course we want to fix everything yesterday, like everybody else wants, but we can’t because the way it’s been set up.

“It’s government and you know that they have to dot the ‘I’s and cross the ‘T’s.”

John Beer, representing the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association, echoed Hannifey’s views.

“The feeling is, from personal point of view, we’ve had a day and a half and this is an opportunity to make sure we can make it work,” Beer says, who adds that he was honoured to have been asked to be included on the committee.

“I know there’s a lot of talk going on out there about shiny arses,” he adds, referring to the committee selection process. “But I’m no shiny arse.”

Hannifey says he is aware that, due to slow pace of the initiative, Australian truck drivers will be quick

to spruik that “nothing’s changed”.

“And they’re right, nothing’s changed on the day. But it’s the first time we’ve ever been there to have a say.

“It will take time to get it done and I believe in the end we will provide better facilities.”

The committee will gather for another meeting following consultation on the finalisation of rest area guidelines which Hannifey and Beer believe will be later in March.

Hannifey says while there will be some frustration, he says the outlook is positive.

“We have a 20 year deficit in getting things done, but now we’re at the table and the money is there.”

John Beer put it succinctly. “It’s an opportunity we can’t let go.”

ALP PLEDGES $20 MILLION FOR SYDNEY TRUCK STOPS

Road Freight NSW has revealed correspondence from Labor Party MP John Graham confirming the new state government’s to contribute up to $20 million towards truck rest stops in the state.

Graham, while Shadow Roads Minister made the commitment prior to the NSW state election, which Labor won on March 25.

Following the election victory, Road Freight NSW CEO Simon O’Hara quoted the minister’s belief that a combination of tolls, fines, congestion, a lack of parking and rest stops have seen Sydney described as the least friendly city for truckies in the country.

In addition to the benefits for drivers, Graham says the proposal he is pushing will help cut the costs of freight deliveries for customers.

The minister says Sydney requires more, bigger and better located facilities:

• To allow heavy vehicle drivers to manage their fatigue

• For parking and stopping facilities if drivers are early for a timeslot

• To accommodate the increase in retail deliveries, both commercial and industrial, as Sydney develops.

Graham says NSW Labor thinks this is a more practical step than the previous Liberal Premier’s plan to appoint a Supply Chain Commissioner – creating an extra public service role. Instead, Labor’s plan is to help the freight industry cut costs directly by making trips more efficient and dealing with a key bottleneck.

Labor’s new rest stop would also remove hundreds of parked semi-trailers from western Sydney streets. These trucks often have nowhere else suitable to go. It will also tackle the issue for long distance drivers

that there is no practical toilet stop between Pheasant’s Nest and Wyong.

Graham says the Labor government will:

• Open an expressions of interest process to allow bids for one or a number of rest stops and truck parking bays across metropolitan Sydney

• Contribute up to $20 million to the project to make the project a reality

• Consider what services could be co-located including NSW services, health and other necessary services.

O’Hara says the minister also pointed out the problem of parking for heavy vehicles in the state capital’s inner city, saying that Sydney’s streets in and around industrial designated areas rarely have sufficient parks for vehicles that may need to make deliveries or pickups. As a result , trucks are left to drive around streets, especially in Western Sydney, in an effort to find a place to park thereby increasing congestion.

Furthermore, Graham is quoted as saying drivers risk heavy fines for not stopping in accordance with fatigue management requirements. The additional ‘laps’ looking for parking also increase the risk of crashes and potential injuries.

Finally, Graham says truck drivers and the freight industry played an essential role in supporting the community through the pandemic and continue to ensure communities are served during fires and floods.

Grim lesson from Scott’s demise

The transport

called for reform for Australia’s freight carriers

the wake of Scott’s Refrigerated Logistic’s voluntary administration

The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has hit back strongly following Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics undertaking voluntary administration. The association says it’s time to cut the heavy vehicle industry some slack.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has also weighed in, saying Scott’s is the largest of many casualties of cost-cutting in transport supply chains which puts safety and businesses at risk.

The TWU says razor-thin margins are common for transport operators, despite the booming profits of major retailers, such as Aldi – one of Scott’s Refrigerated’s clients – which is estimated to have reaped the rewards of an 8.4 per cent profit margin in 2022, far higher than Australia’s other supermarkets.

TWU national secretary Michael Kaine says a decade of government inaction on the crisis in transport left operators fending for themselves in a broken market.

“This is another tragedy of the untrammelled commercial power at the top of transport supply chains. Retailers are reaping the gains from razor-thin margins while operators and drivers collapse under the strain.

“Sadly for our union, almost a decade of a government which preferred a bystander approach of ‘leave it to the market’ has meant that we are experienced in ensuring workers are prioritised through an administration process, such as that of Virgin Australia in 2020.

“We urgently need reform in transport to ensure wealthy clients at the top of supply chains are accountable for fair, safe and sustainable transport operations for the freight of their goods.

“The Federal Government has committed to setting enforceable standards in transport. We urge the passing of this reform through Federal Parliament as

soon as possible to save lives and businesses in transport,” Kaine says.

NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says Scott’s downfall will cause a ripple effect through the entire supply chain.

“My heart goes out to all the drivers affected, many of them sub-contractors to the supermarkets and NatRoad members.

“Surely this sends a message that enough is enough and our industry can’t take any more hits.”

Clark said soaring diesel prices, global knock-on effects of the Ukraine war, higher AdBlue costs and the impact of the previous government’s six-month fuel tax cut are all hitting operators.

More positive news comes from claims that Lindsay Australia is in the market to buy Scott’s assets, notably trucks, containers and rail containers. Meanwhile, the Refrigerated Warehouse and Transport Association (RWTA) is advertising the opportunity to attract Scott’s staff.

“It’s important that we encourage these people to remain in the cold chain industry,” the RWTA says.

Associate professor Flavio Macua of Edith Cowan University says the loss of such a larger player in the Australian logistics environment leaves many of its clients in a vulnerable position.

An expert in logistics, Macua says the clients would likely have enjoyed competitive rates from the provider and now as they look for new companies to work with may, understandably, fear being forced to pay more. He adds that competitors of Scott’s will benefit from the lack of competition.

“Smaller businesses will begin having conversations with

transport companies conceding that they may not be able to afford large increases in contracts now but in the long term they are a safer bet than larger clients in terms of profitability,” Macua says.

“Cold chain logistics operators do not want to see too small-to medium suppliers go out of business as a result of Scott’s collapse, because that’s where they can find bigger margins.

“Operators must consider that smaller business may already be doing it tough, and this event followed by an increase in transportation costs could be the deciding factor that sees them enter bankruptcy.”

Macua believes larger clients of Scott’s, such as Coles and Woolworths, are likely to be in less trouble as they have the resources to implement contingency plans. However, he points out that all is not lost to smaller businesses as they’re more nimble than the big supermarkets.

“Smaller businesses are more flexible and creative with how they handle a crisis. They’re likely to become very resourceful as they find ways to deal with the new situation that they’re in.”

The professor says there were several factors that led to Scott’s collapse, most of which are also affecting the rest of the transport industry but that have a larger impact on cold chain businesses.

He says Scott’s was not in a strong financial position to start with and echoed NatRoad’s stance that rising fuel costs and the war in Ukraine, coupled with the ongoing driver shortage mean their costs have risen while their service quality may have suffered.

“In addition to this they have had to pay very high electricity

rates due to the crisis in the electricity market on the east coast of Australia. Refrigerated warehouses require a lot of electricity to run,” Macau says.

“Finally, many of its contracts with larger clients such as supermarkets are for very long terms. When you are hit by cost spikes in a matter of weeks, you may not be in a position to pass on these rising costs as quickly.”

TWU national assistant secretary Nick McIntosh says thin margins are unsustainable for any business, but in transport they are the norm.

“We’re seeing hundreds of transport workers losing their jobs and supply chains plunged into chaos because operators are unable to survive the upsurge of operating costs like fuel, severe weather events, or project delays without regulatory support to recover those costs from wealthy clients,” McIntosh says.

“Driver shortages are the result of an industry in crisis. Truck driving used to be a career people were proud of, now it’s the cause of stress and pressure. Already this year, 56 people have been killed in truck crashes, including 15 truck drivers.

“These devastating collapses are going to keep occurring until we have reform in place to ease the burden on operators and drivers struggling under the weight of squeezed contracts, rising costs and destructive competition,” McIntosh says.

“This year, Federal Parliament will have the opportunity to pass reform that will realign our essential transport industry and pull operators back from the brink. We urge them to pass this reform without hesitation.”

industry has

in

Rivet Mining Services goes under

The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) says the recent collapse of Rivet Mining Services (RMS) on March 22 is another example that transport reform is urgently needed.

FTI Consulting has reportedly been appointed receivers to the RMS, of which former Toll boss Mark Rowsthorn is executive chairman.

In addition, Rivet’s parent company Blondie Trading was also reported to be placed into administration on the same day.

RVS provides bulk haulage to mining companies in Australia and especially Western Australia. It was part of the contracting group that came about following the collapse of McAleese in 2017.

The TWU says RVS collapsed following rising cost pressures, driver shortages and project delays, demonstrating the urgent need for reform to ensure supply chains are kept fair, safe and sustainable.

The TWU says it is working

with administrators to ensure employees are prioritised throughout the administration process.

The collapse, which will affect 450 transport workers in WA, follows the folding of major cold chain logistics operator Scott’s

Refrigerated Logistics, which saw 1500 workers lose their jobs across the country.

The TWU says a common factor between the Scott’s and Rivet is a result of tight margins and transport operators having no regulatory mechanism to recover

rising costs from wealthy supply chain clients like retailers, manufacturers and mining companies.

The TWU says the squeeze also causes pressure on operators and drivers to cut corners in safety to stay afloat.

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A second operator within in a month goes into administration which the TWU says was due to rising cost pressures

McCulloch driver claims LBRCA award

Mark Fletcher, 24, beats off four other well-credentialled finalists to snare the Young Driver of the Year honour

Mark Fletcher, a third generation truck driver, has been awarded the 2023 Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers (LBRCA) Young Driver of the Year at the LBRCA Annual Conference in Tamworth on the March 10.

The LBRCA Young Driver Award recognises outstanding young drivers under 35 who demonstrate a best practice approach and commitment to driving and safety.

The award, sponsored by SafeWork NSW and the LBRCA, includes a trip worth $5,000 to the US where Fletcher will gain an understanding of international bulk transport and handling practices and attend the 2024 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) – the largest annual heavy-duty trucking event in the world.

Multiquip drivers Julian Byrne and Brody Southwell, Casey Edwards from Robertsons Yass and Alex Maloney from Maloney Livestock Transport were the other finalists.

Mick McCulloch, director of McCulloch Bulk Haulage, nominated Fletcher for the award and says he is pleased that Fletcher’s commitment and passion to the heavy vehicle industry has been recognised.

“Mark is 24-years-of-age and is now driving a new B-double combination carting bulk commodities throughout regional and rural NSW. This is a huge achievement in such a short period of time and testament to Mark’s ‘always give 100 per cent’ attitude”, McCulloch says.

“Mark has grown up around trucks and says that driving them isn’t just a job, it’s a passion –and one that he hopes to keep doing until the day he retires.

“Mark is a well-respected employee, a worthy recipient, and a brilliant role model for the rural transport industry. He will assist the LBRCA to promote rural transport as a viable, rewarding, and long-term career choice for young people throughout 2023.”

Raymond Sutton, the inaugural winner of the LBRCA Young Driver award, says rural transport is an essential service amid an ageing workforce.

“Without rural transporters Australian produce wouldn’t get from the farm gate to the table,” Sutton says.

“The job can be challenging – there can be long hours, workplace safety challenges and compliance can be complicated.

“The Young Driver of the Year Award recognises our top young drivers and showcases their commitment to safety and best practice. It’s something we should all strive for and be proud of.”

“I’d like to think an award like this will help encourage other young people to join our industry, as after all it’s a great job to have,” Sutton says.

The Young Driver of the Year award presentation was one of the highlights of the 2023 LBRCA annual conference. The association’s president, Wade Lewis, says the driver shortage

was one of the biggest issues concerning rural carriers. He also cited the squeeze from the top end of the supply chain on drivers and operators, the lack of responsibility and accountability of all parties in the chain, inadequate biosecurity wash-out facilities and the critical need to floodproof key road freight corridors across NSW.

These issues were echoed by members during the conference.

Held in Tamworth on March 10 and 11, the conference was supported by then NSW Minister for Regional Roads and Transport, Sam Farraway and other government representatives including Senator Glenn Sterle, the then Shadow NSW Minister for Regional Roads and Transport Jenny Aitchison MLC and Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson.

strangling members the most now.”

A key outcome arising from the annual event was being invited to join a National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) reference group specific to Heavy Vehicle National Law prosecutions and enforcement. This is the first time the NHVR has opened this group to industry.

The LBRCA says it was encouraged that Transport for NSW (TFNSW) confirmed its commitment to further explore the issues raised about heavy vehicle licencing pathways in the state and developing a pilot program to trial the LBRCA’s heavy vehicle cadetship proposal, based on supervised driving and behind-the-wheel experience.

A young driver recruitment session was held in conjunction with the conference, providing local high school students an opportunity to operate a heavy vehicle using two purpose-built simulators, courtesy of Divall’s Earthmoving & Bulk Haulage, as well as learn more about the industry and its rewards.

“The fact is transport only works when all the links in the supply chain join equally,” Lewis says.

“Thanks to this year’s conference we have a clear roadmap to drive major improvements in productivity, safety and business viability for members across the next 12 months.

“Our job as an industry is to work with government, members, and communities to remove red tape,” Lewis adds.

“The conference confirmed members see lots of red tape, though a lack of facilities and infrastructure, unfair penalties and enforcement, disjointed road networks, heavy vehicle driver licence shortfalls as well as too little focus on the top end of the supply chain are the challenges

LBRCA member Jim Riordan called for a major injection of funds to floodproof the NSW regional road network, with a priority on key road freight corridors including the Kidman Way.

“The last major flooding event in 2022 caused most key road freight corridors in NSW to shut, including the Kidman Way, Mitchell, Newell, Cobb and Kamilaroi Highways, and the impact on the supply chain was enormous.” Riordan says.

The LBRCA has announced its chosen charity for 2023 as Health in Gear, a health and wellbeing program designed specifically for the road transport and logistics industry.

Across the two-day event, LBRCA members and suppliers raised $14,000 to assist the Health In Gear team to continue to deliver roadside health checks, free counselling and 24/7 phone support services to members across the next 12 months.

Above: Mark Fletcher (centre) receives his 2023 Young Driver of the Year award from LBRCA president Wade Lewis (left) and McCulloch Bulk Haulage director Mick McCulloch

“The conference confirmed members see lots of red tape.”

THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

US operator takes pets on the road

Allowing pets to accompany drivers on long hauls is part of Wisconsin-based Service One Transportation’s commitment to driver health and wellbeing

In a lesson for Australian trucking companies, Service One Transportation has announced that it is putting an even greater emphasis on driver health, wellbeing, and safety at a time when the trucking industry is at a crossroads.

As supply chain demands impact drivers, Service One emphasises that truck drivers play an important role in the supply chain, putting in long hours while dealing with difficult road conditions and the physical demands of the job. The company says it understands the value of drivers and, as a result, offers a variety of health and wellness benefits to drivers.

“When I think about employee or driver wellness, in my mind, it starts with really knowing the people who are with you. That type of knowledge makes it a whole lot easier to recognise when someone may be struggling physically or mentally,” says Mike Myszewski, the company’s vice president.

“Once we recognise that someone with whom we work with is struggling, the goal then for us as a company is to be able to help them in the best manner possible.

“We take a lot of pride in the

CEVA LOGISTICS IN COLOURFUL CULTURE ART DISPLAYS

CEVA Logistics has announced that it is rolling out an indigenous Australian artist’s design across six of its longhaul trailers as the company carries out its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

CEVA says the artwork represents a unique and visible expression of the RAP’s place in its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in Australia.

Six of CEVA’s its largest 42-pallet B-double trailers have been selected for the artwork display. The trailers will operate on the east coast and southern line-haul routes.

The artwork, titled ‘two long-neck turtles protecting their home’, was designed by Melissa Bell, a Gunditjmara and Yorta Yorta woman inspired by her background, her totem and her country.

The artwork, like many of Bell’s other works, features the long-necked turtle, an animal that is both a cultural totem for her and a unique part of the Australian ecosystem.

Since 2020, CEVA Logistics has been

relations that forge here at Service One and it’s just not lip service when we say that we care about all our employees’ wellbeing.”

One of the stated benefits for company drivers is being able to access Service One’s Wellness Centre. Drivers can use the Wellness Centre for a variety of personal health and wellness counselling services with trained professionals, as well as smoking cessation services. Drivers are also encouraged to participate in preventive screenings for cancer, sleep apnoea and other health issues at no cost.

Service One points out another popular wellness initiative – the pet program – which allows a single dog or cat weighing less than 85 pounds to travel with the driver. Service One Transportation recognises the positive impact that pet companionship can have on truck drivers, providing comfort and reducing stress levels on long hauls.

In addition, the driver bonus program is a beneficial action plan that increases overall driver satisfaction, happiness and wellbeing. The quarterly driver bonus program is based on a scorecard that grades performance in eight categories. This information is tabulated and

used in a formula to calculate the total bonus payment based on the miles driven in the quarter.

“Wellness and driver safety go hand in hand,” Myszewski says. “Service One has built a culture of safety from the day the doors opened here and it’s something we

all take extremely seriously.

“Our drivers understand how important it is for them to be the safest drivers on the road. Not only for their sake, but for every person they share the road with each day they are doing their job.”

implementing its ‘Reflect’ RAP in Australia as part of its local efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion. CEVA’s RAP is endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, the national authority that guides and educates organisations on the journey regarding race relations, equality, institutional integrity and the importance of historical acceptance.

The CEVA Logistics RAP operates on four

pillars: education, inclusion, employment and economic empowerment. While formal education has played an important part of CEVA’s RAP so far, the new trailer design adds another dynamic and artistic aspect to the company’s actions.

“Through our Reconciliation Action Plan, CEVA endeavours to positively impact our own organisation and the communities and environments we operate across.,”

says Katherine Ivosevic, CEVA Logistics’ vice president of HR and QHSE for Australia and New Zealand.

“It’s so important that we celebrate the unique cultures that are represented in this part of the world and, furthermore, that we welcome and include all.

“Our CEVA team across Australia is proud of the work already delivered and motivated to continue the journey.”

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FAMILY LEGACY

Southern New South Wales and Victoriabased Chester’s Transport has been in the trucking industry for over 30 years moving grain and stockfeed for its clients. Julian Daw chats with Julie Chester and her daughter Beth about the company’s origins and its impressive fleet of Western Star trucks

Founded in 1989 by the Chester’s family duo of Graeme and Julie they started out with just one truck, a barrel tanker, doing stockfeed work from a local feed mill initially with the help of Graeme’s father.

Eventually, Graeme’s father transitioned out of the business as he got older, and the husbandand-wife team decided to grow the business further.

Graeme and Julie saw the opportunity to expand the business. They started by setting up blowers on the trucks and rotary seals on the tipper trailers to enable back loading. Around this time, they were also aware of the benefits of further diversifying the businesses operations.

“We saw a need at the time to not have all our eggs in the one basket. So, we grew the business to having several blower trucks for the stockfeed as well as tippers to cart fertiliser, lime, and bulk grain,” Julie Chester says.

“More recently we have stepped away from the stockfeed and blower truck side of work. This has meant we can focus on our bulk grain work and our clients.

“We do a lot of work at a nearby oil seed factory as well as carting meals, transfer work, gypsum, lime and fertiliser for local farmers.”

The business is based on the NSW/Victorian border in Corowa, and currently operates in Victoria, southern NSW with occasional work in central NSW.

The current Chester’s fleet is a group of fantastic looking Western Star trucks paired up with trailers by the Goulburn company, Tefco.

“We enjoy having the bigger size cabs that Western Star can provide which gives greater comfort for our drivers. We cannot fault the Tefco tippers set up with BPW axles for their reliability and ability to cope with the Australian conditions,” Julie says.

Being the Western Star fans that they are, Julie says Chester’s are keeping a close eye on the brand’s new truck line up.

“We are looking forward to the release of the new Western Star X Series to see what this brings to the

Below: Chester’s Transport has diversified its freight over the years

Opposite bottom: A Chester’s Western Star teamed up with a Tefco tip trailer makes for an impressive sight

Australian transport industry,” Julie says.

Chester’s honours itself on always having a clean fleet of trucks and they say staff are encouraged to ensure their truck and trailers are clean before beginning a new week’s work.

Chester’s, like many transport operators in Australia, being a family business prides itself on having a strong set of values, among these are safety and accountability.

“Safety comes first. We have a big focus on safety for our drivers and the general public. We operate under fatigue management, mass management and also maintenance management and this ensures our drivers, and the community are as safe as possible.

“We ensure that our trucks and equipment are well maintained, so we can also operate efficiently providing a reliable service to our customers,” Julie says.

“We enjoy having the bigger size cabs that Western Star can provide.”

Above: Fans of the Western Star brand, the Chesters are considering an X series upgrade

Below: Forward thinking: The family company will eventually be passed along the line to the next wave of Chesters

Driver shortage

Just like every other company at the moment, Chester’s is aware of the many challenges facing the transport industry. First and foremost, for them is the ongoing labour shortage. They have begun using social media as a strategy to attract new talent to the company.

When asked about the underlying factors that might be contributing to a lack of skilled drivers, Julie points to the unfair perceptions of drivers that culminate in fewer young people aspiring to join the industry.

“We need to recognise the hard work of truck drivers and how important the industry is for Australia in the supply chain. The labour shortage is an ongoing challenge for us. We are using social media as a new way of getting our name out into the industry and hope this will assist with recruitment in the future,” Julie says.

“We are enjoying getting our name out through social media and showing the trucking industry our fleet. We have a few drivers who enjoy taking photos of their trucks and this has helped us have a great gallery of photos,” says Beth Chester. The results are a stunning set of photos

that demonstrate the company’s values of hard work and positive company image.

Julie and Beth both said they believed a driving apprenticeship would be a huge positive for the industry. Such an apprenticeship has been discussed extensively within the industry; Queensland stands as the only state currently to be planning to implement it, however.

“An apprenticeship program would ensure driving career paths are seen as a qualified role, creating status within the community, as well as value and recognition. We are keen to contribute to the next generation of truck drivers, and willing to assist them to start their trucking career,” Beth says.

Chester’s also points to the large untapped potential that is female workforce participation.

“We have had a positive experience in hiring females within our workplace. We currently employ one female driver, who has been with us for 10 years.

“Women certainly could assist with the labour shortage, and it has now been proven that women can do this sort of work just as well as men,” Julie adds.

As far as what is in store for the future of Chester’s Transport, similar to how Graeme’s father slowly transitioned out of the family business to allow his son and daughter-in-law to take over, Julie and her husband are currently in the same stage of their careers, and that is getting the business ready for Beth and her partner Ryan to take over and make their own legacy.

Beth’s partner, Ryan, has also begun driving for the company so he can get a feel for the industry and eventually transition into a managerial role.

“We have had a positive experience in hiring females within our workplace.”

Access more areas

How technology is helping the NHVR improve access management for government and industry

As we work towards a safer and more efficient heavy vehicle industry, it is clear there is a significant opportunity to enhance how both government and industry manage and access road assets.

With more than 24,000 bridges and culverts on Local Government-owned roads, we know there are constraints across access due to a myriad of reasons, including undefined load limits, asset condition and lack of original asset information. This makes it difficult for Local Government road managers to coordinate network access for assets they are responsible for under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

The Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP), as a federally-funded initiative, is assisting Local Government road managers to perform assessments of their bridges and culverts.

This project feeds directly into the enhancements being made to our National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Portal, where we are introducing a suite of changes to improve access management holistically.

SLGAAP sees a collaborative partnership between the NHVR, engineering consultants and Local Government, to support better understanding of asset capability and improve heavy vehicle access decision-making.

Through SLGAAP, the NHVR

safer decisions. The project has so far delivered:

• 4 65 bridge assessments conducted across 74 councils

• E stablishment of a national local government bridge database, to assist councils with storing their data securely and operators in planning their journey better

• E ducation to more than 200 council road managers to increase understanding of heavy vehicle interactions with bridges through webinars, online courses and toolkits on a dedicated knowledge hub on the SLGAAP project website

• D evelopment of a methodology and establishment of a local government priority heavy vehicle route database, consisting of 1986 routes nationally to provide a focus for assessment that delivers best return on investment

• C reation of a prototype Asset Rapid Assessment Tool (ARAT), which will be made available to all councils and operators nationally to streamline heavy vehicle access.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

The enhanced NHVR Portal, being innovated through advanced technology upgrades, will create a single-entry point for industry and local government to access our services and manage their respective assets.

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.

We are working to transform the NHVR Portal into a heavy vehicle business centre – this means one location for both government and industry to access the information and tools they need, including road networks, assets and accreditation.

From December 2022 through to June 2023, the NHVR is transitioning ACT and Victorian network maps onto the Portal. This means for the heavy vehicle industry, drivers and operators will be able to access a single and authoritative location for all ACT and Victorian network maps. These will be made available through the Next Generation Route Planner and will include bridge access. For government, all ACT and Victorian road managers will have access to road management tools, enabling self-service registration of their heavy vehicle infrastructure and assets.

By December 2023, the NHVR will have also completed the transition of South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales network maps to the Portal.

These changes will bring about huge wins for drivers and operators. The improvements to the Portal will allow our drivers and operators to access to one platform with all the information needed to plan routes for entire fleet, with a single enforceable network map. These tools on the Portal will be accessible on any device, at any time and for any location.

Industry will also benefit from being automatically routed on approved networks, meaning a reduction in access permits and the turnaround times for approvals.

From an alternate perspective, road managers will be able to access a self-service tool to manage gazetted networks and become equipped with the enhanced ability to manage disruption to networks and publish safe updates to the network in realtime.

This means during emergencies, such as flooding, fires, border closures, road infrastructure challenges or significant accidents, significant

updates can be implemented instantaneously. Road managers will also acquire the ability to manage and expand gazetted networks on their infrastructure and assets.

Through SLGAAP, they also gain the ability to make quicker and informed decisions around access based on bridge assessments, and a clearer understanding of local bridge capability to better inform heavy vehicle access.

When can government and industry expect to see these changes? Work is already underway, but as each state and territory is onboarded through to December 2023, drivers and operators will have access to more comprehensive and consistent routing and network data.

There are around 24,000 Local Governmentowned bridges and culverts, including those with limited access. Photo Greg Bush

“These changes will bring about huge wins for drivers and operators.”

THE TREK TO TOORADIN

The Tooradin Truck Show and Tractor Pull emerged from the pandemic, only to be confronted with wild weather and another postponement. However, as the saying goes, the show must go on – and it eventually did. Warren Aitken joined the long queue to the Tooradin showgrounds

‘We knocked the bastard off’. Yes, I am well aware that this quote comes from fellow antipodean Sir Edmund Hillary. I’m also aware that it carried much more gravitas when it was his response to summiting Mt Everest. However, it does not diminish the enormity of my challenge either.

The Tooradin Truck Show and Tractor Pull has been another event that has been sitting on my bucket list for quite a while and, in 2023, I finally ‘knocked the bastard off’. Now comes the hard part, writing up my summary. Assessing the good and the bad, passing judgment like an Instagram influencer, and offering insight into another legendary truck show.

Let us start with a bit of advice first. If you are heading to the tiny town of Tooradin on the south eastern outskirts of Melbourne then I strongly suggest you pack your sunnies. You may question my rationale as you look at the photos and see nothing but storm clouds, but I am telling you now I was thankful for my Makos on show day, for multiple reasons.

From opposite top, clockwise: Another stunning looking Tig was D&K Walker’s Cat tipper; The Membrey’s trucks are always a standout sight; even a bit of rain towards the end of the day couldn’t diminish their appeal; Sitting on the local Mack dealers stand was this stunning NTS Mack Anthem; Best time to catch some good photos was as the trucks started heading for home. Payne’s big Kenworth 909 was just one of many stunning trucks this year; The Ashmore Excavations fleet looked impressive and justifiably took home a couple of awards

Number one was obviously the quality of the trucks and the level of shine on those trucks. It was second to none. I swear I got sunburnt just standing next to the Browns Stockfeed Kenworths. The second advantage to having my sunnies was safety. With an 8000hp tractor throwing mud everywhere and burnout cars peppering the crowd with hot rubber reminders of their power, it was almost a health and safety requirement to have a decent set of sunnies.

Third and by no means the least important was having my mirrored Makos allowed me to avoid any awkward moments due to my lingering looks and some of the legendary mullets on display. Seriously, there were almost as many mullets as trucks – and the quality was second to none. You do feel self-conscious staring but those people sporting their mullets had put in some serious effort and should be applauded.

But back on to the show. Like all the fun stuff in Victoria, the Tooradin Truck Show and Tractor Pull has been on a governmentenforced hiatus for a couple of years, so this year’s event was back with a vengeance.

The Tooradin show is normally one of the first ones on the truck show circuit, filling in the last weekend of January. However, as if three years of COVID wasn’t enough, this year mother nature decided to ruin the January event with torrential rain leading up to the show. Personally, I think it would have been a ratings success watching some of those big 27-litre tractors drag the bogged trucks out of the wet ground, but that’s just me. It seems the delayed month did absolutely nothing to discourage those wanting to attend. Crowd numbers were massive and entrant numbers were record-setting. The show

“This year’s event was back with a vengeance.”

Top: I managed to convince a couple of winners to pose in the rain for me. On the left was Tim McCarthy who picked up best rigid with his tidy Scania, and to the right is Chase along with Trav Carlisle who picked up Best Prime Mover 11-16 years with Wylaz Transport’s 2010 SAR

Above, L to R: The Browns Stockfeed tri-drive Kenworth was one of the hardest to photograph, purely because there was hardly any time when there weren’t people admiring it; Rachel Riddle and her partner Braden brought Rachel’s grandad’s custom built B-model junior out to the show and it was inundated with attention

Right: Not only does the show raise funds for the local area, it also gets the locals involved. The Tooradin Primary School choir turned up to sing the national anthem before the Tractor Pull kicked off

Opposite top, L to R: To the left is owner of the local driver training establishment, Helen Lechte, along with another of Cove Training’s employees, Simone Kealy; There was a good selection of sharp Euro trucks at the show as well, like this stunning new Mercedes-Benz Actros

Opposite middle: As much as us truckies enjoy a good show ’n shine, the biggest smiles always belong to the kids

Opposite bottom: The boys from Auswide Transport Solutions rolled in with two of the company’s local trucks – Mark Shalders with his SAR Legend and Damian Toms posing with the ATS150, ‘The Reaper’

The Magnet Towing crew of Warrick, J-Mac, Beck, Tristan, Steve (The coolest Scanias on site was the Advanced Tree Company eight-wheeler which picked up runnerup in Best Truck 5 Years and Under category – driver Ben Williams and his boy Kayde pose nicely while they leave Kyle Letch-Hall to finish the cleaning in the background; Justine Mott owns this cool Pink T359 which she subbies to SoilWorx with – every time I tried to get her for a photo, she was busy cleaning; Diaco’s Garden Nursey had its stunning 2020 Mack on display – I grabbed a shot with Matt Stoll, Adrian Failla and Tony Diaco just out of courtesy (only then would they get out of the road so I could just shoot this cool Trident);

Ann Reeve, the Tooradin Show secretary, shows off the trophies on offer including the Bob Searle Memorial trophy for Truck of the Day; Owner of Pearlcraft Steering Wheels, Sam Cawfield was stoked to get a shot with her nephews Conner and Jayden in front of another truck fitted with a stunning Pearlcraft wheel – it helps the Auswides Transport Solutions Kenworth looks so damn cool as well

has actually been running since the late ’90s, starting as the Tooradin Tractor Pull. In the mid-2000s, with attendance numbers still rather low, the committee decided to introduce a truck show aspect into things.

For quite a while the whooping big tractors were still the main feature with the truck show being kind of like the broccoli on your pub dinner. You’d eat it but only when you were taking a breather from your 300g sirloin.

By the mid-2010s the truck show had become more of a diane sauce with the Tractor Pull still being the steak. It was a great steak but all the better for the diane sauce. Before that silly virus curtailed all our good times the truck show entrants had hit the 100 mark and still rising.

Bring on 2023 and the Tooradin Truck Show had flipped the script. It was now the prime cut 500g eye fillet of the show. The Tractor Pull now became the cheesy garlic bread entrée and the chocolate mud cake dessert of my analogy.

The numbers don’t lie though. The show’s return was greeted with nearly a 50 per cent increase in truck show entrants, a staggering amount of Joe Public ticket holders and all of that alongside an overabundance of horsepower in the burnout cars and tractor pull entrants.

As good as all that sounds, there is a downside to 2023 show. It’s not the local community though. Before this year’s show the Tooradin Truck Show and Tractor Pull committee had raised and distributed over $200,000 dollars to local charity organisations and community projects. With the numbers attending this year’s show, there would be plenty more

“Crowd numbers were massive and entrant numbers were record-setting.”

Ph:

Fax:

Fax:

davids@gibbsparts.com

davids@ggd.net.au

Web: www.gibbsparts.com

Web: www.gibbsparts.com

community support. No, the downside was more related to the volunteers having to find parking for all the shiny trucks.

It was a bit of a goat track path from the queue out on the highway into the tractor pull complex. I can imagine the lovely volunteers getting quite concerned as the line of trucks seemed never ending in the early hours of Saturday morning. Add in the fact that there was also a car and bike show incorporated into the event and by 9am the queue to get in was stretching all the way back into town.

I must admit I was glad to arrive before 7am when I only managed a 20-minute traffic jam.

The other downside to the huge interest in this year’s show reared its head in the early afternoon. With so many trucks, a gluttony of classic cars, a menagerie of mullets and more people than you could shake a crispy accordion potato stick at, there ended up being a shortage of food.

Don’t misunderstand me here, there wasn’t a shortage of choices. The massive food van court had all manner of options and high-quality options as well. No, the problem was I don’t think even the vendors had budgeted for such a big show and found themselves running out of product. Thankfully I have an eclectic appetite and was happy to join another line.

All in all, I have to say the Tooradin Truck Show and Tractor Pull was a fabulous day out. I wouldn’t say it’s a photographer’s truck show though. Again, that’s the downside to the show’s popularity and not one worth complaining about. When you are having to squeeze over 150 trucks into a ground that usually held much closer to 100, you are not going to have much space around the trucks. However, that was superseded by the fact the show was an all-round day out.

The ‘on track’ entertainment of burnout cars and fully blown tractors began around 3pm, shortly after the stunt plane did his bit. Oh, did I not mention that? Yeah, after you had spent a few hours admiring the shiny trucks (Mako sunnies applied by the

Top, L to R: Land Transport brought their 2023 C509 to the show and drove out with the runner-up prize for Best Prime Mover Under One Year; There was a good mix of new and really old turning up, like this old but exceptional Diamond Reo that rolled in

Above, L to R: John Turner, Dallas Smart and Abbie Zouko were all far too busy cleaning their stunning 2020 T909 to pose for the camera; Another local company that turned out in force was the team from Southern Sons in Devon Meadows. Emily, giraffe loving Dillain, Nathan, Paul, Blake, Ryley, Noah, Brad and Camero

Right: Big and small, they were all welcome at the Tooradin Show. Just like the TruckTech Truck & Trailer Repair team of Caleb ’Dopey’ Parkin, Liliana Kennedy, Mia Kene and Clint Kennedy

Opposite top: Representing the Membrey team was Trevor and William Hibberson, Brooke Morris, Eleanor Methley and Jesse Morris

Opposite above, L to R: Nathan Maitino had this awesome Mercedes-Benz which he subbies to Victorian Freight Specialists (VFS). Meanwhile, Nudge Miles drives the VFS T610 alongside; Young Will Pillbeam is enjoying sitting behind the wheel of the toy Mercedes-Benz while mum Gemma looks on (seeing as Gemma pilots a 909 and her dad has a stunning old Super-Liner, I’m surprised Will is allowed in a cab-over)

Opposite bottom: I managed to rope in a few of the Browns Stockfeed team for a photo. Their fleet deservedly picked up Best Fleet at this year’s show

Top left, clockwise: The Patlin team were well represented at this year’s show with Aaron Baker, Jayden Perry, Stephen Papluca and Brittany Pyle; This is what 8000hp looks like – imported directly out of the US, this thing can pull and, believe it or not, there is room for another engine on there as well – that would make it 10,000hp; It was fantastic to see modern technology mixing with the top of the line in antique trucking; One of the shows organisers was on double duties, keeping the show running and also piloting his little farm tractor down the tractor pull course; Jeremy Jardine was blown away when the Mack Super-Liner he drives for Wilken Bulk Transport picked up the top prize; Auswide Transport Solutions’ sensational T909 was a constant drawcard – here it is in the 6.30am queue trying to get in and registered

way), then check out merchandise stands from the local Mack and Kenworth dealers, as well as the local market stalls. You were advised to pop past the bar, grab a drink and find a seat on the embankment where Paul Bennet Airshows put on an incredible acrobatic display in his Wolf Pitts Pro biplane.

A break in the tractor pulling allowed for the truck show prize giving, another victim of the show’s success. Such a huge jump in entrants and such a high-class field meant the poor judges and the team responsible for tallying all the scores were well behind their 4pm target. Eventually, all votes were collated and the judges handed down their decisions.

The Bob Searle Rig of the Day is always the much sought-after golden ticket, this year’s winner was Wilken Bulk Haulage’s 2018 Mack Super-Liner. There was another highly sought after trophy this year, the Stuart Baker Memorial trophy. This award was in honour of a friend of the show and a great mate in the transport industry, the late Stuart Baker. His family was on hand to present the trophy which was awarded to the best presented Kenworth Legend truck. Deservedly so, the inaugural trophy was awarded to Kelly Durkin Trucking’s 2014 T900 Legend.

All up it was a fantastic day. There were some outstanding trucks, those big tractors are incredible and seeing a kid with a permed mullet was just the onion rings on top of a sirloin steak of a day.

See you next year Tooradin. I suggest you look into using those tractors to plough up some of the back paddocks because this show is just getting bigger.

“The Bob Searle Rig of the Day is always the much sought-after golden ticket.”

NRFA Glyn Castanelli

Big turnout in Wagga

The 2023 NRFA conference brought to light the grassroots issues impacting the trucking industry

and compliance officers invited, I must say it was an informative and engaging event, and feedback received from industry toward the NHVR was clearly positive,” Chris says.

“The open Q&A sessions gave us an insight from drivers’ perspectives, but also let the attending representatives hear from us as NHVR safety and compliance officers on the ground, and for us to answer the questions posed to us.

“We thoroughly enjoyed the day and the ability for industry to ask questions and give opinions, and recount stories from their life and times on the highway,” Chris says.

Dr Kim Hassall says over the day the line-up of speakers ranging from ministers, shadow ministers, regulators, senators, and senior politicians to owner-drivers themselves reflected the passion and the interest the NRFA has garnered over the last few years. He also was also impressed with the Royan’s demonstration of righting an overturned truck, saying it was a “kick-off that grabbed our morning attention”.

“The organisers should be congratulated. What could I possibly say about the auction night? It was the most memorable association auction I have attended in many years, unbelievable funny and collegiate,” Kim says.

Thank you everyone who participated in the National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) conference in Wagga Wagga on February 11. Our conferences are now attracting a diverse group of owners, drivers, other association representatives, politicians, policy makers, road managers, regulators, and suppliers.

Saturday started with a rollover recovery demonstration by Cools Towing, Royans Wagga and NTI (National Transport Insurance).

The conference was officially opened by Senator Carol Brown, then followed by NSW state politician Sam Farraway while then Shadow Minister for Roads John Graham offered his election pitch.

Federal MP Michael McCormack presented his state of the nation. Other speakers include State MP Jenny Aitchison and National Transport Commission (NTC) deputy chair Nola Bransgrove braved the audience to talk about where the commission is heading with national reform.

Senator Glenn Sterle kept us engaged with his ideas on the Rest Areas Steering Committee, payment terms, the disaster of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal and his ideas for the future.

In addition, National Heavy Duty Regulator (NHVR) CEO Sal Petroccitto gave an update on what the NHVR has been up to.

Andy Divall, Australian Trucking Association (ATA) board member and Divall’s Earthmoving and Bulk Haulage managing director, admits he wasn’t sure what to expect at the conference, but says he was pleasantly surprised by the line-up of speakers.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend,” Andy says. “I was not surprised that the NRFA has similar goals and aspirations to other industry associations. Rest areas, road conditions, waiting times, safety, viability and national law all appear to be

common goals with other associations.

“I sat on a panel discussion as the representative of the ATA with Sal Petroccitto, Senator Glenn Sterle, the Hon. John Graham, Nick McIntosh of the Transport Workers Union, NRFA president Rod Hannifey, executive leader of Regulatory Reform at the NTC, Aaron de Rozario, and Nola Bransgrove with a question and answer sessions,” Andy says.

“Other interesting sessions were from CILTA (Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Australia) chair Dr Kim Hassall and Paul Fenech of V-DAQ.”

Andy says his favourite session was listening to Greg Casey, former highway patrol officer, discussing his time on the beat and his research on policing.

“I look forward to hearing more from him in the future,” Andy says.

“We than rolled into Gala Dinner, awards and auction – a great night had by all.”

Andy adds that he is looking forward to working with and supporting the NRFA board in the future.

COMPLIANCE DISCUSSED

Chris Langley from the NHVR was another impressed with the conference.

“As one of the two NHVR on-road safety

ABOVE: Leading industry representatives took part in the panel session

BELOW: Rollover recovered: Cools Towing, Royans Wagga and NTI sponsored the demonstration

BOTTOM: A section of the audience from the NRFA conference in Wagga Wagga on February 11

“From an observer’s viewpoint the NRFA has broken a glass ceiling and has become an industry voice to be listened to in its own right. Well done to the NRFA, staff and volunteers on a powerhouse event.”

The NRFA is committed to promoting a culture of safety, sustainability and profitability in Australia’s road freight industry. Our mission is to be a strong, unified voice for drivers, owner-operators and fleets – large or small – advocating for policies and initiatives that drive safer, more efficient and profitable transport operations.

We cannot achieve this without engaging with all parties with a stake in the transport industry. Our door is open and we are reaching out to all.

GLYN CASTANELLI is a long distance driver of more than 15 years, a compliance consultant and accredited NHVAS and WAHVA Auditor and the current NRFA Secretary and Victorian Delegate. Glyn is a member of the Ozhelp Health in Gear steering committee and Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds Standards Committee.

HIGHWAY ADVOCATES Robert Bell

What’s the point?

Most of the legal matters

Highway Advocates handle for our clients around Australia are dealt with through a guilty plea. The very nature of transport-related legislation generally makes out the offences. That is not to say we do not do defended hearings, but guilty pleas are our bread and butter for the most part.

Different states have different sentencing Acts, but all provide various provisions and outcomes that don’t include a conviction upon a guilty plea. This is where advocacy in its purest form comes to the fore – and it is what we do best. We know that prosecuting authorities have a distinct focus on heavy vehicles and the maximum penalties on offer are eyewateringly steep, such as $17,740 currently for a critical fatigue breach plus four demerit points upon conviction.

All offences under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) are multiplied by five if you are a business being prosecuted.

More so than ever, demerit points and suspensions combine with these massive penalties to create a cumulative penalty that is truly crushing. You cannot catch a bus or train to work if you do your brief. We also have prosecuting authorities that are also licensing bodies as well. Transport and Main Roads (TMR) have the stranglehold in Queensland, and

Transport for NSW (for now) holds sway in that state.

Another interloper in NSW is Revenue NSW, which sends out licence suspension notices although they are not a licensing authority. We also have Fines Victoria doing the same when they are a private entity hiding behind a trademark owned by the Victorian Government. Get the point yet? It is not just your money; they also want your licence/ livelihood.

CONVICTED IN QUEENSLAND

In Queensland, The Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 section 12 provides that a Court has an inherent discretion to consider whether or not to record a conviction. In considering whether or not to record a conviction, a court must have regard for all the circumstances of the case, including:

• The nature of the offence; and

• The offender’s character and age; and

• The impact that recording a conviction will have on the offender’s economic or social wellbeing; or

• Chances of finding employment. It also states that except as otherwise expressly provided by this or another Act, a conviction without recording the conviction is taken not to be a conviction for any purpose.

We cannot imagine a greater impact upon the economic and social wellbeing,

nor the chances of finding or keeping employment, than that of a defendant who relies solely on their licence to put food on the table. So most people would rightly think that a non-conviction would mean no points or suspension. After all, a conviction without recording the conviction is taken not to be a conviction for any purpose.

However, in Queensland, TMR is the prosecuting and licencing authority. Accordingly, they rely upon a definition of the Transport Operation (Road Use Management) Act 1995 that provides that ‘convicting’ a person includes a court finding the person guilty or accepting the person’s plea of guilty, whether or not a conviction is recorded.

There we have it, folks. In Queensland, TMR is prosecuting matters in Court when a conviction is not recorded, then applying the more crushing sanction regardless of the order of The Court.

IMPACT ON LIVELIHOOD

Turning to Victoria we have the Sentencing Act 1991 section 8 that when exercising or not to record a conviction, a court must have regard to all circumstances, including the impact of the recording of a conviction on the offender’s economic or social wellbeing or their employment prospects. It includes the caveat that except as otherwise provided by this or any other Act, a finding of guilt without recording a conviction must not be taken to be a conviction for any purpose.

In Victoria, the Road Safety (Drivers) Regulations 2019 reg 73(1)(a) appears to be a relevant provision relied upon by the Secretary to record demerit points if a person has been convicted or found guilty of a relevant offence.

However, a regulation is not an Act. Accordingly, it may be challenged that the licencing authority in Victoria (whoever they may be known as) is relying on a provision of a regulation to impose demerit points and suspensions contrary to law. We believe that two tiers of Government, the Judiciary and the Parliament, outrank the executive in this particular circumstance.

New South Wales, for all its other sins, does provide sentencing provisions under section 10(1)(a)-(b) that provide discretion to Courts to impose non-conviction orders upon a guilty plea, including outright dismissals or a dismissal known as a conditional release order (CRO). A CRO may impose a period of up to two years with standard or extra conditions that include a general proviso. If you are brought before The Court during that period, you may be convicted of the original offence(s).

What does this all mean for you?

Potential clients sometimes ask us why we should pay money to plead guilty. Advocacy is the fine art of persuading a court to consider what is known as subjective and mitigating factors. Highway Advocates have developed our advocacy skills to the point that our written submissions achieve outcomes many would think impossible.

Our experience and expertise also mean that we hold prosecution authorities accountable when they overstep their scope of jurisdiction or legislative authority. Remember, we are the link between your world and the law world.

Although a conviction may not be recorded, authorities may still look at demerit points

“It is not just your money; they also want your licence/ livelihood.”

TWU Michael Kaine

Sad road to ruin

The devastating collapse of Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics is a wakeup call to Federal Parliament to urgently pass reform.

In the blink of an eye, 1500 transport workers including hundreds of subcontractor ownerdrivers and small fleet operators lost their income – the only source of income many of them had.

The TWU has heard from two small fleet owners, each with around $200,000 owing for work that had been completed in the weeks prior to the collapse. One had to pull trucks out of the mechanic’s because he could no longer pay the repair bill. Another had to return a leased truck on which he would be unable to make repayments.

Truck drivers and their families have been forced to come to terms with skyhigh debts and bills in the current costof-living crisis with no assurance of an incoming pay cheque.

Once again, subcontractors are the worst affected. Employees will at least have the option to apply for the government’s Fair Entitlements Guarantee scheme to recoup redundancy payments and other entitlements. But those left with the burden of ongoing operating costs have no such relief.

This is a shattering event and I want to encourage anyone who needs professional help to seek it from services such as Lifeline, Beyond Blue or specialised truck driver helpline 1300 Driver.

Contractors seeking work should also contact us at the Transport Workers Union (TWU) as we may be able to assist with opportunities at other major operators. There is a contact submission form on our website www.twu.com.au.

We must also support each other by campaigning to ensure this does not keep happening.

We know that this was not a tragic one-off down to poor management or an unfortunate blip. This was an operator collapsing under the pressure of an industry in crisis.

The catastrophic state of Scott’s finances has now come to light, and it is horrifying reading.

In 2021, immediately before Scott’s was bought by a private equity firm, it had annual revenue exceeding half a billion dollars. Despite that, it made a $7.3 million loss.

When an operator can’t make a profit on half a billion in revenue, its razor-thin margins were clearly

unsustainable. Margins that allowed wealthy retailers and manufacturers squeezing transport contracts to make bumper profits while the operator sunk into $50 million worth of debt.

This was confirmed at the first creditors meeting. Administrators listed the main reasons for the operator’s collapse, with a leading cause identified as “uncommercial customer arrangements as a result of intense market competition”.

Scott’s couldn’t turn a profit despite being Australia’s largest operator in cold chain logistics with clients including Coles, Aldi, Saputo, Primo, Hans, Lite n Easy, and Streets Ice cream.

Only one of those clients – Coles –has come to the table on supply chain transparency, fairness and safety. Aldi went in the opposite direction, literally trying to silence truck drivers in court rather than sign up to a charter to make its supply chains safer, fairer and more sustainable.

In December, News.com.au reported that Aldi had filed $900 million taxable income for FY2021. This, the news outlet estimated, equated to a profit margin of 8.4 per cent – more than double the margin of Coles.

This is the result of unregulated commercial power and corporate greed,

with wealth locked at the top of supply chains while transport operators and drivers are wrung dry.

This has forced a dog-eat-dog crisis in transport, with operators and drivers fighting for scraps in what Scott’s administrators refer to as “intense market competition”.

This is not competition. This is an industry on self-destruct.

The only way to stop this is for wealthy supply chain clients to be accountable for fair, safe and sustainable transport contracts which ensure every participant at every level of the chain is fairly remunerated and can work under safe, sustainable conditions.

CORE PRINCIPLES

On Tuesday, March 7, hundreds of transport workers took the fight to those clients. We served a claim on the 40 largest and wealthiest retailers, manufacturers, and agricultural companies to take responsibility for their supply chains.

The claim called on the clients to sign up to six core principles and arrange a meeting with the union to work towards a charter to implement them. The principles included: safety and fairness throughout supply chains; transparency over contract arrangements; a voice for transport workers to speak out and be heard; consultation with transport operators and drivers on anything which affects them; a commitment to lift industry standards and remove any financial incentives or pressures which cause risks to be taken; and a disaster preparedness plan for pandemics, natural disasters and other supply chain disruptions.

We served this claim by hand to Aldi at protests across the country – calling on the major supermarket to stop trying to silence workers and instead come to the table to find a fair and reasonable solution.

We need these behemoths to step up, but for those that refuse to take the responsible approach, we need the backing of regulation to hold them to account.

To stop more operators going the way of Scott’s and the 190 other transport operators that became insolvent in 2022, we need to stand together and push Federal Parliament to urgently pass reform to set fair, safe and sustainable standards in transport.

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

The Scott’s Refrigerated debacle is a stark example of how super tight margins are unsustainable

“The catastrophic state of Scott’s finances has now come to light.”

EYES ON THE ROAD Rod Hannifey

The right direction

Optimism followed two major road transportrelated gatherings held in February

The National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) conference, held on February 11 in Wagga Wagga, went well. The rollover and recovery demo in the morning was a very different way to start off with a good crowd in attendance. Well done to all involved. Then we moved inside and changed the world? Well, we would like to be able to say that, but we certainly will try.

We had two attendees who said they will not be back because we are still trying to fix the things we wanted done 20 years ago. I agree, we are still trying, but not always and immediately succeeding. However, I did say that if none of us were in that room, then who would see and/or even try to accomplish any change, let alone have a chance to succeed?

Those two were the only naysayers. All others said they enjoyed it. We had a good number of attendees, excellent turn up from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, National Transport Commission, local and state pollies, plus good speakers and topics. There was also rollicking if small entertaining auction. Thank you to those who contributed, including local Inland Truck Centres, widerbased Findlay International, and NXT Journey. Others put in goods for the auction, plus thanks to supporters Icepack, National Transport Insurance and many others. Thank you to all who bid and bought items from tyres to audiobooks, gift packs and bags, including one from Kenworth.

Then of course thanks to the NRFA board and the ‘C&C’ team who went way above and delivered a well-run event. Thanks to all who helped set it up, made it run and contributed in any way.

REST AREAS

The other event in February was the first meeting of the Heavy Vehicle Rest Area (HVRA) Steering Committee in Canberra with all 10 members attending. We had the Infrastructure and Transport assistant minister in for the start and members from other government bodies taking notes. Now for those who think we will have the rest area problems sorted by tomorrow, or next week, or even next year, Santa will be delivering presents down your chimney next Christmas! Will we see improvement, will we see change, will we see more done? The

answer to all these and other questions are I hope, ‘yes’, but …

The committee is a government body and must abide by the rules and laws under which it was put forward. Am I happy with some restrictions? No, but I have and will keep arguing for wider scope. If we as the committee can’t fix some things, then I will keep trying and asking who can. This is the first time truckies have had a say, it is a great step forward and if it is just the start of us being at more tables and events that affect our lives on the road, then that may be even more valuable. We will ratify later this month the agreed guidelines for applications for funding, once those are in place we will be seeking government bodies to apply, truckies to put forward and push for sites to be considered and then the committee will, within the guideline under which we must operate, rate and then recommend each application. The maximum will be $5 million, so no ‘Taj Mahals’, but there will be joint funding whether city or rural based and up to $80 million for the first three years. Will this fix it all next year? No,

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

but it is a start and I honestly believe all the members, including the chair Glen Sterle, will be pushing for more to be done and if we can’t do it, seeing who can.

To all who applied, don’t just walk away or bag those who did get a guernsey. Get onto your local council or one where you want a new or improved rest area and push hard. There may be a car-only rest area that could use some funding to expand and cater for truckies, there could be a stockpile site with good shade that only needs a tidy up on the entry and exit at a cost a $1000 which would make another good site.

You can email me with suggestions which started well before I was even selected for the committee. I can help you push the right buttons elsewhere because I don’t know or travel every road.

I travelled a few different roads recently and made notes. I will try and get them into the NSW request for rest area comments to follow on the five pages I wrote to them. I am really looking forward to their reply.

So, if you travel through NSW, have you put in your 20 cents worth to the NSW request for where you want rest areas? Will you respond and contribute if the HVRA committee asks?

I recently travelled from Brisbane to Bourke. From Collarenebri to Brewarrina there was not one spot to stop, let alone a rest area (but there was one site where it looked like a truck had run off the road). Then from Brewarrina to Bourke the one marked site was nearly full of blue metal for road resurfacing. So where do you stop? I had not been on this road for years, so didn’t know of the lack of sites, but now hope to still get in for the NSW one which had the submission date extended. We will see.

“From Collarenebri to Brewarrina there was not one spot to stop.”

BEHIND THE BLUE RIG

A desire to move away from secondhand gear ultimately led Simon and Jamie McMahon to a small fleet of new Kenworths, the standout being their new bright blue T909. It’s a rig with a personal message, as Warren Aitken discovers

just had a wild idea and a

one night and bought t he Freightliner.”

Do you remember all the quasi-motivational quotes you used to hear as a kid, from your parents or your teachers or just any adult figure really? You know those ones like, ‘hard work pays off’, or ‘good things come to those that get off their butts and earn it’ and ‘the dictionary is the only place success comes before work’.

We would even get inspirational lectures from celebrities like Michael Jordan: ‘If you do the work, you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life’. And then there’s my personal hero, Homer Simpson: “Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers”.

All these quotes were designed to instil in us at a young age the importance of digging in and working hard. Well, let me introduce everybody to a couple that obviously listened to those quotes a lot more than I did – Simon and Jamie McMahon. This young couple has been working their butts off all their lives and the result of which is fleet of superb Kenworths, a collection of state-of-the-art Robuk tipper trailers, and a family of eighteen.

When I say ‘family’ I’m including not just the couple’s two lovely daughters but also the workplace family they have

cultivated in the eleven years S & J McMahon has been in operation. Their hard work has seen them progress from a single beat-up FLB water truck to some of the most outstanding Paccar-produced products in the country.

Each of their dozen trucks has its own special touches and personalities and their latest one is aimed at raising awareness of an issue close to Simon’s heart, and very important to so many of us – men’s mental health.

Before we focus on this stunning truck, or how Simon and Jamie have managed to foster a working environment that truly has that family feel to it, let’s skip back just over a decade ago and see how we ended up here.

Simon and Jamie are one of those true Romeo and Juliet stories. Without all that feuding families, fake death to avoid marriage and mourning with poison stuff. The couple, who met when they were just 18, had both grown up around trucks. Simon’s dad and grandad both drove trucks while Jamie is a farm girl and has had trucks in her life for as long as she can remember.

Simon left school at 16 and did his diesel apprenticeship in the mines at Tarong coal mine near his hometown Kingaroy, before working fly-in fly-out at a Moranbah mine. Jamie on the other hand stayed at school, eventually moving on to university to study accounting.

After a year of watching her Romeo flying in and out of North Queensland, Jamie changed her studies to distance learning and took a job in the mines as well. Both Simon and Jamie were working full-time while Jamie was studying part-time. In addition they were planning a wedding and building a house. I told you they listened to all those ‘hard work’ quotes.

As if that wasn’t enough to keep them busy, in 2012 while still working in the mines, Simon and Jamie decided to

Above: Jeff Barrie’s artwork can be seen on not just the new Kenworth but also the front of the A-double set of Robuk tippers

Opposite: Meet the McMahons: Jamie and Simon with their two daughters, Quinn (left) and Paige; Custom S & J Kenworth logo, courtesy of Cyclone Air Brush and Graphics; The new McMahon Kenworth T909 looks impressive from every angle

“I

few beers

buy their first truck and begin S & J McMahon. “It was a Freightliner FLB, body and three-axle dog,” Simon recalls. “It was a water tank, doing roadworks and stuff up around Kingaroy.”

Beer talk

You would have thought they had enough to keep them busy but it’s funny what a relaxed Friday night can lead to. “I just had a wild idea and a few beers one night and bought the Freightliner,” Simon laughs. “It was a weapon of a truck. The first six months in her, the air con was buggered, we didn’t have the money to fix it so we sweated it out at the start.”

Simon kept the old FLB working around the South Burnett area. There was no shortage of work as the area was recovering and repairing after some devastating floods. “We ended up with three truck and dogs. After the FLB we bought a couple of K104s with tippers on. They had six-foot high

sides on them, so along with the civil work we started doing a bit of grain,” he explains

A year after S & J McMahon kicked off, and with three trucks to their name, Simon pulled the pin on the mine work and decided to throw himself into trucking full time.

“It was getting too tough doing the fly-in fly-out stuff. We had the three trucks, then one driver left, so I came down to do that.”

Jamie, who at this stage was seven months pregnant with the couple’s first daughter, was still working in the mines as well as doing the books for the increasingly busy S & J McMahon business. “Once Paige was born that was the end of the fly-in fly-out stuff,” Jamie says.

From that point on S & J McMahon was the couple’s top priority – after their daughter, obviously. With Simon filling the driver role on the third truck, the small business became increasingly busy

“I’d leave on a Sunday, get back on a Friday night and then

spend my weekends doing all the maintenance and washing,” he says. Jamie adds, “I’d come out, the kids would come out, we’d help with the washing.”

The young family were working extremely hard to build a good business with a solid reputation. It wasn’t easy though.

“The first six or seven years I didn’t have enough money to pay someone else to fix them, we’d do it all ourselves, me and my drivers Andrew and Roger who are still with us today,” says Simon with his ever-positive smile. “I used to buy all the tyres out of Brisbane and did them all ourselves as well. It filled the weekends in very quickly.”

By then S & J McMahon was moving away from the roadworks side of things and beginning to focus more on grain cartage. In 2015 Simon and Jamie sold their starting truck, the FLB, and bought an old AJM big cab K108 and a B-double set of tipper trailers. A year later Simon and Jamie sold one of the original K104s and replaced it with another second-hand K108 courtesy of Toowoomba-based trucking

Above: Steve Hart, the man behind the wheels of ‘It ain’t weak to speak’, seen here with partner Amy and their little one, Carter

Below: Another stunning touch to ‘It ain’t weak to speak’ is the airbrushed deck plating, featuring some of the motivational quotes that help get us focussed on Men’s Mental Health

Opposite top: It was Cyclone’s Jeff Barrie who came up with the Rock quotes for the back of the cab, adding in the air-brushed portrait with an Aussie-flagged T-shirt to top it all off

Opposite bottom: The team at Blaze Industries has done a stunning job blinging up the T909, especially the strapless tank wraps

“You’d rather be working hard in a new truck than working hard under an old truck.”

company Graintrans. Behind the king cab came the company’s first brand-new set of grain trailers. It would be another year before the decision was made to purchase a new truck.

“In 2017 we bought our first brand new truck, a T409 SAR,” Simon says. “I still remember signing the paperwork when we paid for it; I was bloody shitting myself.”

Jamie admits that it was a step in the right direction for the company though. “In hindsight it was the best thing we ever did, getting out of the old gear and into brand new gear. It’s something you have to build up to, but it saved us in breakdowns and maintenance. At first, when we looked at the repayments we were sweating but it is the best thing we ever did.”

For a young couple, still fairly new and relatively small in the transport industry, the jump into such a commitment was huge. The tipping point in the decision was a discussion Simon had with Max McNab, the owner of Graintrans. “Max said to me, ‘you’d rather be working hard in a new truck than working hard under an old truck’.”

That first new truck, the 409 SAR, really kicked things off for S & J McMahon. Their years of hard work started to bear fruit. The company’s regular clients appreciated their work ethic and the trucks were kept busy. Soon a lot of the old gear started disappearing and being replaced with more modern trucks and top-of-the-line trailer setups. The 409 also laid the platform for the company’s striking paint scheme.

“When I bought the ex-AJM truck in 2015 it was still in their blue. And blue is my favourite colour,” Simon says. “So we just decided to stick with blue for the trucks and give each one its own personality. Some have stripes, some don’t. We have a couple that are white with blue stripes as well as some that are blue with white stripes.”

Mental health

As it stands now, S & J McMahon has a fleet of 11 prime movers with several more on order. While most have a theme or some artwork, their newest T909, the one you see on the pages before you, has taken things to a whole new level. And with a scrolled slogan of ‘It ain’t took weak to speak’, It’s also publicising a great cause.

Like many of us, Simon has suffered from his own mental health concerns. His burden has been diagnosed as OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder. “OCD gets a bad rap as a bit of a clean freak,” says Simon. But truth be told it is much more complicated than that.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears that can be extremely debilitating. Like many mental health issues, it is one we don’t talk about so

never truly understand. The effects of it can be extremely demoralising for people and Simon is no exception. However, he is managing his mental health and is the first to credit the support he has had from not just Jamie and his family, but also his friends and workmates. Their support has been integral to his success.

“I’m very open and upfront with them and they have all been awesome. I couldn’t ask for a more understanding bunch,” he says.

His openness about this struggles has been the key to getting on top of them. “Now that I see the right people and get the right help I’ve come along in leaps and bounds but trying to get people to talk is difficult.”

He adds in that he’s been pleasantly surprised by the number of people now talking to him about things ever since he started to open up himself.

Simon’s frankness is a positive step and has led to an openness among his friends, family and co-workers. Being able to talk when times are tough is extremely difficult and Simon’s ‘lead by example’ attitude is the perfect approach. It also led to the design of the stunning T909.

“The truck was originally just going to be blue, we had no idea what we were going to do with it,” he explains. “It was actually already at Blaze in Toowoomba getting blinged up and Jamie suggested we try and do something to promote men’s mental health, especially in the transport industry.

“Our idea was if it gets someone to talk, then great,” says Simon, and it has. “The amount of people that have reached out, even through our S & J McMahon page on Facebook is incredible and we just strike up a chat.”

Even Jamie has been taken aback by the response “We were hoping it would mean something to some people, but we’ve been surprised how far it went,” she says.

Getting the truck from idea to completion was a massive team effort, beginning with Jamie and her laptop. Simon acknowledges that a lot of the truck design ideas come from Jamie’s hours of research.

“We started with searching out a lot of the mental health pages for quotes that fit. One of our drivers lost a mate to suicide and he’s always using the hashtag, #itaintweaktospeak. That was the first thing that came to mind,” Jamie continues. “The other quote that was really important was, ‘the days of she’ll be right are gone’. This was from (former rugby league player) Jonathon Thurston. I remember hearing him say that after Paul Green’s death and it really resonated.”

With a rough idea of what they wanted to accomplish and include in the new truck design, Simon and Jamie turned to Jeff Barrie from Cyclone Air Brush and Graphics. “Jeff has done a lot of our trucks and with this one, we sort of gave him our ideas and some quotes and what we wanted and he drew it all up,” Simon says. “Jeff actually came up with The Rock quote. He’d seen it before and he added the concept of that. I did get him to change the Rock’s shirt so he had an Australian flag on it, that was all. The rest was all Jeff.”

Another visually impressive idea that Jeff included was to paint the deck plating on the back, adding a custom Kenworth symbol with S & J instead of the KW, and then airbrushing a stack of quotes. Jeff then went on to add

Above: The Barup bull bar even received the S & J McMahon upgrades – three extra LED lights were added because one light just isn’t an option

Right: Simon is very proud of all his drivers; they all look after their gear like it’s their own. I caught up with Steve mid-week to get some working shots and the truck was still looking stunning

Bottom: The McMahon family in front of one of their other impressive rigs: The Patriot Opposite bottom: Please ignore the country ‘work boots’ that Steve was suited up in as he rolls the covers back on the Robuk trailers and gets ready to load

“We were hoping it would mean something to some people.”

the same quotes to the front of the T909’s lead trailer. The truck was then finished off with a touch of Jeff’s outstanding pinstriping and the overall effect is perfection.

Along with fantastic scrolls and artwork, lights and shine are the calling cards on all S & J McMahon trucks – and this one is no exception. Blaze Industries in Toowoomba has worked on plenty of the McMahon trucks and, for this one, they raised the bar again. It has more lights than you can shake a cat at, as well as custom rear guards and, for the first time, strapless-wrapped tanks which are just a few of the features.

Simon admits he may be a little bit addicted to the shiny stuff on his trucks. “I have asked Bernie at Blaze to invoice me for something different, so Jamie doesn’t get up me for the amount I spent on shiny bits,” he laughs.

Driver welfare

Simon and Jamie place just as much importance on their drivers being comfortable as well as looking good. Both of them realise the difficulties on mental health and family life when you are away all the time. The couple work very hard to give their drivers a good work-life balance and part of that is ensuring they have everything they need inside the truck to live comfortably.

“We wouldn’t be where we are without our drivers,” Simon says. “They are fantastic and look after us and the gear really well. In turn, I try and do the same for them, like getting them home for weekends, making sure all the trucks have got fridges, microwaves, inverters, subs and all that stuff inside. We couldn’t do what we do with having great drivers.”

Once the truck had all the amenities added and

all the artwork completed, the keys were handed over to Steve Hart, one of McMahon’s long term drivers.

“Steve didn’t know he was getting it until right at the end and I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about it,” Simon says, reflecting on the fact it would be a truck that hopefully a lot of people would be talking about and therefore talking to Steve. “He was actually really proud and happy to be spreading the message around,” Simon adds.

With its custom Robuk A-double behind it, and with Steve behind the wheel, this remarkable Kenworth T909 is doing exactly what it is meant to do. First and foremost, it is earning its keep,

hauling whatever product is needed to wherever it needs to go throughout Queensland and New South Wales. Secondly, it is getting people talking, not just about how amazing it looks, but it is starting conversations about mental health.

Now as I wrap this story up I would normally try for some sort of amusing summation that reiterates how Simon and Jamie personify the idea of ‘hard work pays off’, which they do. But I’d rather focus on the fact this young couple has used their hard-earned position to shine a very bright light on a very important cause. For that, I thank them and look forward to seeing this truck on the highway.

In 1952, the Geelong Cats brought home a premiership flag after winning 26 games in a row and defeating Collingwood on Grand Final Day.

It was also the year Stuart and June McColl bought two F600 trucks, launched McColl’s Milk Transport and set about picking up milk from dairy farmers around Port Fairy and delivering it to processing plants to be made ready for retail shelves.

As proud Geelong residents, it’s only natural the McColl’s trucks would carry some blue and white – a tradition that carries on to this day, more than 70 years later.

Stuart and June’s vision and determination provided the foundation for a business that heads into 2023 with a turnover of more than $200 million, 26 depots all over the country, six major workshops, more than 250 prime movers, 800 trailers and 650 staff.

The couple started a journey which current CEO and part-owner Simon Thornton is determined to honour for the next 70 years.

Thornton’s passion for the business and the opportunity it presents to show the world what can be done when a group of like-minded individuals are willing to take a long term, “generational” approach to business ownership is never far from the surface.

This is Thornton’s second time around at McColl’s. His first was in 2009 when he joined as CEO, hired by the private equity owners to help transform the business.

It was Thornton’s introduction to the truck and transport industry, after having built a career as a business leader focused on heavy machinery, farm equipment and company turnarounds.

He left in 2014 after five years’ service, which included the celebration of the business’ 60th anniversary attended by Stuart and June.

“I went away for four years and at the end of the four years, the private equity firm, which was KKR at the time, came back and said `you thought you’d be

MAJOR MILESTONE FOR MCCOLL’S

a good owner for this business, do you still want it?’

And I said, ‘yeah, I do’,” Thornton says.

Thornton rallied a bunch of friends, mainly alumni from when he started studying Commerce at Melbourne University in 1988, and the Friesian investment group was formed.

“We call ourselves Friesian because we think of McColl’s as like a dairy cow, not like a steer, an Angus or a Hereford that’s being fattened up for market.

“We just think if you have a company, and you look after it and you nurture it and you build it over time then it becomes a force within itself.

“So, we’re now five years in and it’s been an exciting ride, kind of restoring McColl’s to the path it was on originally under family ownership.”

Since 2018 McColl’s has invested more than $30

million in high productivity state-of-the-art A-double tankers, and millions of dollars into new trucks, new depots, tanker washes and technology that enables the business to minimise downtime and reduce wasted kilometres across its nationwide network.

Thornton describes McColl’s as a values-driven business, and the company website clearly outlines its mission – “to deliver a transport service unmatched in safety, quality, compliance and reliability”.

The business lists its five core values as: safety first, honesty and integrity, consistency, mutual respect and commercial responsibility.

They are values Thornton says are ingrained in the hiring, the processes, the purchases and the relationships the business has with its long-term partners.

Celebrations will roll out all year at McColl’s Transport as the business celebrates 70 years of providing expert service in the delivery of liquid loads such as milk, chemicals and food grade products

A brief timeline

1952

Stuart and June McColl begin McColl’s Milk Transport with two F600s Late ’50s

First semi-trailer tanker, a single-axle unit of 1834 gallon (8344 litre) capacity built by Anderson’s Engineering ’60s-’80s

Branched out into general freight and chemical transport

’90s

Took over the farm pickup division of Nestle’ of Tongala, opened a general freight shed in Sunshine, and committed to a Sydney interstate depot

2000s

Stuart McColl still working, son-in-law David Stevens as CEO

2005

McColl’s sold to ABN Amro and Stuart and David retired. This started a period where McColl’s was owned by various Private Equity fi rms.

2012 KKR and Allegro Funds

2018

Friesian – a group of private investors – bought McColl’s from KKR and Allegro Funds with a view to creating a legacy company with a long-term plan for stable growth

ABOVE: McColl’s CEO and partowner Simon Thornton

BELOW: Tieman Tankers, also celebrating a 70-year anniversary, has supplied its products to McColl’s for decades

“We have a saying here that you should never have a conversation that you wouldn’t be happy to invite your kids or your mum too,” he says.

He says McColl’s has worked hard on its culture which shows in the nature of the team it employs.

“They self-identify – they know who fits and who doesn’t. They get the values, they love the industry, the dairy industry, the chemical industry, the transport industry.

“You’ve got to love one of those three things, and really love it, and really believe in it.

“People who don’t – it’s not that they’re not good people, it’s just that they’re not going to fit in here.”

He says it’s a business driven by family values rather than short term profit.

“McColl’s prides itself on having that long term approach to the world and long-term relationships with its customers and with its partners in various forms.

“We’ve been buying Kenworth and Volvo trucks for at least the last 25 years, almost exclusively.

“Lots of our employees have been around a very long time. We pride ourselves on having those very committed people, who join McColl’s and they love it, and they just want to be at McColl’s.”

He tells a story of another long-term relationship with Tieman Tankers who have supplied McColl’s with tankers since the early days and are also celebrating 70 years this year.

“Stuart McColl and Neil Tieman, who was the founder of Tieman’s, used to haggle over the price of tankers and famously they used a game of tennis as a way of deciding what the price should be,” Thornton says.

“And the people at Tiemans still tell that story, and so do the people at McColl’s, it’s kind of

something from a bit of a bygone era.”

On the safety front Thornton says the company does everything in its power to minimise danger for its team and is constantly looking for ways to improve.

“We’re proud of our safety record – we know though, that it’s something you earn every day. Something can go wrong at any time.

“When you drive out on the road, you’re in an uncontrolled environment. It’s difficult, because stuff can happen that’s completely out of your control and out of the drivers’ control.

“We pay at the top of the industry for drivers, we buy the safest trucks, and we maintain them very well.

“We’ve got mechanics who work very meticulously to make sure the trucks are right, but also keep very good records and we’ve got good systems.”

As for what’s planned in 2023 – Thornton says its important the longevity of the company is celebrated.

“It’s happy news. We’ll be doing a series of events with our people and our customers around the country to celebrate.

“It’s a major milestone. Very few companies ever get to their 70th birthday. We really feel like it’s something that’s worth noting.

“It’s also worth noting and thinking about the people who have contributed along the way.

“There are people who’ve lived their entire lives in that time and people who’ve had entire careers in McColl’s – and we think about them too.

“They’re the people who’ve helped McColl’s to become what it’s become, which is exciting.”

And for Thornton himself, the McColl’s allure has certainly hit its mark.

“It was a little business,” he says. “Stuart and June started out with a little truck – they went on and lived long and happy lives around McColl’s – Stuart must have been around 90 when he stepped out.

“If I can be still around McColl’s when I’m 90 …”

“WE PAY AT THE TOP OF THE INDUSTRY FOR DRIVERS.”

NATROAD Warren Clark

Let’s clear the air

It’s time for policymakers to acknowledge that electric trucks are on their way

Make no mistake – in a time of record heavy vehicle sales activity, our industry is moving inevitably towards emissions-free trucks. Adoption of Australian Design Rule 80/04, which mandates Euro 6 and equivalent standards for heavy vehicles, points the way.

Euro 6 reduces oxides of nitrogen and particulates in truck exhausts. That’s a good thing because air pollutants can increase the risk of heart and lung disease, cancer and premature death.

Although it doesn’t directly improve fuel efficiency or reduce CO2 emissions, it is worth noting that Euro 6 does accommodate compliance by electric vehicles.

These vehicles will be able to operate at the same steer axle mass limits available to diesel trucks complying with ADR 80/01 or later, according to one technical analysis.

In Australia, transport is responsible for 17 per cent of Australia’s total carbon dioxide emissions. On a per capita basis,

that’s 50 per cent above the OECD average. Meanwhile, we continue to buy (mainly diesel) trucks at a record rate with figures for February showing a 21.8 percent increase in volumes, year on year.

Chances are you won’t rush out to buy an electric vehicle tomorrow. However, if you’re in the linehaul segment of our industry you’re probably sitting back and looking on.

Current technology means lithium batteries take up a significant proportion of payload. This, along with EVs’ limited range and charging station availability, means the greatest take-up is by couriers travelling short distances.

Batteries need to be much smaller before they’ll be embraced by operators of larger vehicles – and research is focussed on making that happen.

Although we’re talking relatively modest numbers, battery production in the US is expected to triple this year.

Late last year Team Global Express announced the deployment

of 60 battery electric delivery vehicles to its Australian express parcels division. Australia Post’s courier arm has announced its first Volvo electric vehicle.

In March, IKEA was ranked at the top of Greenpeace’s 2023 Electrifying Fleets Rankings, due to its completely electrified fleet operations.

Most manufacturers with an Australian presence have announced availability of expanded ranges, but the focus is on hybrid vehicles which still have capacity to use diesel over longer distances. And the first all-electric trucks will roll off the line in Australia’s biggest vehicle manufacturing plant in Queensland 2027.

Let’s not discount the role that hydrogen technology might play.

As the Federal Government notes in its National Hydrogen Strategy, hydrogen fuel carries significantly more energy than the equivalent weight of batteries. That makes it especially applicable for electric trucks travelling long distances, or where battery weight compromises effective payload.

There’s some distance to go before hydrogen fuel cell technology can be commercialised.

What all these technologies have in common is that Governments need to provide the right signals by setting targets and reducing barriers to vehicle purchasing.

Tax incentives to ditch diesel in favour of electricity will create market demand and (eventually) establish an all-important secondhand market.

The pay-off will be a cleaner environment, lower fuel costs and stimulation of local manufacturing industry.

WARREN CLARK is CEO of the National Road Transport Association

“Battery production in the US is expected to triple this year.”

THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND

Australian Truck Radio rocks on

Founder and broadcaster Simon Smith says Australian Truck Radio’s playlist is constantly updated in response to listener feedback and the station has also boosted its traffic reporting via a partnership with the Australian Traffic Network to provide regular national road reports.

“They provide reports for every State and Territory, seven days a week, across the day and into the night, every hour,” Smith says.

He says another welcome addition for the station is a partnership with trucking charity Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds (www.healthyheads. org) who will regularly share tips and hints to help drivers stay safe and healthy on the road.

Smith, who ran the Big Rig Road Show for 12 years before launching Australian Truck Radio, says it’s been exciting to see downloads of the station’s app increase as the word spreads about the only nationally dedicated 24 hour, seven-day-a-week, digital station targeted directly at truck drivers.

He says the ability for listeners to lock on to the station and keep listening regardless of which borders they crossed was proving to be a big positive for drivers who were otherwise forced to constantly scan the airwaves to find a station they liked in the area they were driving through.

Fresh off the back of a successful Top 500 countdown over the Australia Day long weekend, Smith says the station is now working on something

WHAT’S ON upcoming events

THE DIESEL, RUST AND DUST TRUCK AND MACHINERY SHOW

April 22, 2023. Denman, NSW

Held at the old football fields, Turner St, Denman. Vintage and late model trucks, cars and motorcycles, plus stationary engines, machinery, live music, market stalls, woodchop demos, food, drinks and more. All vintage, classic or other type vehicle and machinery owners are welcome and encouraged to register and display their vehicles. Public entry gold coin; exhibitor entry $10. Main street vehicle parade 8.30am to 9.30am. Presented by the Antique Truck & Machinery Club Inc in association with Denman Men’s Shed, Denman Heritage Village and the Hunter Valley Classic Commercial Vehicle Club, and the Denman Chamber of Commerce. Held in conjunction with the Autumn Main St Markets, Ogilvie St. For further info phone Wayne on 0428 366 071 or Neal on 0409 045 264 or see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089797667362

BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW

May 18-21, 2023. Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Qld

Organised by Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA), the Brisbane Truck Show is held every two years and attracts approximately 290 exhibitors and up to 40,000 attendees. As the largest event of its type in the southern hemisphere, the Brisbane Truck Show stands alone as the premier event in Australia for the transport industry showcasing the latest in heavy vehicles, technology, engineering and innovation.

For further information see the website at www.brisbanetruckshow.com.au

HERITAGE TRUCK ASSOCIATION ANNUAL SHOW

May 20-21, 2023. Rocklea Showgrounds, QLD

special for the upcoming Brisbane Truck Show in May.

The station’s regular guest list is growing too with Transport Women Australia Ltd chairwoman Jacquelene Brotherton and NatRoad CEO Warren Clark among the industry experts joining the conversation and sharing their take on the state of the trucking industry.

On a personal level, Brotherton has recently joined Australian Truck Radio team as public relations manager, bringing with her a passion for all things trucking fed by her own transport industry career of more than 40 years.

For Smith, the radio journey is only just beginning.

“We are all about supporting the trucking industry, the companies that work with it and the people who move the nation daily.”

He says it’s well known in the industry that radio is not a glass house and that at the end of the day delivering what the listener wants is the key to success.

Smith lists Australian Truck Radio’s Truckies’ Top 10 as:

1. Light On The Hill – Slim Dusty

2. Driving Wheels – Jimmy Barnes

3. Highway To Hell – AC/DC

4. Star Truck – Slim Dusty

5. Beds Are Burning – Midnight Oil

6. Working Class Man – Jimmy Barnes

7.

Smith says feedback, whether it’s ideas for shows, song requests, shout outs, or dislikes, are always welcome via text on 0401 912 255 or by going online to www.australiantruckradio. com.au

A weekend of fun and activities at the Rocklea Showgrounds, located corner of Marshall Road and Goburra Street. You can expect a huge array of vintage and heritage trucks, stationary engines, vintage cars, heritage buses, vintage tractors and more. Entry is $10 for adults and children under 14 are free. Sponsored by HVIA.

For further info phone 0448 604 190, 0477 499 530 or 0439 222 762 or see the website at https://heritagetruckassociation.com.au and the Facebook page at www.facebook. com/heritagetruckassociation

PUTTY ROAD TRUCK DRIVERS MEMORIAL SERVICE

June 3, 2023. Milbrodale, NSW

New date! Held at Garry Miller Memorial Park, Putty Rd, Milbrodale. Service starts at 1pm. Local school providing refreshments from 11am. Afterwards, ticketed reunion dinner at 6pm, Charbonnier Hotel, Singleton at $60 per head.

For dinner tickets and accommodation phone Marie Warby on 0414 631 206 or 02 4578 5492. Memorial enquries phone Paul Crollick on 0427 472 250 or Shane Kent on 0419 287 159 or see the Facebook group page.

ALEXANDRA TRUCK UTE & ROD SHOW

June 11, 2023. Alexandra, Victoria

Celebrating the 26th year of the Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show on the Queens Birthday long weekend in June, 2023. Sunday Show ‘n Shine on Alexandra’s main street, includes live music, Victorian woodchop tournament, exhibitions and trade displays, kids amusements and Truck Show Day raffle draw. Be early on Saturday for the local markets, convoy and truck driver’s memorial service at 2pm and sponsors’ dinner at 6pm.

For truck show details email trucks@alexandratruckshow.com.au, or for further info phone Gordon Simpson on 0409 577 212, Andrew Embling on 0418 266 038, Facebook page or see the website at www.alexandratruckshow.com.au

WAUCHOPE YESTERYEAR TRUCK & MACHINERY SHOW

July 8 & 9, 2023. Wauchope Showground, NSW

Featuring historic and late model working trucks, vintage cars and tractors, machinery, motorcycles and stationary engines. Plus market stalls, swap meet and family entertainment. Free entry for exhibitors. $10 weekend camping. Saturday night fully catered meal and unreserved auction with proceeds to charity.

For info phone Greg and Christine Cavanagh on 0400 366 422. The truck exhibition inquiries phone Kirby Maxwell on 0407 594 149 or see the Yesteryear Truck and Machinery Show Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/1671228919932231

CASINO TRUCK SHOW

August 5, 2023. Casino, NSW

Show sponsored by North Coast Petroleum. The Highway Lights Parade will roll through Johnston and Centre Sts from 10am on Saturday. Truck registrations ($30 each) from 6am at the Casino Industrial Area on the town’s east side. Includes live music, amusements and markets. Over $12,000 in cash and prizes. Presentation at 2pm. Plus plenty of blinged up trucks from all across Australia will be parked in the CBD. Bobtail and rigid trucks only.

For further info email info@casinotruckshow.com.au or Darren Goodwin at dtgoodwin1@yahoo.com.au and see the website at www.casinotruckshow.com.au and Facebook www.facebook.com/casinotruckshow

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

Six months after its official launch, Australian Truck Radio is continuing to evolve in line with its motto of “we listen to you, so you’ll listen to us”.

It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n Roll) – AC/DC

8. Haulin’ For The Double T – Slim Dusty

9. Khe Sanh – Cold Chisel

10. Power And The Passion – Midnight Oil

Slim Dusty

Cold Chisel

ROAD SOUNDS Greg Bush

Music on the edge

New albums from newcomers and old favourites

FOLLOW THE CYBORG

Miss Grit

Mute/PIAS missgrit.com

CUTS & BRUISES

Inhaler

Polydor/Universal Music

www.inhaler.band

Miss Grit (aka Margaret Sohn), a New York Citybased singer, songwriter and musician, has released her debut album

Follow The Cyborg after teasing with a couple of EPs. Big on electronics and abstract lyrics, Follow The Cyborg represents a conversation between cyborg and its human creator. Hence, Miss Grit travels the experimental path on tracks such as ‘Your Eyes Are Mine’, a fiery mix of distorted guitars and electronic sounds. Not to be pigeonholed, she delivers the disturbing but commercially viable track ‘Lain (phone clone)’. ‘Nothing’s Wrong’ fits into that mould as Miss Grit, with her gentle vocals, delivers a catchy chorus. ‘Perfect Blue’, a dramatic-sounding track, is short of lyrics, and the title track is another that could fit into radiofriendly category.

EIGHT GUITARS

Amanda Brown

Independent

www.amandabrowncomposer.com

Amanda Brown is well known for her short spell as a member of The Go-Betweens where she appeared on two of the band’s albums in the ’80s –Tallulah and 16 Lovers Lane – before Grant McLennan reportedly showed her the door. Composing film music and collaborating with other artists since, Brown has belatedly released her debut solo album, Eight Guitars. A multi-instrumentalist herself, Brown enlisted the aid of eight Australian guitarists, hence the album’s title. Shane O’Mara brings his subtle guitar textures to ‘The Deal’, an atmospheric track and, with Brown's wistful vocals, delivers a relaxed take of The Church’s hit ‘Unguarded Moment’. Brisbane guitar player Danny Widdicombe adds twang to ‘Lost In The Wilderness’, another ambient track. Other guest guitarists include Damien Lane, Brendan Gallagher and Daniel Champagne.

Cuts & Bruises, the second album from Irish rock band Inhaler, follows the successful It Won’t Always Be Like This

The quartet consists of vocalist-guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon. Not overly publicised is that Hewson is the son of U2 frontman Bono. Inhaler, however, has its own distinct sound with an emphasis on melody. Three singles preceded the new album’s release, including ‘These Are The Days’, a song about a Friday night gone bad. ‘Love Will Get You There’ leans more towards pop-rock, while the slower ‘If You’re Gonna Break My Heart’ deals with the end of a relationship. There’s reflections on ‘Dublin In Ecstasy’, a track that bares similarity to US band The War On Drugs, and ‘Valentine’ is a warning about playing the game of love.

THE TELLING

Neil Murray

Island Home Music/Believe

www.neilmurray.com.au

Neil Murray, a strong promoter of Australia’s indigenous heritage, initially as a member of the Warumpi Band, chalks up solo album number 10 with The Telling. As with his previous work, Murray tells stories in his songs.

‘My Yuendumu Song’ refers to the remote Northern Territory community, it’s sound enhanced by Jack Howard’s excellent trumpet playing. There’s a traditional folk tone to ‘If The Wind Be Kind’, while ‘Broken Land’ is trademark Neil Murray rock. He sings of tragedy on ‘Tears Of Wybalenna’, a tale of the illfated aboriginal settlement off Flinders Island. There’s an acoustic backing to ‘The Murrumbidgee’, a song of reflection, and bluesy tone to ‘Rainbow Serpent And A Mine’, a track co-written by traditional owner Jack Green about the McArthur River mine’s devastating impact. Murray lifts the tempo, rocking it up on ‘No Justice’, another story song.

GRRR LIVE!

The Rolling Stones

Mercury/Universal rollingstones.com

Originally recorded during the Rolling Stones “50 & Counting” tour in 2012, Grrr Live! is an accompanying album to the concert of the same name. With 24 tracks, this double CD release is notable for the number of high profile guests taking part. The standout is arguably Lady Gaga’s duet performance with Mick Jagger on ‘Gimme Shelter’. John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr transform ‘Going Down’ into a guitar frenzy, and The Black Keys add value to the old Bo Diddley song ‘Who Do You Love’. Former Stones member Mick Taylor makes a welcome return with guitar on ‘Midnight Rambler’, and Bruce Springsteen steps up to the mic on ‘Tumbling Dice’. The remaining tracks capture the Stones glory years, namely the ’60s and ’70s, including ‘Honky Tonk Women’ and ‘Brown Sugar’.

CRACKER ISLAND

Gorillaz

Warner Music www.gorillaz.com

Damon Albarn may have taken a gamble when he branched out from his frontman role in Brit-pop band Blur to embark on the Gorillaz journey. It’s certainly proved a smart move. Cracker Island is album number eight for the “virtual” band. As with previous works, Cracker Island boasts a diverse array of guest artists, including bass player and R&B singer Thundercat on the rhythmic title track. Rapper Bootie Brown teams up with Australia’s Tame Impala for ‘New Gold’, another typical upbeat track. In contrast ‘Possession Island’, with talented US singer-songwriter-musician Beck adding vocals, is a chilled-out philosophical piece. Elsewhere, rock legend Stevie Nicks joins Albarn for ‘Oil’, a track with obscure, minimalist lyrics. ‘The Tired Influencer’ has a breezy seaside feel, and ‘Silent Running’, a smooth, mid-paced song, features Adeleye Omotayo on guest vocals.

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

SUBURBAN DREAM

Melody Moko

Cheatin’ Hearts Records/Spunk! melodymoko.com

Australia's Melody Moko achieved widespread recognition with her 2020 album Two Kids And A Radio, earning a Tamworth Golden Guitar award. Suburban Dream looks highly likely to maintain Moko’s rating, especially with tracks such as the guitar-heavy country rocker ‘Ain’t What You Used To Be’. Moko sings of life in suburbia on ‘The Outskirts’, and she joins illustrious company on ‘Jesus Year’, the song’s video being banned in the US. Moko has one of the sweetest voices around – she’s at her best on the evocative ‘Great Australian Dream’, the lyrics in contrast to the song’s title. Other standouts include ‘Child Of Mine’, and the duet with husband-producer Michael Moko on ‘Til The Day I Die’.

OUTSIDER

Bud Rokesky Independent Rainbow Valley Records/Warner budrokesky.com

Queensland born and bred singersongwriter had a top team by his side for the recording of his debut album Outsider, notably producers Matt Corby and Alex Henriksson. The album was recorded at Corby’s northern NSW Rainbow Valley studio, mostly with Rokesky and acoustic guitar. One of the exceptions is ‘Baby And I’, a song Rokesky wrote after a day driving trucks. ‘Open Doors’, with a backing of steel guitars, is a song about environmental damage, and he enlists fellow singersongwriter Hayley Mary for a duet on ‘Tell John’. Rokesky sings of the champion bull rider on ‘JB Mauney’, while ‘Louie’ evolved from a monologue he recorded during a year driving trucks. Bud Rokesky is a superior tunesmith and he has deep, honest vocals to match.

“As someone who grew up around the trucking industry here in Australia, and is still close to it, I love what I do both here in Australia and overseas with the industry. I know just how important it is for truckies to have a voice in this huge mobile community that carries the nation 24/7. What Australian Truck Radio is building is a really great thing for the trucking industry. I very much look forward to contributing and supporting what they do at Australian Truck Radio, which I reckon will make a real difference to hard- working Aussie Truckies.”

Jayne Denham Singer/Song Writer

WILKIE’S WATCH Ken Wilkie

Copping absurdity

Are uninformed officers taking joy from handing out second-rate advice to professional drivers?

Even high range driving under the influence does not usually see such massive fines. My mate Robert copped $2200 simply for failing to remove the yellow copies from his book. Yes, I know high profile operators are paranoid about overseeing driving time records but down here where I live, usually the only people who scrutinise the bloody things are cops or transport inspectors.

Yes, as much as possible logbooks must be right, electronic logbooks or otherwise, the driver simply must manage their fatigue.

Fatigue regulations at best are just work time parameters. About the only plus with the electronic stuff is that it can prod one into not making errors. I’ve always said I don’t have issues with the electronic stuff –beyond it’s still not fool proof. The big issue is the regulations being overseen. And overseen by some enforcement people who are not in possession of a lot of integrity.

Ashley has been doing furniture for 30 years. He is successful with his own business – and that translates into not damaging his customer’s freight. Ashley was asked to open his pan by police. He’s already done one drop and the remaining load is tied off to stop articles stacked high from falling. Those who understand the furniture transport scene will understand

the art of packing furniture. It is definitely an art – and not an art in evidence any time I’ve tried to mess with the stuff.

After a short stint a couple of decades ago, I earned myself the name of tailgate – wouldn’t get off the back of the truck. Ashley has left a washing machine against the left wall up against the remaining load. Bullying cop promised a ‘hundreds of dollars’ fine if it was not tied off. “If you turn sharp to the left,” cop exclaims, “that machine could slide across the floor and when it hits the right wall, it might turn your truck over.”

I have to ask, where do these overzealous police get their intelligence from? I’ve already explained that Ashley has a successful business because he looks after his customers products and doesn’t risk damaging the stock.

In showing respect to enforcement, is it too much to ask that enforcement respect the likes of Ashley – his age, his time in the industry and his professionalism?

BS RULES

Rod Hannifey has called for more participation in industry associations. Maybe if industry association people stopped just grovelling to bureaucracy there’d be more interest. Just remember, all the bullshit rules we have to suffer have been dreamed up by bureaucracy. And I’m

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

sure a big element in these regulations is a secondary ambition of denigrating the industry’s workforce.

If there is any hope of getting reform to current irresponsible regulations, it has to come from industry engaging with politicians in considerable numbers. And it is all about numbers. Politicians have to beg to have their jobs reinstated every few years. Bureaucracy essentially is there for life and with very little connect between reward and productivity.

In the book From The Somme To Singapore by Doctor Charles Huxtable, he volunteered for the First World War and backed up for the second – being imprisoned in Singapore as a POW from 1942 to 1945 and then afterwards involving himself as a flying doctor. A comment from this esteemed doctor I consider to be relevant today: “If the manner of Christ’s death does not teach men how to die for truth and principle, then what need was there for him to die a violent death?”

It would be inconceivable for someone today dying for a principle – especially the management and association portions of this industry. Rather, stand by while Robert gets hammered for a frivolous misdemeanour. Be silent on the bullying of Ashley. Be silent in regard to the double standards of primary industry registrations. Be silent on the variabilities of regulations for oversize, over mass regulations between the states. Be silent regarding Western Australia not allowing free trade between states. But now we are politically correct … stuff being principled. This era is much more fortunate than that of Doctor Huxtable’s. Yet it seems to me that we have slipped markedly further down the ladder of integrity.

“Where do these overzealous police get their intelligence from?”

Atouch of sugar. Sugar diabetes.

The less serious diabetes.

These are all terms that people use to describe type 2 diabetes. Sadly, they are all inaccurate. There is no such thing as a “less serious diabetes” or “a touch of diabetes”. You either have it or you don’t.

In most people type 2 diabetes does take a number of years to develop. Many people report they are ‘watched’ by their doctors or diagnosed with prediabetes but aren’t advised to make changes to prevent the progression from pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes.

It’s important when you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes that you are pro-active and seek out a healthcare team to support you in managing your health, in the prevention or remission or

management of type 2 diabetes. Areas to focus on:

• Eat healthy, most of the time: find an accredited practising dietitian (www.dietitiansaustralia.org.au/finddietitian) to help you examine what you eat and drink and how to make it healthier. We are the sum of our many decisions so by making your eating choices default to the healthiest choice available your health will always be better

• Move your body more: find an accredited exercise physiologist (www.essa.org.au/find-aep/) to assess your fitness and write an exercise plan for you. Never say never when it comes to physical activity. There is a smorgasbord of exercise choices out there to choose from

• Consider if you need to lose weight: your doctor may advise you on this

and your dietitian and exercise physiologist’s advice will help you achieve your goal. Remember, it has taken a long time for the weight to go on so the most effective way to reduce it permanently is to make small consistent changes over a long period of time, not go on a crash diet

• If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes: find a credentialled diabetes educator to help navigate the nuts and bolts of diabetes including identifying your target ranges for blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol and where you stand in relation to them, learning how to monitor your blood glucose, and making sure you have a sick day management plan

• Following your doctor’s advice about medication: many people who are diagnosed with diabetes are reluctant to take medication, but research shows aggressive management early helps prevent longer term complications. If you have any questions about medications, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best time of day to have the medication, side-effects – type and duration, and how the medication works in your body.

By taking your health seriously and making changes you can enjoy a better quality of life for longer, which is what we all want.

Diabetesaustralia.com.au also has free face-to-face or online programs to help you understand and manage your type 2 diabetes.

brisbane truck show

CUMMINS TO UNVEIL NEW X15D

Following an exclusive reveal in OwnerDriver’s January 2023 edition, Cummins has officially unwrapped a new big bore, light weight 15-litre engine which will be on display at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show

Following a special investigative report by technical editor Steve Brooks three months ago, Cummins has announced it will officially unveil its most advanced ever big bore diesel truck engine at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show.

The big 2023 event will run from May 18 to 21 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The entirely new 15-litre platform, known as the X15D, is predicted to deliver the highestever outputs for a Cummins truck engine while setting new standards for fuel efficiency at ultralow emissions levels.

“With the all-new X-series platform, Cummins is taking the internal combustion engine to a next generation level, capable of meeting future ultra-low emission standards with a low-tozero carbon fuel capability,” says Mike Fowler, director of On-Highway Business for Cummins Asia Pacific.

There is no set date for release of the X15D in Australia and New Zealand, although field tests have been underway in Australia since 2021 and, as reported earlier, predominantly in DAF trucks.

“The X15D will only be released when we are completely satisfied with its reliability and durability in meeting the harsh demands of the Australian B-double duty cycle,” Fowler says.

A reported key feature of the X15D is its dry weight reduction of 225kg compared with the current X15. A sculpted iron block and composite oil pan are among the weight-saving features that result in the X15D having the highest powerto-weight density in the industry.

“The unique power cylinder design enables much higher peak cylinder pressures – 20 per cent higher than the current engine – and that enhances power density and overall efficiency,” Fowler continues.

Featuring the latest evolution of Cummins’ XPI (Extreme Pressure Injection) fuel system, the X15D will be offered with ratings up to 660 horsepower backed up by massive peak torque of 2,360lb-ft.

The highest rating eclipses the current X15 peaks of 615 horsepower/2,050lb-ft and will enhance Cummins’ engine down-speeding strategy for improved fuel economy.

“This strategy is about reducing cruise rpm for fuel economy gains while at the same time providing the grunt to meet both driver and trip

time expectations,” says Fowler, noting that peak torque extends over a wide band, from 1,500rpm all the way back to 1,000rpm.

He notes field trials of the X15D rated at 660 horsepower in Australia have shown fuel economy improvements up to eight per cent. By the end of 2023, more than 10 trucks will be involved in the field trial and the aim is to accumulate more than five million test kilometres.

Cummins will exhibit the new X15D at stand 94 in hall 3 at the Brisbane Truck Show.

KNORR-BREMSE TO OFFER NEW BRAKING SOLUTIONS

Knorr-Bremse has revealed it’ll be showcasing its latest driver assistance systems, new global scalable brake controls, and electronically controlled braking system for trailers at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.

A global market leader for both rail and commercial vehicle braking systems, the company’s exhibit will include intensive technical coverage and multimedia demonstrations of advanced technologies for assisted and automated driving, e-mobility, sustainability, traffic and road safety, and connectivity.

hese include Knorr-Bremse’s driver assistance systems, which alert truck drivers to potential risks. In Australia, these products are available as part of the Bendix Fusion Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS).

The company is also presenting its broad, modular approach to operational and safety-critical future systems via its new Global Scalable Brake Control (GSBC).

Also among Knorr-Bremse’s show highlights are the iTEBS X Trailer EBS, which combines ECU, sensor technology and pneumatic control elements in a single compact assembly; and its award-winning iMass OBM system which delivers mass data in real-time and is capable of communicating to an in-vehicle telematics unit, all integrated with the TEBS G2.2 electronic braking module.

See Knorr-Bremse at the Brisbane Truck Show on stand 76 in the Great Hall.

Right: The new Cummins X15D, undergoing secretive trials in 2021

HYZON BRINGS HYDROGEN TO SHOW

Hyzon Motors has unveiled its heavy rigid truck platform, an Australian-designed and built hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, ahead of showcasing the rig at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.

The company is developing the heavy rigid truck as a global platform, adaptable for international markets, with a multitude of vehicle use cases, such as garbage compactors, tilt trays and fl atbed trucks.

Leading the development of the global heavy rigid program in Australia has allowed Hyzon to tap into the rich resources of highly skilled local engineering and technical knowledge to build a team, process, and product for its global and domestic markets, the company says.

Last year, the US-based company announced development of a purpose-built assembly plant in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Noble Park, to locally manufacture hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles.

Hyzon’s team has designed and built the first three trucks over the past year, replacing the diesel engines in new Mercedes trucks with hydrogen gas tanks and a fuel cell.

The heavy rigid truck is expected to hit the road in a number of commercial trials in Australia and New Zealand throughout 2023.

Hyzon already has three tilt-tray trucks on order from the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) owned towing company Nationwide Group, and

discussions are under way with waste management groups and other potential operators.

President of International Operations John Edgley says the recent launch is a “real game changer” for Australia’s and New Zealand’s decarbonisation journey.

“We are building our zero-emission heavy vehicles right here in Australia, using local skills, employing local people, and collaborating effectively with our colleagues across the globe,” he says.

“Our vehicle development process is following a path of design, build and validation to make use of resources that are available in Australia and provide an opportunity to train new engineers and technicians.

“Incorporating global market requirements and standards into our design philosophy has allowed the vehicle to be easily adaptable not only to international markets, but also with a multitude of use cases.

“Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles will play a vital role in the decarbonisation of the transport sector and be a key component of Australia and New Zealand fuel security strategy into the future.”

Hyzon Motors Inc President and interim CEO Parker Meeks adds the milestone is an important step in building the company’s manufacturing capacity globally.

“Hyzon’s core fuel cell technology has a distinct competitive advantage which will allow us to innovate

and introduce high-performance vehicles that support the transition to net zero,” he says.

Hyzon will showcase the heavy rigid FCEV at the South Bank Truck Festival, an outdoor truck and trailer display at Little Stanley Street and Stanley Street Plaza which will run alongside the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show.

The company will also have a presence within the show at stand 297 on the Plaza Level of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

See the Hyzon products at the Brisbane Truck Show on Stand 297 on the Plaza level.

“It’s not too late to be a part of the MAY EDITION of

which will be available at stand #255 Plaza

Your Say

SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Greg.Bush@primecreative.com.au or 379 Docklands Drive, Docklands, VIC 3008 We prefer letters by e-mail, but handwritten letters will be accorded the same opportunity to be published.

Early ’70s at Lindsay’s

I’d like to make comment on Lindsay’s 70th birthday celebration (OwnerDriver, February 2023) as a driver who worked for Peter and Tom in the early ’70s.

There’s no doubt Peter and Tom are due the kudos given them, but without their drivers who put in big miles and long hours with little sleep, they would not have prospered to become the company they are today.

I got a job there when I pulled up out front of their Sawtell depot in a 1418 Benz of Allied Interstate where we were expected to load grain ‘hot and heavy’ on IS plates. With the big V loads of cereals, 8ft wide going up to 12ft wide at 14ft height, they would often fall over. Three drivers had rolled their trucks in two weeks returning to Brisbane.

It thought it time to try a new company. Liking the colours and paint scheme of Lindsay Brothers, I thought I would give them a try.

Agreeing to move into single men’s accommodation on the southern side of Coffs, I made the move, starting on their single drive Ford 8000 petrol V8 with single axle, vacuum brakes, trailer carting produce to Brisbane and general freight (10 ton) back to Coffs (Sawtell depot).

Everything went well until I brought a load of bitumen in 44s, laid down, back from Cessnock. In the hills outside Taree the steering let go and I had to spin the steering wheel to catch opposite lock as the truck started heading for the bush.

I caught it in time but had to spin the wheel lock to lock to keep it straight all the way back to Sawtell where the mechanics casually told me, “She’ll be right, we’ve fixed it before”.

Then they put me into an 86 Volvo with straight-through exhaust as

Lindsay’s liked noisy trucks, then into a single drive G88 with a Swift coach diff – and that was a fast truck, especially between Grafton and Kyogle.

Then into a single drive B model with silly wheel pusher (single steer tyres in front of the drive axle) which could have been the one behind Tom and Peter in the picture on page 61 of the February issue. Peter Lindsay took me through ‘driver training’ by asking me if I knew how to change a quad box, two sticks. I replied, ‘I didn’t’, to which he said, ‘you will after the first 100 mile’ and then showing me the long-handled screwdriver under the seat with which I would use to free up the compound stick when it would jam between Lo and Direct.

Driver training done, I set off to Sydney markets. Peter was right about the 100 mile as I jammed the compound stick on a climb and had to crawl to the top of the hill using the main only and then climbing under the truck in pouring rain while lying in a deep puddle to eventually free the compound stick, drenched top to bottom.

It was the last B model Lindsay’s had and with a rebuilt 711 motor and fresh painted guards and bonnet, it was as pretty as a picture in the red, white and blue paintwork with pin striping and ‘Lindsay Bros’ scroll.

When a naturally aspirated motor such as the 711 (210hp) worked hard, they would put an oxy torch flame out the exhaust showing the motor was tuned spot on. The only problem with the exhaust coming out the side was they could set caravans etc on fire when the truck and caravan

travelled up a hill side by side.

With equal weights and 64mph diff, it could hold its own against a ‘Grunter’ like the COE F model, 237hp Maxidyne, but the B model with the longer legs could chase a ‘Grunter’ down between Bulahdelah and Raymond Terrace.

The B model was rolled by a ‘BTO’ outside the Veresdale Hotel, north of Beaudesert, loaded with the last load of Christmas general, sky high and heavy, he upended it on the bend outside the pub, putting the load of Christmas cakes, pressies and other good things right in their driveway.

The patrons were extremely happy with their good fortune at Christmas time.

Not so me as I was given the Mack with bent chassis, leaky noisy exhaust and associated vibrations to bring back a load of produce to the markets from Sawtell.

And there ended my association with ‘upside down’ transport, no pun intended.

As for the Ford, I later warned another BTO of Lindsay’s, who had the attitude ‘She’ll be right mate’, who drove the Ford, to be careful of the steering failing, but he was ‘too good a driver for that to happen’ to him, until early one morning I came across the Ford on the southern side of Mt Lindsay after coming through a slow S-bend. The steering had failed and the Ford had gone through a fence out into a paddock, dumping boxes of fresh tomatoes everywhere that were bound for the Rocklea markets, and no driver to be seen anywhere as he had probably hoofed it out of there. So much for ‘She’ll be right mate, we’ve fixed it before’.

I can laugh about most of these things now as back then, early ’70s, they were par for the course.

The back of Lindsay’s depot at Sawtell was full of wrecked trucks and trailers, as for a time there Lindsay’s were unable to get their trucks insured because so many were falling over and involved in accidents.

On one occasion I remember Peter, who had a booming voice, bawling out a driver who was unloading bagged cement onto pallets. Peter was alongside the trailer giving the driver a real serve when the driver, in his 30s, dropped a bag on Peter’s head from the trailer. That caused things to go quiet for a while as the driver got down, walked to the truck, then getting his bag out of the truck, walked out the gate. You might say he quit.

Letters to the Editor need to be typed or clearly handwritten and be no more than 500 words. Letters should include name, title (e.g. owner-driver, manager) and city for publication, unless otherwise requested. Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Please be concise, so we can offer more people an opportunity to express themselves.

“The truck started heading for the bush.”

We used to get paid cash in a Commonwealth Bank envelope at reception.

Having written this, I would also add, no malice or intent other than to have a laugh at the goings on that took place back then, about 50 years ago. And congratulations to Lindsay’s for achieving the 70 year milestone.

The G86 rigid ‘Ripalong’ (pictured left) had my handle on the bull bar. I got the name from one of Lindsay’s F model Macks. I drove it for a bloke who subbied to Wards, ‘The Overnighters’, doing the Rocky milk run with an occasional Mt Isa for urgent freight. The Ford LTL of NQX (pictured opposite bottom) was one of the last trucks I drove.

Wayne (previously known by the handle ‘Ripalong’)

Brisbane, Qld

Poor roads and driver health

As heavy vehicle (HV) combination drivers are aware, logbook records imply driver fatigue is solely governed by driving long hours on perfectly smooth roads. To assess the true extent of driver fatigue, cumulative back injury and cumulative health damage it is paramount HV driver log book entries be expanded to include recording of the average and peak weighted acceleration for all three component directions of both the seat pad and steering column

vibrations for each journey segment.

Fortunately such information can be readily recorded with modern enhanced electronic log books. (The alternative is to relay the data recorded to fleet base monitoring stations.)

Armed with such information drivers will receive proper redress on forced health retirement for the cumulative back and health damage inflicted by the actual road conditions travelled.

Furthermore, the recording of each trip segment vibration dose will force road authorities to more intensely attend road maintenance and promote the installation of dynamic load sharing inherently damped suspensions on all air-suspended axle groups. Application of state-of-the-art air suspensions will allay the fundamental cause of road damage.

Simply HV driver environs vibration monitoring and recording units are cheap (compare ECUs) as is the additional cost of improved air suspensions relative to driver long term back and health injury compensation, continual symptomatic road damage repair (including associated repair site traffic control monitoring and road congestion) costs and the flow on effects of the ever-increasing HV driver shortage!

Dr Arnold McLean Dharawal Country (Illawarra)

February feedback

You have ticked every box available with OwnerDriver’s February issue; it has been the very best read. Those stories were classics – one in particular, the Lindsay Brothers effort.

How good was it to be partly in the driver’s seat getting all the up to date

‘gen’ of a large trucking organisation. The numbers are staggering of what it takes to be profitable in this sector of industry. Will you please write more stories of this nature? We get a lot of satisfaction from all this direct information. Thank you.

Ronald Lee-Harris

REPORT CARD ON CASCADIA

Sure,

It was late 2019. No one knew a global pandemic was just around the corner and at a high level press conference on a sparkling spring day in Sydney, it was all good news coming from not just the top tier of Daimler Trucks North America but from the big corporate kahuna himself, Daimler Truck global supremo Martin Daum.

Obviously, it took something very special to bring to Sydney’s shores such a cluster of Daimler’s heavy hitters but more to the point, it signalled in no uncertain terms that Australia was on the corporate radar like never before. Cascadia had cometh and with it, an unmistakeable pledge that this time around, operational reality would prove to be significantly greater than corporate rhetoric.

From Herr Daum down, the overseas ‘heavies’ were resolute in pushing the message: Australia and New Zealand are valuable markets and Cascadia was the key to cracking a bigger stake because, quite simply, it was the truck that would finally allow our part of the world to feed from the same technological table as its North American counterpart. In effect, Cascadia would deliver what its predecessors had never been able to deliver – a fast, direct line to the technical and mechanical

it hasn’t yet notched the numbers expected of it, but in everything else Freightliner Cascadia appears to be achieving exactly what its proponents planned. That is, to bring a stunning level of standard safety to the conventional truck class and vitally, build a reputation that buries once and for all the dubious durability and questionable build quality of its immediate predecessors. Steve Brooks drives deep into Cascadia’s credentials to file this comprehensive assessment

developments of North America’s top selling heavy-duty truck as they happen. Not only that, Cascadia’s conversion to our side of the road was emerging from the most comprehensive and costly test program ever undertaken by Freightliner for an export market.

From any angle, this was the start of a bigger, bolder, brighter future for Freightliner in Australia. A new era to finally put a stake through the heart of the hardships and disappointments of the last few decades. No more patchwork product plans, no more interminable waiting for the US to apply an engineering fix to one problem after another, no more mediocre build quality, and with the bell finally tolling for the defunct Argosy and its Coronado stablemate, no more of Australia’s second-string status in the Freightliner fold.

It had all come down to this balmy, bullish

day in Sydney, and that night the official launch of the truck which promised to carve an entirely new line in the Australian sand for a brand which had long promised so much yet, for any number of reasons, had largely failed to live up to the potential forged during the inspiring days of our first Freightliner, the indomitably durable FLC112.

But then came COVID and suddenly, just as hype and hope were hitting the heights, the brakes went on. Hard!

Ups and Downes

With the likely exception of Daimler Truck Australia chief Daniel Whitehead, it’d be difficult to imagine anyone more excited or hungrier for Cascadia’s ‘Down Under’ debut than Freightliner’s local leader, Stephen Downes.

The former Paccar Australia manager had moved to Daimler at the start of 2015 knowing full well that some time down the track, Cascadia would take its place here. It may, however, have taken longer than expected but during the extensive product planning and testing processes preceding the new truck’s local debut, Whitehead and Downes were equally adamant there would be no shortcuts in ensuring that Cascadia did not suffer the fundamental foibles of its predecessors. Simply stated, Freightliner’s reputation could not afford those mistakes again and as rumour

Top: Testing times. Freightliner’s Stephen Downes during early Australian testing of Cascadia, long before the model’s launch here. The biggest issue now is a supply shortage. “Everything we get, we sell.”

Above left: Freightliner obviously didn’t want anyone to miss the message. Despite a long 126 inch bumper to back-ofcab length, Cascadia’s flagship will haul a 34 pallet B-double, complete with a 36 inch bunk and a bull bar

Left: One of the first Cascadias sold in Australia went to NSW family company Cleary Bros. Almost three years later, company director Brett Cleary says, “It hasn’t missed a beat.”

has it, they didn’t defer from reminding their American colleagues of that one cold, hard fact.

Even so, and especially given the early fervour of Cascadia’s launch, it has also taken much longer than expected for the opportunity to slip behind the wheel of Cascadia’s flagship 126 model. And sure, COVID constraints have been part of the problem but the main reason according to an earnest Stephen Downes is, “Everything we get, we sell.” In effect, supply shortfalls and strong customer demand have meant no spare trucks, least of all for media trials. Fair enough, customers come first.

To state the obvious, there are two Cascadia models, the 116 and the 126, with the numbers defining the bumper to back-of-cab (BBC) length in inches of each model. The shorter version is punched by a Detroit DD13 engine with up to 505hp and 1850lb-ft of torque whereas the 126 has the DD16 engine topping out at 600hp and 2050lb-ft. Funny thing though, it wasn’t hard to secure an early steer of the 116. Freightliner was, in fact, extremely quick to put a pre-production single trailer combination together for trial runs. Furthermore, in the first half of 2020 we were also able to secure the maiden run in one of the first Cascadias sold in Australia, a 116 truck and quad-dog combination in the fleet of highly regarded NSW family company, Cleary Bros.

In a follow-up report more than a year later, company director Brett Cleary and original driver Kieran Pearce were quick to commend Cascadia’s standards of durability and fuel efficiency. “I wouldn’t change anything,” Kieran Pearce declared after the first 150,000km behind the wheel.

Meantime, for Brett Cleary the standard fitment of the Detroit Assurance 5.0 safety package of Active Brake Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, and the Side Guard Assist system had been a powerful influence on the decision to go early with Cascadia but operationally, he knew there was still a long way to go.

Now, with 300,000km fast approaching, the truck continues to do the right thing according to an obviously satisfied Cleary. “Other than a minor, very minor, gearbox glitch at the moment, it hasn’t missed a beat. No dramas, and it’s pulling a 39 tonne payload,” he remarks, adding that fuel consumption over the life of the truck to date sits at a pleasing 2.05km/litre (5.8mpg).

So, the big question: Would you buy another one?

“Yeah, I would. The service has been good but we’re running over the big hill (Mt Ousley) a lot of the time so I’d probably go for the 16 litre model,” Brett Cleary concluded.

Yet despite these accolades for the 116, it came as a surprise to learn the longer 126 model accounts for around 70 per cent of the 700-plus Cascadias now running

“We built momentum but it has been frustrating waiting for supply.”

on Australian roads; a ratio which perhaps belies the suggestion that the model’s long BBC precludes it from many B-double applications.

Still, proving that most things come to those who wait long enough and whinge loud enough, a new Cascadia 126 in 26-metre B-double form recently became available and before our run through regional Victoria and southern NSW, a forthright Stephen Downes didn’t shy from any of the issues which appear to have collectively subdued Cascadia sales since its launch more than three years ago.

For instance, asked if he was content with Cascadia’s achievements to date, a succinct Downes replied, “No. We simply haven’t had enough trucks (and) we could’ve done significantly more if we’d had the trucks.

“We built momentum but it has been frustrating waiting for supply. We want more because we can sell more. Simple as that.”

COVID, he remarked, has had an obvious influence but it certainly hasn’t been the only issue impacting Cascadia’s ability to make the most of a booming Australian truck market. Big demands on production in North America continue to be a contributing factor but so, too, has limited global supply of components been a problem for automotive brands around the world. (Not least, semiconductors for the electronic control modules of every new car and truck.) Add stifled shipping availability and it’s easy to see why importers – Freightliner certainly isn’t alone in suffering supply shortages – have found it particularly hard to meet high market demand.

As for the assertion that the 126 inch BBC of Freightliner’s premium model restrains Cascadia’s potential for 26 metre B-double duties, Downes insists it’s more of a problem if the 126 is coupling to an existing trailer set essentially designed for a cab-over or a shorter conventional. “It’s not really an issue with new trailers,” he contends, referring to an engineering drawing of the new 34-pallet Krueger Kurtainer B-double set built specifically for the test unit complete with a 36 inch standup sleeper and bull bar.

As our photos show, the truck’s graphics aren’t timid in highlighting Cascadia’s credentials for B-double duties but arguably the most positive aspect of all came from a blunt question about Cascadia’s durability to date.

“All good,” Stephen Downes instantly answered. “On durability and service, it’s meeting all our expectations.”

Over the next 48 hours though, as first the new truck, then a meeting with a fiercely pragmatic fleet operator and finally, a run in an early engineering ‘mule’ with more than 800,000km on the clock, signalled that despite its relatively modest numbers, Cascadia appears to be in the process of achieving far more than simply ‘meeting expectations’.

Drive with a difference

After more than three years since its introduction, we were keen to do something more with the Cascadia 126 than a day-long highway run, and so it was that early on a weekday morning, Freightliner field service manager Mike Bushett had an immaculately prepared 126 ready

to roll from the hectic Cooper Street BP outlet on Melbourne’s northern rim.

Grossing 60 tonnes and with just 2600km on the clock, the plan was to spear north up the old Hume Highway, taking in the sharp climb over Pretty Sally before tracking to Echuca and over the border to Deniliquin and a quick meeting with Deniliquin Freighters principals Russell Tait and wife Vicki who now run three Cascadia 126 models in their 15-truck operation. After that, head ‘cross-country on busted bitumen to Barham and over the town’s notoriously skinny bridge back into Victoria, threading through mallee country on equally ordinary roads before an overnight stay in the truck at Horsham.

Early next day, with Horsham’s Wimmera Field Days about to start, the B-double outfit was left with Daimler Truck’s Wilson Bolton dealership for display duties. In its place for the run back to Melbourne was a loaded single trailer hauled by the same engineering test unit we’d first encountered years earlier in Queensland pulling B-double loads of fuel. If nothing else, this final stint would at least indicate if Cascadia’s cab was enduring time and toil better, significantly better, than most of its forebears.

Anyway, first things first: Cascadia 126 comes with a standard gross combination mass rating of 106 tonnes and certainly ticks enough boxes to make it a worthy competitor for the great majority of applications available to a conventional truck. Indeed, the test unit supplied for this exercise proved the point in no uncertain way.

Opposite top:

Underneath, of course, is the burly DD16 engine rated at peak output of 600hp (447kW), backed up by a healthy 2050lb-ft of torque, distributed through the super-slick and highly intuitive control of the DT12 12-speed overdrive automated transmission. This combination is obviously part of the same ‘family’ powertrain as Mercedes-Benz with the notable difference that Cascadia’s engine meets America’s fierce GHG 17 (greenhouse gas) emissions level – even more stringent than Euro 6 – with a horizontal exhaust and aftertreatment system mounted under the driver’s side of the cab.

Importantly, there’s a wide range of round or square fuel tank options with the test unit carrying almost 1000 litres in three tanks, two on the driver’s side and a single on the passenger side partnered by a 200 litre AdBlue

Above: Freightliner field service manager Mike Bushett points out a few of the digital system’s finer features before our first trial of a Cascadia 126 B-double. This exercise had been a long time coming

Behind the wheel. Whether you’re a fan of a digital dash or not, Cascadia’s layout is practical and easily understood. In fact, the overall switchgear and control layout is arguably as good as it gets

tank, with smaller AdBlue sizes also available. Putting performance to the ground is Meritor’s RT46160 GP drive tandem running a 3.42:1 final drive ratio and riding on Freightliner’s well-mannered AirLiner rear suspension layout. Up front are long taper-leaf spring packs.

In the all-important stopping department there’s the choice of Meritor drum brakes or Bendix discs, with the latter fitted to the test truck.

From behind the wheel, the cab’s a delight with an enviable mix of creature comfort and operational simplicity. For starters, it’s an easy climb to the Isri highback seat and from there, everything falls easily to hand. There is, of course, no mistaking the Daimler family similarities in a tidy switchgear and control layout, and now, Cascadia’s inclusion of two digital dash screens operated through fingertip controls on the leatherwrapped steering wheel. All up, it’s a quality layout and while a driver’s like or dislike of the digital systems over more conventional gauges is largely driven by personal choice, the Daimler design is at least among the most practical and logical in the market.

Admittedly, Freightliner’s Mike Bushett was alongside to explain the operation of the various functions and features but nonetheless, familiarity came quickly, even to someone from a time when ‘digital’ implied a finger in a certain direction rather than a technological trend. Moreover, it didn’t take long to feel completely at ease on the road, in or out of traffic. There’s a crisp, smart strength in the Detroit powertrain which is perhaps unsurpassed in the conventional class, particularly with such worthwhile inclusions as a standard ‘hill hold’ function. Likewise, handling and road manners on the highway were sure and smooth as the outfit notched an easy 100km/h around 1400rpm. Some may initially find the steering a tad too soft but it is in no way sloppy or vague.

Meantime, forward vision over the drooping snout is supremely good but as in past appraisals of Cascadia, I find the radar unit at the top centre of the windscreen visually intrusive. Typically, some agree, some don’t, but to my thinking, it simply infringes on a full view. As for rear vision, the mirrors are excellent but like so many

“There’s a crisp, smart strength in the Detroit powertrain.”

others, the driver’s side housing can at some angles interfere with the right-hand view at roundabouts and the like.

In performance, however, there’s nothing not to like about the DD16. It’s strong, tenacious and again, ideally matched to a slick and highly intuitive transmission. The biggest hill on the run to Deniliquin is the Pretty Sally climb less than an hour out of Melbourne yet even when baulked by slower traffic, the 60 tonne B-double romped over the steepest pinch in 8th gear under part throttle. Trucks have, indeed, come a long way since the days when Pretty Sally was one of the old Hume’s many hard hauls.

Over the border into the NSW Riverina, summer still had a sharp bite as the Cascadia rolled into the Deniliquin Freighters yard with the trip computer showing the 270km leg from Melbourne returning 1.78km/litre, or 5.03mpg. It seemed a respectable result for a relatively new truck hauling 60 tonnes.

Horses for courses

Time was tight but Russell Tait and wife Vicki were typically obliging as the conversation quickly turned to the three Cascadias in the couple’s high profile business as the national carrier for SunRice out of its Riverina operations.

It’s a formidable effort, with long-term subbies and tow operators complementing the Taits’ 15 company trucks to move up to 60 loads each day in either roadtrain, B-double or single trailer configurations.

As for Cascadia, Russell explained the first of the three 126 models arrived towards the

end of 2021 and now, with upwards of 170,000km on the clock, the decision to add the Freightliner conventionals in an operation dominated by Mercedes-Benz’s flagship 2663 model comes with no regrets. Nor, he continues, are there any regrets in making a major move to MercedesBenz some years back after a gruelling experience with Cummins EGR engines in Kenworths. We reported that story a few years ago but to say the EGR experience was a painful episode for Deni Freighters is an understatement of massive proportion.

Interestingly, there are three aging Kenworths still in the operation but as a candid Russell Tait points out, there’s no EGR.

Meantime, the couple is adamant the Benz experience has been entirely beneficial, with Vicki commenting, “We really enjoy our experience with Daimler,” and both asserting that the appointment of David Warren as dealer principal of the Daimler Truck outlets in Albury and Wagga “… has been a revelation.” In fact, as far as the Taits are concerned, David Warren’s recent award as Daimler Trucks dealer of the year was entirely deserved.

What’s more, a definite Russell Tait declares the Daimler Trucks’ full maintenance plan which supports the company’s Benz and Freightliner trucks is “… entirely cost-effective”.

But, if the Benz experience has been so good, why Cascadia?

“Because we could run a long wheelbase with a 60 inch bunk and still meet the length limit with tippers,” Russell instantly fired back.

“Besides, rice is a heavy product and we generally need only a 32-pallet deck for curtain-side B-doubles.” Thoughtful for a moment, he eagerly adds, “The big bunk certainly pleases drivers. It creates a lot of pride and the feedback has been very strong.”

Cascadia, however, has delivered other assets. He cites, for instance, the decision to specify Eaton 18-speed manual gearboxes instead of the Detroit DT12 automated transmission as a benefit when loading from harvesters in paddocks. Moreover, an emphatic Russell Tait says Cascadia has shown an ability to cope better with poor secondary roads than its Mercedes sibling.

Still, while he describes Cascadia’s DD16 as “good on fuel,” Russell equally attests, “Mercedes-Benz is a tad better because it runs a taller diff ratio.”

As for future purchases, a steadfast Russell and Vicki say it’s simply a choice between the two brands, dependent on the application. As Russell puts it, “Mercedes for highway runs and Cascadia for more regional work.

“Either way, it’ll be one or the other,” he confirms.

By now, the heat was high and a blustery wind was curving the curtains as the demo truck was pointed south on badly cracked and flood-ravaged roads to Barham and over the border through flat, windswept farmlands

Top & above: The 36-inch XT sleeper is the smallest of Cascadia’s bunks but provides ample standing room between seats, a good mattress and reasonable features, except controls are still arranged in a left-hand drive layout

Opposite top & below: Russell and Vicki Tait. Three top-shelf Cascadias have joined the Deniliquin Freighters business, complete with 60-inch hi-rise sleepers and Eaton 18-speed manual box in place of the standard 12-speed automated shifter. Cascadia is coping well with poor secondary roads, Russell says

“But here’s the thing, the bunk is still in a left-hand drive layout.”

Above & right: Then and now. Freightliner’s original righthand drive engineering truck did plenty of work during early testing before the model’s local launch. Today, with well over 800,000km on the clock, the truck remains in exceptionally good shape, demonstrating durability far beyond earlier Freightliner models

streaked by similarly second-class roads.

It wasn’t always easy holding a steady speed and neat line on such broken and rough-edged roads, but for the most part Cascadia’s ride and handling qualities made the haul to Horsham at least tolerable. It was, if nothing else, easy to accept Russell Tait’s judgement of Cascadia as a capable truck on poor secondary roads.

A hot gusty wind, however, was taking a toll and as the truck rolled into Horsham in the early evening, fuel consumption for the 616km trip from Melbourne had fallen to 1.71km/litre, or 4.83 mpg. Given the diverse demands of the day, it seemed a reasonable result for

a truck which had barely notched 3000 km. It’s worth noting though, the fuel figure does not include AdBlue consumption.

Meantime, the next part of the exercise didn’t demand much of truck or driver. Sleep!

Night and day

Accommodating 34-pallet B-double duties, Freightliner’s 36 inch XT sleeper is obviously the smallest of Cascadia’s bunks, its bigger brothers being the 48 inch XT, 60 inch XT and 60 inch RR (raised roof) sheds.

All XT cabs provide reasonable standing room between the seats but as the slimmest bunk in the bunch, the 36 inch version lacks the sleeper doors and lockers on each side of its bigger brothers, but at least has opening vents on each side and a reasonable single locker on the driver’s side.

Importantly, sleeper trim is neatly finished and there’s a good quality 30 inch mattress as well as curtains that

“The only thing on my wish list right now is more of what we’ve got.”

extend around the doors and windscreen and another curtain that slides across the width of the sleeper. Controls for lights, fan, heating and ventilation are on a panel on the passenger side wall, along with a handy digital clock with an alarm function. On the driver’s side there’s a convenient towel rack and in the test truck, steel bracketry for mounting a TV.

But here’s the thing, the bunk is still in a left-hand drive layout. Most drivers I’ve come across (including the one in the mirror) like to sleep with their head behind the driver’s seat because it’s generally the high side of the road, which means the XT’s controls for lights, fan and so on, as well as the TV bracketry, are on the wrong side of the sleeper. Whether or not Freightliner’s masters are willing to make the change for our market remains to be seen but from a driver’s perspective, the change would be welcome.

The final part of the story, however, is arguably the most revealing and given Freightliner’s track record for questionable build quality over the last few decades, the most important. There’s no question the fit and finish of the test truck were of an appropriately high standard and with a complete lack of rattles, squeaks, shivers and shakes on roads that ranged from reasonable to rotten, it was easy to again accept Freightliner’s assertion that Cascadia’s overall quality is far above any of its immediate predecessors.

However, a few hours behind the wheel of the engineering test truck which was, in fact, the first right-hand drive Cascadia to hit an Australian road, sealed the deal on build quality more than any other.

Hooked to a curtain-sided single trailer and grossing around 40 tonnes for this relatively

short hop to Melbourne, the truck had notched almost 810,000km on a range of durability trials starting well before Cascadia’s Australian launch and to put it mildly, hadn’t had an easy life.

Again though, there was not a rattle or squeak to be heard, the dash fittings were still neat and tight, and the overall handling and steering quality were entirely acceptable. In fact, the only thing outside the square was a blank space in the left of the dash fascia where a data logger had sat until recently removed.

Across the cab, Freightliner’s Mike Bushett is a calm and considerate man who didn’t deny a genuine gratitude for Cascadia. After a collective 28 years in Daimler’s truck business

and nowadays the field service manager for South Australia, Western Australia and parts of Victoria, he admits to more than a few hard days with some earlier Freightliner models.

It’s a far different deal today and despite the added complexity and detail of all modern trucks, he candidly declares Cascadia’s quality is far beyond anything from the past. As for reliability, “It’s on a far higher scale in every way. There just aren’t the issues anymore.”

Meantime, back in Melbourne, Stephen Downes was asked, “What’s on your wish list now for Cascadia. Maybe a 16 litre model with a shorter BBC?”

“No,” he answered sharply. “The only thing on my wish list right now is more of what we’ve got.”

CONTINENTAL EYES ELECTRIC FUTURE

Continental successfully tests tyre prototypes for Futuricum E-Trucks in Germany

Electric drives have not only become increasingly attractive in the area of individual mobility, but are also experiencing a dynamic development in demand in local public transport and freight transportation. Together with leading vehicle manufacturers and technology companies, Continental has been working on tyre solutions for these special requirements.

Even back in 2021, the premium tyre manufacturer carried out test drives at the Contidrom, about 40km north Hanover in Germany, with an electric truck of the specialist for electric commercial vehicles Futuricum. The Futuricum vehicle is based on a Volvo FH, which has been converted to an electric drive by the Futuricum parent company Designwerk Products AG. The 19-tonne truck has 680hp and, with a capacity of 680kW hours, has the largest truck battery in Europe on board. This allows a range of up to 760 kilometres without freight.

“The Futuricum has been on the road in Swiss regional traffic since the beginning of 2021 rolling on tyres of the Continental EcoRegional product line,” says Hinnerk Kaiser, head of Tyre Development Bus and Truck Tyres at Continental.

“The combination of Conti EcoRegional HS3 and HD3 already enables high mileage and extremely low rolling resistance and thus offers the essential characteristics for the economical operation of electrically powered commercial vehicles.”

The continuing series of test are about increasing efficiency even further. The focus is in particular on extending the range by reducing rolling resistance. In addition to the original tyres, the Conti EfficientPro and brand-new prototypes are used in direct comparison. The Conti EfficientPro is a proven product that was developed in particular for long-distance transportation and emphasizes fuel efficiency. The specially manufactured

prototypes were manufactured in Hanover-Stöcken, at the central location of research and development for premium tyres from Continental, in an elaborate robot carving process and refined by experienced tyre carvers.

“As with all electric drives, the tyres for the Futuricum Logistics 18E are exposed to higher torque during start off and acceleration,” explains Hinnerk Kaiser.

“At the same time, the weight and weight distribution of the tractor are increased by the particularly powerful battery. Therefore, the tyres must not only have a low rolling resistance, but also withstand heavier loads than tyres for comparable vehicles with internal combustion engines. At the same time, they should last just as long and meet the same safety requirements as truck tyres for conventional drives.”

Balancing the conflicting goals, especially mileage, braking and handling performance, at an ever higher level is technically demanding. At the same time, in

view of the rapid development of the e-mobility segment, the engineers are in a race against time. However, as a premium tyre manufacturer from Hanover, Continental is uncompromising toward our own requirements – the concept tyre development is intended to significantly shorten the development time regardless of existing tyre generations.

Above: Continental undertook test drives at the Contidrom with an electric truck of the Futuricum type

Right: The e-truck runs in Swiss regional traffic on Conti EcoRegional HS3 (front axle) and Conti EcoRegional HD3 (drive axle)

Opposite top left: Continental also tested custom-made prototypes that have been manufactured in Hanover-Stöcken in a robot carving process and refined by tyre carvers

Opposite below: The Futuricum truck has the largest truck battery in Europe on board with a capacity of 680kW hours. This allows an average range of about 760km

About Continental

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2022, Continental generated sales of €39.4 billion ($63.2 billion) and currently employs around 200,000 people in 57 countries and markets.

The Tyres group sector has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tyre manufacturers with 57,000 employees and posted sales of €14 billion ($22.5 billion) in 2022 in this group sector. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tyre production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the tyre business includes services for the tyre trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tyres.

HINO EXPANDS HYBRID RANGE

Hino Australia has announced further extensions to its Hybrid Electric Built to Go products, which will be available in Hino dealerships from July this year.

The new models will add to what Hino states as more than 700 Hino Hybrid Electric trucks already on Australian roads.

Daniel Petrovski, Hino Australia’s department manager – Product Strategy, says rising fuel prices and an increased focus from customers wanting to minimise their environmental impact has seen sales of Australia’s only Hybrid Electric light-duty truck soar.

“The introduction of the new Alloy Tray and TradeAce Built to Go models to our Hybrid Electric range offers customers a high quality, cost effective and versatile drive-away solution that can reduce business operating costs from day one.

“Not only do our Hybrid Electric models meet Euro 6 exhaust emissions standards, but recent real-world trials comparing the proven Hino Hybrid Electric truck against a traditional diesel equivalent revealed a 22 per cent reduction in fuel use and CO2 emissions,” Petrovski says.

According to Hino, greater savings are achievable depending on the application of the vehicle and how it is driven.

Hybrid Electric customers are also said to benefit from a reduction in maintenance costs as the electric motor replaces the diesel engine’s starter motor and alternator, and the regenerative braking reduces the use of service brakes and increases the life of the brakes, all while charging the Hybrid batteries.

“Hino 300 Series Hybrid customers can reduce yearly maintenance costs by up to 16 per cent,” Petrovski continues.

The Hino 300 Series Built to Go Hybrid Electric TradeAce models are fitted with a Hino Genuine aluminium tray, ladder racks and a Hino Genuine premium Bullbar (Wide Cab) or nudge bar (Standard Cab).

The 300 Series Alloy Tray range features the same base aluminium tray body specification as the TradeAce models but without the ladder racks and nudge/bull bar.

The 300 Series Hybrid Electric Built to Go range includes the 616 Standard and Wide Cab 4.5 tonne GVM car-licenced models through to the 716 Wide Cab with a 6.5 tonne GVM.

The Hybrid system uses a lightweight Power Control Unit (PCU) that encompasses the battery, inverter, Engine Control Unit (ECU) and DC-DC Converter.

The Hino N04C-WR four cylinder common-rail injected turbo-diesel engine produces 150hp (110kW) and 470Nm of torque, which is delivered in combination with the electric motor, with maximum torque available at a very low 1200rpm.

Because maximum torque is available at such low rpm, fuel use is minimised.

The six-speed automated transmission with the electric drive motor directly coupled to it results in quicker gear shifts and smoother take-offs.

“The new Hybrid Electric Built to Go models will be of particular appeal to tradespeople and small business operators who are seeking a versatile drive-away solution that can reduce operating costs from day one,” Petrovski adds.

Like all Hybrid Electric models, the new Built to Go models will feature Hino SmartSafe, a comprehensive safety package with advanced driver-assist technology that takes an active focus in protecting the lives of all road users.

Hino SmartSafe includes a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Detection

(PD) and Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS). This is in addition to Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), reverse camera, dual SRS airbags, four-wheel disc brakes UN ECE R-29 cab strength certified cab and hill start assist (easy start).

The Hino 300 Series Hybrid Electric light-duty range is driven by Toyota Group technology that is proven in millions of hybrid vehicles worldwide.

THUMBS UP FOR HEAVY DUTY WHEEL ALIGNER

Precision Automotive Equipment, the exclusive Australian distributor of the Hunter range of wheel service equipment products, has received glowing feedback from Nolan’s Interstate Transport over the its Hunter WinAlign Heavy Duty Wheel Aligner.

According to Aaron Mogg, workshop manager of Nolan’s Interstate Transport, the Hunter WinAlign Wheel Aligner has been a total game changer for their business efficiency.

“Since the implementation of the Hunter WinAlign Wheel Aligner some 12 months ago we have significantly reduced our tyre costs per month,” Mogg says.

“We are currently running approximately 2,000 axles in the Nolan’s Transport fleet and we noticed a small saving after the first three months of using this aligner, but it was after the first year where the savings proved to be remarkable.

“Before we purchased the Hunter aligner, we averaged $135K per month in tyre costs (using an external aligner), now we are spending $85K per month.

“We currently only do wheel alignments when a full set of drives are replaced, when a set of steers are replaced, or if a driver complaint comes in. On that point, the compliments we are getting from our drivers to our mechanics are very rewarding. Anyone in this business will tell you that getting compliments from drivers is not easy.”

Designed specifically for heavy duty vehicles, Hunter’s WinAlign system is said to include unique alignment features to suit a comprehensive range of truck, trailer and bus applications.

The stated features of the Hunter WinAlign WA670EDSP760T Wheel Aligner include six cordless senses that allow three axle live measurements at once. It also supports 60 axle configurations.

The heavy duty wheel aligner comes with a WA670 Premium Cabinet, runs on 240V power and is compatible with DSP760T sensors.

ABOVE: Aaron Mogg, workshop manager at Nolan’s Interstate Transport sings the praises of the Hunter WinAlign Wheel Aligner

The Iveco S-Way, which won the IF Design Award in 2020, is now on sale in Australia after being available for advanced orders late last year. For the local and New Zealand market, the model is available in both rigid (6x2, 6x4 and 8x4) and prime mover (4x2 and 6x4) configurations.

Cab options are the Active Day, Active Time and the larger Active Space, with three cab height options available across the line-up.

In addition, there is a choice of four wheelbases for prime mover variants – 3650mm, 3200mm, 3300mm and 3500mm. The rigids offer 10 options, ranging between 3500mm to 6050mm, model dependent.

GVM and GCM for the new range span from 18,200kg to 27,600kg (GVM), and from 50,000kg to 70,000kg (GCM) for prime movers and 27,600kg (GVM) and 70,000kg (GCM) for selected rigids (13l 6x4 and 8x4 models).

Iveco believes the spread of options and specification choices sees the S-Way well positioned to cater for a broad array of applications including general freight and refrigeration work (including B-double), tipper and dog duties and more specialised applications.

Power for the Iveco S-Way range comes through the Cursor 9, Cursor 11 and Cursor 13 engines. Iveco says two states of tune are available for the Cursor 9 and 13 variants, providing buyers with five output choices.

Iveco points out that all

IVECO SHOWS THE S-WAY

the press of a button allowing them to drive in manual mode for 60 seconds.

Additional efficiencies are also achieved through ‘Hi-Cruise’, a GPS-predictive driving system that integrates cruise control and certain automated Hi-Tronix transmission functions, that interact to manage speed control, gear selection and Eco-roll (a feature that disengages the driveline to use vehicle inertia when facing a moderate slope, maintaining kinetic energy for longer) in the most fuel- efficient way.

Safety features across all S-Way models include Advanced Emergency Braking System, Brake Assistance System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning System, Electronic Stability Program with ABS (disc brakes all round) and ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation), Hill Holder and Driver Style Evaluation plus Driver Attention Support (DSE + DAS).

powerplants meet stringent Euro 6 (Step E) emission requirements, with Step E placing more severe limits on engine cold start performance. All engines are also fully compatible with second generation biofuels HVO/ XTL (EN15940), a synthetically produced paraffinic diesel fuel.

The engine range begins with the 8.7 litre Cursor 9 which produces 360hp from 1,530 to 2,200rpm and 1,650Nm from 1,200 to 1,530rpm. In the 11.1 litre Cursor 11, power jumps to 460hp from 1,500 to 1,900rpm and 2150Nm of torque from 925 to 1,500rpm.

The largest of the engine family is the 12.9 litre Cursor 13 which starts with output of 530hp at between 1,600 to 1,900rpm and torque of 2,400Nm from 950 to 1,500rpm. A second Cursor 13 rating sees it produce 550hp from 1,605 to 1,900rpm with torque of 2,500Nm from 1,000 to 1605rpm.

Iveco says all engines use its patented HI-eSCR emission control technology. Hi-eSCR is a single after-treatment system featuring passive DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) – DPF regeneration does not require driver intervention. Other stated benefits of the technology are that it is uncomplicated and efficient, providing many advantages compared to EGR and SCR equivalents, including reduced fuel consumption, a lower tare weight and there’s no requirement for additional cooling as passive DPF regeneration occurs at a lower temperature.

Iveco’s 12 and 16-speed

Hi-Tronix automated manual transmissions are direct drive units that are said to deliver fast gear changes and also have the ability to more efficiently select the correct ratio for the road and load conditions at hand.

The S-Way also features ‘EcoSwitch’ which allows the driver to transition between ‘Eco- Fleet’ and normal operation. Iveco says Eco-Fleet essentially maintains the Hi-Tronix transmission in automatic mode, allowing the transmission to operate in the optimal gear and within a torque curb that returns the best fuel efficiency. If traffic or road conditions temporarily require the driver to manually override the auto mode, they can do so at

DAS checks the driver’s level of attention by analysing steering wheel movements. If a state of drowsiness is detected, a message on the screen and an audible signal prompt the driver to stop for a rest. DSE analyses data and provides driving advice in realtime – this is displayed within the instrument cluster or can be accessed on smart phones using the ‘My Iveco – Easy Way’ app.

The Iveco S-Way is covered by a standard three year/750,000km warranty (whichever occurs first) for Cursor 11 and 13-powered models and three years / 500,000km (whichever comes first) for Cursor 9 variants. Extended warranty options of up to five years/1,000,000km (whichever occurs first) are also available at additional cost.

A full report on the new Iveco S-Way range will feature in an upcoming edition of OwnerDriver magazine.

ISUZU AIMS HIGH WITH ELF

Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) says the recent global announcement of the brand new, next generation of Isuzu truck models, including the introduction of the brand’s first factory-produced zero-emission vehicle (ZEV), the Elf EV.

Launched under Isuzu’s‘Choose your future’ banner, the new light and medium-duty product range aims to serve distinct distributor markets with a line-up of mixed product technology to address localised market demand, regulation compliance and geographic preferences.

“This is an important moment for Isuzu globally and here in Australia,” said IAL managing

BRIGHTER BY LIGHT

Lux and lumen figures are frequently quoted when describing light performance, but what does each actually mean and how can they be used to help

director and chief executive officer, Takeo Shindo.

“This next generation of product defines the path for the continued success of Isuzu around the world for the foreseeable future.

“The model-life for commercial vehicles is two to three times that of private or passenger vehicles. This release of all-new internal combustion and zero emission trucks is a landmark event, evolving the brand focus of reliability to now also encapsulate creativity and innovation.”

The next generation of new light and medium-duty Isuzu

you purchase driving lights, light bars and even globes?

Narva points out that, in simple terms, lumen is the total volume of light emitted from a source, such as a driving light. Lux, on the other hand, is the intensity or brightness of this light when it hits a specific area or object away from the source.

There are two types of lumen

truck models are scheduled for local release in Australia, in-line with updates to local Australian Design Rules (ADRs) for vehicle safety and emission standards.

Among the upgrades is the evolution of the existing Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) currently applied to new N and F Series products in Australia. Isuzu says the newly launched safety suite now includes multiple drive assist features that have been integrated in a push towards dramatically reducing the risk of an incident on the road.

Meanwhile, Isuzu Australia’s chief operating officer and director, Andrew Harbison, says

figures, raw and effective, as Narva explains. Raw lumens refer to the maximum potential light volume of LEDs and is often a calculated or theoretical figure rather than measured.

Effective lumens are much more relevant because they are measured from an actual running light that is affected by its design, including how hard the LEDs are driven, its heat management and optics, as well as real world conditions like ambient climate and electrical current available.

“Within automotive lighting applications we find more of a balance between volume and intensity and shift the beam pattern for various situations,” Narva says.

“Take a standard 55W/60W H4 halogen globe that is fitted to a headlamp; These output around 1,500 lumens, most of which is directed from the headlamp onto the road. In most cases both the high and low beams produce about the same number of lumens, yet most of us would describe the high beam as brighter than the low; this is because the low beam spreads the light over a wider area, while high focuses the

the Elf EV is the culmination of intense research and development by Isuzu in Japan.

“In its first iteration, this battery electric Isuzu truck is targeted at the built-up environment, fulfilling last-mile distribution duties. It will have an immediate and obvious impact in reducing urban transport emissions and contributing to greater quality of life through reduced noise and safety features protecting both the operator and public.

“What our customers can expect, when this new model is announced for the Australian market, is the same compelling operator and business case they rely on Isuzu to provide.

“We look forward to setting out on this journey with our Australian customers,” Harbison says.

light into a narrower beam to give distance.

“Both have similar lumens, but the high beam will have a higher lux at long distances and the low beam will have higher lux out to the sides where it throws more light,” Narva states.

“Which brings us to an important point about lux: we can also use it to indicate how wide a light beam can shine. After all, width is a measurement of distance too, just out to the side. For example, if a driving light can produce 1 lux at 60 metres width, measured at 400 metres, it means we should have newspaper quality illumination sitting 30 metres either side of the vehicle’s centre, at a point 400 metres down the road.”

Narva says its premium LED driving lights such as the Ultima MK2 series, utilise a hybrid beam pattern that offers the best of both worlds, combining precision optics and high-powered LEDs for enormous volumes of light to the sides and down the road (15,410 effective lumens and 1 lux at 1093m).

HINO HANDS OUT NATIONAL GONGS

Hino Australia has celebrated excellence by its dealers at its 2022 Dealer of the Year Awards where CMI Hino Adelaide was again crowned the Metropolitan Dealer of the Year.

Sci-Fleet Hino Gold Coast also took home a national award, being crowned Regional Dealer of the Year by Hino.

Against the backdrop of the Intercontinental Brisbane’s Lagoon Beach, the 2022 Hino Dealer of the Year awards were held on February 24 in a ceremony hosted by Hino ambassador Neil Crompton and attended by 260 guests.

On display at the awards was a replica of the Hino-sponsored #20 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which was raced by Team 18’s Scott Pye at the Thrifty Newcastle 500 in March as part of Hino Australia’s long-standing partnership with Supercars Team 18.

“After a tumultuous few years which saw last year’s event hosted virtually, it was important for our dealers to gather together and celebrate all of the achievements in 2022,” says Sam Suda, president and CEO of Hino Australia.

“It is the second consecutive Dealer

of the Year title for CMI Hino Adelaide, which is an amazing achievement.

“For Sci-Fleet Hino Gold Coast, this is their first Dealer of the Year award, which is a feat the whole team should be congratulated for.”

The accolades didn’t stop there for Sci-Fleet Hino Gold Coast, which also won the Sales Excellence (Regional) title for the second year and the Service Excellence (Regional) title.

“This award has been 12 years in the making and wasn’t something we dared to dream about, but it is nice to receive,” says Sci-Fleet Hino Gold Coast dealer principal Craig Andersson.

“I am incredibly proud to receive this award on behalf of the hardworking team at Sci Fleet Gold Coast.”

Nathan Chatfield, general manager of CMI Hino Adelaide, paid tribute

to his team when accepting the metropolitan award for the fourth time.

“We are a very proud, long term Hino dealer – Hino is in our blood and our DNA,” Chatfield says.

“The CMI Hino Adelaide team is such a wonderful group of people who work incredibly hard at everything they do, and this award is a very fitting tribute to their efforts.”

CMI Hino Adelaide also won the Service Excellence Award.

For the second consecutive year, CMI Hino Adelaide, Jacob Hino (Albury-Wodonga), Sci-Fleet Hino Brisbane, Sci-Fleet Hino Gold Coast and CMI Hino Melbourne were recipients of the prestigious President’s Award and were joined by Barry Maney Hino (Mt Gambier),

which received it for the first time.

“The 2022 recipients demonstrated excellence in all aspects of parts, sales and service and I congratulate each dealership team for their efforts during 2022,” Sam Suda says.

The Hino Financial Services Dealer of the Year was claimed by Prestige Hino.

Sydney’s Adtrans Hino won the Customer Experience – Service (Metro) award for the fourth year and added to its trophy cabinet with the Customer Experience – Sales (Metro) title.

Pacific Hino (Cairns) was awarded the Customer Experience – Service (Regional) title, while Barry Maney Hino was also recognised for its 35 year association with the Hino brand, and also won the Customer Experience – Sales (Regional) title.

Sci-Fleet Hino Brisbane’s sales manager Will Gaulton, was awarded the Salesperson of the Year for the second consecutive year, while the dealership took out the Parts Excellence (Metro) award.

In addition to the President’s Award, Jacob Hino (Albury-Wodonga) also claimed the Parts Excellence (Regional) award for the second year in a row.

“My sincere thanks to all of the dealers in the Hino network for their efforts to deliver an exceptional experience to all Hino customers during 2022,” Suda continues.

“Tonight was all about showing our gratitude to the network, and the night was as prestigious as they come.

“Congratulations to those whose excellence has been recognised.”

ABOVE: Nathan Chatfield (CMI Adelaide), Sam Suda (Hino Australia CEO) and Craig Andersson (Sci Fleet Hino Gold Coast) at the Hino Dealer of the Year awards

LEFT: The Sci-Fleet Hino Gold Coast team celebrate being named Hino Regional Dealer of the Year for 2022

NO BULL

US TRUCKING GOING TO POT

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the US trucking industry’s not-for-profit research organisation, is seeking motor carrier input on the impact of marijuana legalisation on the trucking industry’s workforce. This research was identified as a top priority in 2022 by ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee.

Motor carrier staff and executives familiar with driver recruiting, retention and drug testing practices and trends have been asked to share their input. The ATRI believes this research will provide insight into the specific challenges motor carriers face as the use of recreational marijuana grows in the US.

The ATRI says the findings

should also provide insight into approaches the industry can take to address these challenges.

“States are moving quickly to legalise recreational marijuana use,” says Fred Fakkema, vice president of safety and compliance at Zonar Systems and chairman of the American Trucking Associations’ Law Enforcement Advisory Board.

“This rapid change directly impacts fleets and their workforce; ATRI’s research will help quantify those impacts.”

ATRI’s confidential survey went online earlier this year, finishing on March 17. The ATRI says the final report will only be presented in an aggregated, nonidentifying format.

SEA CHANGE AT THE TOP

Following two years in the role of President Asia Pacific, Bill Gillespie says he has made the decision to move on from SEA Electric. This comes after Gillespie started the EV project within Hino Australia and, with support from HML global in 2018, he says progress was swift from the first waste management truck for Cleanaway in Melbourne.

“I moved from Hino Australia in March 2021 to SEA Electric

to grow the SEA brand within the region,” Gillespie says.

“Shortly after that SEA gained approval to bring SKD chassis in from Hino Japan which was a world first for both Hino and for SEA Electric.

“The Australian dealer network was established in 2019 to sell and provide after sales support in this new EV truck frontier.

That structure exists successfully today and is a huge part in setting the SEA brand as something special in Australia with great customer support.”

Gillespie cites a couple of firsts in the past two years, including the recent announcement of the world’s first fully electric aircraft refueler for AirBP operating out of Brisbane Airport.

“In my view the SEA business is ready to grow and take full advantage of the recent growth in zero emission trucks and move to its next phase of lag scale sales and production.

“It’s been a great pleasure and a rare privilege to be a vital part of the establishment of the brand in Australia and to oversee its development into a full OEM in Australia.

“Onto the next phase of my life and career now and to that end there will be more news soon,” he says.

Gillespie’s seemingly sudden decision to depart came as a surprise to the industry.

NSW LABOR’S PROMISES

Now that the NSW state election has been run and won, pressure will now be on the victorious Labor Party to deliver on its pre-election promises. A couple of these directly affect the trucking industry.

These include toll road relief for truck owners driving in and out of Sydney, especially those doing multiple trips a day from Sydney north to the Central Coast.

The sticking point will be Transurban, which holds a monopoly on the state’s tollways and will be reluctant to allow any concessions to road transport.

NatRoad members attended a meeting with Transurban and Transport for NSW representatives in Newcastle at the end of 2019 to voice their concerns.

It appears the only one laughing was the Transurban rep whose smile was akin to someone winning Lotto.

The other promise keenly awaited is the lack of truck rest areas in the Sydney metro area. Labor promised a $20 million to fix the problem.

The trucking industry waits for bated breath.

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FOR THE OWNER-DRIVER Frank Black

Lessons to be learnt

The collapse of Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics is a wake-up call for both large and small operators

Getting paid on time is something we have to deal with a lot as owner-drivers. Sometimes it’s all we can do to wrestle the money we’ve earned from clients. As if we don’t have enough to deal with already.

For subbies who worked at Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics, with the company now going under, there’s thousands of dollars they’re never going to see again.

Scott’s should be a wakeup call to us all. If even a company that’s Australia’s largest cold chain operator – that doesn’t even have a direct competitor – can go under, there’s something seriously wrong.

What we’ve known for a long time is that the top of the supply chain controls how much money flows down to us. For Scott’s, it wasn’t enough. For the subbies who are going to be thousands out of pocket, and tens of thousands in some cases, it’s not enough.

Everyone’s feeling the squeeze right

now. People are struggling to pay their mortgages with so many interest rate rises. Groceries have gone through the roof. For ownerdrivers, we’re still dealing with the astronomical fuel costs that see no sign of slowing. I know many of us are trying to make ends meet. Scott’s, on a larger level, has faced exactly what we’ve all been through at some time or another: a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude from customers who won’t pay enough to make a business sustainable.

Once you add in all the other pressures a business has to face –and in the last few years we’ve had plenty to deal with between the pandemic and natural disasters –it’s no wonder so many are on the brink. I feel for the subbies at Scott’s who could be in real trouble if they don’t get all their entitlements back. I feel as well for all the ownerdrivers and operators going broke who don’t receive such widespread coverage as Scott’s. Smaller

operators don’t make the headlines when it happens to them but it is just as devastating.

GIG CONCERNS

The example of Scott’s isn’t the only thing that shows us that the crisis in our industry is only getting worse. I’ve talked a fair bit before about the gig economy, this ‘new frontier’ that seems completely separate to us but is actually a worrying sign of where our industry is headed without reform.

These gig companies are creeping ever further into our territory. In Australia, we’ve got AmazonFlex doing traditional courier work, and FedEx trying to pull a similar move.

In the US, Europe and others, it’s even worse: the gig economy moving into freight. This is particularly scary for us because it will happen here as well. As owner-drivers we have a lot of control over what we do, and how we do it – part of the reason I’ve stuck with it for so long. If you’re driving trucks as an ‘independent contractor’ for Amazon in the US, all your control disappears along with all your rights.

Now these may all seem like separate issues: the collapse of Scott’s, the rise of the gig economy, external things like the pandemic and bushfires and floods.

But it all comes back to the same thing. That’s greed from big, wealthy clients who get the economic benefit from our work and rake in millions – or even billions – without paying us properly to do it.

Trucking is not an industry where you can cut corners and have things be completely fine. Whether we’re owner-drivers, employee drivers or from any other sector, we deserve pay that allows us to do our jobs safely and professionally, while still be able to make a decent living.

That’s why as much as it can seem like we’re isolated as ownerdrivers sometimes, we have to be paying attention to what’s going on for everyone else, and we have to be willing to work alongside each other for a better industry. We are an important cog in the system.

I feel for the Scott’s workers now out of a job. There are 1,500 of them. Without clients stepping up and being accountable for their supply chains, Scott’s won’t be the last whether it is another large or a single owner-driver.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The likes of Amazon driving down standards will never come to the table unless they’re pushed, but other big companies – and even gig companies – have joined calls for reform. The Federal Government is committed to that reform.

Now we just have to fight like hell to get it over the line and make our industry better for ourselves, our families and everyone involved in it, we deserve it.

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.

“Smaller operators don’t make the headlines when it happens to them.”

IVECOPOWERSTAR6700 2004,CURSOR13ENGINEPARTS ONLY,AUTOGEARBOX,MERITORRT46-160DIFFSONHAS,ALUMINIUM BULLBAR,CAPPARTS,HYDRAULICS.WRECKING.W2535. TA1149025. POA

STERLINGAT9500 2003,DETROITBK12.7LENGINE,AUTOGEARBOX,RT46-160 DIFFSONAIRLINERSUSPENSION,CABPARTS,HYDRAULICS,ALUMINIUMTIPPER BODY.WRECKING.W2545. TA1170119. POA

FORDHN80LOUISVILLE 1997,CUMMINSN14-525HP,18SPEED GEARBOX,MERITORRT46-160DIFFSONHAS,ALUMINIUMBULLBAR, HYDRAULICS,TUBELESSRIMS.WRECKING.W2536. TA1149026. POA

VOLVOFH121 2001,D12CENGINE,VT2514GEARBOX,EV87DIFFS,HYDRAULICS, CABPARTS,ALCOAS,ALUMINIUMBULLBAR.WRECKING.W2543. TA1170113. POA

MACKTRIDENT 2013,MACKMP8-500HPENGINE,MDRIVETRANSMISSION, MERITORRT46-160DIFFSONHENDRICKSONSUSPENSION,CABPARTS, HYDRAULICS,ALUMINIUMTIPPERBODY.WRECKING.W2547. TA1170122. POA

FREIGHTLINERFL112BUSINESSCLASS 1997,CUMMINSM11ENGINE,13SPEED GEARBOX,RT40-145DIFFSONAIRLINERSUSPENSION,CABPARTS,STEELTIPPING BODY,HYDRAULICS.WRECKING.W2546. TA1170120. POA

MACKQUANTUM 2001,PRIMEMOVER,E-TECH470,18SPEED GEARBOX,MERITORRT46-160DIFFSONHAS,ALCOAS,CAB PARTS.WRECKINGW2534.w2534. TA1144024. POA

FREIGHTLINERARGOSY 2013,DETROITDD15ENGINE,RTLO20918B GEARBOX,MERITORRT46-160DIFFSONAIRLINER SUSPENSION,ALUMINUMFUPSBULLBAR,CABPARTS.WRECKING. W2540. TA1158892. POA

MANTGA26-480 2007,MAN480HPENGINE,ZFAUTOGEARBOX,AIRBAG SUSPENSION,CABPARTS,BULLBAR.WRECKING.W2544. TA1170116. POA

FREIGHTLINERARGOSY 2010,Detroit14LEGRengine,RTLO20918AS3 gearbox,MeritorRT46-160diffsonairliner,cabparts,fueltanks, alcoas.Wrecking.W2527. TA1137354. POA

KENWORTHT408 2008,CumminsEGRengine,RTLO20918Bgearbox, SpicerRT46-170diffsonairglide460,cabparts,fueltanks,alcoas. Wrecking.W2528. TA1137355. POA

FREIGHTLINERARGOSY 2007,CUMMINSGEN2ENGINE,RTLO20918B GEARBOX,MERITORRT46-160DIFFSONAIRLINERSUSPENSION,CAB PARTS.WRECKING.W2542. TA1158894. POA

ANY APPLICATION OR CONDITION”

PETER

THE CASCADIA IS A TRUCK YOU CAN RELY ON, IN JUST ABOUT

CLIFFORD, CLIFFORD BRICK AND TILE